LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2051, 6 November 1919, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Guy Fawkes Day was celebrated by (lie local juveniles last night by the lot ting’off of fireworks.

The recent rains were much appreciated by local > householders, whose lank supplies have been replenished. His Worship the Mayor (Mr John Chryslall) has been elected treasurer, and Mr Horublow secretary, of the Soldiers’ Memorial Fund.

A reminder is given to the ladies helping with the welcome to returned soldiers of the final meeting to be held in the Borough Council Chambers to-morrow afternoon, at 3 o’clock.

A southern paper, advertising sartorial attractions for grand national week, has amongst its star items; “Sample fur coat in rabbit-skin, 23 guineas.'’ How has the humble become exalted from pest to profiteer! , A meeting of Hie Soldiers’ Memorial Fund Committee was held in the Council Chamber ' last night, the Ma yor presiding, when the method of raising funds was discussed. A list of probable donors was made up, and those are to be circularised. The Te Koas, or Digger Entertainers, gave a performance in the Jjown Hall to a moderate audience on Tuesday night. The stormy night no doubt interfered with the attendance. The performance, as a whole, was much appreciated.

The whole of the diamond interests owned by German companies in the South-AVesl Protectorate have been acquired by the Anglo-Ameri-can Corporation of Johannesburg. The transaction is one of the biggest financial deals in the. history of South Africa.

Any relurned'-Soldiers in this district who have not received an invitation to the public welcome to be held next Tuesday evening arc requested to communicate with the secretary of the local Patriotic Society. The Society also wishes it to be known that all returned soldiers who joined up with the Forces after residence in the district are entitled to a mufti grant of two guineas, and any who have not received s:\me should advise the secretary at once. A motorist at Blenheim was penalised to the extent of £ls Ds (id last week on charges of jailing to stop his car when an accident took place, driving at a greater speed than lo miles an hour, and driving on a public thoroughfare in a manner dangerous to the safety of the public. The deiendantH car collided with a cyclist, and instead of waiting to see if he could render assistance, he drove on. Mr P. C. Holiings, S.M., who heard the case, said it was the duty of every motorist to stop when an accident had taken place, in the interests of humanity. It might be necessary to convey an injured person to the hospital or to go for a doctor.

“It makes me think whether the Government is sincere in all it says about acquiring land for the soldiers,” stated Mr A. L. Monteitli, speaking at Hataitai, when he gave particulars of an apparent bargain in hind which was missed by the Government. Not long ago, he said, the Woods estate, not a mile away from Shannon, was offered to the Government at £35 per acre —some of the very best in the Dominion. The flight Hon. Mr .Massey and the Hon. Mr Guthrie inspected the. land thoroughly, but alter their return to 'Wellington a letter announced that the Government could not see its way to accept the offer. The lapd was at once put under the hammer, having been cut up in sections each from 35 to 50 acres, ft sold at an average price of £sl 10s per acre, the-highest price obtained being £7O per acre, .A- suggestion was made at Tuesday’s public meeting that the old cemetery should be selected as the site for the memorial to the fallen soldiers. During the discussion Mr Jenks said the old cemetery At one time extended across the road. The ground was (he burial place fop Europeans as well as Maoris, The, ground was vested in trustees; since deceased, including Ihakara, the Maori ehipf, Captain Robinson, Rev. das. Duncan, and Mr G. Nye. When the borough was formed the trustees asked that the local authority take over the control. This would be found in the Council’s records. He said the back .portion of the cemetery was private property. Mr Jenks said he had no doubt but that the Council had a perfect right to assume control of the cemetery. The ills of life are infinite, But few unbroken health enjoy, Strive as we may to keep it right, Some stress the balance doth destroy. In winter this" is ever so, Gf sore throat, cough, or cold we’re sure, ’Tis then we know the debt we owe To Welcome Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure,

The s.s. Kennedy, hemp laden, sailed €or Wellington this morning. She is due back on Monday with general.

Donations for the Foxton memorial to the local and district soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice, will be received by the Mayor, or the secretary, Mr Hornblow. A public welcome to returned soldiers will be given in the Town Hall on Tuesday next. There will be dancing, musical items, and progressive eufihro. Each returned soldier is invited taring a friend free. Admission to general public, 2s (id.

Among the civil eases set down for hearing at the present sittings of the Wellington Supreme Court is: Percy Sherratt v. the Colonial Farmers' Co-operative Trading Co., Lid., possession of title deeds and declaration.

