LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2048, 30 October 1919, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A sharp earthquake was experienced at 6.40 this morning.

A correspondent wishes to know when (lie Borough- Couneil intends to again light the street lamps. The engagement is announced of Miss Emily Shaib (Peggy), third daughter of Mrs A. Shail), .of-Wel-lington, To Mr fs. Mat tar, of Fox Ton. A special meeting of (he Borough Council Avill be held at 7.30 this evening, to discuss the Bound Bush and general. As from to-day the hours of the local telephone exchange have, been extended, and the exchange is now open from 7 a.in. to 11 p.m. The system of the single ring has also been installed, and subscribers will not now be required to ring again after the connection has been asked for.

Mr 3. Kobertson (ex-Labour M.P. for Olaki), who is contesting the Kicearlon seal in the Labour Party's interests, opened his campaign on Tuesday night. A vote of thanks and confidence in Mr Jlobertson was moved, also an amendment that the meeting thanks Mr Kobertson for his address, but has every conlidence in its present: member. The chairman declared tlie motion carried by an overwhelming majority. The bar at the present time is belter than it has been for several years, but one or two sand banks in (lie river are a source of trouble to shipping. No doubt as soon as the Harbour Board’s dredge, recently purchased frolu the Patea Board, and which is al present being dismantled preparatory to being removed to Foxton, is got to work, these banks will be removed, and there will be a good depth of water right from the sea to the wharf.

At Hie Collingwoml Magistrate's Court, Mr J. S. 10v;i S.M.. enterod convictions against: members of Hie North Cape Miners’ Union, who wore charged will) being parliys to a strike. The Magistrate said the men struck at a time of coal shortage, for something, they ' knew to be wrong. Twenty defendants were each lined £5 and costs. Six others are to be prosecuted later on. A man who'refused to return to work, and who was (he cause of the strike, was liped £5 for having broken a (danse of the agreement.

The following motion was carried at a public meeting held at Olaki Unis week ;—“That this-meeting reaffirms the resolution passed at a previous public meeting, to the effect that a peace memorial be erected in Olaki, to lake the form of municipal buildings, at a cost ot, approximately £5,090," Three donations of £250 have been promised, audit is hoped to obtain throe other donations of a like sum, and to secure ten donations of £IOO each, 12 of £SO, 50 of £2O, and 90 of £lO. This would provide the whole amount required.

During the hearing of a ease at the Wellington Supreme Court on Tuesday, mention was made of the fact that the. Government valuation of 96 acres of land in Taranaki was £4,140, whereas the land was valued by an agent at £7,000. 'When his Honour the Chief Justice.(Sir Robert Stout) expressed some surprise at the-difference of over £3,000 in the Valuations of the land, or about £3O per acre, Mr T. Young, solicitor, remarked: “I think your'Honour is quite accustomed to differences in the valuations of land.” - Mr Evans, another solicitor appearing in the case, in reply to.a question from the Bench, said:.“The Government valuation is notoriously low' in most cases.’ 1 , -> / A little girl named Sylvia. Hobbs, aged about 11 or 32 years, a pupil of t\e local State school, met with a serious accident during the luncheon hour at the school grounds bn Tuesday. It appears that she'was looking through the new school building, and ojl stopping on to the end of a board, it tipped'up, and she fell a distance of nine or ton feet, striking, her forehead and causing a fracture of the skull. She was removed .to the home of her parents, where Iter injuries reeeived medical attention. The extent of the injuries arc wot yet ascertained. We are informed’ that the children have been warned not to play in the building. >,

The friends of Mrs. Rout senr. will regret to learn that she is seriously ill. On Saturday, All Saints’ Day, there will be a celebration of the Holy Communion in All Saints’ Church. ■ Mr 8. Read, owing to health reasons, has had to give up his business as a painter, and lips taken up a position' in one of the New’ Plymouth picture theatres. ■ The death occurred last week of one of Wellington’s oldest pioneers, namely Mr John Cailey, of Makftra, in his , 88th year, who.arrived in Wellington with his parents in the year 1840. . The richness of the Otaki land is amply shown by the fact that Chinese market gardeners are paying as high as £l4 per acre per annum for rent, while £lO per acre is commonly paid. Despite paying such prices, the Celestials appeal; to be doing splendid business.

At an inquest at Palmerston North on Tuesday ,on Mrs She]) Dixon, who was found dead on a bed on Friday night, the evidence showed that deceased, had been worrying a great deal owing to a disagreement with a sister. The inquest was adjourned pending a report from the Government Analyst.

Now that extra telephone hours arc iii operation at the local bureau, we would like to pay a tribute to the lads in charge of the local exchange. At times subscribers blamed them for delays, over which the boys under the old system were not responsible, but at all limes they carried out their duties satisfactorily and courteously.

Farmers do nut, as a rule, believe in wasting' anything —not even time. Fceenlly a young dairy farmer near Opunake decoded to marry. On (lie wedding day lie milked (lie cows as usual, motored a distance of" 3(i miles and said “1 will,” and returned home by motor with Ids bride in time for the evening’s milking. Obliging neighbours, however, packed him off on a honeymoon. —Opunake Times. . At the Magistrate’s Court at: Masterton on Tuesday, James Groves was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment on a charge.of being a rogue and vagabond, in that he endeavoured to impose, upon the Wairarapa Patriotic Association, by falsely representing that be was a soldier, with a, view t<> obtaining money or oilier benefit. Groves was also charged with falsely wearing a uniform, and was lined -10 s.

A lire broke out on the Afouloa swam)) on Tuesday evening, hot ween (i and 7 o’clock, in the block.of flax being milled by Messrs A. King and Co. As soon as the outbreak was noticed all the men available immediately commenced work in an effort to slop the spread of the lire, and after a very strenuous time extending until Iho early hours 01. the morning, the outbreak was got under. Altogether the lire swept about 30 acres, practically all of which had been recently cut over, verv little nullable leaf heing'hurnl.

A great deal was often heard about non-efficient mothers, said Dr. Ada Paterson, Medical Inspector of Schools, at the meeting of the Society for the .Protection of \\ omen and Children, at Wellington this week, but much credit should be given to many hard-working mothers for the way I hey looked after their children. One could see their care and attention in many ways, and that it was not light work was often obvious in the neatly-patched garments the little.ones wore to school.' These were hard times for many mothers.

There is a great .shortage of labour for all classes of employment associated with building, staled a prominent builder in Wellington the other day. ‘‘Many essential industries are seriously handicapped just now, and there docs not appear to bo any silver lining to (he cloud,” he said. “In some instances, I believe, carpenters are dispensing'with the contractors) and are entering into open competition with them. In small an'd not intricate jobs some are working on the co-operative principle, and with the high prices ruling for labour, are apparently doing satisfactorily.”

Parents on tlie lookout for careers for their sons must find the newspaper columns interesting reading just now (says an exchange). An outstanding feature is that many of the “brainy” jobs seem to have been hopelessly outdistanced in the general movement for higher wages. Thus you find that, although.a fish frier is offered £5 a week (an occupation, (100, that suggests long intervals for rest, with possibly some free fish meals) clerks are still, in demand at 355, while the sum of £2 10s is offered for an experienced cashier. Which sets us wondering why some of the out-of-work or poorly-paid clerks do not take off their cuffs and learn how to fry fish.