The Chronicle. LEVIN. SATURDAY, DEC. 29, 1917.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 29 December 1917, Page 2

The Chronicle. LEVIN. SATURDAY, DEC. 29, 1917.

The "Chronicle" will not Jbe published oil Tuesday next (New Year's Day.)

Wlnle playing tennis at Otaki Mr C. H. G. Hedditeh had the misfortune to severely strain the muscles of his back. He had to seek medical advice, and will he compelled to rest for a feAV days.

At the Manawatn race meeting' the sum of ,£48,401 was put through the' totalisalor on Boxing day, and £42,401 on Friday, making' a total of £90,802 for the meeting, as against £105,709 for the three days' meeting last year-

Rumours were in circulation in shipping circles in Sydney & Melbourne a few days ago, says SFipping List, to the effect that no more steamers would load in New York for Australian ports- The rumours have been confirmed by Mr George A. Parkes, of the United States and Australian Steam Shipping Company who received the, following coblegram : "No

steamers scheduled to sail for any line will leave for Australia." It is understood that charters will go to sailing vessels.

Aii accident of a painful nature occurred at Waikanae 011 Boxing Day to a Wellington lad, named Boyes, aged about 15 years, a member of a band of Boy Scouts wlio are camping at Waikpnae, near the beac-li. A Waikanae boy, who was canning a loaded pea rifle, was walking about four yards behind Boyes, when he tripped and fell, with the result that the rifle was discharged, and the bullet struck Boyes in the hip- The iniured lad was taken lo the Otaki .Hospital for medical attention. As the bullet dould not be traced, the patient was sent to Wellington Hospital for X.ray treatment. —Mail. See Ken Aitken's advt. on page 4.

| Sir, Joseph Ward made the important announcement to a Chris tohurch deputation that within the next month or two the whole of the produce at present in the Dominion's cool stores would he .; cleared by shipping

i A Peilding lady was much dis gusted on Christmas Eve on re oeiving three Christmas card: from friends in Palmerston, be ■ cause each card had conspicuous ; ly upon it the imprint, "Printed |in Germany/' "That's patriotic ! Palmerston for you!" she ex--lnimed.

It is estimated that there were £500,000 worth of cars at the Palmerston races on Cup day (says the Times). Seven hundred of these vehicles paid for admission to tlie paddock. Then tliere were tlie members' cars and the taxis which plied continually between tlie course and the town.

Giving evidence at the enquiry into the escape of the German prisoners from Motuihi, Sergfc.Major Keogh stated that the escapees took with tliera 40 fowls and two turkeys (prepared in concentrated'form, similar to meat ex--Iracf> 400 yolks of eggs (in spirit distilled from jam), four kerosene tins of boiled water, and a supply of bombs made by them on tile island. The fowls were kept by the prisoners "as their own property" on Motuihi!

A Christchurch paper .reports j that the activities of a resident of one of the Christchurch seaside resorts in connection with, the buliding of a motor yacht recently aroused suspicion in the minds of other residents. This was especially the case in view of the facts that, the yacht-builder was a German, and that ship-building was not his customary vocation and that the yatcli was to be fitand that the yacht was to be fitsrine. Whatever the objects were for which the yacht was being built, the authorities deemed it Expedient to stop the work of construction and t/) intern 'the yacht-builder on Somes Island He was conveyed there a few days ago.

Some men have no luck at all! A thirsty soul who had commenced his Christmas festivities rather early, wandered into the Master! on Park. Evidently mistaking the water in the basin round the fountain for a promenade he walked right into the water. This amused two gentlemen who were seated near by. Being annoyed at their effervescing mirth, ftlxe one who was now wet outside as well as inside let off steam at the two others in lurid language. This is whore he had no luck—■ the gentlemen were both Stipendiary Magistrates!

Reports from the West Coast state that a number of licensees have applied through the Court to have the rents payable to their landlords reduced. It is anticipated that early in the new year some oldtime hostels on the Coast will be handed back to their owners, the tenants being unable to pay the rents. One owner, who is paying a double-figure rent, has applied to the Court to reduce his rent to practically nil, or compel the landlord to take over the stock and furniture. Another tenant is walking right out of j one of' the largest hotels, having lost liis time and money.

Mr C. S. Keedwell, lion- secrotary of the Levin Patriotic Society received a telegram from the Defence authorities to-day stating that the Levin men who have just arrived in Auckland, will i reach Wellington early, on Monday morninjr. Three Levin boys, ai'e included in the draft viz., Lance-Corporal T: P. "White, soii of the Rev J. White, Pte. Leslet Smith, sou of Mr F. 0. Smith, of Levin: and Lance-Corporal Maurice 0. Mclntyre, son of Mr .T. Mclntyre, headmaster of the Levin School. The hospital ship brought 547 men and 25 officers back. Eifirhty-eijrht cot cases, two are totally blind, ten are mental cases and three is a high proport-' ion of. men who have lost Iknbs. Two privates—W. T_ Webb (Palmerst on) nrnl J. T- McCaw (Waitahuna) died on the voyage.

