LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 391, 19 March 1908, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Welcome rains are falling throughout this district, and feed for stock is rapidly coming on. Mr B. G, Gower was last night elected the first chairman of the Moutoa Drainage Board, and Mr W. Bock, clerk. Mr James, the Board’s architect, made an inspection of the old school to-day, and will report upon the repairs, etc., to be effected in order to render it suitable for technical instruction classes.

We regret to state that the Rev. Father Schaefer, who does hot enjoy very robust health at the best of times, has had to take to his bed. We are pleased to be ab’e to report that he hopes to be about again at an early date. A contemporary informs its readers .that Mr W. Webb, the world’s champion sculler, has been presented by the natives of the Putiki pa, up the Wanganui river, with a beautiful flax belt, which the Maoris desire shall in future be known as “ the champion belt,”

During the present year the Foxtou School Committee has put up a record for the Dominion, we believe, iu the matter of chairmen. During its terra of office, four chairmen have been elected, namely, Messrs Cleraett, Wilson, Baker and Hornblow.

A one-rooraed cottage, opposite Mr Easton’s butchery establishment in Main Street, was destroyed by fire about midnight on Tuesday. The cottage was occupied by Messrs Rich and McGovern, and owned by Mr Dange. The occupants were not in at the time ot the outbreak, the cause of which is unknown.

The. Methodist Conference at Melbourne has discussed the declining birth rate, and adopted a resolution in favour of legislation to prevent certain practices. One speaker declared that women could be seen about the streets nursing black-faced dogs and fierce-eyed cats, who would be ashamed to be seen nursing a baby. Mr Dusk, at the Supreme Court, Napier, while defending two young lads on charges of theft, said that he could directly trace the crime to be caused by the youths reading undesirable literature, samples of which had been found in their possession. The books were sold in the shops at id per volume, which made it a very easy matter for boys to get hold of such detestable literature.

Messrs Hennessy and Frankland, members of the local school committee, accompanied by Mr Grant, the Board’s technical instructor, made a canvas of a portion of the town on Tuesday last for subscriptions and pupils for the technical school and met with much success. The result of the canvas together with the names of subscribers will be published when the canvas has been completed.

Have the Maori women no taste —except what is in their mouths ? A day or two since, says the Carterton Daily News, we observed some of them in the town of Carterton wearing plaid garments loud enough to cause a report in Wellington. Others wore cerise of the gaudiest and unbecoming description, Truly the art of colour blending has not yet reached the Maoris, who can scarcely claim that they are following British or colonial fashion in this respect at all events.

Whale Island, the gunnery establishment ot the British Navy, was formerly only a mudbank, which was uncoveied by water at low tide. When the Admiralty started the decks at Portsmouth, the earth from the excavations was deposited on the mudbank, until a small island was formed. By iB6O the island had grown so large that the naval authorities decided to lay it out as a drill ground. It now covers 37 acres in area, and provides accommodation for nearly 2000 men.

“ While the fire was at its height,” remarked a Putara settler to an Lkelahuna Express reporter, ‘‘my consuming wish was that some of those —mentioning Messrs Hogg and Laurenson, M.P.’s — who advocated the nationalisation of land, were near enough so that I cculd have kept them facing the flames as continuously as some of us have done. Had they their eyebrows singed a new light might present itself to them.” That unfortunate settler’s brain had been affected by smoke.

Discussing the price ot land in the Dominion, a visitor from Australia stated that land prices in parts of New Zealand were higher than those ruling on the outskirts of London for building sections, and the same remark applied to rural areas. Just outside Melbourne building sections could be had for £3 10s per foot, and there were excellent roads and every convenience. He heard of a man in New Zealand having to pay to get into a big hotel, while for the sum of he could obtain possession of a much bigger hotel in Melbourne. Land generally was much cheaper on the other side, he said.

“ Do you use these patent milking machines?” asked Mr MacGregor of. the dairyman in the Compensation Court at Dunedin. “No,” came the reply. “ I have my doubts about them. I have heard it stated that they ruin the cows. You see, all cows don’t require the same pressure from the hand to get the milk from them, and I don’t see how you can get a machine to adjust itself to the peculiarities of each individual cow in your milking herd. “Do any farmers in your district use them?” asked counsel. “No, I never heard of one,” replied witness, whose farm is in Sawyers’ Bay.

