LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1787, 9 February 1918, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Sheep-dipping operations arc now in progress throughout the Wairarapa. Special services will he conducted in the Salvation Army Hall to-mor-row by Commandant Sanson, of Wellington.

The Truant Ollicer had an innings at the Kimholton Court on Thursday. One defendant, who pleaded guilty to eleven charges respecting three children, was mulcted in fines amounting to £5 14s.

As a temporary measure to relieve the overcrowding at Campbell Street School, Palmerston, the Wanganui Education Board lias erected a large marquee in the school grounds, which has been purchased for the purpose. An interesting story is circulated as having its origin in Hokitika (says the Grey River Argus), A secondhand dealer the other day disposed of a mattress for ss. The purchaser, on beating and cleaning the article, noticed a lump in it, and on investigation came across £75 in notes. .

-Mr Win. Beck, a resident of Palmerstpn for 35 years, passed away in that town on Wednesday night. He was a native of Victoria, was in the aerated water business in Welinglon and Palmerston, and married a sister of Mr Shep. Dixon. Mr Beck was an ex-President of the Palmerston Bowling Club. /

Mr Byron Brown has been elected a member of the Otaki Town Board. He defeated Mr Williams in the recent election by 134 votes to C 3.

The war is showing that the eating of meat in liberal quantities is conducive to good health. Dr, Woods Hutchinson points out that although the men in the army have been revelling in meat three times a day, with abundance of sugar, sweets, jams, tea and colfee, yet gout is unknown and rheumatism rare.

The dates for the mobilisation of reinforcement drafts during • 1918 have been fixed as follows: —March 4th to 9th, April 2nd to (ith, April 30th to May 4th, May 28th to June Ist, June 25th to 29th, July 23rd to 27th, August 20th to 24th, September 17th to 21st, October 15th to 19th, November 12th to 10th, December 10th to 14th.

“Following the precedent set by this Court in motor car cases, defendant will be fined £5, -with 35s costs, or, in default, 14 days’ imprisonment,” said Mr J. Pipez*, J.P., at the Petone Court, when David Kilminster was convicted of driving a motor car on the wrong side of the road, to the danger of the public.

In acknowledging a resolution handed to the Palmerston Standard for publication from the local branch of the Democratic party, protesting against the appointment of Mr Herdman to a seat on the Supreme Court Bench, our contemporary says: “Its wording is far too strong for our columns. It should have been sent to the official organ of the Bolshevik Party.”

A special meeting of members of the local Borough Band Avas held on Thursday evening, Avhen the appointment of Mr John Golder as bandmaster Avas confirmed. The question of providing uniforms avus brought up, and after some discussion it was decided to hold the matter over until after the end of the financial year (March Jlst). The neAV bandmaster, Mr Golder, was congratulated on the headway made since his appointment, six ucav players having joined during the past six weeks.

At the meeting of the Levin Borough Council this Aveek, Cr. McKenzie brought up the question of the Government’s refusal to purchase the Healherlea Estate for closer settlement. In reply to Cr Lancaster, the Mayor (Cr Blenkhorn) said that the Land Purchase Board considered the land unsuitable for (.'loser settlement. Cr Lancaster: Well, it’s time avc had a neAV Land Purchase Board. lam sure there is no more suitable laud in New Zealand for ('loser settlement than the Iloathcrlea Estate. (Hear, hear).

The war has completely isolated the .Falkland Islands from the rest of the world, as far as commercial intercourse is concerned, in spite of the fact that the islands are the naval base of the British fleet for the youth Atlantic and South Pacific. Since March 10th, 1017, up till the beginning of .November not a single ship stopped at the FalkJands on its journey to England. The British Government has bought all tide wool of the Falklanders, giving the owners 55 per cent, above pre-war prices. Some of the wool realised 2s Gd a lb. Flour has risen to 50s a sack and bread is selling at Is a loaf weighing less than four pounds. Sugar is selling at eightpence a pound. The islands have become so overrun with rats that the Government has ottered a penny a head for all those killed.

A visit to a troopship bringing back men from the lighting lines is always interesting, says the Dost. In a recent case it was somewhat out of the ordinary. They were all Mounted Infantry, wounded or invalided, straight from Egypt and Palestine. “What’s (he desert like?” a trooper was asked. “Don’t talk about it,” was the reply. “.Nothing but sand, sand, sand. I’ve brought back enough desert in my inside to start a new colony.” “Thirst !”*said another. “You don’t know what thirst is till you experience the desert. Theiq. when your tongue is getting black, and you can scarcely talk, you come to a well. The Water stinks, but. you’re mighty glad of it. 1 thought I knew what it was to be dry in New Zealand country, but the desert ! Then you come to a well of pure water. A bucketful goes down before you know anything about it. Then you start having a drink.” “It was hard going,” said another. He was with the Camel Corps, but the experience was one of perpetual motion. Day in, day out, they were after the Turk, scarcely a moment for rest, journey succeeding journey with awful monotony —and then the clinch.” “Yes,” he added, “the Turk is alright as a fighter in the trenches, but not much good in the open. He is well armed, but very ragged in respect of equipment.” One thing that Strikes a visitor to a returned troopship is the lirmlyknit bond of comradeship between the nurses and the men. The feeling is so apparent that it needs no further expression. There is another feature about a troopship Carrying returned soldiers, and that is the .spirit of self-help that is abroad, as witnessed in the way in, which apparently hopeless cripples get up and down stairs and into and out of hunks; the way in- which weaknesses are cast aside at the earliest possible moment; and the matter of fact acceptance of physical disabilities. Wanted: Housewives to realise that it pays to purchase groceries and household requisites at Walker and Fume’s,

