NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1011, 24 February 1912, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

The strike is a shockingly oldfashioned and dangerous weapon ; a gun that throws bullets in every direction, and wounds everyone. At least it must be conceded to the stupid advocates of strikes that they have the virtue of selfsacrifice, That may be good in ethics, but it is simple lunacy is warfare. —Melbourne Leader.

A young Englishman, residing in Auckland, has just completed a hazardous ocean cruise in a twelvefoot canvas boat, with no other provisions than a small tin of biscuits. He originally intended making the island of Kawau, but he passed it without knowing it, and the wind blew him out to sea, driving the frail craft down to Cuvieux Island, about twentythree miles east of Cape Colville, and right out in the ocean. During the three days he had nothing to drink. He voyaged about 150 miles altogether, returning by a steamer which the lighthouse keeper signalled for him.

A very narrow escape from a lamentable disaster occurred in a river in the Pelorcus district. A young man, who was a poor swimmer, was bathing and got into difficulties. His father went to his assistance, and he also was in danger of drowning. Then a young lady pluckily plunged in, fully clothed, but was dragged under by the struggling men. Another non-swimmer then entered the water to assist, and there was every appearance that all four would meet a watery grave. Two other young men then reached the scene, one of whom dived and brought up the young man who first got into diffi culties and all were eventually rescued. Some difficulty was experienced in bringing round the young man’s father who had been under water for some time.

A case of a plucky rescue by a Maori woman is reported, A party of six young ladies were swimming in the Waikato River at Mercer, when two of them got out of their depth. One of them was pulled ashore by another bather, but the other, Miss Alice Hallet, could not get to laud, and would have been drowned, had not one ot the party, Miss Louie Pickett, had the presence of mind to run to a Maori house for assistance. Two Maori women who were in'the house, promptly ran out, and, with all their clothes on, jumped in and swam out to where Miss Hallett was last seen. Mrs Thompson (one of the Maoris) caught the young lady by the hair and dragged her up, and with the assistance of the other Maori (Mrs Schrauk), succeeded in bringing Miss Hallett to the bank, where they soon brought her back to consciousness.

Two young ladies observed a handbag fall Irom a milk waggon near the Maugere Bridge, and on reaching the spot picked up the bag, and conveyed it to Sergeant M. Rogers, of the Onehuuga police station. The latter opened the spring lock, and, to his surprise, discovered a rabbit, two sandpipers, a brace of quail, and a salety razor amongst the contents. The sergeant then had a double duty to perform, the first being to find the owner and restore to him the bag, the second to obtain satisfaction for the shooting of quail out of season. After a patient search, the sergeant unearthed the owner ot the bag at Archhill, and the latter was very pleased to again obtain possession of a good handbag and couteuts, valued altogether at about £2, The sequel, viz., a charge ot shooting impelled game out of season will possibly not be so pleasant.

A writer iu a contemporary complains of the methods adopted by building contractors of the present day as compared with those of twenty and twenty-five years ago. He says that despite carefully prepared plans and specifications, must of the structures in country towns are jerry buildings, and the art of joinery is unknown. The buildings are just slapped up. He argues that it pays to engage the services of a qualified architect not only to prepare plans and specifications, but to supervise the work.

A New Plymouth paper is having some fun over the no-break-fast crusade, and remarks that the “no-breakfast” idea for plough horses would make the horses so strong that they would tear up the ground like steam scarifiers ! In case any New Plymouth people should be contemplating giving up the pernicious habit of eating, we would advise them first to tn the-“ starvation ” idea as a promoter of strength on their draught horses, their working bullocks, their milking cows, their cattle dogs —and their infants who go nuzzling round for a feed in the way God taught them and whose mothers had not discovered until Mr Jones told them how sinful a thing it was to eat.

“ Thanks to the Hon. T. Mackenzie, machine milking and factory butter and cheese making will soon lie among the attractions of the picture theatres,” writes the Stratford correspondent of the Taranaki Herald, who states that Mr McDonald, Government clnematograpbist, is at present in the district taking views. The correspondent adds ; “ Now if it were possible to produce the conditions of a quarter of a century ago and give the life of a dairy farm in the ’Bo’s, it is possible that the young people on the farms to-day might be rather more contented with their lot. Cow-hunting among the logs and thistles, open yard milking on a wet day, and conveying the produce to market in a candle box on the pommel of a saddle, would make attractive films.