LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2000, 8 July 1919, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Messrs Hornblow and Kcllow have been appointed Hie local School Committee's delegates to the School Committee’s Association.

Captain Cofiln appeals for pictures for the rooms of the Young Mien’s Institute, and would also he pleased to receive magazines, etc., for the reading room. He is also prepared to buy a cheap good second-hand piano.

The Foxton-Palmerslon road, to within a few miles of Palmerston, is in a had state. The recent wet Aveafher has caused water to accumulate in pools along the road, which are soon converted into deep ruts. Owing to the railway cut, there is increased traffic on this road, and the road, despite ordinary maintenance, is worse now than it has ever boon.

The London Daily Telegraph, writing an editorial on Mr Massey’s return, says: The appointment of New Zealand as a mandatory for Samoa is merely one instance in which Mr Massey has done splendid service at the Peace Conference, whore he played (ho role everybody had expected from so staunch a patriot. The Journal hopes that if Mr Massey emerges safely from the election ho will he one of the lix’st appointed Resident Ministers in London, and able to attend the Imperial Cabinet. Cases of cerobro-spinal meningitis appear to he somewhat on the increase in New Zealand. Discussing the subject last week, the Minister of Public Health stated that in June seven cases, of which five, widely spread, were in the North Island and two in (he South Island, were reported. Five of the seven cases proved fatal. “The Health Department,” added Mr Russell, “is watching developments, and every ease is followed closely, in order to ascertain the means by which infection has been carried.”

A mysterious'' something” attacked certain animals in New Zealand at times, causing them to be almost exterminated in certain places. said Mr Edgar F. Stead, while addressing members of the Canterbury Philosophical Institute recently, says the Christchurch Sun. In many places where rabbits had thrived a few years ago there were now hardly any, and he doubted whether strong, healthy rabbits introduced to places would thrive. He considered that it would pay the Government to investigate the matter as it applied to rabbits.

'‘When lights burn low" where sweet babe sleeps, While grateful mother vigil keeps, Watching it * breathing calm and free, Her pet that yet the form shall

see — O, what relief and joy is known Where croup is foiled and overthrown ; What gratitude and blessing pure,' Evoked by Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure. _ 13

The tribunal in London to try the Kaiser would be an inteivAllied one, says Mr Lloyd George. The officers guilty of submarine outrages would be tried. They would get absolutely a fair trial. . '"

»■ A dance, organised by Messrs Robertson, Procter and Small will be held in the Masonic Hall on Friday next. The music for same will be supplied by Mr Tui Garter. Admission ladies a basket, gentlemen 2s Gd. ' •*

The Dorcas Society appeals for gifts of left-off clothing, also for garments suitable for children from three months to ten years. Gifts may be left at the Council Chamber up to 2 o’clock on Thursday afternoon.

There is a keen demand for land in Canterbury, especially by "discharged soldiers. It is estimated that there will be close upon 500 applications for certain areas in the Cheviot district, which are to be thrown open for selection shortly.

Captain Goffln will present a scheme for the initiation and maintaining of an institute for young men in Foxton and, district,'in the Council- Chambers on Thursday evening, 10th inst., at 7.30 o’clock. The Mayor (Mr J. Chrystall) will preside, and the public are heartily invited to attend.

Since the restricted railway services came into operation a daily motor service between Wanganui and Wellington has been established. The cars to Wellington pass through Foxton about 9 o’clock in the morning, and those from Wellington to Wanganui go through about 5 p.m. So far (he service appears to he well patronised.

To encourage the growing of flax in Australia, the Commonwealth Government guaranteed to purchase the 1018 crop at £5 a ton for flax of spocitied standard. Appraisers have been appointed in connection with the .proposal, and will shortly visit the (lax growing districts to inspect and value the crops. Although in some places the wet autumn interfered with sowing, a satisfactory yield is expected. The headmaster reported at lastnight’s meeting of the School Committee that the average attendance for the quarter ended June 30th was 359,-G, which is slightly below (ho grade minimum, 361. The average for (he previous quarter, however, 305.5, raises the average for the six months (0'302. Wet weather and sickness has been responsible for the fall in attendance during the past throe months.

From (lie Wairarapn Ago:—There was gathered on Mrs Rolf’s farm at Clifden, a remarkable egg that was .something of a freak. The eggs when weighed turned the seale at eight ounces, but this alone was not its outstanding feature. When broken, the shell revealed a double-yoked egg, while encased in the outer shell, and surrounded by these* double yolks, was a perfectly formed egg of ordinary size—an egg within an egg. The lien responsible for this Nature freak is still laying. A suggestion at -last night’s School Committee meeting that a chiMrcn’s hall he held in lieu of the proposed picnic at the Beach to celebrate Peace, did not find favour with committeemen. A J picnic at Ashlutrst on a later date, when the weather is wanner, was suggested. The Committee decided to attend Wednesday’s public meeting to discuss the proposed celebrations, and to endeavour to arrange a suitable children’s programme, _ A sensational experience befel a party consisting of throe men and two women, at Matan, in (he Upper M aitara. They intended crossing the river, 50 feet in width, by cage, and four being seated, 'the fifth member of the party jumped in behind, but the extra- weight was too much for (he rope, which parted before the journey was completed, precipitating all the passengers into the river 47 feet below. Fortunately there was deep water at the, spot, one man, Mr P. Balfe, succeeded in saving the two women, and (he other men, although unable to swim, managed to scramble out, all eventually reaching (he opposite side.

