LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2021, 28 August 1919, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Following the political speech of Mr W. A. Veitch, M.P., a moderate Labour party is being formed at Feilding. A farm of fifty acres in the Normanby district has beep disposed of at what is probably the record price for farm land in Taranaki, viz,, £IBO per acre, says the Stratford Post.

Now that the shipping strike in Australia is over, there are .prospects of an early resumption of the railway services in this country. Every elforl; has been made during the strike to obtain supplies from Newcastle, but now the strike is over coal should be obtained from there in large quantities. AsWellington school teacher who could not obtain a permit to travel by train, walked over the Rimutaka Hill to Masterton. The journey occupied two days. Otaki and To Hero can boast of teachers who “push-hiked” over the Paekakariki Hill t 0... Wellington and back, also on account of the railway “cut.” — Mail.

A scheme for the institution of the cinematograph in the schools has for some time been engaging the attention of the Auckland Education Board. At a recent meeting of the committee the offer of a returned soldier to supply apparatus and films was accepted for one year, provided the films were suitable. The Repatriation Board was willing to finance the venture.

Tlie new creamery on the FoxtonKoputaroa. road is rapidly nearing completion, and is • expected to be ready to receive milk next Monday morning, September Ist, The establishment o! the dreamery has resulted in arousing interest in dairying along the Fox ton road, and several settlers in that district intend becoming suppliers. The Lex - in Fairy Company appear to have every prospect of success in its latest venture. —Chronicle.

An extraordinary strike, connected with the influenza epidemic, was one which held up a British liner in the Pacific for two days. The Chinamen, who formed a large proportL on of the crew, refused to sail until the captain had shipped a coflin for every Celestial on board. Their argument was that the owners had contracted to send the bodies of any men who died on service straight back to China —and in these days of influenza'one never knows!

Large landowners must recognise that this country is destined to be one of small holdings, and they should, on fair payment for their lands, cut them up and sub-divide them, says Sir Joseph Ward in his policy statement. If the owners of land fit for closer settlement do not subdivide, effective means of compulsion can, I know, be found. Aggregation has been going on, and land is wanted for soldiers and civilians. More stringent provision against aggregation is necessary.

Charles Jenkins, u lew years ago New Zealand’s champion jockey, was recently convicted at the Supreme Court on a charge of theft, but it was decided to give him a chance to pull himself together, and an order was made that he should be sent to the Botoroa inebriates’ Home for IS months, it was found, however, that he required medical attention, and arrangements were made for his treatment at the Wellington i’ublic Hospital. Oif~Wednesday of last week he left the hospital without permission, and he was shortly afterwards arrested for drunkenness, lie is to be sent to Holoroa. C/ -

“1. would not be at all surprised,” said a local dairyman to a Levin Chronicle representative on Monday, to see good cows reach as high as £SO or £OO in the next year or two. My reason for this is that the lucrative returns promised by the ■manufacture of milk-products, such as casein,’ is going to enhance the value of cows. If the returns increase as they undoubtedly will, when the new industries commence, then the juice of dairy animals must rise in proportion.” The Chronicle’s informant stated, however, that the new order would have its drawbacks in that there would be less calf and pig-rearing, which would send bacon up to fancy prices in time to come.

Information on a Gisborne venture to sell frozen meat to the public, which only lasted six mouths, was given to an Auckland (Star reporter by a gentleman interested in the frozen meat trade, who is strongly of opinion that if frozen meat is properly defrosted it is palatable. He said that in the business in question the meat was offered at prices fixed by the Board of Trade. The public would not buy it, however, and at the end of six mouths it changed hands, the new owner going over to the sale of fresh meat. He said that the public did not care for the appearance of the meat on the hooks in the shop while it was thawing.

In the course of the eloquent speech in both English and Maori, in which he made Admiral Jellicoe and the officers and men of the New Zealand welcome, the Hon. Dr, Pomare stated: “I, too, have British blood in me. Sometimes some friends of mine say that I got it in a very perculiar way; that it was because an ancestor of mine absorbed a Presbyterian missionary. (Laughter.) But, at any rate, it is good blood.” (Applause). Both Pakeha and Maori, he said, had good cause to be proud of the blood that was in them. They had fought each other; now they had fought the enemy side by side; and they would henceforth be oneunited race. (Applause.)

It is reported, says tie Otaki Mail, that the Druid’s Hall at Shannon'is

likely to be turned into a convent. A meeting of the Foxton Harbour Board is being held at Palmerston North to-day. • The friends of ,Mr W. Gray, late of Foxton, and now connected with the Tourist Department, Wellington, will regret to learn that he is very seriously ill.

The annual general meeting of members of the Foxton Racing Club will be held in the Council Chamber at 8 o’clock to-night, not to-morrow night, as inadvertently stated in Tuesday’s issue.

The Palmerston North Borough Council has decided on a big scheme of town improvements, involving the expenditure of £175,000. The improvements comprise concrete roadways, £30,000; tar-sealed roads, £30,000; dwellings for Council employees, £10,000; sewerage, £12,000; destructor, £15,000; electrical traction, £800; concrete water-tables, £10,000; recreation ground, £5,000; and a large number of smaller improvements. These loan proposals will be submitted to ratepayers in seven sections.

