LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1732, 30 June 1917, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

In consequence of the shortage of labour, many of the settlers in the Pongaroa- district are assisting in road work'. .

The Beach Improvement Committee will commence tree-planting at the local seaside on Wednesday afternoon next.

in the House of Representatives yesterday, Mr W. H. Field, M.P., gave notice to introduce The Eoxton Harbour Bill.

A petition is in circulation in Palmerston North, asking that the late Saturday night train from Palmerston North to Eoxton lie resumed.

Mr 11. W. C'oilingwood, Palmerston's Town Clerk, died at tin early hour yesterday morning. The lato Mr C'oilingwood will he accorded a Masonic funeral to-morrow afternoon.

At the loeal Police Court this morning, before Mr Hornblow, J.P., John Blomquist, dunged with drunkenness, the second offence within a few days, was fined 20s, or in default 48 hours’ imprisonment. Among those killed in action at Messincs was Private Leslie Hunt, of Akaroti, in his 19th year. The young mttn was one of a family of 28 children. Two brothers are now serving at the front.

There was a fair attendance at the euchre parly and dance held under. the auspices of All Saints’ Church in the schoolroom, on Thursday night. A most enjoyable time was spent by till present. Refreshments were supplied by the Ladies’ Guihk

A man from the back-blocks who had been dining freely, was taken in charge hy the Christchurch police on Saturday night, and on being searched he was found to have £147 in notes and a cheque for £.lO in his pocket.

A special meeting of the Borough Council was held last night to make and levy the rates for the current year, and to receive tenders for coal carting. The usual resolution in reference to the rates was passed, and the tender of Messrs Osborne and Smith for coal carting was accepted.

One of the first notices of question in the House was on a subject which bids fair to claim a considerable amount of attention. Mr C. 11. Poole gave notice to ask the Minister of 'Commerce if be will make a statement on the subject of the merger between the P. and O. and U.S.S. Companies. The 6 o’clock closing movement produced a large crop of petitions in the House on Thursday. Member after member presented these bulky documents praying that the hours of opening hotel bars be restricted to between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.. Allogether nearly 40,000 signatures were attached to these petitions.-

The second of the series of socials held under the auspices of the local Presbyterian Church Management Committee, will be held in the schoolroom on Wednesday evening next. A capital vocal and instrumental programme is being arranged, and refreshments will he provided. Admission, adults Is, children sixpence.

The loeal hits at the pantomime on Thursday and last night created roars of laughter. When the name of one well-known local bachelor, who happened to be among the audience, was introduced during the singing of a song, which suggested a tax on bachelors, the house fairly roared.

The fact that the price of sugar •is to be increased by £1 per ton by the Colonial Sugar Refining Company has led to some speculation on the question, of retail prices. We (Otago Daily Times) are informed that the price of .the 701 b bags-will* probably be increased by about 9d, but at present there, is no intention on the part of the grocers to make any advance when, selling by the pound. Wanted Known: The Store where quality ; and value ; lead is Walker and Fume’s. The best of everything—always,

Three of the Wanganui Board’s teachers were recently “capped” at Victoria College, Miss F. Ross, M.A, (daughter of the late Rev. John Ross, of Turakina), Miss Sampson, M.A. (daughter of the ex-Chief Postmaster at Wanganui), and Miss E. M. Bell (grand-daugh-ter of Mr Peter Bell, one of Wanganui’s oldest residents). When a suggestion was made as to the possibility of the Wanganui Board re-appointing a certain teacher, the Chairman said he did not think there was a hope. “I am not bigoted in the matter,” remarked Mr Pirani, “but I certain!}' think we should have sober headteachers — reform could be accelerated, but not at the expense of the children.” The Wanganui Education Board made a grant of £lO towards the cost of asphalting the front path and assembly at the local schools The total cost of tins work will ho £SO. This will he met by a donation of £2O, plus £ for £ subsidy from the Department, and the Board's donation, The contract for the work has been let to Mr T. Cooke, Into borough foreman. A Wanganui linn of solicitors forwarded a bill for £i 10s, for items omitted -in the bill of costs in a land compensation ca-e against the Wanganui Education Board. “It is the extraordinary case of a lawyer omitting to charge enough for his services.” said the Chairman. “Absolutely unheard of,” said one of the members, amidst laughter. And (he account was passed for payment. Mr Taylor, in charge of the Pantomime Company, which finished a two nights’ season here last night, in conversation with onr representative, said he dal not expect a big house the tirst night in Coxian, for the reason that local people had (men taken down by third-rate socalled pantomime companies. He said Jto was satisfied with Fox ton as a show town, and would now include it in future tours.

