LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2071, 23 December 1919, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The “Herald” will not be published on Thursday or Saturday next.

There was a fall of snow on the Tararua ranges on Sunday.

We desire to acknowledge, and to reciprocate, Christmas greetings from Mr Pat. Skellen.

A service will be held in the local Methodist Church on Christmas night, at 7.30 o'clock. The service will be appropriate to the occasion.

In the official count for the Dunedin South Seat the following result is given : —Sidey 4,381, Paul 4,304; informal 125.

The services at All Saints’ Church on Sunday will be: —8 a.m. Holy Communion, 11 a.m. Matins, 7 p.m. Evensong with Carols.

An envelope containing the discharge of No. 10/2151 Pie. Thomas Geange, M.M., Wellington Infantry, found on the Sandon Road to-day, awaits the owner at this office.

Sir William Eraser, Minister of Public Works, has been appointed to the Legislative Council. He will retain his portfolios as a Minister for some weeks yet. Our staff desires to thank Mr M. E. Perreau for Christmas cheer in the shape of some of his lucky Christmas cake, which was voted the host yet.

On Christmas Day the following- services will be held in All Saints’ Church: —7 a.m. and 8 a.in., Holy Communion; 11 a.m. Matins and Holy Communion;-? pan., Shortened Evensong, with Carols.

“Yes, properties are still changing' hands in this district,” said an agent to our representative recently, “but a large number of the deals are on paper, and how some of them are going to make their holdings pay is beyond me.” He instanced a few properties which were begging in the market at from £25 to £35 per aero a few years buck, which have recently changed hands at £OO to £9O per acre.

The defeat of Sir Joseph Ward and Sij- James Carroll makes Sir James Allen the “father” of the new House of Representatives. The three were elected on the same day, and have sat in Parliament for 38 sessions. Next to Sir James Allen the longest records of public service are held hy Mr Massey and Sir Frederick Lang (both elected to nine Parliaments),- and Mr Hurries and Dr. Newman (eight Parliaments).

Friends of the Salvation Army were delighted with t he carols of the local S.A. Band last evening, when surprise visits were paid to several homes. The Band will perform on Wednesday afternoon and evening, in the Main Street, and a collection will he made for the instrument fund. Captain Gollin will no doubt obtain the support of all for the painstaking work he is putting in with the hoys.

The Postmaster-General slates (hat following on Ihe roc on I experimental Irip of the aerial mail between Dargaville and Auckland. it is proposed to try the experiment in other localities. Experimental timetables will be inaugurated in January on the following proposed routes: Auckland - Dargaville - Whangurei - Auckland; Auekland-Coromandel-Thames-Aueklaud; Napier-Gisbor-ne-Napier; Christ elmreli-Dunodiu-Christ church.

it was rather ungallant of the electors of .New Zealand that two women candidates were not given enough votes to save their £lO deposits. ■ Neither Mrs Cook (Thames) nor Mrs Baume (Parnell) scored votes equal to one-quarter of the number registered by their successful opponents —Mr Dickson and Mr Rhodes. No fewer than 22 candidates had to forfeit their deposits, ineluding that veteran exmember of the House, Mr H. G. Ell, who is also an ex-Cabinet Minister. —Feilding Star.

A fatality occurred on the Pousonhy Beach on Friday, resulting in (he death of James-Edwards, a married man, aged about thirty-six years, who was in the Samoan Relief Force. Edwards jumped from a rock when having a bathe, and never rose to the surface. His little chiklreu'noticed that he did not rise to Hie surface, but were too young to realise the position. On ‘ their return home they told their mother, who at once gave the alarm. Edwards’ body was found face down beside the rock in about four feet of water, with a bruise on the forehead. It is not known whether death was due to drowning or heartfailure.

It is seldom that a new Parliament has such u strong infusion of new blood as that Just elected, as just over one-quarter of its members —22, to be exact —are entirely new to the seats of the mighty in national politics. Three of these have been under fire in other places, Mr Mitchell (Wellington South), Mr Potter (Koskill), and Mr Glen being returned soldiers. Six —Messrs Savage, Parry, Bariram (of Auckland), Howard, Sullivan (of Christchurch), and Kellefct- (Dunedin)— are Labourites, Two of the new men, Mr McNicol (Pahiatua) and Mr Sullivan (Avon), are Journalists. The farmers are in strong force, no fewer than a round dozen —Messrs Hockly, Lysnaf, McLeod, Masters, Hawken, Powdrell, Glenn, Jones, Burnett, Bitehener, and the brothers Hamilton—coming off the land.

