LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1781, 26 January 1918, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Two thousand employees of (he Post and Telegraph Department have gone to the front. The road to the local seaside is showing signs of extraordinary traffic during the past two months, and is getting very lumipy.

Economy and efficiency are having their turn in the Defence Department at last —the Ambulance are to be trained with the other recruits at Featherston, instead of Awapuni.

Private J. Ail ken, of (he Awapuni Camj), and late of the local State school teaching staff!, left on Thursday for the South to join the staff of an out-going hospital ship. Private Aitken was a popular member of the Awapuni concert party.

Some people have a very low estimate of the morality of members of the Fourth Estate. Recently an individual who was to appear before the Magistrate made us the astonishing offer „of “half a dollar” to have his name kept out of print.

The schools in the Wanganui Education District will re-open on Friday next, February Ist, after over six weeks of holidays. The day of opening has been lixed for the last day in the school week to enable work to be commenced smoothly on the following Monday. At a meeting of the Rifle Club held last night, it was decided to open the season on Saturday afternoon next, when all members arc requested to turn up at the range for practice. Several trophies have been promised for competition this year, and (he shooting for same will commence almost immediately.

A soldier who applied for leave at the sitting of the Military Service Board in Wellington stated that he was the owner of a farm. Since he had gone into camp no fewer than 52 head of cattle and 200 slieep had been lost. The Board granted the man three weeks’ leave to investigate t he mat I or.

At Oknra, ITokitik;i, on Wednesday, a settler, J. Tfeveldt, attempted to shoot a hawk with a pea-rifle. The charge failed to explode, and he then threw (he rifle at (lie bird, killing it. The eoneussion against a tree caused the charge to explode. The bullet struck ITeveldt on the left wrist, necessitating a two hundred mile ride to the nearest doctor.

The Wanganui Education Board have transferred Miss M. Bawson from the local State school to Campbell Street school (Palmerston Ns). Miss Pearl MeMurray and Miss S. Henderson have been appointed pupil teachers at the Igcal school. Miss Phyllis MeMurray, of the local school, goes jo the Training College at Wellington.

A man named Harry Brodersen sustained a broken collar-bone and received a rather severe bruising about the face through a fall from his bicycle in Avenue Bond yesterday afternoon. It appeals that Brodersen was riding a bicycle and carrying a ball of twine, and the twine became entangled in the back wheel, causing Brodersen to he thrown heavily to the ground. He received medical attention immediately, and is progressing? satisfactorily. A slight, explosion occurred in the Taumarmmi Borough generating plant, causing injuries to I lie manager, some days ago, but as (he gasometer gradually emptied next day the top fell in, and the town has now been in darkness for four nights, and some weeks may elapse before repairs can be effected. The gas used is generated from benzine. The manager’s injuries are not serious.

At the valedictory social tendered in the Rev. Father Corley last night, a little mite of three or four summers—Mollie Robson—contributed a vocal item. Perched on a ediair, with her eyes on the accompanist, she sang portions of “If You wore (he Only Girl,” and “The Broken Doll," very sweetly, and to the immense delight of the audience, who accorded her a great outburst of applause.

A great amount Of time was occupied at yesterday’s sitting of the Magistrate’s Court by the taking of evidence in the ease, New Zealand Slot Machines Co., Ltd., v, W, Hamer. This was a claim in connection with a number of slot sweets machines installed in defendant’s picture house. The defendant claimed that the machines were defective, and that practically the whole of the sweets in the machines could he obtained by the insertion of a single penny and by manipulating the er. Evidence on these lines was given by R. Ashmore, A. H. Neville, and W. Hamer jnr. The case will be decided at the Wellington Magistrate’s Court. / . *

During the past Tew days bathers at the seaside have had a splendid time in the breakers. The profit on Tuesday’s race meeting will amount to, roughly, £9OO.

The Queen of the South, from Wellington with a cargo of general, is due on Tuesday.

Several sehnapper were caught by line fishers on the river foreshore near the beacons at the seaside, on Thursday evening. The takings at the gates in connection with the Foxton Racing Club’s annual meeting on Tuesday amounted to £330 7s (id.

According,to the 1910 census, the population of the borough of Foxlon is set down at 1,772, Levin borough 1(330, Otaki town district 800. Mr John Logan Stout, of Wellington, oldest son of the Chief Justice, has been appointed Stipendiary Magistrate for South Otago. Yesterday was the one hundred and fifty-eighth anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns. It is the most honoured day in the Scots calendar.