All classes of tradesmen in Masterton report having had a particularly busy time during Christmas week and the takings may be set down as a record for (lie town, and this in spite of the world-wide war that has been raging for over three years. The fact that the business people liad two long nights, Saturday and Monday, in a measure contributed to the increased business. An "Age" reporter, in''' chatting with the heads of a number of firms, ascertained that the purchasing public appeared to be possessed of moi'e ready cash than in pre-Avar days and on which they did not seem to place the same value. As one man /put it, "the people seem to have money to burn, and in all my thirty-seven years' 'I have not known such a hankering after the best that money can buy." This remark was characteristic of almost all the others. "The people seem obsessed with the idea that dress counts," stated another tradesman, "and my customers demand the best goods, never auibble at the price, and coodness knows everything is high enough."

In to-day's issue Mr E. W. 1 Jones, has a change of advertisement in which the attention of the farming community is drawn to the 19.18 Diaries, .Farmers' account books and farming literat- i ure. 1 ! i For polishing lCnolenms, floorcloths, leather goods ,ind i'tvrnituro, TAN-Olj is most efficient and easy to W-'o.

The Hokio beach lias been quite a popular resort during the holidays and all the cottages have been fully occupied.

Mr .J. Aitken, of Jlanakau, who recently underwent a serious operation at tlie Wellington Hospital, is now making satisfactory progress towards recovery. Mr Aitken was suffering from a complication of troubles. He speaks highly of the treatment the hospital patients received at G'hrist- ! mas time.

Ease llecords advises that the transport with Draft No 1530 consisting of troops returning to New Zealand, is now expected to reach Auckland on January 2nd or -ird, instead of tlie 4th as notified to next-of-kin. The Southern men should reach Lyttolton on tlie morning of January sth.

The Post Office, Telegraph Office and Telephone Exchange, Levin, will he* closed all day Qii Tuesday, J miliary Ist, 1918. Mails for despatch will he closed at S p.m. on Monday, 31st December. A delivery of correspondence including that usually delivered by letter carriers will lie made over the Post Office counter on Mon-

day, December 91, from 7 to 8 p.m'.

The provision of the licensing law for the closing of hotel bars at 'six o'clock led to an unexpected and far-reaching elfect at Puk. ekohe (says the Sew Zealand Herald). In preparation for a smoke concert, tendered a's a farewell to a resident, a quantity of alcoholic liquors had been provided. Intimation, however, was received by the promoters from the local police that at any gathering held nft' licensed premises the old-established practice of consuming liquor paid for out of the general fund would be no longer permissible.

Private Leslie Smith, of Levin, who has just returned invalided to the Dominion, has a war record of three years' service to his credit. He left with the second reinforcements in Decepher, 1914, and has served with his unit ever since both in Egypt and France. Several other Levin boys are due to return shortly advice to this effect having been received by their next-of-kin. TKey include Private Arthur Walker, Private Res,- Butt, Private L. Doig and Private C. Howe.

The Rev. R. Haddon, the Maori clergyman does not at all agree with the notion that the Maori race is either declining in numbers or deteriorating in physique. Speaking at a Methodist Home .mission meeting at Manaia (the Witness reports), he said philanthropic ladies had come to him, bewailing the approaching disappearance of the Maoris. But they were entirely wrong, he said. The Maoris had increased-— —" from 40,000 to 50,000, their present number, and they siood well in the health statistics. Their dangerous time was the transition from Maori to Pakeha habits and customs. But they had passed that stage and were bringing up numerous and healthy families. "Look at me," he said, "I have a family of nine children. Does that look like dying out?' (Laughter).

The Waverley correspondent of the Patea Press states that on December S a load of cheese was consigned from Moumahaki railway station to the grading works at Wanganui. On arrival at the works nine cases of the consignment were thrown out, all the cheeses having been mutilated, apparently by knives having been run through the battens on the cases. The matter was reported to the police and the sequel was the appearance in Court of two young fellows, A. E. Frost, aged 20, and K. Nicholson, aged 15, both charged with the offence. Both pleaded guilty and the elder of the two was«

fined £4 and the younger £2, besides having to pay .£lO, the loss sustained on the cheese.

As indicative of the treatment New Zealand soldiers are receiving in the prison camps in Germany may be quoted a passage from a letter received by a Christchurch lady, whose son left with an early reinforcement, and,, has been a prisoner for almost two years. The writer states: "Dear Mother —I am a vastly different (the lad's name is omitted) from the son you used to know. At the present time I would easily qualify as a feather-weight jockey." —at the time of his departure from New "Zealand weighed the better part of 12 stone, and turned the scales at about the same weight at the time of his capture by the Germans. The interned Germans in New Zealand grow plump On the good fare and lazy life.

A copy of the Star Almanac for 1918, tlie thirty-fifth, year of ' j publication, is to hand. As usual it is a very informative; publien I ion embodying a mass of infoVmatiou in general demand. There is an agricultural statistical summary, breeders' tables,, a digest of-the principal'statutes (especially those of interest to country people), census, figures, space for a year's diary witli receipts and expenditure pages, and in addition a very complete and valuable * gardening "almanac, specially compiled: for the requirements of ~ this const. The Almanac will be found an almost daily necessity and as a typographical _ production it reflects great credit on - L , the publishers, W. A. Parkinson and Co., Ltd., Hawera. ' ■ML Be judge and jury and give ZOL" a trial. There can only he one verdict — " Absolutely competent to cure colds; influenza, bronchitis, and nasal catarrh."