LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1769, 27 December 1917, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A sharp shock of earthquake was experienced at 7.45 o’clock on Sunday night, and there was also, a slight shock late last night. Local business people report pood busiijess on Christmas Eve, the takings being quite up to those of previous years. . The London Daily Sketch of 2nd November states that fat pigs were fetching £3O each in the Irish midlands. The local Borough Band were out carolling early Christinas morning, as also was a party from the Salvation Array. Windermere Burdon, aged 37, a farmer residing at Ryal Bush, Invercargill, suicided on Christmas Eve by cutting his throat. He leaves a widow and family. All (he houses at the local seaside are occupied. On Christmas Day and yesterday there were large crowds of visitors, yesterday the number being particularly largo. Practically all the tlaxmills in the district closed down on Saturday until after the Now Year holidays. In one or two cases, however, work was resumed to-day, in order to .strip the green leaf in the yards. Robt. T. Coomer, 74 years of age, a well-known retired district farmer and dredge-master, was knocked down by a motor car in Brough!on Street, Gore, on Saturday afternoon. He succumbed/ to injuries, 'which consisted of a fractured dislocation of the spinal cord, on Monday night. A motor car accident occurred at Tauwhore, near Cambridge, on Sunday. A ear capsized and a boy named Willis, ten years of age, had his head crushed, and died the same night. NeHie Jones was badly cut on the face, and R. Brady received cuts and a severe shock. Two other occupants were not injured. It. was announced officially on Monday, that the leave of (he Thir-ty-third Infantry nnd Medical Corps Reinforcements had been extended until midnight on Saturday, December 29th. This extension of 'leave, which'was at first refused to the men by the military authorities, has been grantqd owing to an nnforseen occurrence making necessary a change of arrangements. A civil action in which the imposition of the 10 per cent,, penalty for non-payment of rates within the prescribed time was the bone of contention, was'heard by Mr J. W. Poynton, S.M., at the Magistrate’s Court, Waipawa, recently. The Waipawa County Council sued Percy -Wall, of Hatuma, for £8 16s Bd, (he amount of 10 per cent, on his rates. Defendant contended that he was entitled to six months’ grace from the time he received the rate demand. His Worship reserved judgment. The following story is being rehashed in the newspapers of the Dominion. It was bald-headed and toothless 30 years ago, but is now being trotted out as something new: —A Chinaman named Macpherson recently tendered for a contract. The parties empowered to accept or reject tenders expressed surprise that any Chinese should be a Macphersoa, and, in reply, the Celestial (in English split up into vulgar fractions) explained: “It no use for anyone to tender in this d country unless he’s a Scotchman.” The official announcement regarding the personnel and duties of the Commission -that, is to investigate Defence expenditure is still delayed. A. recent telegram from Dunedin stated that the Commission would consist of Mr Justice Stringer, Mr Peter Barr (Dunedin), and Mr Charles Rhodes (Auckland), hut it is understood that; Mr Justice Stringer cannot leave the work of the Arbitration Court at the present time. The order of reference has been prepared, and the Commission will begin work as soon as the questi«n of personnel has been settled. • We are in receipt of a copy of the Christmas issue for 1917 of “Blue and White,” the magazine of St. Patrick’s College, Wellington. The compilers have continued the policy laid down during the first year of the war, that no pains and no expense should be spared in order to make the magazine a worthy memorial of the noble answer the old boys of the college have made to the country’s call, as well as of their : brave deeds and of the distinctions they have won. The magazine contains a roll of honour comprising 454 names. The Christmas issue is brightly written, and there are numerous illustrations; Why bother making cakes when there is such'a good assortment at Perreaa’s* ..