Mr McCombs, M.P., told a deputation at Lyttelton that last year in New Zealand 30,000 acres were devoted to growing barley. Had this urea been laid down in wheat there, would have been no necessity for the purchase of wheal iu Australia at ridiculously high prices. The brewers of Now Zealand had consumed nearly £1,000,000 worth of foodstuffs per annum, and that was all pure waste. The industry employed only 5,000 hands. It was obvious that the industry was economically one which could Avell lie done without.

Some incidents which it has been hitherto inadvisable to make public were made known by the' Right Hon. W. E. Massey at the civic luncheon. Mr Massey stated that a vessel on which ho was voyaging struck some object. The passengers obtained the impression that it was a submarine, and there was a good deal ot! excitement. The obstacle turned out to be a whale, however, and the steamer had to go astern before the whale dropped from the bows. “I hope that before the war is finished/’ added Mr Massey, “Germany will be as limp and powerless as the whale that dropped oil the bows of the .” (Applause). At (he monthly silling of the Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning, before Mr AY. G. Kenrick, S.M., judgment for plaintiffs was entered up the the following cases: —Dr. Lamb v. C. O’Regan, claim £5 5s Od, costs 23s (id; and C. A. Spring v. Pori Ropohama, claim £2, costs 15s. In the judgment summons case C. H. Podmore v. AY. Trask, there was no appearance of judgment debt oi’, and he was ordered to pay the amount owing, £7 5s 3d, on or before -July 30lh, in default seven days imprisonment in AA T ellington prison. America’s entry into the war, said Mr Massey, had made an impression in favour of the Allies. Events in Russia had badly interfered with the Allies’ plans and had enabled Germany to- send troops—some of her best troops —to tho AYestern front. The result was that America had come in. America would not be able to send many men to Prance this season,- although she ’was sending men at the present time, but the reunion of the two great Anglo-Saxon races of the world would be in the interests of humanity, America’s coming in made victory certain, but the war might not end this year. AVhcn the outbreak of lire at Tnpurupuru homestead was discovered at an early hour on Tuesday morning, Sir AValler Buchanan, in his night attire, and in a cold rain, worked hard with his manager and staff to get the flames under, and in their endeavours injhis direction they lost the whole of the contents of the building, practically nothing being saved. Tho origin of the tire is a complete mystery. Sir .Walter Buchanan is a very heavy loser. He had a fine library, historical records, trophies, stud cattle -records, and personal effects which money could not buy. In less than an hour the collection of a life-time had gone in flames. Sir AA’alter, who is 79 years of age, will have the sympathy of the whole community in. a loss that to him is irreparable. ’Tis most absurd! Ido declare There’s funny people everywhere; Cranks who harbour “ticks” and rats,” And freaks who wear old-fashioned hats; But most amusing of them all Are those who, when bad colds be- - fall, Obsolete nostrums still endure, Whilst needing Woods’ Peppermint Cure. „ 13 /i df Vi 4 rtf' j dll

ZS‘ > The following proposed appointmeats of teachers were tentatively approved at the Wanganui Edueati- » on Board meeting on Wednesday: Ngawaka, .Mr 11. C. Percy; TaoroaRoad, Miss A. Orr; Piriaka, Miss Z. Meads; Mangamahu, Miss Packer; Coal Creek, Miss D. Moor; Waiata, Miss 11. Scott; Rongotea, assistant, Miss G. O’Brien; Patea, assistant, Miss I. Woodroofe; Culls, assistant, Miss M. Walsh: Rongotea, Ist as-■ sistaut,-Mrs Papps; assistant, Miss C. Marshall; Ohakune, assistant (six months), Mr J. E. Marshall. ■ The Education Department notified the Wanganui Board at Wednesday's meeting that Medical Inspectors had been instructed to voport on the sanitation and hygienic 1 condition of >chooL, and that free railway passes could no longer bolH issued hy I lie-principal of the Mar-9k ton Lutheran School. The chairman n| said that; he counted seven pupils travelling to Marlon instead of M>uio 32, as in (ho past. It would now be the duty of the Truant Officer to ascertain what became of the other 25, ;c- I hey could obtain free passes to attend the Marlon State school, or private schools other than the Lutheran. New Zealand’s performance blinking Massines was mentioned by the Prime Minister during his speech at the civic luncheon at (ho Grand Motel, Wellington, Mr Massey stated that while he and Sir ■lose] hi Ward were in London they were (old the New Zealanders were to take the town. They wove not told that they were to attack it, hut that they were to “take” it. Ho did not gel any information on the way out what the result was, but he had ' learned since what had taken place. He was delighted —although we had our share of losses —that the credit for the capture of Messincs lay with the New Zealanders. (Applause). Lecturing in Wellington on “The Evacuation of Gallipoli," Major C. E. Andrews said that the story went that shortly before they left, after one of i Ik> very seven 1 storms they had, in which both they and the Turks got a particular gruelling, somebody wrote to the Turks suggesting (hat they must have had enough of it, and should “give it best.” To this the Turks were supposed !o have replied that they were all right. The British had got ashore, and what they (the Turks) wondered about —they almost died with laugler whenever they thought of il —was how on earth the British were ever going to get away again. “The lime soon came, however, said Major Andrews, “when we fried it — and you till know with whal result.”

