LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 471, 24 August 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Rev. Mr Mairs was busily engaged in the Triangle Reserve to-day coat off, superintending turf laying, etc. We are pleased to report that there is a further improvement in the health of Mr Baillie, local manager of the Bank of New Zealand.

At Ashburton last Friday, Bridget Mcl,auchlan was fined £io and costs for keeping liquor for sale in the Asnhurton No-L,icense district.

New spring and summer goods are now being opened up at the Bon Marche Department, where buyers can obtain best value for their money.*

The latest town in New Zealand to build a theatre is Gore, The new building, which will hold an audience of about one thousand, is expected to be ready for opening in November.

A man named Selby, residing at Chippendale, Sydney, quarrelled with his wife and shot her dead with five revolver shots in the head and chest. He then cut his throat with a bread knife. There are chances of bis recovery. Oscar Olsen, labourer, committed suicide at Wanganui last week, by jumping off the Town Bridge into the river. The police stated that the man had been drinking, and the body indicated the presence of alcohol.

The Waterside Workers’ Conference at Wellington resolved that “This Conference affirms its conviction that the rent of land is a social value which belongs to the community, hence, it should be taken by taxation for the common benefit by an increase of the land tax.” Welsbach burners and mantles are so constructed that they consume less gas than ordinary burners, while, at the same time, giving a much better light. The difference in the gas consumption is very great, indeed, so large, that the cost of a Welsbach installation is soon saved. Few houses where gas is used are without them — there should not be any. The Welsbach burners and mantles can be readily fixed to any ordinary gas jet.*

Elsewhere in our columns Messrs Veitch and Allan, Wellington’s “busiest store,” publish an announcement of intense interest to every good housewife. That reliable and up-to-date warehouse is at present holding its noted end-of-season and stock-taking sale, and guarantees 25s’ worth of goods to every client placing an order for £1 with them. Send now to their mail department !* The Masonic Hall promises to be filled to-night, to hear exMinister A. W. Hogg, M.P., state the cause which led up to his retirement from the Ministry. The Mayor will preside, and the address will commence at 8 p.m. sharp. Ladies are specially invited to be present. We understand this will be Mr Hogg’s final address in the North Island, prior to the session. Next week he leaves for Dunedin.

Asked casually, the other day, what he considered the present value of the fifty acres of the Moroa (Greytown) apple orchard, the company’s expert replied that he considered the plantation with its one year’s growth, and the excellent progress which the trees had made, had quadrupled its value. That is to say (reports the Standard), that its capital value is already per acre, the price paid for the land a little over a year ago being £7 xos. The celebrated biscuit making firm of Peake Frean and Co. employs 7500 hands, and uses 47,000 doz. eggs per diem. For one class of biscuit only New Zealand flour is used. In some there are seven kinds of flour. The turnover of the firm is 7)4 millions a year, and one member of it is stated to be drawing £ 50,000 a year. In the town where the principal works are, some men with families earn as much as twelve shillings a week. Strolling with one of his children on Hampstead Heath one day Mr Martin Harvey came across a Punch and Judy show, and paused in front of the elevated theatre to sec the farcical tragedy out. The seedy man who stood at the side waiting for the time for collecting the spectators’ coppers looked hard at the actor during the entertainment, and when it came to going round with the hat he carefully avoided him. The actor, however, offered the man a shilling. “Oh, no,” said the seedy one with a vigorous shake of the head ; I’ve often been into your show on the nod, and it’s my turp uoyv ! ” Cementing oq the decision of Mr Cntten, S.M. at Auckland, In dismissing a case against fortunetellers on the ground that there was no corroboration of the constables evidence, the Lyttelton Times says:—“lf the fortunetelling practice is not checked it will grow to dangerous proportions, and we shall find the fortune-tellers prospering precisely in proportion to the impudence of their pretension. But the law needs no justification. It is there on the Statute Book and ought to be put into operation. The effect of th§ Auckland decisions is to render it inoperative, aqd we hope that the police will take early steps to test the validity of the Magistrate’s ruling.” Japan is the home of unconscious humour. What is perfectly serious to them appeals to us as irresistibly funny. For “ Good morning” they say Ohio.” It is supposed that “Good-night is “Liverpool.” The real fun is contained in the signs of which the following are a few specimens of mangled English as she is Japped—Over a ladies’ tailor shop —“ Draper, Milliner, and Ladies’ Outfatter. The ribbons, the laces, the veils, tjie feelings ” (frillings ?). Laupdry sign—“ We most cleanly and cnrefuljy wash our .customers with cheap prices as under. Ladies, eight shillings a hundred j gentlemen, seyen shillings,”

