LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 463, 29 June 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Having in view the possibility of the North Island Main Trunk line being blocked by snow on the high central section during the winter, the railway department has built a big snow plow, which has been sent up to Ohakune from the Petone workshops. It is designed after an American model and is similar in appearance to a cow-catcher.

A Maori residing at Tanaetua (near Opotiki) cut his throat last week as the result of a disappointment in a love affair. It appears that a Maori living in the neighbourhood rejected the attentions of her wooer, and the latter evidently committed the rash deed as a direct consequence of her refusal. Some persons think that rates owing to local bodies cannot be sued for in the S.M. Court, until months after demand is made, but this is an erroneous idea, as the Rating Act of 1908 explicitly sets out that legal proceedings can be taken and judgment given immediately 14 days’ grace after issue of demand has expired.

A quarter of a million people are following a new theory, originated by Dr Fair, at Boston, U.S.A., by which they hope to live 1,000 years. They will dress in white, live on vegetables and nuts, abjuring milk, meat, and oil, sleep in a draught, take long “dinner hours,” and remain alone for half an hour a day.

Three settlements on the Main Trunk line are being provided by the Government for retrenched civil servants—one at Raurimu, one at Owhango, and one near Kawa, eight miles from Kihikihi. The Owhango and Raurimu settlements will be in bush country, and the laud at the northern location is covered with scrub and fern. The farms are to be of 100 to 180 acres each and with the aid of Government advances for improvements, it is expected that the settlers will be producing from their holdings within twelve months.

One of the speakers at a great meeting at the Town Hall, Sydney, last week, in connection with the mission zone movement, the Rev. R, B. S. Hammond, referred to the want of warmth and friendship on the part of many church-goers. He had, he said, gone into a church as a stranger, and seen people look with wonderment to see if he would have the audacity to occupy one of the four vacant seats. In a public-house one could always get an outstretched hand to shake with good fellowship in it. He had shaken more hands in public-houses in his mission work than he had in the cluuclu s. Many men had been led fioni the public-house .to the church or the mission.

An inquest was held last week at Hunter ville On the body of James Shore, aged about 35, labourer on Otairi Station, who was found dead in bed. Evidence was given that on the previous evening a social evening was held by the men on the station to farewell the cook, who was leaving. One bottle of whisky was consumed by seven men, and deceased was put to bed as he became drunk. Next morning he could not be aroused, and Dr Smith was telephoned for. William McAllnm said that he had put deceased, who was very lively, to bed about 10 o’clock. He was sick when he was put to bed. Witness slept in the same room as deceased, and hearing him snoring went and bathed his head with cold water. This was about 11.45; and witness did not think anything serious was the matter. Dr Smith gave evidence that he had examined deceased and found no marks of violence, but the face and neck were blackened. Some vomit was ,in the mouth and frothy mucus in the nostrils. He considered that the cause of death was suffocation, due to food being regurgitated into the windpipe while vomiting. The verdict was that deceased died through suffocation while vomiting when in a state of coma from alcohol.

Many persons find themselves affected with a persistent cough after an attack of influenza. As this cough can be promply cured by the use of Chamberlain’s Cough Eemedy, it should not bo allowed to run on until it becomes troublesome. For sale everywhere.—Anvi.

Messrs Durwood and Co. publish an inset with this issue. Attention is also directed to their replace advertisement.

Coleman’s entertainers are advertised to appear in the local Public Hall on Saturday next. Mr Chrystall blew the artesian pipe bore off at 230 ft and 220 ft yesterday. At this level the water rises to about 6ft from the surface.

Sitting in divorce at Napier on Saturday, Mr Justice Chapman granted a decree, nisi in the case William Reading v. Florence Reading aud Robert Douglas Anderson.

David Barrie, charged with being the occupier of a boardinghouse where liquor was sold with his knowledge, was sentenced at Wellington on Saturday to six weeks’ imprisonment. M. Clemeuceau, French Premier, has introduced into the Chamber of Deputies a Bill for the total suppression of lotteries, except those promoted by the Government aud by public companies.

We remind the public of the social to be held in the Masonic Hall to-morrow night, under the the auspices of the Presbyterian Young Ladies’ Guild. A capital programme has been arranged aud refreshments will be provided.

The Taranaki Oil and Freehold Company have had promising indications in their Vogeltown bore for some little lime. These are now more pronounced, a capital show of oil being obtained on Saturday. One of the speakers at the unemployed meeting in Cathedral Square, Christchurch, on Saturday afternoon sketched a glowing picture of the luxurious life led by the average newspaper editor. “ He goes to his palatial home in the evening,” the orator said, “and a lackey meets him at the door to relieve him of his coat. Then he goes to his sumptuously furnished dining-room, and draws his chair up to a well-stocked dining-table. Afterwards, he sits by the fire and engages in intellectual conversation with his wife and daughters. Then he sits alone before going to bed, and, patting himself on the back, says, ‘ All is well with the world/ ”

Says the Wairarapa Daily Times: —“There are many sides to the unemployment question, and one was brought under our notice this morning. A station-holder wanted thirty scrub cutters, wages a shilling per hour. His agent in Masterton approached some of the out-of-work men, but they would not take it up. Scrub cutting is doubtless hard work, but if a man has any grit in him he should tackle it until he could find something belter. The right to work is proclaimed by the Labour Party, but this really seems to mean in practice the right to refuse work, or the right to pick work. How can the community be in sympathy with an unemployed difficulty when they find that the men out of work refuse a living wage ? ”

An incident that illustrates the hard life of those who live in the back blocks, is recorded in the Lake County Press, published in Arrowtown, Otago. The incident relates to a family that resides at the head of Lake- Wanaka. The father was from home, and the mother was alone with her little children. One accidentally got a bottle containing poison, and drank some of the liquid. The mother gave the child an emetic, and hurriedly put the other children to bed. Thinking that she might lose her little one, she started on foot with the child in her arms for Pembroke, a distance of some thirty miles through rough and rugged country. She had to traverse dangerous gullies, bush and fern and to cross a river several times. The night was dark, and after going sixteen miles she fortunately reached the house of a settler, who drove her to Pembroke. Medical aid was summoned, but the child had by that time almost recovered.

Dealing with the little-known fact that June 21 is no longer the shortest day, the writer of ‘ ‘ Astronomical Notes ” in the Lyttelton Times explains that the sun used to reach northern solstice on that date at the end of last century, but the year 1900 was not a leap year, and the omission of the usual extra day has made the present dates of equinoxes and solstices one day later. Reckoning in New Zealand time, the shortest day is now June 22 in leap year and in the two successive years, and June 23 in the third year after leap year. The longest day is December 22 in leap year and in the following year, and December 23 in the second and third years alter leap year. These dates, are gradually becoming earlier, so in the course of time the shortest and longest days will again be the 21st of the months, but this will not be until most of us are making our observations of the heavenly bodies u pon the spot.