A Sydney woman, whose husband was in the trenches, was washing her infant when the door-bell rang. She sent her eldest child (four years old) to answer the door. Thinking the child was a long time opening the door, the mother left the baby iu the bath, wont after her, and found her lying dead in the hall. She had slipped on the oilcloth and broken her neck! The visitor at the -t door was the clergyman, who had come to tell the soldier’s wife that she was a widow, her husband hav- 7 big been killed in battle. When the almost distracted .woman returned to whore she had left the baby iu the hath, she found the infant dead. 11 had slipped down into the water and drowned. The bereaved woman lost her reason, and is now in an asylum for the insane.

A young New Zealand officer, writing to bU parents, speaks in a feeling manner of the respect shown by overseas soldiers to the heroes who fought side by side with them and died. He says that on Anzac Day, 25th April, sports were held in Canada Park, and while there lie witnessed one of the most impressive sights. “The Park,” he says, “is next to the cemetery, where about 20 or 30 men are buried every day. A football match was in progress, New Zealand v. Australia, when suddenly the buglers at the funeral commenced to sound “The Last Post,” that most beautiful of calls. Immediately the whole of the 10,000 Australians and New Zealanders present rose to their feet as one man, and remained at attention till the buglers finished. This happened about twice daring the afternoon, about ten men being buried at tt time, “and really I think it was as line a funeral as a man could have. One can’t afford to be sentimental at this game, but I am sure, from the remarks I heard passed, (Hat most fellows were touched by the sight.”

Mr David Curie, one of the oldest .newspaper men in (lie Dominion, died at Ids residence, Herne Bay Hoad, Auckland, on Tuesday, at the age of SO years. The deceased had a most interesting' caPeer, and was . one of a small band of pien who may ; be said to have laid the foundations of journalism in New Zealand. He was a native of Glasgow, where he mastered bis trade as a printer, and arriving in Now Zealand when Wellington was in its early growth,, he associated himself with the late Mr Henry Blundell in 1805 in establishing the Evening Post, but relinquished his interest after a short time. Later on he was one of tho proprietors of the Wellington Chronicle, long since defunct.. He then went to Westland, and purchased the Guardian, which he conducted until the end of the 'eighties, when he acquired the Bush Advocate, Dannevirke. Tn 1901 he sold the paper to Messrs Nash and Coombe, present proprietors of the . Manawatu Standard, and went to live in Auckland. The late Mr Curie was a man of unblemished integrity and possessed a very kindly natufCj He has left a widow, tut no famUyl^^

An incident in connection with the war against submarines is related by Mr Massey, In one of the English ports he saw an oil-fuel vessel which had been torpedoed by a German submarine. The vessel had aboard an old-style gun, but one that served its purpose. After she was struck, the gun was got ready for - action, and just then the submarine rose, so close to the steamer that it was with difficulty the gun was depressed to bear upon it. But 1 begun was handled *o promptly that the moment the submarine came' to the surface she was sent to the bottom, “and there,” added Mr Massey, “she now lies.” The young man Arthur J. Brunic, who on Tuesday was remanded at Auckland in connection with a charge of attempting to leave New Zealand without a permit, in order to give him an opportunity to enlist for military service, appeared before Mr F. V. Fraser, S..M. The police explained that tiic Military authorities had accepted his voluntary enlistment, and he would he despatched with the next draft of recruits to Trent ham. Mr Fraser, commenting on (he ml’"factory position attained, said this was a much more pleasing conclusion to the case than if the man had been compelled to serve a sentence of imprisonment. The importance of the teaching of history in schools formed the subject of an interesting address delivered ;it the Auckland* Country Teachers’ Association’s annual meeting by Mr .1. Wooller, bead teacher at the Kllerslie school. The x'ight conception of history, properly (aught, said the lecturer, affected 1 lie life and development of the nation. History was not merely a narration of events arranged in chronological order; life was a groat chain stretching from one age to another, and history provided the links with the past, showing how the world had been al't’eeted by the. v>ork of countless numbers of human beings wlm had preceded us. The interest raised in childhood by intelligent teaching of history would be carried on in later life by the aid of cheap books, free libraries, workers! educational a-sociations ami public lectures. Mr Wooller briefly summarised the aims of history as twofold, the development of the national conscience, ami of the historic sense.