LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1029, 21 November 1912, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki dairymen are finding great difficulty in obtaining suitable labour—and greater difficulty in keeping good men; —News.

Parents should take notice of the fact that under the legislation of last session, the time for registering births has been shortened. John Meehan, the originator of the quick-lunch counter in New York, died in that city last week. By the irony oi fate this man’s death was due to acute indigestion. Meehan had amassed a big fortune, and died worth It is expected that the Public Service Commissioner and the two assistant Commissioners (says the Dominion) who are to be appointed under the Public Service Act of last session, to control the Civil Service, will be selected at a meeting of the Cabinet towards the end of the month, or early in December.

The New South Wales Cricket Association has recommended !he acceptance of the New Zealand Cricket Council’s invitation to send a team to tour the Dominion in February and March next, provided the team consists of thirteen players and a manager, not twelve players, as New Zealand suggested. The Eketahuna County Council has decided to expend £3O in the purchase of small birds’eggs. The eggs are to be paid for at the rate ot is per hundred, and is 6d is to be given for birds' heads. The county councillors have set themselves a nice task. The Council decided on Saturday that all birds’ eggs and heads purchased by it be received and counted by individual councillors.

An unusual method of forcing small landowners to sell out, which he alleged was sometimes adopted, was referred to by a witness at the Auckland Supreme Court, during the hearing of a compensation case. The witness stated that he had known of trees being planted near small holdings for that purpose. Trees cut off the sun, producing dampness, and thus reduced the value of the property. The Taranaki News reports that an Eltham labourer was proceeded against on a judgment summons and among other things offered as an excuse for the non-payment of debt said he had recently increased his family by one. “ But you must stop increasing your family by one if you can’t pay your debts,” said the S.M. Now, we are frequently told that every baby born is worth quite a fabulous sum to the Stale. Is it not better, continues the News, that the trustful trader should have his attention drawn to the riskiness of the credit system than that the State should be robbed of this wealth, as suggested by the court dignitan ? In “White Australia,” any Chinese, Japanese, Hindoo, African, or American or African negro may marry a white woman. But in most of the American States such marriages are illegal. The law of Georgia pr ohibits for ever and declares null and void any marriage between a white person and one of “ African descent.” The Oregon law renders void -any marriage of a white person with a person having onefourth or more of negro, Chinese, of kanaka blood, or any person having more than one-half Indian blood. Most of the States of the Union have laws declaring marriages void when contracted between a white person and a negro or descendants of a negro, for a certain number of generations (usually three) —i.e., “having one-eighth of negro blood.” Australia in this instances, remarks a West Australian paper, might well take a leaf out of America’s hook. The most attractive shop tor toys of every description is Mrs Hamer s. Have you seen the window display ?* A good meal ior the middle of the day is one of Perreau’s steak and kidney pies. Try them.*

Wanted: 100 new customers to drink Agragella Tea —the highest grade tea procurable. Call for free sample. Thomas Rimmer.* People with weak digestive organs should not fail to take Perreau’s Bermaliue Bread.*

Mr W. H. Ferris, chief hemp grader, is at present on an official visit to Foxton. He returns to Wellington at the end of the week. The inquest touching the death of George Frederick Evans, of Waihi, has been adjourned until December 4 th.

The Gisborne Borough Council is paying labourers at the rate of ,£3 12s per week. Flveu at this high wage men are difficult to procure.

During four weeks, eight persons in Whangarei were declared to be ot unsound mind. They were all business men, worried by customers not paying their accounts.

Owing to the scarcity of whales in the vicinity of Jervis Bay, Australia, the whaling company is sending its vessels to Cuttle Bay, New Zealand, where headquarters are to be established. A “gold divining company” has been floated in the Alexandra district, with a capital of A well-known South Otago gentleman claims to be able to locate gold in the same manner as the water diviner discovers water.

Messrs D. Green and H. Coley, who have been an a visit to the Auckland district, returned to Foxton last night. They state that good weather is being experienced in the north at present, and the country is looking particularly well. At Waihi yesterday, Arthur Doyle was charged with assault on the 12th. instant, by presenting a loaded revolver. The revolver, which was produced in Court, contained two cartridges of which the bullets had been cut making them expansive. After hearing the evidence accused was convicted and sentenced to two mouths’ imprisonment without hard labour.

