LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1491, 30 December 1915, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A very heavy thunderstorm passed over the Himatangi district at midday yesterday. : Sunday next, at All Saints’ Church, will be observed as a day of solemn intercession in connection with the war. On Monday night the storeroom at Sorenson’s store at Himatangi was broken into, and goods to the value of about ,£5 stolen. The police have the matter in hand. Australia, according to Premier Hughes, has sold 200,000 tons of wheat to the British and French Governments. Next month 30,969 acres of Crown land will be thrown open for selection. In addition, 2836 acres are already set apart for disposal in February. Several small parties of fruitpickers for the Nelson district have already been organised by the Labour Department in Wellington. Most of those sent from Wellington will be engaged on the raspberry crop, which is now ripe. At the Rahotu Dairy Factory milk is now being graded, and any classed second grade will be paid a penny per lb butter fat less than first grade milk. This action has been taken owing to some of the milk arriving at the factory during the recent spell of hot weather in an over ripe condition. The most exciting incident witnessed in the Avenue (says the Wanganui Chronicle) on Christmas Eve was a collision between a motor lorry and a Chinaman, the latter occasioning some mild excitement bydissappearing under the wheels. He was picked up a bit shaken and very indignant, but after some forcible remarks he continued on his way.

At the break up of the Lumsden School special reference was made by the Rev. H. Bkthwayt (says the Mataura Ensign) to the medal gained by A. E. Johnson for ten years unbroken attendance, which also carried with it a gold medal inscribed “For unbroken attendance, i'9o6-15.” This boy’s brother in 19x3 achieved the same distinction, and ten members of this family have up till this year gained 64 certificates-— 51 first class and/13 second class.

In anticipation of a shortage of labour for the harvest, the Labour Department opened a register for men willing and able to undertake this class of work. The Department has now notified the whole of the applicants on the register of the fact that the demand for men is not so great as' was at first anticipated, and that it is exceedingly unlikely their services will be required. The Secretary for Labour, in writing to these men, states that the crops are below the average on account of the dryness of the season, especially in Canterbury and parts of the Wairarapa.

Japan is a country.of small holdings, and every bit of laud is put to good purpose. The principal crop is rice, which forms the staple food of the people, but among the richer classes the consumption of wheat is becoming more common. Rice is grown on about 7,000,000 acres, producing about 27,000,000 cwt,, of rice in average seasons. The area under the crop has remained about the same lor the last twenty years; the yield, however, has increased nearly 30 per cent., owing to improved methods of cultivation and the more general use of manures. Cereals cover nearly 5,000,000 acres. Silk cultivation is an important industry, and is rapidly extending.

The tragit story of a girl who studied too hard was told by Dr, R. M. Beatie, superintendent of the Auckland Mental Hospital, at a prize distribution at Auckland the other evening, “Prizes,” he said, “shpuld be given only to those who are physically, as well as intellectually, capable. A girl in endeavouring to secure a prize or a scholarship is very apt on occasions to study too hard, with the result that she ruins her health. An instance of this kind came to my notice a few veins ago. A girl won a junior, and a year later a senior scholarship. Congratulations were showered upon her on all sides, and (t lends Urged her to go on with her Studies She Worked at her studies seynn da>s a week and often stalled them at tom o'clock in the morning and completed them vet v late at night. 1 found the girl was determined to win. hi another rear she gained a University scholarship. Two years later site came under my care hopelessly Insane. The test to he applied as to whether a girl Is studying too much Is; Hoes she sleep well, doeti she eat well, is she looking well, and is she feeling well r t! not. her studies should he curtailed. SEE CHEAP RATI'IS, FRONT PACKS LAI DRAW LEEDS VVI ItU.ESALE CAXOLOG. See the large assortment of Chocolates and Fancy Sweets at J. M. Kelly’s.* BUY WHOLESALE FROM LAIDLAW LEEDS’ CAXOLOG. IT’S FREE.

There is reported to be no scarcity of farm labour in the Blenheim district. Advice has been received from the P. and O. office iu Sydney stating that no females embarking after December 20 will be permitted to land in Egypt.

The Gazette notifies that the export of hides and skins from New Zealand to the United States is only permissible with the sanction of the Controller of Custoftis.

The local shopkeepers have decided to observe a close holiday on Monday, January 3rd, 1916, and business premises will therefore be closed from Friday night until Tuesday morning.

The head teacher of the local State school acknowledges with thanks a special prize donated by Mrs Saunders. This has been awarded to Cecil Lawton, Standard VI., second boy in the class, and fourth on the aggregate.

Dr. Elizabeth Gunn has been appointed to the medical staff at Trentham with the rank of military captain. She is the first lady doctor to receive this distinction in New Zealand. Messrs L. G. West and Son have accepted the tender of Mr Tbos. Rimmer, of Foxton, at for the re-erection of the Albion Hotel at Shannon for H. Wollerman. The contract has been signed, and the work will be started this week in order to get the building finished in April. A potato grown in Northwood, Kent, has “done its bit” to increase the supply of home produce. Having a remarkable number of spores, it was cut into 23 pieces and planted on April 21. Each piece grew and when the crop was dug up it was found that the single tuber had produced as many as 267 potatoes/ or about 301 b in weight.

