NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1287, 22 August 1914, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

Says the Otaki MailOn Friday evening Mr R, Cobb and his understudy, Mr F. Rutnsey, paraded the town ringing a cow bell, and announcing a meeting to be held in the Raukawa Hall that evening. A goodly number (mostly Maoris) assembled at the appointed hour. The election of a chairman reminded one of an impromptu “Savage” club. There was no lack ot volunteers, but such only reigned for a few minutes. Finally Mr Rutnsey was elected, and kept up a running comment on Mr Cobb's speech in support of his candidature for Parliament. The hall was illuminated by two candles stuck in bottles, which members of the audience freely used to light cigarettes. The candidate had to respond to several calls for songs and recitations, and was kept liberally supplied with refreshments. The meeting concluded with the audience singing, “We’ll hang old Cobb on a sour apple tree.”

In order to give confidence to the general public at this juncture, and to illustrate their sincerity in the matter, the farmers interested have decided to proceed immediately with the erection of freezing works at Taihape. The company announces that while realising that financial conditions may be somewhat stringent at the present lime, it also realises the fact that the war will practically denude the European countries of live stock. It therefore necessarily follows that the overseas dominions of Great Britain, which are stockproducing countries, must, in the immediate future, feed Europe. The company is aware that the placing of machinery orders on the English market at the present time will undoubtedly increase the cost to them. However, it is considered that by helping the manufacturers to keep the industries of the Home country alive, the company will assist the industries through the present crisis. With this object in view, Mr E. G. James, consulting engineer, of Wellington, has been instructed to prepare the necessary plans for the construction of the works.

An outburst of ungovernable temper because he could not get to the war resulted in a young Territorial named Edward Charles Stuart, aged 19 sears, getting into the hands of the Auckland police last week (says the Star). He had been told by the authorities that if he got his parents’ consent, he could go into camp, but when he got to his home at Mt. Eden his mother refused to give her consent, and the young fellow gave way to an excess of rage at his home. “He ran his bayonet through a large photo, stabbed the piano with the weapon, and drove the steel through the bathroom door, and threatened to shoot the whole family,” stated Sub-Inspector Johnston when Stuart was brought before Mr F. V. Frazer, S.M., on a charge of having done damage to the piano and the photo. After Stuart had flung out of the house in a rage, and in bis unitorm, his mother decided to teach him a lesson in self-control, and informed the police, with the result that the lad was arrested down the street. In a sullen manner Stuart said that be had lost his head because he had been baulked of his desire to go to the war by his mother refusing consent. He was remanded for a week for medical observation.