An extraordinary glimpse of Irish peasant life was obtained at Carrick-on-Sbannon lately, when Terence Smyth, a farmer of Rosemore, MohiJl, sought to recover j£ioo compensation for the malicious burning of hay on his farm. Mr Smyth said there was a wedding on his farm, and at night parties of disguised men with blackened faces entered the house. They made themselves merry with the assembled guests, joining in the dancing and singing. Mr Smyth gave them drink, and they became intoxicated. They refused to leave the house. They were armed with hedge knives and iron bars. After some persuasion they agreed to leave, but when they got outside they knocked over the garden walls, let the cattle loose, and generally disturbed the farm. Tater, Mr Smyth was called out to see his 300-ton rick of hay ablaze. The judge held that the burning was not malicious, and dismissed the claim.

The ordinary meeting of the local Masonic Lodge will be held to-morrow night. Mr Richard Henry, curator of the Resolution Island Bird Sanctuary, who is familiarly known as the “Hermit of Resolution Island,” has been appointed to take charge of the Kapiti Island Sanctuary. Mrs Carrie Nation has decided to abandon her war on American drinking saloons, because she thinks the fight a thankless one. She is broken in health, and has spent all her money.

An advertisement of interest to all who intend to become,pupils of the technical school, appears in our advertising columns. The advertisement also sets out tne subjects to be taught. Intending pupils may hand in their names to the Secretary of the School Committee.

An amusing story of Prince Edward of Wales is now going the rounds. He was once being examined in history, and among the questions the following was asked ; “Who was Perkin War beck ?” “ Perkin Warbeck was a pretender,” replied the little Prince. “ He pretended he was the son of a king, but he wasn’t. He was the son of respectable parents.”

Butter made in autumn si usually about the best of the year, owing to the absence of weeds in the pastures and the stout nature of the grass at this season. This year’s however, is not likely to possess the usual good-keeping qualities, for it is to all intents and purposes spring butter, consequent on the recently remarkably rapid growth of feed after the warm rains that followed the drought. At the last meeting of the Horowhenua County Council, Messrs Saunders Bros, wrote stating that the contractor for the Shannon bridge was removing soil for bridge approaches from their property, and advising that they had a right to be consulted, and that they would require compensation for what had been removed. They also advised the Council that the workmen were entering on private property, and removing spoil at the Councirs risk. The matter was referred to the engineer. Mr J. T. M. Hornsby, M.P., has made the following statement regarding the editorship of the railway Revievw : —“ My engagement ceases on the 31st inst,, and I declined to tender for the editorial work, though pressed to do so by a number of the conference delegates. There was, therefore, no question of anyone being appointed in my stead. Tendering for an editorial position is quite a new thing in journalism ; so new indeed that I could not see my way to countenance it.”

An old soldier’s remedy for smoke blindness and pains in the eyes might be revived with benefit to some of the unfortunate settlers who have suffered through the recent bush and grass fires. The remedy for the eyes is to boil a hen egg hard, peel off the shell, and cut the egg in halves. Then extract the yoke from each half, and bind the whites of the egg with the yoke cavity directly over each inflamed eyeball, firmly across the eyes when retiring for the night. It is stated this was the method adopted in the army in the early ’ 40’s when the smoke grime from the powder inflamed the soldiers’ eyes. The effect, according to one who has tried it, is marvellous. The Dunedin Star says of the Main Trunk Dine ;—Each visit confirms the belief that a great future awaits this line that links Auckland to Wellington; that settlement will proceed at a remarkable rate ; that business ramifications will extend in a wonderful degree; that when this veritable terror incognito is opened up marvellous beauties will be displayed of great value. It is also evident that in this linking of the two large commercial centres, Southern people have displayed such business acumen and commendable promptness as will enable them to participate in many of the advantages likely to accrue.

