Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 1918. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1814, 16 April 1918, Page 2

Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 1918. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A number of farmers from Tiakitahuna to Himatangi motored through to the AVeraroa State Farm to-day, on a visit of inspection. The First AA’ellington Military Service Board will sit at Palmerston on Friday, Saturday and Monday next. At'the local police court yesterday, before Mr Hornblow, J.P., Rupert Honour, arrested for drunkenness on Saturday night, was convicted and lined ss. The worst piece of arterial road between AA’ellington and New Plymonth for motoring is to be found between the AA’hirokino bridge and Porotawhao, in the Horowhenua County. The County authorities aro aware of this fact, and are taking steps to put the road in order. Referring to the early rising of a candidate for municipal honours at Palmerston on Sunday night, a speaker said; “The candidate was up at ten, but considerably before that as well ‘extracting the lactcrial (?) fluid from the bovine,’ ” If that was not work, the speaker did not know what was! It has been reported in several places throughout the Dominion that master-bakers have raised the price of bread without reference to the Board of Trade. The Board now makes it clear that this was contrary to the regulation gazetted on March 19th as the standard price. The standard price could nut be raised without the consent of the Board. AVhere increases had been made without reference to theBoard the latter would take action against the offending bakers. Referring editorially to Sunday political meetings, the Palmerston Standard says; — “The Standard’s contentions have been, and will be, consistently maintained against the introduction of petty bickerings and disputiugs, party denunciations and strife on the one day in .the week which, in Divine Providence, has been set part for rest and the contemplation of less earthly things than those which the politicians handle. And in this respect we believe the good sense of the community supports the stand we have invariably taken on this unestipn/’

The tri-euuiai visitation of J’resi bytery Commissioners to the Foxton Presbyterian charge was made yesterday. The Commissioners examined the minister, session, and managers in respect to affairs in connection with the charge, and its findings will be made to the Wanganui Presbytery in due course. After the examination had .been made, the Kev. Miller (Feilding) delivered a very interesting address to the congregation on Presbyterianism, after which the ladies of the congregation entertained all present at supper.

By last night’s mail we received a, letter from a local soldier in France. He returns a clipping froip the “Manawatu Herald’ 7 which he has perused, and which contains names of Foxton boys who had embarked for the front. Underneath the soldier writes : “But, dear sir, what about ——(here follow local names of men who have not yet gone) these men?” Other letters bring the same query: “When are these Foxton slackers coming over to help us ?” It appears that the Foxton soldier boys take a keen interest in. watching out for. local recruits, and express themselves in painful and free terms against those whom they know arc still at home, and who they believe should be standing shoulder to shoulder with them in the fierce struggle.

At the nmn id pal by-election at Palmerston yesterday, Mr A. J. Graham was rerturned hy a substantial majority. Mr and Mrs G. W. Scudded* of Foxton, have received a telegram conveying the sad intelligence that, their sou, Rifleman Clive T. A: Seadden, who was recently wounded at the front, and was in the 13th General Hospital, Boulogne, had died on the 10th instant from the injuries received. The late Rifleman Seadden was only 21 years of age.

With reference to the announcement that has been made in America of the use of “dummy” ships, there is one authenticated case of a valuable convoy proceeding to tlu* Dardanelles followed by a “cruiser.” A German submarine that was in the neighbourhood allowed the convoy to pass and rserved her energies for the “cruiser.” The vessel was duly hit, and the surprise of the Germans must have been great when they saw big “guns” from the “warship” floating away from the wreck. Says the Palmerston Times: —A, well-known' resident of Russell Street, Palmerston, had a distressing home-coming one night last week. His house was in a turmoil, and furniture was thrown hither and thither. The householder and his wife had been out for the evening, and on arrival home were told by their maid that she had gone to bed early in the evening, and had been disturbed by a noise in the hall. She got out of bed to investigate, and found a man in the hall. She attacked him, and he knocked her senseless. When she regained consciousness she found that a gas. jet had been turned on and that the baby of the house was in danger of suffocation. She rescued him, and rang up a doctor. The police, have, so far, made no arrest.

The clause in the Finance Bill!, providing for the further postponement of the General Election from December, 1918, to December, 1919, was 'passed by Parliament on Saturday. The division list was as follows: —For the clause (43): Sir Jas. Allen, Messrs Anstey, Bollard, Buick, Colvin, Dickie, Dickson (2), Ell, W. H. Field, Forbes, Fraser, Guthrie, Hunan, Harris, Herries, Hornsby, Hudson, Hunter, Isitt, Lee, Luke, McCallum, Macdonald, Mander, Massey, Myers, Ngata, Nosworthy, Okcy, Pan 1 , Poland, Pomare, Reed, Russell, Scott, Smith (2), R. W. Sykes, Talbot, Thompson, Sir Joseph Ward, and Hon T. AVilford. Against the clause (19) : Messrs Anderson, Craigie, T. Field, Fletcher, Hindmarsh, Jennings, McCombs, Dr. Newman, Payne, Poole, T. Rhodes, Statham, Thacker, A 7 eit-: ch, AA T alker, AVilkinson, Witty, AA’right, Young.

On Saturday our representative inspected a patent mailer for vise on rifle ranges, that has been used

on several occasions on the local range, and has proved most satisfactory. The patentee is Mr S. J. Hartley, of Himatangi, and it is his intention to submit same to the Defence Department. The use of this machine makes the work of (ho marker in the pit much easier, and where same «is used one marker would have no difficulty in marking for two riflemen. The machine is a handy size for moving about, and hangs just below the top of the pit where it is well protected from bullets. It consists of four large iron plates, on which are painted numbers from two to five, which arc to indicate to the scorer at the mound the result of each shot, and a red plate to signify a miss. The plates work on g pulley, and gU the marker has to do after ascertaining the result of the shot is to pull a lever on which is marked the score he desires to indicate, and the number plate is propelled up above the pit, and the figure on same is of such a size that it can be seen rvithout difficulty by tho;,e aj the pfhe]- end pf fhe range. The machine is a great improvement on the old method of marking, and if should not he long before it is in general use on most ranges in Ncav Zealand. Mr Hartley intends to submit same to the Defence Department at an early date.