LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1817, 23 April 1918, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Levin subscribed £254 10s to the Raetihi Relief Fund. The Hawke’s Bay Herald records the death, at the age of 102 years, of Mrs Susan Barry, of Port Ahuriri. Deceased had resided in Hawke’s Bay for forty-seven years. A dance will be held in the Town Hall on Friday evening next. Good music and refreshments. Admission, gents 2s 6d, ladies 2s. Skating as usual on Thursday. The local branch of the Labour Party was well represented at la,st night’s householders’ meeting. The Party nominated four candidates, one of whom, Mr Martin, the local president,'was returned. “It amuses me to hear men asking for exemption of young fellows to make cow covers in a crisis like this. Why can’t they patch up last year’s covers and make them do?”: —Captain Walker, at the Palmerston Appeal Board. A recent casualty list contains among the wounded the name of Private D. F. Durward. Prior to going to the front, Private Durward was a member of the staff of the local branch of the Bank of New Zealand.

A peculiar accident happened at Gisborne a few days ago. When a taxi driver was cranking his car, the engine “backlired,” with the result that the starting-lever flew off and crashed through a large pane of glass in a shop-front.

A Press message reports the death at Trentluuu Military Camp of Major Ernest O. Winstone, principal dental officer at the camp, from cercbro-spinal fever. He was a, married man, 33 years of age, and was taken suddenly ill on Thursday.

Owing to the exigencies of the situation on the Western front, Mr Cooper, chairman of the Military Apepal Board, stated in Palmerston that the majority of men who had been given lime until June and July would now be called on to go into camp in May, and he wished this given every publicity in order that reservists might arrange their affairs and be ready to go into camp when called upon. . Representatives of 12 local bodies in the Manawatu district waited on Premier Massey, Sir Joseph Ward, and Sir William Fraser, last week, to ask Government assistance in the upkeep of the Manawatu Gorge road, especially in connection with the erection of the proposed new bridge, to cost £14,000, The Minister of Public Works pointed out that while they must be prepared to help themselves, the Government would afford reasonable assistance, 'especially towards the cost of the bridge. The last meeting of the old School Committee was held prior to the householders’ meeting last night. There were present: Messrs Hornblow (chairman), Betty, McMurray, Perreau, Read and Woods. Correspondence from the Board was read and referred to the incoming Committee to deal with, as was the head teacher’s report. The caretaker’s salary was passed for payment. The annual report and balancesheet to be presented to the householders’ meeting was approved, and the meeting rose.

The Maori prophet Rua, who was imprisoned some time ago, was released last week, and has returned to his former stronghold at Maungapohatu, in the Urewera country. An interesting account of the arrival of Rua is given in a letter received by the Rev. A, Doull, of Palmerston, from Miss Monfries, one of the teachers at the Maori mission. The letter states that there was great excitement when the news of Run’s release was brought along. A messenger was despatched to Maungapohatu to bear the joyful tidings, and to bring back Rua’s favourife horses to carry the prophet safely to his temple. There was quite a gathering of people at Te Umaroa, and just as service was over news came of llua’s approach, accompanied by his faithful followers from Te Whaiti. When the “great man” appeared, surrounded by his bodyguard, some riding ahead, some behind, he was greeted with great acclamation, cries of joy and welcome mingling with the “tangi” of the women who remembered and evidently sympathised with Rua in his time of tribulation. The flags had been hoisted early in the morning, and everyone seemed to be in gala dress. The people of Te Whaiti' provided Rua with a cushion of softest down, and there was also a sheet to support his back. All the people intend accompanying the prophet to ;his stronghold in a day or two’s time, and no doubt he feels a greater hero than ever.