Bunny rabbit catching is apparently very remunerative. A Wellington resident has received word from his brother in Central Otago that the rabbit induslry is fairly on the boom in that locality. He says; “Rabbits have gone up to an extraordinary price this year —something like £lO per 100, and the boys have made very big cheques. People are fulling over one another to get blocks for next season, as they are expecting prices to continue. The biggest return I have heard of yet is two 'chaps cleared .£1,500 each for the season, and one man made £OO for one week." -

A lit lie girl of t en'years, who was subpoenaed as a witness in a ease at the Police Court, Auckland, was examined by the magistrate to find out if she understood the value of an oath, or the necessity for telling dim truth. “Can you tell me,” his Worship asked her,’ “what happens to little girls that don’t (ell the •truth?” “They get a hiding,” was the prompt rospon-e, and the magistrate was. quite satisfied that the witness had a good working knowledge of the value of truth, telling, even though she did not enter into the abstractions on the subject that are’taught in the Sunday school.

The value of ensilage for periods of shortage of other feed was well demonstrated lately in the case of Mr Meuli, of Okiawa, Taranaki. Last summer he silaged 20 acres of young* grass and clover, making, a stack 35ft. by 10ft. by 10ft., which, calculated at 401 b, to the cubic foot, gives 330 tons. Mr Meuli fed 130 dairy cows on this ensilage from Ist July to 2nd September, during which period they had very little other feed. The cattle came into profit in very good condition, On the feeding given the feeding works out at about 301 b. of ensilage per cow per day.

In the schools section at the Palmerston North A. and. P. Show the following Foxtou pupils were successful: —Drawing from natural object: Three leaves (oak, laurel, ivy), St. 111.,, Harry Huff (merit card), Ron. Reader (certificate) ; rose, with five leaflets, St.- IV,: Alton Francis (merit card), G. Tver, Lucy Thompson (•certificates); spray of three or four ivy leaves, St. V.; Dulcio Stall (merit card); spray of native tree or shrub’, St. VI.; V. Daniell (merit card). Drawing from fashioned object: St, 11., football, Isabel Sexton (special mention); side view of pipe with curved stem, St. III.: W. Staff, R. Reader (merit cards).; side view of boy’s boot: F. Yertongen (merit card). Lettering in pencil and pen, St. Yl.: Kere Hirini, (merit card). Merit cards carry prizes of 2s Od each.

Statistics dealing with the mortality rate in New Zealand during the influenza epidemic of last year find a prominent.place in the Health Departmen’s annual report, which has just been issued. For the week ended October 7th, the first week of the epidemic,, the deaths numbered three. The number'steadily increased, until in the fifth week it was 72. Then it jumped to 423 in the sixth week, while for the following week it had increased to 1,442. The largest number of deaths in ' one week was during the eighth (November 25th), when 1,8(50 fatalities occurred. From this, out the number decreased as rapidly as it had increased, dropping to 1,045 for the ninth week, then to 354, 151, (50, and finally to 21 on the 13th week.' The total number of deaths for the Dominion'was 5,471.

It was easy Ip talk, said Sir James Allen on Tuesday, of increasing taxation to' provide necessary funds, but did members realise how much taxation bad increased during the last live years? In 1914 the land tax had amounted to £700,000, while in 1919 £1,512,000, twice as much, had been realised. Similarly, income tax before the war broke out had realised £554,000, and had increased in 1919 to £6,219,000. Considering the matter froxn the point of view of percentages, Sir James said that in ,1914 income tax represented 9.37 per cent. of the total taxation, whereas in 1919 it had represented 45.80 per cent. Ho asked members to realise wjjat that increase meant, and to. think of the responsibilities of the future Finance Minister. He appealed to the Labour representatives to tell the workers that the only way for the country to succeed and secure the necessary revenue was to increase production, and that the policy adopted of late—he did not know whether it was on the advice of members of the House —was ruinous to themselves and to the country, and would never enable the Government to secure the taxation k should. • A sure and pleasant specific for removing worms is WADE’S WORM FIGS. Price 1/6.

In 1913 the total consumption Of dye-stuffs in the United Kingdom was about 45,000,0001 b., of which Germany supplied 38,000,000. The ' L production at the preent time has almost reversed the pre-war figures, - the total home output being rather more than 30,000,00011), In addition, the firms engaged now manufacture all the oleum and other aeftls essential to the processes.