Before the end of the year the Post and Telegraph Department will have overtaken the demand for telephone connections. The growth of the telephone service in New Zealand has been remarkable, in spite of the temporary cheek inflicted by the war. Since 1010 the number of direct connections to telephone exchanges has increased from 25,212 to 57,572, the number of miles of telephone wire in use ims increased from 35,233 to 105,902, and the receipts have grown from £144,298 to £273,100;

A strange bird was seen in Timaru last week. It was a bird a little bigger than a hawk, pure white in colour, with long legs, a long neck, and a long beak. As seen on a fir tree just when the sun was rising, itlookcd very pretty,.and those who saw it took it to be either a crane or a heron. After submitting to inspection for some little time, the bird fiew away, making a rapid flight. Some five or six mouths ago a white heron was seen at Balclu■tha, and it is thought that this may be the same bird.

A case was heard in the/’Melbourne Police Court the other day, in which a young woman named Dora Grey was charged with the theft of a sum of money under unusual circumstances. One Albert Hall said he was accosted by accused in Exhibition. Street, and while he engaged in conversation with her she put her arms under his coat. As soon as she went away he missed 20s from his hip pocket. He gave information to the police, which led to the woman’s arrest at midnight. On her way to the watchhouse she wa.s seized with a fit of coughing, with the result that she coughed up three single shillings and two sixpences, while in the watchhouse itself she coughed up four two-shil-ling pieces. A further sum of Ss 3d in silver was also found upon her. She was committed for trial.

During the hearing of u charge in Christchurch against a man of having stolen two bicycles—one valued at £3, and the other at £ls ’ —the prosecuting seregant said that 30 or 40 bicycles were stolen in that city per week, and not half of them were recovered. The accused had ridden the bicycle, valued at £ls, to Timaru, and had sold it for £2 10s. The other was dismantled. Although the accused was only 19 years of age he was married, but was living apart from his wife. The accused said he had stolen the cheaper bicycle at the instigation of his wife, who wanted the tyres for her own bicycle. He was convicted and placed on probation for twelve months,, and was ordered' to refund £2 10s, the money he got for the bicycle in Timaru, and £3, the price of the dismantled machine.

A gentleman who has just returned to Auckland by the Rarawa says that the motor trip from New Plymouth to Wellington is one of the most exhilirating experiences he has had for a long time. The motor left New Plymouth the day he went through with eight passengers. One got out at Wanganui, and the other seven continued the journey right through to Wellington. The chief thing that struck him was the way the car sped on and on, travelling over all kinds of steep grades and winding gorges at a rate of fully forty miles an hour. This pace was kept up for mile after mile, and hour after hour. Speaking for himself, he says that the speed is, in his opinion, just a little tod quick to absolutely ensure the public safety. If an accident should happen, the result would be very disastrous, and as there arc many level railway crossings to negotiate at sharp angles, some limit should be put on cars harrying a large number of passengers. “I am an expert driver myself,” he says, “but those drivers between New Plymouth and Wellington, although reliable men, take risks, and go at a rate which some day may lead to something serious.” The traveller also spoke of the harm' the extra traffic is doing to the roads since the railway cut was made. It is going to be a serious problem for some of the local bodies.

The esquimaux, mid realms of snow, Dwells in his dome-shaped home of ice; And though its space is small, we know For all his needs it doth suffice. But how much happier his lot, And how much better he’d endure, If he, like we, had haply got Supplies of Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure. 2(1.;

There was a fairly good muster of members at the “working bee’ on the local bowling green yesterday afternoon. The green was lightly and more seed sown*and some further work was done twdP* the rustic summerhouse. A caucus of the Parliamentary members of the New Zealand Labour party was held yesterday, Hon. J. T. Paul, M.L.C., presiding. * There was a full meeting of the party —Messrs Fraser, Holland, McCombs, Semple, and Walker, M’s.P. Mr H. E. Holland (Grey) was appointed chairman,of the party, and Mr A. Walker (Dunedin North) was appointed secretary and whip.

It is the custom for each succeed- , ing Mayor of Christchurch to add a link to the gold chain which is worn on official occasions by occupants of the Mayoralty. Three past Mayors —Mr W. Reece, Mr A. E. G. Rhodes, and the Hon. C. Louisson —have improved the chain by each giving a golden triangle, in which a diamoim is set. Now the present Mayor (Dr. H. T. J. Thacker, M.Pv), has beautified the chain still moreby adding to it a triangle in gold, in which is set a very line emelSWd, surrounded by a circle of diamonds. Mr Harold Small, in an address on New Zealand shrubs, at Shannon last week, said that it was not gen- . erally known that, though karaka, berries were commonly eaten, the kernels are poisonous. Tutu, as is commonly known, is poisonous, both % the shoots and the berries containing a deadly poison—so deadly that .01 of a drahm had killed a kitten in forty minutes, while .01 of a grain was sufficient to affect a human be-, ing in 24 hours. Carbonate of ammonia was the best antidote-for tutu poisoning, which was responsible for the death of many animals.

“The only thing I object to is the price,” remarked Mr S. G. Smith, M.P., while speaking of motor cars in the course of a speech at Tataraimaka (Taranaki). The cost to people in this country woukhbc lessened if definite steps were taken to deal with the matter, and he thought New Zealand would yet be in a position to manufacture her own cars at a cheap price that would place them within the reach of everybody. To illustrate what sometimes -'tofok place with regard to prices, Mr Smith mentioned that some years ago it was found that sewing machines costing £2 15s on importation were being sold for from £l2 to £l4,

At the Wanganui Supreme Court on Tuesday, Maurice Janies Walk-ington-Smythc was charged on eleven different counts of alleged fraud in that he did, at Kaetihi, falsely-re-present himself to various farmers to be a Government official, and that it was compulsory to purchase from him certain books. Evidence was given by the farmers concerned accused stated that he was a Government Income Tax Inspector, and that it was compulsory for farmers to purchase the books. One farmer, who refused to purchase, stated in evidence that accused said he would report the matter to his Department, The case is proceeding.