Placards have been posted near Dublin and in other parts of Ireland, printed in large type, with the inscription, *• Ireland honours Dhingra, who was proud to lay down his life for his country.”

A special committee of the Feilding Borough Council has recommended that a building suitable for the accommodation of theatrical and operatic companies, as well as for the holding of concerts, lectures, and other similar purposes be erected.

In a pamphlet published by the Peace Society Mr Andrew Carnegie suggests that the eight chief Naval Powers have only to decree that the disputes of civilised nations be settled by an International Supreme Court or by arbitration and war becomes a thing of the past. A noteworthy event occurred at a christening ceremony at St. Mary s Church says the Taranaki Herald. Five generations were represented at the ceremony. The child was the infant daughter of Mr and Mrs W. F. Shiels, and Mrs George, sen., great-great grandmother of the child was present at the ceremony, “I understand the Neweds are having trouble,” remarked the spinster boarder, ‘‘Some people take her part, and some others side with him.” ‘‘And, I suppose,” growled the scanty-haired bachelor at the end of the table, “there are a few eccentric people who mind their own business.”

Mr F. F. Hockly, who has announced himself as a candidate for the Rangitikei vacancy, stands in the Opposition interest. He is for freehold, freetrade and freedom of opportunity. He has been a member of the Kiwitea County Council for the last seven years. He is a strong supporter of the Farmers’ Union, and is vicepresident of the Hunterville Branch, and has been a member of the Provincial Conference since 1905. He was also a member of the Colonial Conference in 1908. Mr Hockly has been in the colony 26 years and has been farming all the time.

One district in New South Wales, Shoalhaven, can boast of six pioneers whose combined ages amount to 543 years. Mr John Roweu, farrier, is 93, and has been shoeing horses for eighty years. Mr Samuel Elgard is 91, and is still able to get about, rain or shine, Mrs Hall is 92, and is frequently out driving. Mr Henry Wilson is 90 and is still active. Mr George Dent is 88, and moves with a sprightliness of which few of his age can boast. Mr Andre de Mestre is in his 86th year and takes long walks about his neighbourhood. This surely comprises a district record for longevity for Australasia.

A locomotive running on the Christchurch-Uyttelton line, and employed for hauling goods, has been fitted with an oil burner as an experiment. The engine has now been running for some time, and appears to be working as well as others not similarly fitted. Instead of using coal in the furnace, a jet of steam is used to break up a small stream of oil into a spray, and the spray burns in the firebox. The fire is, under proper circumstances, smokeless and odourless, and apparently the only time when the oil fuel “gives itself away” in the engine under trial is when standing. Then a thick vapour, with a smell of kerosene, issues from the funnel. People who complain of the filthy tunnel will watch the experiment with interest, for the adoption of oil fuel promises to do away with the soot nuisance, at all events.

Silly fashions are not confined to the fair sex. A London paper observes that the latest craze among the ultra-fashionables of London is to have dirty faces. Some few years ago the same young men developed a fancy for perambulating the streets without hats, but the coming of the automobile has changed the mode of showing that you are not quite as other men. The idea is to carry jast enough dirt to look like fast long distance riders who have just arrived and had no time to remove the traces of locomotion. A slight disarray of the tie and collar is a great aid to the illusion while the real artist will add a slight suggestion of cramp in the legs. A finishing touch is given by the oily smear on the nose. This may seem like au exaggeration, but it is not more absurd than the fashion of a century ago when young men aspired to look like coachmen or jockeys.

