LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1360, 13 February 1915, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A Maori coutingenter at the Auckland camp has died of enteric. There are other patients. Several have been inoculated against typhoid.

The United States has despatched a vigorous Note to Germany and a milder protest to Great Britain, that the destruction ot American ships through the use of the American flag will be viewed with the gravest concern, and probably will lead to serioua complications.

Miss Marie Corelli announces that she is organising a gilt, which will probably take the form of music, for the Australasians in Egypt. She says:—“lt is right and titling we should do our best to show how fully we are aware of the sacrifices they have made, and give some token of our kinship and attachment.”

In connection with the Auckland tragedy a warrant has been issued for tbe arrest oi Norman Keals, on a charge of murdering his brother’s wife and abducting her six weeks old baby. A vigorous search is being prosecuted for the accused man by a large force of police and settlers. The country is very rough and Keals being an experienced bushman may elude his pursuers for some time. At Thursday’s meeting of the local State school committee, the question of the annual school picnic was discussed. It was decided to abandon the function this year, by reason of the many calls made upon the public and, further, as far as possible to avoid any break in the school studies this year. The question of closing the school for the Falmerston Show was also discussed, and the Committee were of opinion that the small percentage ot pupils who attended the show did net justify the school being closed for that purpose.

The local school committee decided at Thursday’s meeting not to allow any function to unduly interfere with the continuous studies ot the scholars during the school year.

Harvest thanksgiving services will be held in All Saints’ Church to-morrow. At the evening service the anthem, “0 Lord, How Manifold Are Thy Works,” will be sung. The country service is at Moutoa.

Mr M. O'Brien, Health Inspector, reported the following cases of infectious diseases to Thursday’s meeting of the District Hospital Board : Scarlet fever Palmerston, Manawatu and Kiwitea one case each. Tuberculosis, one case at Foxtou. The services in connection with the Methodist Church to-morrow will be conducted both morning and evening by the Rev W. G. Maslin. A service will be held at Oroua Downs in tbeatternoon and Mr G. Huntley will officiate at the Beach in the evening. The local Horticultural Society Committee has taken steps to prevent certain members of the public pilfering exhibits from the cookery and cut bloom classes at the forthcoming Autumn Show. Special stewards have been appointed to safeguard exhibits from interference by unauthorised persons. The Royal College of Science at Kensington has, after four months unremitting effort, succeeded in making phenacetin perfectly, thus obviating dependence on Germany, which, prior to the war was sole maker. A dozen professors are now engaged, and thousands of doses are made daily. This is a matter of enormous importance to the hospitals. Mr Wltchell, late president of the local Horticultural Society, informed the secretary that he had visited a number of similar shows in the north, and the local society’s methods and administration compared more than favourably with what he had seen elsewhere. A suggestion of the late president’s in regard to labelling exhibits was adopted. The president of the Horticultural Society, Mr Stiles, speaking at last night’s committee meeting, said from personal experience, the fruit crop locally was not a success this year. Much ot the fruit was undersized and the crops poor. Shelter Irom the strong westerly winds was necessary in order to obtain good results. He hoped, however, that the fruit exhibits would not suffer to any extent at the Autumn Show. The local Horticultural Society has decided to make the Autumn Show, to be held on March 4th and sth next, more attractive in the nature of catering for the amusement of the public. At last night’s meeting a committee was appointed to draw up and supervise a programme of amusing competitions. The names of the committee, subject to their consenting to act, are Messrs Burgess, Kellovv, and Claris. Cookery exhibits came in for a lively discussion at last night’s Horticultural Society’s meeting. The point was again raised that exhibits should be restricted to single eutries in each section of this class, It was pointed out that cakes, etc., made of the same ingredients and cooked in one batch, were given widely divergent standards of merit by the judge. This would be obviated it the single entry was adopted. No action was taken in the matter. A dramatic scene occurred in the Wellington Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, when Arthur Williams, stated to be a pickpocket known to the police in most Eng-lish-speaking countries, was extradited to the State of Victoria to be tried on a charge of pocket picking there. Detective Mcllveney had just said that accused bad offered him £IOO to let him escape from custody, and when the offer was refused Williams had paid an unconscious tribute to the detectives of New Zealand by exclaiming : ‘‘No wouder you are poor and detectives in other countries own terraces of bouses !” Suddenly an interruption came from the body of the court. “Oh ! Don’t say any more ! don’t say any more!” It was the young wife of the accused man, who, crying bitterly, had to be removed from the room.