v :T : - ■ i I SIM At a party which had continued . into the early hours of the morning r a gentleman was asked to sing.-,,*! Very .thoughtfully he said he was, h willing, but as it was so late it might ’ disturb the, neighbours next, door. “Oh, never mind the'-neighbours, w V| cried the youtig Indy of the house. V “It will serve them just' right. They poisoned our dpg last/week.” lu the Sotuh' J Afriean Journal of : | Science there appears a remedy for . '!/ (he house fly. The “bait” is pre- ; | pared by mixing 11b. of sodium or- ; senate with 101 b. of sugar, and dis- , solving the mixture in ten gallons of water. The solution may be syringed over manure and rubbish heaps,. Leafy twigs dipped in the solution and hung in places where flies gregate serve ns death-traps. A slater who was engaged upon\>. itjie roof of a house in Scotland feilry from the ladder and lay in an un-|| conscious state upon the pavement. One of the pedestrians who rushed to the aid of the poor man chanced to have a fla.sk of spirits in his j pocket, and to revive him, began to pour a little down his“Canny, mon, canny,” said a toting * looking on, “or you’ll choke him.”. The “unconscious” slater slowly opened his eyes and said quietly,' “Poor awa’, mon, poor awa’, ye’re doin’ line.” ; Hilarious amusement interrupted , the usual sedatehess of the proceed- ■ ings of the Portohcllo Road Board 1 (says the Dunedin Star, writing of,, the board’s last meeting). In response to a timid knocking-.at the hall door, the clerk left the board room to ascertain who sought admission, lie returned to the board room as quietly as he had left it, but. the quietness gave place to Mughter when the clerk .announced that , a small boy, knocking at the door, had enquired in seeming earnestness: “Please, is the monkey show on?” r A small boy seated oft the kerb by a telegraph pole, with a tin can by his side, attracted the attention of . au old gentleman who happened to he passing. “Going fishing?” he enquired, good-naturedly. “Nope,” the youngster replied. “Take a peep in there.” Investigation showed the can to he partly tilled with caterpillars. “What in the world are you dojng with them?” “They crawl up : trees and eat off the leaves.” “So I understand.” “Well, I’m fooling a few of them.” “Hdw?” “Sending ’em up Ibis telegraph pole.” , A New York newspaper says:— A man was lined S2OO (£4O) for ■ flirting on the Broadwalk this week, with an alternative of three months in gaol. The violator of AtlanticCity’s rigid moral code had quite a shock when arraigned on the complaint of two Baltimore girls. But. cell and liars held no charm foi;Jj.izitf" * and he paid over the money. Recorder Edmund C. Gaskill said that if he had his way all flirts would repose behind prison bolts. Tie followed by exacting the heavy line for this breach of shore etiquette. This , was the first conviction under the new edict. Several arrests have previously been recorded, but: in - each instance the man was permitted to go with a reprimand and warning. The Rev. R. Haddon does not at | all agree with the notion that the ■■/ • Maori race is either declining in numbers or deteriorating in physijque. Speaking at a Methodist Home Mission meeting at Manaia (the Witness reports), he said philanthropic ladies had come to him, bewailing the approaching disappearance of the Maoris. But they were entirely wrong, he said. The Maoris had increased from 40,000 to 52,000, their present number, and they ; stood well in the health statistics. Their dangerous time was the transition from Maori to Pakeha habits and customs. But they had passed that stage and were bringing up . numerous and healthy families. “Look at me,” he said, “I have a family of nine children. Does that look like dying out?” (Laughter). At the Hamilton Supreme Court last week, before Mr Justice Cooper, evidence was heard in the case of George Russell v. Win. Tolme, farmer, of Aria, a claim for £516 damages in respect of the alleged seduction of plaintiff’s grand-daugh-ter, a girl of 17. In summing np, his Honour stated that the ease was an extraordinary one. He impressed upon the jury that the onus of proof in such cases rested upon the plaintiff. The charge was closely allied to a criminal charge, for, if they believed the girl’s story and brought in a. verdict accordingly, it would be tantamount to a verdict of at least incecent assault, perhaps of rape, against the defendant. The jury, after a retirement of fiye hours, brought in a verdict fog plaintiff tor £250 with costs.

The Auckland Observer publishes '■ the following personal paragraph;— “Lieut-Col. Harcourt" Turner, a gentleman who is at present rather in the public eye, having been until recently in charge of Moluilu Island, is a short, tubby, serious-look-ing little man with a carefully spikegrey moustache. He is well known in Auckland. He is very often president of courts-martial set up to try real soldiers. He entered the 1 New Zealand volunteer army in the old way—by elec ti ton of the company—and was for a number of years in Wellington, commanding at least fifty men on occasional Saturday afternoons, and in the drill shed N on occasional evenings. His military duties not occupying the whole pf his time, he was secretary to a coal company in the capital. On Hie outbreak of war his duties-took him to Samoa. From there he was invalided, but it was possibly because of his ability in running one island W “ S Siv “ COttt ' oi » £ Ml,

' A peculiar accident is reported from Waiwhenua Station, Napier., David Gunman Cordon, aged 48, while climbing on to a motor lorry, slipped and fell on the back of, his head, breaking his neck. It is believed that deceased had no relatives in the Dominion, Lynda Maude. Mitchell, aged six, a daughter of R, T. Mitchell, railway guard, died of injuries received by being knocked down by a taxi driven by R. K. Stock, in Carlyle Street, Napier, on Tuesday. The child was running across the road when the accident occurred. The inquest was adjourned after medical evidence had been taken. . Reports from the West Coast state that a number of licensees have applied through the Court to have the rents payable to their landsi,. lords reduced. It is anticipated that early in the new year some oldtime hostels on the Coast will be handed back to their owners, the tenants being unable to pay the rents.' One owner, who is paying a double-figure rent, has applied to the Court to reduce his rent to prac--tically nil, or compel the landlord to take over the stock and furniture. Another tenant is walking right out of one of the largest hotels, having lost his time and money. At the Waipawa Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, before Mr J. __ W, Boynton, S.M., two eases brought under the War Regulations were heard. Francis William Lukascheffsky was charged with publishing a statement Indicating disloyalty, to wit; “Three cheers for the Germans. They are going to win, and then the bally Britishers can look out.” Defendant was fined £SO, in default three months’ imprisonment. God Cried Albert Petrowski was charged with publishing a statement in dieating disloyalty, to wit; “Aliek, you would be a b fool to go back into camp, I don’t like anyone to go and fight against Germany.” After hearing evidence defendant was convicted and fined £25, in default two months’ imprisonment. •