Some time ago, says the Ashburton Guardian, a local cadet placed a note in a sack of oats that was being shipped to England. It was addressed “ To Whom It May Concern,” and the finder was asked to give his opinion oi New Zealand’s offer of a Dreadnought, and to say whether he thought it would be accepted by the British Government. To this note a reply has now been received from Bristol as follows As to the Dreadnought: The offers are now under the consideration of the British Government, which will, I think, accept both New Zealand’s and Australia’s offer. While writing I will, if I may, suggest that if there are anywhere in the colonies goahead gentlemen who can write articles likely to help to push a nation ahead, instead of keeping it at the point of fifty-years-ago, tell them to send them to be read in the House of Commons. Then, perhaps, we shall not need to depend on our colonies, who are more on the alert than Old England, W e have been sleeping and now we need rousing.”

Mr A. W. Hogg, accompanied by Mrs Hogg, arrived by this afternoon’s train to-day from Masterton.

Stock-Inspector Fleming, accompanied by Inspector Walton, visited Moutoa yesterday, on business connected with diseased stock.

The Phil Walsh Dramatic Company played to a fair house in the Public Hall on Saturday night. Ten per cent of the gross takings, amounting to one guinea, were handed to the Band for their services.

At the Palmerston Supreme Court yesterday, true bills were found against Robert Henderson, breaking and entering and theft; George Edwards, alias Lloyd Evans, forgery ; Hedley Nye, murder; Ernest ]. O’Neill, false pretences. The fun eral of the infant child of Mr Dalhousie took place yesterday. The Rev. Mr Aitken officiated at the graveside. The coffin was covered with a number of floral tributes, including a nice artificial one from the Flaxmills Employees’ Union. When Mr W. Fog well, the New South Wales sculler, was in Feilding on Friday, he stated that he intended issuing another challenge race Whelch, this time on the Manawatu river, at Foxton. .If Whelch was agreeable, the match would come off early next year. During the murder- trial this morning, at Palmerston Supreme Court, the demeanour of the accused youth, Hedley Nye, was similar to that displayed at the inquest and Lower Court. He appeared nonchalant, and smiled at intervals. He did not appear to evince any intelligent interest in the proceedings.

The natives of Moutoa advertise an attractive concert to be held in Gardner's Hall, Walden’s corner, Moutoa, on Wednesday, September Ist. The object of the entertainment is to raise funds towards defraying the cost cf renovating the old and historic church there. Mr Mack Royal and a strong committee have the matter in hand.

Boats on time payments is the latest from Fowler and Gordon. This enterprising firm are making arrangements with a firm of boat builders for a supply of real-up-to-date pleasure boats, to be retailed in Foxton at a reasonable figure, and are landing samples in the course of a day or two. By this means the public of Foxton will be able to purchase a ten-foot cedar and kauri boat, with varnish finish, for about 10s, and as easy as they can buy a bicycle. This should be particularly attractive, considering the use these boats will be during the carnival week.

A very pleasant social gathering and presentation took place at the residence of Mr and Mrs Thompson, at Himatangi, yesterday afternoon, when the Rev. Mr and Mrs Mairs were entertained and presented with an afternoon tea set. Mr Thompson, on behalf of those assembled, made the presentation, and, in doing so, expressed the hope that Mr Mairs would not be in a hurry • to leave the Foxton Methodist circuit, where it was recognised he was doing good work. He wished Mr and Mrs Mairs every happiness. The Rev. Mr Mairs suitably and feelingly replied. Several musical items were rendered, and a most enjoyable time spent.

A beautiful assortment ot electroplate goods, brooches, engagement rings, etc., at Parkes’ jewellery establishment, Main St.* ladies’ jackets, new shapes, usual price up to 655, how being cleared at the great sale at G, H. Stiles’ for 21s and 255.*

Great attraction now on at the “Economic,” Main Street, where the whole of Mrs Hamer’s large and assorted stock of beautifully trimmed and untrimmed millinery is being cleared at enormous reductions. Call early, and secure your choice.*

For Children’s Hacking Coughs at night, Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure, 2s 6d, and 2s 6d.