There was a good attendance in the Catholic Schoolroom on Thursday evening when a social and dance was held under the auspices of St. Mary’s Choir for the purpose of making a presentation and bidding farewell to Miss Bertha Dudson, one of the members of the choir who is to be married on Monday and take up her residence in Wellington. The first part of the evening was occupied with a concert programme, items being rendered by the following: Mrs Guilder, Misses Signal and Kempton and Messrs Barr, Jenks, Buglass, Knewstub, Lenihan, Hooker and Osborne. A special feature of the proceedings was the singing of Guonod’s “Ave Maria” by 20 voices. At the conclusion of the concert refreshments were provided and the choirmaster (Mr }. Golder) on behalf of the members of the choir, made the presentation to Miss Dudson of a silver tea set and frame. Mr Foote responded on behalf of the recipient. Dancing was then indulged in to music played by Mr Ebbett’s orchestra, assisted by Miss Lenihan (piano) and Mr Lenihan (violin). Extras were played by Misses Small, Walls, Conlan and Neylon. Farmers and tiaxmill employees are recommended our new special waterproof boots. We guarantee them, K. T. Betty.*

The Returning Officer notifies that nomination of candidates for the Otaki Licensing Committee close at noon on the 27th instant. The Levin Co operative Dairy Co. has decided to grant its suppliers an advance of xxd per lb for January butter-fat and an additional payment of twopence per lb on the November supply. The troopers concerned in the brawl at Wellington have been fined various sums, and ex-trooper R. P. Brown also got two months’ imprisonment for assaulting a constable. Among the recent promotions in the police force was that of Constable Lander, at one time stationed at Foxton, who was promoted to the rank of sergeant. Sergeant Lauder is at present spending a holiday at the Manawatu Heads. The Awahou with general from Wellington arrived at 10 o’clock this morning. Weather permitting, she will sail to night for Wellington with hemp. The Queen ot the South, hemp laden, for Welliuoton, will also sail tonight. The Waverley with cement from Terakohe is due to-morrow.

The programme shown at the Municipal Pictures last night was most Interesting from every point of view. The war topicals, ‘‘The Evacuation of Ostend” and ‘‘With the Servian Army in War Time,” were highly appreciated by the audience. The star film, “When the Men Left Town,” was most entertaining, the whole storybeing a shriek of laughter. The other items of the programme were well received and judging by the applause proved that they gave the highest satisfaction. A hanging door startled a horse in Messrs Walker and Furrie’s delivery cart at the rear of the firm’s premises this morning. The animal started off at a rattling pace into Main St., and the vehicle collided with a telegraph post near the Presbyterian Church, smashing the shafts and otherwise damaging the cait. The horse was uninjured.

The increase in the price of the shilling: luncheon made by a number of restaurateurs at Wellington last week did not last long. The rise was one of 25 per cent., which looked more formidable than 3d, which it actually was. It was made in consequence of the increased cost of meat, flour, eggs, sugar, and some other commodities. Trade, however, fell off at once, the customers being disinclined to pay the .rise, and many went home in the dinner hour. Some of the restaurateurs then went back to the old shilling luncheon ; others followed, and eventually capitulation became general. A motion for the non-suit of plaintiff or in the alternative a new trial was moved at the Wellington Supreme Court on Thursday by Mr H. R. Cooper (Palmerston North) in the case Nicholas Martin, of Foxton (plaintiff), and Frederick Easton, of Foxton (defendant). The grounds for the application on behalf of the defendant were that there was not sufficient evidence of want of reasonable cause on his part at the time he laid the action, and there was no evidence of malice on his part. Mr H. G. Moore, on behalf of plaintiff, opposed the application and His Honour intimated that he would take time to consider his decision. A visitor to the Foxton district at present is Mr R, Blair, the Sabbath School Extension Agent of the Presbyterian Church. He has been working recently in the great country to the north of Auckland, and has a most interesting account to give ot that country and of his experiences there. He has been very successful in his great mission, which is the establishment of Sabbath schools in new or neglected districts, and has secured the opening of thirty such schools in a little over six months, which is at the rate of one a week. Mr Blair will conduct the services, both morning and evening, and good congregations are anticipated at both diets of worship. Mr Blair will also meet with the teachers and scholars of the Sabbath school ia the afternoon, when a full attendance is requested.