At the local Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Mr W. G. Kenrick,' - S.M., Maud Grant, who did not appear, was fined 10s on a charge of being found drunk in a public place.

Members of the Foxton Girls’ Guild are reminded that the Guild will resume its labours in the Council Chambers on Tuesday evening next.

Owing to unforseen circumstances, the concert, to have been hehl iu the Methodist Church at the seaside on Tuesday night, has been abanclonecl.

The Dominion Private Hotel, at Gisborne, owned by Mr Lawless, and occupied by Mr Williams, was destroyed by lire. The boarders had a very narrow escape, one named Campbell sulTering severe burns, “I’m going to light like a tiger when I get back to Parliament,” said Dr. Thacker, at the Municipal Theatre at Napier, when giving an address. “Against red tape,” lie added.

Judgment for plaintiff was entered up at yesterday’s sitting of the Magistrate’s Court in the undefended ijjj’il ease, J. H. Eargher v. C. O’Regan, claim £5 Os lid, costs 23s (id.

As a result of Tuesday’s race .meeting, the coffers of the Government will benefit to the extent of £1,228 14s 3d, made up as follows: —Totalisator and privileges tax £o37'7s Bd, dividend duty £502 Os od, war tax on stakes £l2 15s Od, and amusement tax £lO 2s Id.

Counsel for defendants in the flaxmill strike cases, heard at the Palmerston Magistrate’s Court, stressed the point that two of the defendants were contractors, and its such differed from the others cited in the case. In fact, these two men were their own bosses, and could start when they liked and knock off when they liked, so long as the work was dong, They could do as they liked. “There is too much of do its we like at this mill,” said Mr 11. J. Torbitl, who appeared for the Labour Department. “That has been the cause of the whole trouble.”

At yesterday’s sitting of the Magistrote’s Court, Frank Spiers, who did not appear, was charged hy the police with refusing to quit the licensed premises of Whyte’s Hotel when ordered to do so by the licensee. Const able Woods staled that at b.dl) p.m. on the 23rd instant, Mr Freeman, licensee of Whyte’s Hotel, rang him up and staled there was a man in the house whom he had ordered out, hut who refused to quit. He went down to the hotel and found Spiers abusing Mr Freeman. In witness’ presence Mr Freeman ordered Spiers off the premises, but he .refused to leave. Witness asked him to go, and he again refused, and witness had to use force to put, him out. The Magistrate entered up a conviction, and inflicted u fine of 20s, with costs 7s. A regular talking machine made its appearance in the Magistrate’s Court: yesterday in the guise of a woman defendant for insobriety, says the Wellington Thnes. The machine had been placed in a police cell Cor safety the previous night, and (he throttle, left open, with the result that orations of a more or less instructive nature disturbed the rest of the persons who had lodging rn the same building, and who desired sleep. When the court sat at 10 o’clock, the machine was still going strongly. It talked in a loud voice in the dock. It talked in the body of the court on its way to the witness box. It talked in the box. Its voice could he heard everywhere, and as it left the building a. spasmodic “Thank you, sir,” could he heard as the wheels almost came to a stop. At the Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning the Foxton Borough Council proceeded against F. Oodinagh for driving a waggon loaded with fibre along Main Street, l*etween the junctions of Ravensworth Place and Wharf Street with Main Street, contrary to a resolution of the Foxton Borough Council made under the authority of Section 11 of the Public Works Amendment Act, MHO, and publicly, notified as provided by the aforesaid section. When the case was called on, Mr E. T. Bell, director of Whitaunui, Ltd., said that Mr Godinagh was a driver employed by the Company, and the Company wished to defend the case. As the summons had only been served the previous day, he asked for an adjournment in order to allow them to get counsel and prepare their defence. ■ The case was adjourned until February 2&id,

The Rev. Father Corley is a firm believer in the scriptural quotation that “faith without works is dead.” During his speech at the valedictory social last night, in referring to the removal of the unsightly sand hill at the presbytery, he quoted the wellworn, but nevertheless appropriate, anecdote, on this occasion with Hibernian colouring, about faith which failed to remove a vision obstructing hill. The Rev. Father Corley is pardonably proud of bis effort in transforming an unsightly sand dune into a grassy plateau. He set: aside all verba! protests and obstacles to this gigantic task, and by bis own enthusiasm and personal labour enlisted the voluntary co-opera-tion not alone of his own people and accomplished the (ask without expense to his parish. This effort alone will ever remain as a memorial to him and an inspiration to the Catholic community.