The Hokitika Times says:— During the hearing of a charge of theft of a watch and chain, in which Mr Guinness was defending the accused, his Honor Mr Justice Denniston made several severe comments on counsel’s conduct of the defence. In the crossexamination of Constable Thompson, of Otira, his Honor thought Mr Guinness was unduly harsh with the witness, and he pulled him up sharply several times. His Honor spoke scathingly to the prisoner, and characterised his story as a most impudent defence, backed up by barefaced perjury. One of the most striking successes in connection with the finger print system of identification since its adoption by the New South Wales Police Department, was achieved the other day. At an early hour in the morning, the North Sydney police discovered the dead body of a man lying on the rocks at Folly Point. A few residents of that locality had seen the man several times gathering oysters in the vicinity,. and knew him as “ Ted.” His identity, however, was a mystery, which would probably not have been solved, had not his finger prints been taken while the body was lying in the morgue. A full set of impressions was obtained, and it was found that they were identical with those of Edward Jones, a man whose finger prints were taken some years ago. This identification once more proves the efficacy of the system. It is the first case on record (says the Sydney Daily Telegraph) in which a dead man’s identity has been proved by his finger prints.

A female for cooking and general work is advertised for. The secretary of the local Cricket Association has received the following telegram from the secretary of the Manawatu Association Much regret cannot get team Saturday ; writing. A rather nice point was made concerning the Anglo - Japanese Alliance by Mr Don at the meeting of the School Committees’ Association recently. He was at Tokio talking to some students under instructions to speak nothing but foreign languages duriug the term. “Yes,” said they, “ we speak Spanish, French, Arabic, and “ English, of course.”’ put in Dr. Don. “I beg your pardon,” replied one of the students gravely, “but English is not a foreign language in Japan.”

Levin citizens are indignant at the decision of Cabinet in placing the dairy school at Palmerston North, not so much because they think Palmerston unsuitable, but because the school was promised 10 Levin by the late Mr Seddon before the matter came into general discussion. A public meeting will be held in Levin on Saturday evening to discuss the uses the State Farm should be put to in future. Mr Field. M.P., will be present, and will address the meeting.

Mrs Belle Morehouse Lawerence, one of Harry Thaw’s early teachers, stated at his trial that the boy was always brooding, and he had a trick. of standing openmouthed. “ When he came to me,” she said, “he was five years and eleven mouths old, and his speech was quite unintelligible. I found after three weeks that he had a language of his own, and I had to give him private lessons.”

Three boys accidentally banged lately a playmate during a mock lynching at Memphis, Tennessee. One of them proposed that they should lynch, in fun, a fifteen-year old negro companion named William Gordon. Despite Gordon’s entreaties, a rope was placed about his neck, a pulley and tackle were used to hoist him to the ceiling. The boys intended to lower Gordon before his breath was out off, but the rope caught, and it was impossible to lower him until he was dead. Two of the boys have been charged with manslaughter.

A correspondent brings under the notice of the Cambridge Independent the wonderful sagacity of: a native dog at Mau igatautari. Some grass had caught fire and the canine, in order to attract the attention of some workmen, commenced to bark loudly. ' No particular notice was taken of the animal until a while after when it was observed to plunge into a creek and afterwards shake itself near the fire. It repeated this performance several times, and there is no doubt, we are assured, that by so doing prevented the fire.—Yes, we have heard the phrase “As cunning as a Maori dog, ” but: —pass the sault.

One reason why grocers sometimes do not sue for long-standing debts is, says the Hawke’s Bay Herald, that the New Zealand law requires (tailing an acknowledgement of indebtedness) that a fully detailed account shall accompany the summons. This rule applies even to a case in which a customer may always have been behind in his payments. In such a case, if the tradesman wishes to recover the balance due by the process of the court, he must furnish particulars of all the goods supplied, including those which may be taken to have been paid for. At a meetof the Napier Grocers and Produce Dealers’ Association, it was stated that the law on the point was different in Victoria. There, it was asserted, a bill, if not disputed by the customer within a certain period, was accepted by the court without details. There is some talk of petitioning the New Zea- ■ land Parliament for an alteration of the law to bring it into line with the Victorian practice.

The dress department of the Bon .Marche, Palmerston North, is now showing an unique assortment of latest fabrics for gowns for all occasions. Orders for autumn and winter dresses should be placed early.— Advt.

Messrs Watchoru Stiles & Go. announce in another column the arrival of their first shipment of new season’s millinery, of which a display is being made to-night. A shipment of jackets is also being shown. As the choice is now a good one it would be advisable to call and make a purchase early;— Advt.

Boots and shoes to be sacrificed at half price at the Economic, in order to make room for Winter goods shortly to arrive.*

WOLFE’S SCHNAPPS.—A tonic that has stood the test of years.