In his speech in the House of Commons last week on the Peace Treaty, Mr Lloyd George emphasised that no country had a greater •share in the tremendous victory of the Allies than the British Empire. He pointed out that the Empire had raised 7,700,000 soldiers and sailors (loud cheers) —and had raised war loans totalling £0,500,000,000. The casualties of the Empire forces totalled over three millions, not including sailors, of whom Moon thousand were killed. The Navy and the mercantile marine kept the sea, and without them the war would have collapsed in six months. Dur-in^liHjasj;-.ty.g^’cars of the war Bjffaiii not only "bore the heaviest bunion of the fighting in France, but the whole burden of the attack on Turkey, which had crumbled to the dust. (Cheers.) It -was a groat record, and showed what could be achieved by a great people united and inspired by a common cause, ‘■Let us rejoice,” he continued, “like men who are under no delusion that our troubles are past, and that the spirit which enabled us to overcome the enemy will also enable ns cheerfully to face the future. Let us not waste our strength prematurely in fighting each other.” * STOP THAT COUGH. Stop that cough. Cut it out entirely.' Get rid of that throat, irritation. Chamberlain’s Cough Remedy stops the cough, by loosening the phlegm and allaying the irritation. For sale everywhere.—Advt.

'A North Otago farmer struck a * gold mine in a paddock of wheat he was fortunate enough to' possess ' this season (says the Oamaru Mail). He had put in 60 acres, and from this area he reaped 80 bushels to the A' acre, his cheque for the wheat amounting., to between £1,500 and £1,600. All farmers did not reap ■ 80 bushels to the acre; but a great many obtained returns from* wheat that it would have been impossible to obtain from any other item in the many that the man on the land has to turn his attention to.

The following office-bearers in the New Zealand Labour Party were elected for the coming year:—President, Hon. J. T. Paul, M.L.C.; vicepresident, Mr P. Fraser,' M.P.: executive, Messrs R. F. Barter and W. E. Parry (Auckland), Mr D. AY. Coleman (Poverty Bay), Mr J. Meeeh (Hawke’s Bay), Mr W. Nash (Taranaki), Mrs Beck "and Mr J. Hodgens (Wellington), Messrs F. R. Cooke and J. Dennelly (Canterbury), Miss Runciman and Mr D, J. Smith (Otago), Mr IT. E. Holland, M.P. (West Coast); secretary ami. treasurer, Mr M. J. Savage; tnxST". toes, Messrs Parry and Bartram. The decision of the railway authorities not to permit racehorses to be carried on the railways during the time the restricted service is in operation has caused owners and trainers much concern. In order to get their horses to the Wellington meeting, which opened to-day, a number of trainers look-the opportunity of railing' them down before the restricted service‘came into operation, and others walked their horses through. A trainer in this district, ever, hit upon the novel idea of conveying his horses to the meeting per motor lorry, and yesterday afternoon one of these vehicles, with two racehorses aboard, was despatched from Levin to the Trcntham course. Opossums are markedly on the increase in many parts of Banks Peninsula (stales the Christchurch Sun), and settlors whose orchards have suffered from visits by the marsupials are inclined to resent the protection which the law affords ’possum. Ho seems to have quite a taste for fruit, and biles into applesas they hang on the trees, shakirtgv plenty of others down in the process. Young fruit trees are suffering from the attacks of haves and rabbits, which nibble the lower hark away. At the same lime (he opossums, to vary their diet, dine oil: the more tender twigs above. “There were more rabbits bred on the Peninsula last year than in any year previously,” was (ho opinion which one of the older hands of that part , expressed to the writer last week. Other settlers, while not going far as this, agree fhnl bunny has. increased enormously during the past twelve months, and some argue, that past,experience shows a greator increase after every big snowfall. Snow conditions, they say, seem favourable to rabbit-breeding. «

At the Taranaki School Committees Association mooting: held at Stratford recently, the practice of children from a local school being retained as pupil teachers was introduced by Mr Smith (Midhurst). He said that these probationers being known to the pupils were called by their Christian names, and did not receive the .same respect generally as would be the ease if they were in another school where they were not so well known. Even where the results were fairly good it would be better for the children and the teachers themselves if the probationers moved on for their first appointment. He moved that scholars l)c not retained as pupil teachers. Mr Rentoul, in seconding, said the idea was a very good ne. The practice of putting an ex-scholar of the school to teach the other children affected the discipline. The probationer had not the same control over the children with whom she had been brought; up in the school as another would have. An interesting discussion followed, but no action was taken.

The question of the extermination of rats has been agitating the minds of the public health and civil authorities of late, 'But if some figures which were quoted by (he Hon. G. M. Thomson, in the course of an address at the Philosophical Institute ' of Canterbury, can be taken as correct, the task of extermination would seem to be well nigh hopeless. The speaker said that rats increased at an awful pace. For instance, in 1872, one scientist concluded that the progeny of a single pair of rats might in ten years amount to no fewer than 43,319,608,833,030,333,720, A more recent computati- . on put the increase of a pair of rats in five years at 940,360,060,152. Another calculation puis the progeny of a pair of rats, if allowed to breed uninterrupted for three years at 20,155,392. Mr Thomson wrote these figures on a blackboard so that his hearers might more easily comprehend them. He said lie could not put the first-named number into woi’ds. He could not suggest a way , of producing mortality amongst the vermin to counteract the enormous • birth rate. Rats were a most for- j’-j midable enemy, and unless kept in cheek were a most disagreeable and .dangerous pest. Apart from the filth that rats brought into houses from the sewers they frequented, they were the earners of the deadly bubonic plague, of trichmosi/i (which produced what was known ’ns ineasley pork), of rat-bite fever, w' ami of an acute-form of influenza a- * ~ mong horses. The damage done by rats irrespective of their diseasecarrying powers had been estimated in Great Britain at between £lO,-. 000,000 and £15,000,000 annually. Woods' Great Peppermint Cure* for Coughs and Colds, never fails,