Miss Rene Barber, daughter of Mr and Mrs W. E. Barber, underwent an operation for appendicitis in a Palmerston private hospital on Thursday night. She is progressing favourably. Master, J. S, Hornblow, of the Palmerston High School (and expupil of the local State school), obtained a partial pass in the recent university matriculation examinations. According to West Coast reports, miners’ unions in the Grey electorate intend to make a further effort to secure the exemption of Mr P. C. •Webb, M.P., from military service. Under present arrangements Mr Webb is due to go into camp in March, In the Royal Hall to-morrow (Sunday) evening, at 8 o’clock, Mr W. E. Parry, member of the Executive of the New Zealand Labour Party, and "Maoriland Worker” representative, will deliver an address on "Labour’s First Plank.” Ladies are especially invited to lie present. Mrs A. H. Knowles, of Featherston, and daughter of Mr and Mrs A. S. Easton, of Foxton, underwent a very serious operation at Palmerston on Sunday last. Her many friends will he pleased to learn that the operation was perfectly successful, and tiie patient is now moving slowly towards recovery. A police lock-up is one of the last places where one would expect to collect ■money for patriotic purposes, but the Manawatu Daily 'Times says that the sum of £2 9s 2d has been banded to the Patriotic Society by the police, being sundry offerings from persons who have been their guests at the local lock-up. The Minis!or of Customs (Hon. Arthur M. Myers) slated yesterday that the total amounts of Customs duly and excise beer duty respectively collected in New Zealand during 191.4 and 101.7 were as under: —101-1: Customs duly, £3,362,00(1; excise beer duty, £120,452. 1017: Customs duty, £3,382,31(1; excise duly, £210,503,

There is every indication of a light calendar for the sitting of the Supremo Court at Palmerston North, commencing on Monday, lßth inst. So far there are only four cases down for trial, namely!, alleged attempted murder, alleged manslaughter, alleged theft” from the person, and alleged false pretences.

The Dominion imports for the year ended 31st December last are valued at £20,742,130, as against £28,035,403 (exclusive of specie in each case). There is not a reduction in the cash value ot imports by nearly £5,000,000, but a far greater reduction in volume, because of the greatly incr ,, ased costs of so many lines imported during 1917, as compared with their costs in 1916.

“Washing a dog in a water trough is just about the best way to carry hydatids to horses I know,” said Mr J. O'Shea (City Solicitor), at the Wellington Magistrate’s Court yesterday, when Isaac Dill was charged with polluting a water trough. Defendant said he had often seen dogs jumping in and out of troughs, and had no idea he was doing wrong;. Mr S. E. M’Carthy, S.M., recorded a conviction, and discharged 1 ho defendant.

To demons!rate to our representative yesterday the depth of the swamp in (lie flax area on the Riverdale oslate, the swamp manager put. down i a (lax stick to a depth of about eight feet without touching butlom. Alien the stick was pulled out, the water could he hoard gurgling into the hole. Air White, the manager, informed us that a few years ago a false step from nigger head footholds in the swamp meant sinking out of sight.

A proclaim)lion ordering the enrolment of (he First Division of the Native Expeditionary Force Reserve has been issued. This will bring to a head a difficulty that has

arisen owing to the unwillingness of the Waikato tribes to provide their quota of recruits for the Alaori section of the Expeditionary Force. A ballot will be taken about: the end of this month, and it seems probable, in the light ot information that has been received, that the young Alaoris who have neglected to volunteer will fall into line with as little friction its their pakeha brothers did under diffierent conditions. Cons!aide A’oods has been appointed to enroll local Natives,

Our repre-wn'ative inspected and crossed the suspension bridge which spans the Manawalu River on the Riverdale Estate yesterday. The span is 4(ili feet in length, and is supported by 1U steel cables, each cable tested u> stand a strain of HO tons. The .cables are supported by four concrete pillars, two on cither side of the river, 50 feet high. The bridge will take a load of eight lons. The cables are anchored to massive concrete foundations. The cost of the structure was £3,000, and was erected by the Tane Hemp Co., Ltd. The bridge was constructed to facilitate haulage to and from the mill. It is unfortunate that just as the bridge is finished nature has decreed that the flax must die —at least, this present crop. UNNECESSARY EXPENSE. Acute attacks of colic, diarrhoea, and dysentery come on without warning, and prompt relief must be obtained. It is nut-necessary to incur the expense of a physician’s services in such cases if Chamberlain’s Colic and Diarrhoea Remedy is at hand. A dose of this remedy will relieve the pain before the doctor could arrive. Fur sale everywhere. r-vWvt. .

When asked by bis Honour in the Supreme Court”on Thursday what happened to people when they told "stories —lies,” a little girl answered : "They get punished.” His Honour said: "That is good enough,” and the usual oath was not administered. The child, who was only twelve years old, seemed overawed by her unaccustomed surrdundings, and commenced to cry, whereupon Mr Justice Hosking took a fatherly interest in the diminutive witness. He asked such simple questions as: "Do you go to school?” and then invited, her to come and stand alongside him on the Bench. In her elevated position, from which she was able to survey the whole Court instead of the Court being able to survey her, the girl’s confidence was restored. At the suggestion of the Crown Prosecutor, his Honour conducted the examination, and under this arrangement the child told her story, which was not a pleasant one, unhesitatingly.