LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1669, 1 February 1917, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr Harry Lyall, Longburn’s popular schoolmaster, has enlisted for active service. The Palmerston Patriotic Society has donated £3OO to the Salvation Army to assist the Army in its war work. The following are the vital statistics for Poxton for the month of .January: Births 11, deatljs 3, marriage certificates issued nil. The Poxton Kacing Club invites tenders, to close at 8 p.m. on Saturday next, for carting 500 yards of sand. The Queen of the South, from Wellington, with general, arrived at 5.30 o’clock this morning. She will sail again this evening for Wellington with a cargo of hemp. The Olaki Mail understands that the Te Horo farmers are negotiating for the purchase of a local store for (he purpose of establishing a cooperative concern. During the month of .January rain fell locally on tour days, the maximum fall being on the Bth ultimo, when .40 was registered. The total rainfall for the month was .70 inch. Large quantities of stone and timber are still rolling down the Manawatu Gorge between the tunnels. On Tuesday afternoon a big tree came down, blocking the lino. The goods train was held up for some time. A gang of men are at work keeping the line clear.

A grass lire, shifted it is alleged, by a spark from the train or (ram, did a fair amount of damage near Ilimahingi railway station yesterday afternoon. Fortunately Hie wind carried the llames away from the .station buildings. A band of willing workers succeeded in healing the lire out, bill not before a considerable area of pasture had been burnt.

A pet cal, from the Mountain House at Mount Egmont, Taranaki, followed a party of tourists to the summit last week, after scrambling for 2,000 feet through snow. He is now to have a first-class collar and a silver medal affixed by bis many admirers. The trip was very cold, and a lierce wind prevailed. The cat previously laid often followed parlies to Humphries Castle.

The patriotic garden party organised by Airs Gower and held at her residence yeslerday afternoon, was very successful, and a good sum was raised, which will lie equally divided between the Ladies’ and Girls’ Guilds. A report of same, including competition winners, will appear in Saturday’s issue.

Picture petrous will note Unit Friday’s change of programme at the Town Hall will be shown on one night only, owing to the concert to he provided by the Military Medical Corps being held on day evening. The seventh series of f the great Stingaree serial will be screened on Friday evening, and besides this film there will be a grand general programme including a notable Vitagraph star drama.

In conversation with Mr Lazaret te, a local fisherman, who was recently lined at Wellington for unlawfully selling trout, he informed us that (he law should be amended to permit trout to be netted and sold by fishermen. He said trout do a tremendous amount of damage to the fishermen's nets, and greatly affect the whitebait returns. Trout are very partial to whitebait, and consume millions, with resultant loss to those engaged in the whitebait catching industry.

A capital programme has been arranged for the camp .fire concert « to be given by members of the X.Z. Military Medical Corps in the Coronation Town Hall on Saturday night. Several performers are exprofessionals, ami their humorous A items are guaranteed to create roars of laughter. Apart from the excellent vocal and instrumental items, special war pictures, about 4,000 feet, will be screened. The proceeds are in aid of the cam]) orchestral fund.

Ways a writer in the Auckland Herald:-—Wo are constantly being reminded of bow our ideas change with the times. A little more than a dozen years ago the late Mr Seddon proposed to open a Stale butcher’s shop. The country rang with it. Everybody took it for a huge joke, ihe idea of a State entering upon such an undignified enterprise f was laughed to scorn everywhere. Now we have two State butchers’ shops in Auckland, and nobody' even smiles. True, Mr Seddon’s butcher’s shop was to be in London, but the purpose was the same—to endeavour to bring the retail price of meat nearer to the price realised by the producers. Whether this object j\ will be attained we don’t yet know. ' i a If it is, perhaps.Mr Seddon’s vision ■ of the New Zealand Government retailing beef and mutton in all the English cities may yet be realised. Meantime, nobody cracks jokes on the subject; there are no cartoons of the Prime Minister in the orthodox butcher’s apron cutting and - weighing the joints.

Cull in at Walker and Currie's when you require anything for .4 cleaning or cooking purposes. AU household lines stocked and excel-. lent value given.