To the toiler for bread, by necessity led, Life wends its monotonous way; While the sun cometh up and the sun goeth down , ' To measure each working day. His abiding care is to harvest a share While his powers for toil endure, And to loosen the hold of a cough or cold * With Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure.—Advt. 2

To-day is St. George’s Day. Feilding contributed £40,000 to the £9,500,000 war loan. The' Queen of the South, from Wellington with general, arrived this morning, and will sail again for Wellington to-night with hemp. The local State school children will observe Anzac Day, Thursday acxtj in,accordance with a programme drawn up by the head teacher, Mr Furric. Mrs Crow received a telegram from the Hon. Minister of Defence yesterday notifying her that her husband, Sergt. W. Crow, had been wounded and was in hospital in France. - Mr John Harvey, who has been absent in England for the past three years, returned to New Zealand by last boat, and arrived in Foxton last night. “Men’s Day” at the Patriotic Shop on Saturday was very successful, the takings amounting to £l9 17s Od. Next Saturday the shop will be in charge of Mrs Kellow and Miss Signal. After a month’s idleness, the Paparoa coal mine resumed work yesterday. The dispute over the dismissal of the man Woan has been settled. Woan is to be reinstated at work outside the mine. It is hoped there will be a large attendance of the public at the United Service to be held at 3 p.ra. on Thursday next, Anzac Day, in the Town Hall. Special service sheets will be distributed to those attending. Four girl telephone messengers commenced duty at the Palmerston Post Office yesterday morning, it.being found impossible to secure the necessary number of boys. The girl messenger is already in evidence in several of the large offices, and have been found to be quite a success. We are asked to request all ladies willing to assist in entertaining returned soldiers and their friends at afternoon tea in the Town Hall supper-room on Thursday next, to meet in the Council Chambers at 2.30 o’clock to-morrow afternoon. Publicans who refuse to supply meals to travellers commit a breach of the Licensing Act, and are liable to have their license endorsed. For failing to supply meals to a traveller, the proprietor of the Ruihvay Hotel, Otaki, was on Friday lined £3 and costs, and warned if he was again charged with a similar offence his license would be endorsed. , '

By direction of Archbishop Redwood, An/.ac Day will be observed in all the Churches of the arch-diocese of Wellington by a Solemn Requiem Mass for the souls of the fallen soldiers. The three days previous will be set apart for prayer and special services for the spiritual and temporal welfare of the soldiers on active service.

At yesterday’s meeting of the, Palmerston branch of the Farmers’ Union, it was decided to forward the; following remit to the annual .conference : —“Main roads.—That the Government impose on racing clubs a tax of 1 per cent, on the totalisator returns to pay for the repair of roads damaged by extraordinary traffis to race meetings.” There have been a number of complaints locally of late of bicy-, clcs being stolen, «Iu one or two instances the missing machines have been afterwards found thrown in the lupins several miles away, but in others no trace has been found. Bicycle thieving is rather difficult to detect, but it is hoped that one of the culprits will be caught and an example made of him. At the Otaki Police Court on Friday, Hector McDonald, a returned soldier, was charged with using obscene language in a public place, and within the hearing of passersby, and with violently resisting Constable Satherley in the execution of his duty. Accused was lined £lO on the first charge, and £2 on the second. Alex. Jenkins, charged with assaulting Constable Satherley while in the execution of his duty, was fined £ls or three months’.

Australian files to hand report that of three aboriginal blacks charged with having murdered the Rev. Robt. Hall (formerly of Dunsandle, Southland), superintendent of the Mornington Island mission station, on October 18th last, one pleaded guilty to murder and another was found guilty as an accessory, death sentence 'being passed on both. The judge undertook, however, to remit to the authorities the jury’s recommendation for clemency in the case of the second black, who had handed to the murd- , erer the tomahawk for the deed. In his report to the local School Committee, the head' teacher, Mr Furrie, referring to swimming baths, says: “I note with pleasure that the Borough Council contemplates the, erection of a swimming bath in the town, but regret that the intention is to place it beyond, reach of the school as a school. With a swimming bath in.close proximity to the school, or in the school grounds, providing water is I would be delighted to place swimming, Ufe-saving and resuscitation on the curriculum of the school, but with the baths at a distance the time necessary would be a factor to be seriously considered. I hope the Committee will discuss this matter iii its relationship to’ the school, and any information I can give with reference to the matter will be a pleasure. I might add that money raised for school baths will carry a £, for £ subsidy from the Department, and capitation of 2s 6d per head willbe paid for a given number of les-. sons to scholars,”

Reservists of Class B, Second Division, drawn in the ballot last week, will receive their notices within the next day or two. The Gazette containing the complete list of men drawn is to be issued on Thursday. The dates for the medical examinations will be arranged during the next few weeks.