LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 438, 26 September 1908, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The local State School broke up yesterday for the spring holidays. The youngsters are delighted, not so many parents.

A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that a company is to be floated with a capital of to build theatres in the four centres of New Zealand. A syndicate representing Melbourne theatrical people has secured the option of a site in Wellington. The new Japanese Charge d’Affaires at London, in an interview, stated that the Auglo-Japauese Alliance was one of Japan’s most valued possessions and was working lor the peace of the world. Not a single Japanese dreamed of war with the United States. Japan had no policy of aggression, not even the Pacific or Manchuria. At Napier a young man named Ernest George Mason, found guilty on Wednesday of committing an unnatural offence on a boy at Woodville, was sentenced to fourteen years’ imprisonment. In passing sentence, Mr. Justice Chapman said; “You have been convicted of one of the most abominable offences described in our moral law, and the circumstances in which the offence was committed were more horrible than anything 1 have ever heard of. A large gang of navvies are still employed excavating a station yard at Kakahi, and good progress is being made (says the Taumaranui Press). . The soil being removed is mostly heavy clay. The work has given an impetus to business, which is believed will be maintained, as the town sections are to be sold at an earl) 7 date. Kakahi will be the junction of the Taupo Timber Co.’s line, so at present everything is in the villages favour. An extraordinary harbour scene occurred in New York on Saturday afternoon, July xr, when (says the correspondent of the Daily Telegraph) the Chinese crew of the Strath Dine, of Glasgow, tried to commit suicide sooner than leave Brooklyn for another cruise. The Chinamen had been threatening for several days to commit suicide, aud tried to carry out their intention just as the ship was putting out into the East River, bound for Norfolk, Virginia. Ten of them jumped overboard. Two, with their pigtails tied together, were drowned, but eight were rescued by the harbour police. The ship’s officers, all British, restrained fifteen other Chinamen who attempted to follow their comrades over the rail.

Dealing with the question of National Defence, the New Zealand Herald says “We cannot yet put great battleships afloat, nor muster cruisers to hold thehighways of trade ; this we must long leave to the Motherland, whether we have so-called colonial “navies” or not. But we can train our youth and equip our men, gun our forts in peace and garrison them in war. We can if we like to do so, make New Zealand and every other British, Dominion impregnable to raid and unpleasant to invade, so that we may hold our part of the great Imperial frontier against every enemy, and even send help to any section where our fellow citizens are being overborne.” Christmas Island, the scene of the wreck of the Aeon, is situated about 200 miles due south-west of Fanning Island, and some three degrees north of the equator, A British possession, it is one of the largest lagoon islands in the Pacific, about 40 miles by 28 miles in extent. It is now leased by Dever’s Pacific Plantations, limited, in whose employ on the island there are—-or were a couple of years ago—a number ot natives from Manihiki and Penrhyn, engaged in planting cocoanut trees. Cook was the first discoverer of Christmas Island, sighting it on Christmas Day in 1777. He remained there until January 2nd following, and during that time caught 300 turtles, weighing from qolb to roolb each. The Tongariro has brought us 103 cases and packages new spring and summer goods, the largest shipment ever received by us by one steamer. These goods are now opened up in the various departments,—o. M. Boss and Coy., The Bon Marche.*

To-day is Dominion Day, but it is not being observed as a general public holiday locally. Railway excursions in reference to tjie Hawkes Bay and Napier Park Races are advertised elsewhere in this issue.

Messrs Millar and Georgi, of Palmerston North, insert a replace advertisement in reference to men’s summer hats.

Mr W. Dudson, of Moutoa, advertises a number of guaranteed good milking cows for sale from his dairy herd. We give a final reminder of the Evening’s Recital, interspersed withsolos by Wellington talent in the Masonic Hall, on Monday evening.

A special meeting of the Borough Council will be held on Monday evening for the purpose of considering re-valuation of the borough, purchase of gas lamps etc.

The services in the Methodist Church to-morrow, morning and evening, will be conducted by the Rev. C. A. Simms, of Wellington. Miss E. Embury (Wellington) will sing in the evening.

From the church notices it will be observed that the pulpit of the local Presbyterian Church will be occupied in the morning by the Rev P. J. Mairs and in the evening by the Rev. G. K. Ailken. The subject for the evening service will be “ The last Supper and its Lessons.”

At a school not a hundred miles from Moutoa, the teacher was about to teach his junior pupils a new song in which “echoes” figured prominently. After singing it through in his best style, he drew attention to the “ echo ” part, sang it again, and then, to see if they had “caught on,” asked of what it reminded them. Up went a small boy’s hand. “ Well, sou, what does it remind you ot ? ” “ Please, sir, of a cat! ” was the startling answer, without even a smile to redeem the situation.

Mr. W. Adams, local supervisor of the technical school, received a communication from Mr. Fossy, the Board’s director of technical education, to the effect that Mr. Andrews, of Wanganui, instructor in relief carving, etc., would arrive in Foxton and commence his class on Tuesday next. It is possible that Mr, Andrews will have two classes to meet the wishes of those who cannot attend in the afternoon, We would advise all those who desire to join this class to hand in their names as soon as possible. We might point out that Mr. Andrews’ reputation as a carver in relief is well-known throughout the Dominion and the local school is most fortunate in being able to secure his services. Giving evidence before the Rivers Commission on Thursday afternoon, Mr Heunessy staled that, in his opinion, the two schemes suggested were of too comprehensive a nature, taking the present population of the districts and the value of flax lands, into consideration. His alternative was to put a cut in at the river boundary of Dr Walls’ property, thence at the back of Messrs. Hammond’s, F. S. Easton’s, Brown’s, Satherley’s, B. Gower’s, Neylon’s, and Austin’s, across the liver, thence through the flax swamp into Robinson’s Bend, across the river again, thence onward through Robinson’s Point, and out somewhere in the vicinity of the fiishermen’s huts, into the present channel. Mr Hennessy said that if this cut was adopted it would relieve the congested waters over a considerable area at flood time.

A Timaru architect who was interned concerning the criticism recently passed by Dord Plunket on New Zealand architecture, said he considered the Governor’s remarks were fully justified. He (the speaker) had travelled to a good many parts of the world and the conclusion he had come to concerning New Zealand architecture was that it is Queen Anne — or what is meant for Queen Anne —in front, and “ Mary Ann ” behind. He considered that the Government should set an example in good architecture in public buildings. With a view to raising the standard of architecture in the Dominion he suggested that a Chair of Architecture should be established at the University.

Some quaint and brotherly letters have been received in New Zealand from officers of the United States fleet. “ Clare to goodness,” writes one officer, ‘‘ the fleet hasn’t got over the hospitality of America's little sister, and is taking no sort of pains to forget the big time spread round us in Kia Ora Aroha land. Reckon you will bear up against the strain of frequent visits from American men who have just had time to bite off a quick-lunch in your land, and who plan to come back real hungiy to stay a moon or two, and soak in the fare provided for tired travellers. If any of you fellows take a notion to come to our country there are some things in New York and thereaway that may be worth looking at, and which we’ll be real glad to show you. If you can pass the ten-dollar test on an American wharf, you won’t spend any more money in our land soon as we get a towline to you. We have an Edisonian steward aboard this boat who climbed to fame in one watch with his ‘ Kia Ora ’ cocktails. Maybe we’ll say something about you and your country when we get back to ‘ God’s Own,’ and viewed in the cold light of business, seems to me what we tell them at home won’t hurt Arohaland.” Have you tried Wolfe’s Schnapps for kidney ailments.