GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2051, 6 November 1919, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

An extraordinary outrage is reported from Llanelly. Over one hundred pet rabbits wore killed in their hutches during'the night. No one has been identified- with the crime, which is obviously the work of n lunatic.

Great progress is being made with Ihe re-lmilding of the devastated areas in Sackville Street, Dublin, des I roved in the riots, ivhieh, when it is finished, ivill he one of (he noblest thoroughfares in Europe. Several magnificent buildings are nearing completion. British Ministers of the Crown, Mr Bonar Law informed Colonel Guinness, in the House of Commons, had decided to give up at once the use of motor cars hitherto allotted to them. The Government, had further decided that no cars should be ■personally allotted to anyone. The sheep returns which were presented to Parliament on .Friday last show that the number of sheep in the Dominion on April 30th was 25,828,551, a decrease of 700,748 in the previous year. The total for the North Island was 1-1,211,0!-!, and for the South Island 11,fill),(HO. The number of sheep owners was 2-1,005. The counties containing the largest number of sheep were; Southland 1,225,300, Hawke’s Bay 1,108.253, Ashburton 1,021,348, Cook 1,012,504. The sheep were distributed over the dislrie-ls as follows: Auckland 1,800,008, Napier ami Gisborne 0,-185,280, Wellington and West Coast 5,005,000, Marlborough, Nelson and Westland 1,385,870, Canterbury ami _ Kaikoura 5,-137,001, 01 ago 4,702,770.

Parental objection to marriage is not the linal decision, accordin''' to the remarks of the Chief Justice (Sir Robert Stout) in dealing with a, couple at Wellington who had infringed the law by making false declarations to the Registrar of Marriages. His Honour said there was a Court of Appeal, and the Judge who could allow a marriage even if the parents objected, provided that in his opinion the objections were not just and reasonable, “in many eases,” said the Judge, “I have allowed the marriage, if there was no real ground for the objection/' His Honour, however, disapproved of young people taking the matter entirely into their own hands without consulting their parents at all. It was quite possible there were very sound grounds of con duet and character for the attitude taken up by parents. In any case, young people who wished to go further had always the recourse he had mentioned. The difficulties to be faced by soldiers starling on the land have been realised by residents of a Hawke s Bay district in which there is a soldier settlement, and quite recently' they assisted the returned men in a i practical manner. Fencing-wire and second-hand farm implements wore advertised for, and on an appointed day some fifty residents went out to give the hoys a helping, hand. Much good wo/’k was accomplished, notably in the fencing of many acres of laud, and, in addition’ to being greatly appreciated by the soldier fanners, the outing was enjoyed by ad who participated. Ladies also aided in the demonstration, and provided food during the daV Another feature of the undertaking was the manufacture of a number of milking buckets from kerosene tins. A lady resident of Wellington, who did war service abroad, has just returned from Hawke’s Bay, and speaks in high praise of the practical assistance rendered to the soldiers. In such a manner, she suggests, other soldiers throughout the,. Dominion might be encouraged in their farming operations.