LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2033, 25 September 1919, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

During the course of a stirring address in the Methodist Church last Sunday morning, Staff-Captain Bladiu made an appeal for the revival of family worship. He stated that many homes to-day were nothing less than lodging houses, and stressed the need for religion deep and free within the family circle, Air Walsh informs us re the white crane, which has been seen in this locality for several weeks past, that some time ago two white cranes were seen here, and he is informed that one was shot, and in his opinion the bird now seen is waiting for its mate. He also says that a blue crane has been seen on the banks of the river in the vicinity of the Whirokino bridge. It is unnecessary for us to warn sportsmen that these birds are protected, and that a heavy fine may be inflicted upon any one destroying them.

A commencement with the woodwork in connection with the erection of the local State school will be made in the course of a few days. On and after Monday next Parliament will meet on Mondays, at ■7.30; p.m., for the transaction of business.

At a meeting, of members of Parliament it has been decided to advocate increasing the salaries of politicians to £SOO a year. Mr John Robertson has been selected as (lie official Labour candidate for (lie Hiccarton seat, at present held by Mr G. Witty. Mr Robertson was at one time the representative in Parliament of the Otaki electorate.

The number of sheets of postage and other stamps of various values printed by the Government Printing Office last year'was 1,080,208, the number of stamps 148,402,873, and the value £3,418,801 10s 4d. In addition 35,000 war loan certilicates, of a value of £701,900, were printed.

According to the return supplied to Mr Massey by the secretary of the New Zealand Coal Miners’ Association, the reduction in output of coal for the week ended September 19lh, in consequence of the ‘"go slow” policy at the mines, was 8,792 tons, making a total reduction for the. three weeks during which the “go slow” system has been in operation of 24,201 ton‘B..

A hearty invitation is ox tended to the public by the ladies of the Presbyterian Church to attend an afternoon in the Masonic Hall on Wednesday afternoon next, at 3 o’clock, nesday next, at 3 o'clock. There will ' be two stalls, cakes and sweets and produce and tlowers. Afternoon tea will be dispensed, and a .musical programme will be submitted. Admission will be by silver coin. Mr A. W. Pearsc, proprietor of the Pastoralists’ Beview, writing from London, says: “The position of meat just now here is peculiar. By July there will be enough purely British meat to feed the whole of (treat Britain for three months, and frozen meal won’t be wanted. The stores are now full of meat, and ships are arriving rapidly from all parts of-the world with more. The British Government dare not liberate meat because they have pledged the British farmer a certain price till the end of September.’' •

Our representative was shown a prolific growth of goatsrue on the opposite side of the river from Mr W. Smith’s farm at Moutoa yesterday. This noxious growth is spreading rapidly in the swamp land, and is smothering the grass land in other areas?"We were informed that it has made its appearance on some of the Moutoa land. The Manawatu County Council has refused to place it on the list of noxious weeds until the Government takes steps to era-, dicate it from Crown land higher up the river. ’Unless some action is taken immediately to eradicate the weed it will involve a considerable annual loss to settlers.

The practice. apparently In' no means rare (slates an Auckland contemporary), of writing to magistrates concernin';; cases before the Court, was referred to by Mr -I. W. Poynton, 5.. M., at the Magistrate's Court iil Auckland last week, prior to delivering judgment on an important case. He said he had received from one of the witnesses, who had given evidence in the ease, obviously 'written with - the intention of prejudicing' the Court against the other side. He said that despite warnings from many judges and magistrates, such epistles continued to reach them. “1 intend in this and in all’ subsequent eases,” he concluded, ‘‘to forward the letter to (he person attacked. This course will probably tend to stop the sending of such mischievions and unfair documents.'”-

There is still a polite'"fiction that the government of the country is directed by the Ministry and Parliament, say Mereutio. That is true to some extent, hut the labour federations seem to control nmjiy of the practical affairs. The Government hesitated to introduce a rationing of coal supplies ;the miners’ executive has put us on short commons Avithout even the courtesy of formal notice of their decision. In another sphere’Labour has constituted itself the guardian of public health, and ships arc no longer subject to the instructiou of public officials, but render unquestioning obedience to the stop-work meetings of waterside workers. It seems- a waste of,time and money for the Labour Party to conduct a.campaign to establish a majority in Parliament. On the other hand, the helpless acceptance of “go-slow” tactics by the rest of the community is a poor testimony to its courage and its intelligence. Tuesday evening next, in the Town Hall, a concert and picture entertainment* organised by Airs Freeman and her committee of the Auxiliary League of the Red Shield Club, Avill bo held in aid of the furnishing fund of the Red'Shield Club. A really first-class concert programme has been arranged, the performers including Ales dames. Bullard and Freeman, Miss Bryant and Messrs Hornblow, Head, Barr, P. and IT. Hakaria, and there will also he an item by the Maori choir. The music will be supplied by Air Ebbett’s orchestra, overture at eight o’clock sharp, A good picture has been obtained for the second half,' featuring Afadgc Evans in "The Corner Grocery.” The prices of admission are 2s and Is, plus fax. The local bowling green and eroquef lawn will be officially opened on Wednesday, October 15th,, at 2 p.m.

It is notified byadvertisement that the Royal Picture Theatre will be open for inspection by the public on Sunday afternoon. The body of an elderly man named David Spiers was found in a ■ whare on a station about sis miles from Waipawa on Tuesday. Margaret Gillick, 55, died in the Dunedin hospital yesterday while under an anaesthetic. She ■ had been operated on for internal trouble, and expired immediately after the operation.

Tiie effect of raidssmade by the Maoris on black swans in'the Waikato ■ district has resulted in a very serious combing out of these birds. In a letter to the Auckland Acclimatisation Society, Mr E. A, Frost, of Tuakau, recommended that they should he protected for at least 10 years. He slated that the Maoris killed them for their feathers and fur eating purposes.

In those days of high-priced clothing many housewives have to resort to all sorts of methods to make their wearing apparel last longer. McKenzie's “Safe Cloth Cleaner and Reviver," which is manufactured in Palmerston N., lias stood the test of limo over a quarter of a century, and is highly recommended when any cleaning or reviving is required. See testimonials on page 3 from leading tradespeople in connection with (his wonderful reviver, which is sold by all drapers, grocers and ironmongers.

The Lender of the Opposition, Sir Joseph Ward, used most emphatic language in Parliament on Tuesday over the advisability of helping 1 soldiers who had got rid of their farms to enlist, and who now Jind resumption impossible owing to the high values., He read a letter he had received from a soldier who had served three and a-half years at the front, and was the sole support'of a widowed mother and sister. llis farm, which he had sold before going to (he-front, was recently sold at £SOO or £OOO in advance of what he had received, although no improvements had been effected. IVIr Massey said he had similar letters. Sir Joseph Ward replied that (ho men had sold at too'low a figure, and if it be proved that the goodwill had been enhanced as a result of the war, he favoured assisting them too.

The following arresting paragraph appears in the Financial (Statement: The attention of honourable members lias already been called to the pressure brought to bear upon the Government to provide for an expenditure beyond the capacity of the' country to meet. I desire to repeat that warning, and further to slate (hat there was never a time when the necessity for national thrift was greater than at present. Our future obligations are particularly heavy, especially the permanent charges established against (he revenue of the Dominion as a result of (he war. Interest and sinking-fund charges and war pensions are also very heavy, and have not yet reached their maximum. The requirements for public works,-and the expenditure necessary to promote the development of education and of agricultural and industrial pursuits, must not lie lost sight of. Our-fin-ance must he established on a solid basis, for without sound finance national progress is impossible.