The s.s. Queen of the South sailed for Wellington at 6 o’clock last night with a cargo of hemp. The Gertie, with cement from Terakohe, entered the river this morning but stuck just below Robinson’s bend. It is expected that she will get oft' about 7 o’clock this evening. The Queen of the South is due from Wellington to-morrow morning with a general cargo. The funeral of the late Roy Calloway Robinson, son of Mr Peter Robinson, took place on Tuesday afternoon. There was a large following of relatives and friends, including the local school cadets, of which the deceased was a member, in command of Captain Gabites, and a large number of the deceased’s schoolmates. Six of the cadets acted as pall bearers. The service at the graveside was conducted by the Rev, J. M. Thomson, who delivered a singularly appropriate address. The grave was covered with wreaths sent by friends of the family and scholars from the local school. It has often been said that picture shows have seriously affected the bar trade of hotels. This is borne out by a statement made by a bankrupt New Plymouth hotelkeeper at a meeting of creditors last week. “For the first eighteen mouths,’’ he stated, “business was good, the takings for that period averaging about per week. Shortly after the expiry of that time two picture shows became established in the town, and from the second week of their establishment my returns dropped by about half. During the last six months they have averaged about £25 per week.”

A remarkable occurrence has been reported to the Federal wireless expert by the officials at the Hobart station, says the Melbourne Age. One day last week there was a faint licking of the recorder, and when communication was finally established it was ascertained that the message was from none other than the members of the Mawson expedition at AdelieTaud. The message had apparently missed the station which was erected at Macquarie Island, in the hope that it would eventually get into touch with the Antarctic, and had then travelled about 2090 miles further north until it was picked up at Hobart. It was forwarded to the secretary of the expedition. Speaking on the Land Taws Amendment Bill in the House of Representatives during the recent session, Mr T. M. Isitt, member (or Christchurch North said :—“I have seen an animal with one foot in the trough shoving all the other noses on one side in order to secure for itself the largest possible quantity of the insufficient supply, and I never thought of attributing noble sentiment to the pig. I speak of its greed. And so I say in a country of this kind, where the area of laud is so limited, there is no noble sentiment in a comparatively few people monopolizing the whole area of our lauds and denying the possibility to a man of small capital getting upon the laud and making a success by farming it, and so establishing himself as a tiller of the soil.”

Cali and see the stock we have crammed into our temporary pre mises, it will surprise you. Thomas Ri miner.*

Those pretty windows with their dainty casements are the desire of most women who have an eye for the artistic in their house decoration. In a replace advertisement, C. M. Ross and Co., Palmerston North, draw attention to their de- 1 lightful choice of these goods, at popular prices.*

Dainties for|.the summer season Table jellies 10 for is, Symington’s, cream 6d, sardines best smoked 4 tins for is. Thomas Rimmar.*

Warner’s Rust - proot Corsets Roslyn Unshrinkable Underwear and Hoyle’s Prints in strongdemand.*

The New Zealand musical and dramatic competitions, now being held in Wellington, have attracted competitors from all parts of New Zea’and, and from as far afield as Australia. The attendances at the Town Hall, where the trials are being held, are representative of the whole of New Zealand. The Mauavvatu district is represented by competitors from Palmerston N., Levin, Otaki, and Foxton, and so far a few honours have come our way, Mr Hornblow is the only Foxton competitor, He was unable to compete in the sight reading, but took part in the humorous class on Tuesday afternoon, and was recalled for the finals. He had to compete with such well-known performers as Zante Wood, J. Culford Bell, Girdlestone and Kenny of Dunedin. That he was only defeated for first place by four points, and was beaten for second place by one point, must be considered a very creditable performance. The winners are without doubt first rankers, and Foxton did remarkably well in being bunched with some of New Zealand’s champion humorists.

Wanted—The people of Foxton and the surrounding districts to know that A. de Luen, tailor, of Palmerston North, will call on anyone with samples upon the receipt of a postcard. Costumes from £4 4s, Suits from £4 lOs A We have been appointed local agent for Star No. I Cocoa, lib tins 2/10, %lb tins 1/6, %lb tins lOd, We can recommend this. Thomas Rirnmer.*