George Flaragrady, an Austrian, was arrested at Denver, U.S.A., for the murder o£ George Gray, an Englishman. Both were employed in a railway machine shop there. The police have Information that the prisoner, on learning that his brother in Europe had been killed in a battle with the Allies, became so enraged that he pushed Gray into a powerful drill press, where he was crushed to death.

At Gilgandra, New South Wales, the other day neighbouring farmers rolled up on Sunday with 18 harvesters, and, assisted by a large number of bag-sewers, garnered Sergt. - Major Lee’s wheat crop. The ladies ol the district were also present in force, and provided refreshments. Everything went off without a hitch, 150 acres being stripped. Sergt.Major Lee, who enlisted with the “ Cooees,” is engaged in recruiting work.

A few nights ago a bedroom at one of the local hotels was entered and the occupant’s clothes “gone through,” a watch and chain and sum of money being stolen. Yesterday afternoon the owner of the lost property received a package by post, which, on being opened, was found to contain the watch and chain. As the money stolen was not returned, the theory of “a guilty conscience” can be dismissed, apparently the reason tor the return of the watch being because the owner’s name was engraved thereon, which would increase the difficulty of realising on it.

A visitor to the seaside from a neighbouring town was much worried the other day over the loss of a suit case containing cutlery, etc., which he was positive he had brought with him and left with other luggage on the local railway platform, from where, he contended, it must have been stolen. The services of the local police were obtained and enquiries instituted in all directions, but without success. The visitor was now quite resigned to the loss and completed his journey to the beach, where he received the following telegram from his daughter : ‘‘Suit-case left iu bedroom, shall I forward on.”

The Patriotic Shop did good business on Christmas Eve, and as a result the sum of ,£ls 6s 5d has been donated to the local Patriotic Fund. In connection with same the management desire to thank the following donors of goods Mesdames Brown sent., A. King, Hansmann, Hislop, Harvey, W. Ross, J. Barber, H. Chalk, Greig, Stevenson, C. Robinson. Messrs A. Saunders, H. Greig, A. Ross, Mitchell, Raine, Witchell (Otaki), Sbcrratt, Chalk, Hughes, Huntlev. Jas. Ross, W. Barber, Hussey ami Wood (Christchurch), and Mr A. Ross’ children.

That necessary evil, rabbit poisoning, is rapidly killing off all New Zealand's native game, savs clie Oamaru Mall, Wekas, once to be heard anywhere in the hills ot a night, are now no more. Their Inquisitive nature renders I heir complete extinction a matter of time whereever poison is laid. Paradise and grey duck will follow mote slowly with settlement. But though there is a lamentable dearth of wing shooting in Otago, the rabbit has perhaps rendered a great service to the nation in the training of boys with the .22, the lirst step with many of our boys now on Gallipoli to becoming expert rifle shots. It seems hardly necessary to point out that while a good living may be made by rabbiting, the extinction of the rabbit in New Zealand will not be compassed by either trapping, poisoning, or shooting. Why give your children cold unches when they can get a hot steak and kidney pie at Perreau’s for threepence.

A number of men of the Ninth Reinforcements are visiting their homes in this district ou their final leave.

The services at All Saints’ Church on Sunday will be Holy Communion 8 a.m., Matins n a.in. and Evensong 7 p.m. The Ladies’ Guild acknowledge with thanks the sum of jQio from the Foxton Cordage and Flaxmilling Co. Ltd. On Sunday next the launch Taniora will leave the wharf steps for the Foxton beach at 2 p.m, returning at 5 p.m. The fares are, single is 6d, return 2s 6d, The Patriotic Shop will be opened again to-morrow, and will be in charge of Mrs Greig, who will be pleased to received gifts of goods of any kind for sale. The Queen of the South with general trom Wellington arrived at 2 p.m. yesterday. She will sail again for Wellington at 3 o’clock this afternoon with a cargo of hemp.

On Boxing night sixteen persons were arrested in Palmerston North for drunkenness, and of these no less than seven claimed Foxton as their place of residence. A record to be proud of—we don’t think !

Mesdames F. and J. H. Robinson, who are conducting the tearooms for the Ladies’ Guild at the sports on New Year’s Day will be pleased to receive gifts of cakes, etc., or contributions, for the purchase of same. Goods or contributions may. be left at Mrs Kent-Johnston’s residence. The following are the men who will be called up from this district for the Twelfth Reinforcements:— Mounted Rifles: R. J, Barber (Foxton), A. E. Brown and G. M. Bunnell (Himatangi) ; Artillery: J. J. O’Reilly (Foxton); Infantry : D. Sullivan and J. A. Healey (Foxton). The men will leave for camp on Tuesday, January nth.

The Ladies' Guild, under whose auspices the tearoom at the sports in Victoria Park on Saturday will be conducted, has arranged for a visit from the Weraroa Boys Band on that day. The band will play a number of selections at the sports, and will return the same night. The management of the Royal Pictures has extended an invitation to members of the band to be present at the picture entertainment in the evening.