All the schools under the Wanganui Boa W’s jurisdiction re-opened to-day. The roll number at the local Slate school to-day was 321, as against; 328 on the opening day last year. New pupils, 2(1. In consequence of the long spell of hot, dry weather experienced in the Otaki district the milk yields at the various factories have fallen almost by one-half. A Napier motorist claims a peculiar record in the number of punctures suffered on one trip, having picked up no less than 17 punctures from Waipawa to Xapier. Members of the British War Cabinet and Ministers have pooled their salaries, and will draw £3,00(1 apiecc, compared with £4,000 paid to members of the last Cabinet. The salary of Mr Lloyd George is unaffected. . Wanganui education district has won Ihe distinction of topping the junior national scholarship list, Geoffrey de Montalk, of Mangaweka, securing that position with 710 marks, the next highest candidate securing only 030 marks. The largest cherry tree grown in the Dominion probably belongs to Taka kit, Nelson. It is Bft. 3in. in circumference, measured 4ft. from the ground, and the branches spread 33ft, from the trunk cadi way, or 00ft. across. The tree produces approximately 50 cases of cherries at an average of 10s per case. An acre of such trees would be worth about £2,000 per annum. Air John Harper, senr.. one of the "Canterbury Pilgrims," has just died, ageil 00 years. He arrived in one of the first four ships, with his wife and three sons, one being born on the way out. At first he lived in a cave on the hillside at Heathcotc Valley, but later moved to a sod but on the Dank of the river. Tell of deceased’s grandsons have enlisted for active service. Adherence to the principle adopted by the Methodist Church since (he commencement of (he war, inn to seek exemption for any members of its ministry who may be called up for active service—has been resolved upon by the Pa tea circuit. 11 is understood that in the Taranaki district there arc only three ministers who are at presenf ineligible for Hasses 1 or 2 of the National Reserve.

Christmas presenls were despalehed lo our soldiers ill (lie Iron! per niedinm ol’ (he local Ladies Patriotic (luild some months npi, Mr F. Mini in Ims received the following acknowledgment from the recipient of his parcel: —“Wireless .Detachment, Samoa (larrison, Apia, Siinioa, Ist .limitary, Dl7. Dear Sir. —The Christmas presents, and your card conveying best wishes and good hick, have duly arrived. 1 have to thank you for kind thoughts and gifts lo the small force that in Samoa is doing a little hit for the British cause. It is helpful to each man here to feel that the work he is doing, if not brilliant, is necessary, and is appreciated in New Zealand. More success to our side in this Xew Year. —Duncan Anderson, Armourer Sergt."

Old Foxtou, Marmwatu and Rangitikei residents will regret to hoar llial Mr R. E. Maclean, who as far haok as 1878 occupied the position of manager of the Bank of Australasia at Foxtou, and afterwards removed to Invercargill and Dunedin, died suddenly at his residence, Armidale, Melbourne, las) month, fie retired from the Bank

service some six years ago. Mr .Maclean married the widow of the late Dr. John Smith, who practised in the Manawatu (and who was the first medical man to put his fool in Falmerston North). The Doctor took up his residence in Foxton in ISd!), nexl l<> the late Rev. 1). I). Duncan's house, which both stood a little lo the right of the present railway station, afterwards removing to Mart on in 1.873. Mrs .Maclean and her daughter Amy still live at Armadale, and her two surviving sons, Frank B. Smith, of Invercargill, and Ernes) R. Smith, of the railway goods office, Wellington.

Tlie Palmerston Cliiiinlfor of Commerce desires to lie heard in the Council of (he Nation/, when peace terms are brought down. The members of this august body, when sitting in solemn conclave once a month, discuss diverse and weighty matters which concern the whole Empire in general, lint Palmerston in particular. They advise Cabinet .spasmodically and when time permits on such trilling subjects as the Foxton wharf, Poxton-Palmerston railway time-table, the Sandon tram, swamp tires, hydro-electric power, and the correct method of spearing whitebait. For recreation they deputationise Ministers of the Crown each time they happen to pass through by rail —all railway traffic being suspended in the meantime. Now the Council is formulating peace planks to be imposed upon our enemies. Anyway here is a par from our Palmerston morning contemporary:- —“A member of the Pa lmerston Chamber of Commerce having expressed the opinion that a condition of peace should he that Germany should be deprived of her sea front menacing the North Sea, .was assailed by a colleague for his alleged historical ignorance. A vigorous controversy was cut short by the president ruling that the matter must be adjourned till next meeting. Mr Hodder playfully suggested that this would give an opportunity to members to read up on the question.”

.{’ending the meeting of the Wanganui Education Board, the chairman, on account of the extremely warm weather, has given authority for schools in Palmerston, Marton, Feilding, Wanganui*and Foxton to open from !) o'clock till noon only. Owing to Ihe drop in temperature locally it was not deemed necessary to close the school this afternoon, but should the weather again prove sultry the chairman’s suggestion will be carried out.

Housewives should hear in mind that Walker and Furric can supply household ironmongery of every description at the best value prices.