A service will be held in Ibe local Presbyterian Clmrch on Christmas morning, at 10.30 o’clock'.

Christmas and Epiphany were once celebrated as one and the same least. The separation took place at the Council of Nice in 325.

The lirst Christinas carol was the well-known hymn, “Gloria in Exeelsis, ■” sun”' by the angels to the shepherds at Bethlehem on the first Christmas morning. The first printed one was published in England in 1521.

About three o’clock on the morning of Christmas Day, in some parts of Wales, the people assemble in church, and, after prayers and a sermon, sing psalms and hymns until daylight dawns. This is called “the crowning of the cock.”

A prohibition tragedy: Tired from its morning toil, and thirsty"from the humid heat, a working horse paused to take drink from the water-trough outside the Occidental Hotel yesterday, and instantly dropped dead! —Palmerston Times. All the houses at the local seaside arc occupied for the Christmas holidays. The demand for houses lifts year far exceeded the supply, and it would be a payable investment for,some one to erect a board-ing-house at this favourite resort. Waits was the name originally given to the minstrels attached to the King’s Court, whose duty it was to guard the streets at night and proclaim the hour. They were also in. the habit of serenading the inhabit ants as well, hoping at Clu’ist-mas-time to receive their reward.

Severe winters were the Jot of those living in England during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, tiie Thames having been ice-bound on more than one occasion. As our world grows older summer and winter become less apparent. Our present winters certainly bear out this fact.

To-night, in (he Town Hall, the united Sunday schools of the Presbyterian, Methodist and Salvation Army will give a sparkling and enjoyable programme. The massed singing under the able conductorship of Mr Belly will be a feature. Special musical, elocutionary, and other items will amply repay the public of Eoxton for the time and money spent.

Collinson and Cuiminghame, Ltd., Palmerston North, are conducting a Great Millinery Sale, which extends until the 31st inst. The balance of the season’s model millinery is to be cleared, and this includes all classes of millinery in smart models, smart semi-trimmed hats, ready-to-wear hats, in newest colour combinations, at prices more than 50 per cent, below ordinary -figures. Maids’, children’s, and infants’ millinery is also offered at equal inducements.

The Prince of Wales had an enthusiastic reception in the streets between York House and the Guildhall, where he received the city’s address and welcome. Replying, the Prince said: ‘‘My lirst desire after the war was to visit the great Dominion-; which had played so important a part in the war.® 1 will never forget the whole-hearted welcome with which I was greeted in Newfoundland, Canada, and the United (Stales.'’

Terribly cold spells have been experienced nl; Yulelide abroad. .During ('he year 401 (he Black Boa was entirely frozen over; in 452 (lie Danube was blocked, ami an army passed across it; while the Dardanelles was eompielely ice-bound daring the Christmas of 020. The snow here lay in drifts of nearly a hundred feet in height. The Adriatic Sea suffered (wo centuries later, and remained frozen for some considerable time; in 1232 Italy's rivercourses were blocked with ice, and during (he same period the Rhino could not lie navigated.

The death occurred at (lie Palmerston District Hospital on Sunday morning of Mv James McAnley, who had been a. resident of the Pohangina district for many years past. Last Wednesday morning he was mustering sheep on his farm at Pohangina, in company with Mr J. Maddison, when he slipped and fell over the side of a precipice, sustaining severe injuries. Mr Maddison had Mv McAnley brought to the Palmerston North Hospital, hut he failed to regain consciousness, and passed away yesterday morning. Bo far as is known, deceased had no relatives in New Zealand, but has two sisters in Australia. An inquest concerning the circumstances of his death will be held.

Wanganui reports a great storm on Sunday, The storm came across the sea, and struck homes of coastal dwellers with terrific force. Jt reached its height about 8 o’clock in the evening, when the atmosphere was very electrical, with thunder and very vivid'lightning, the heavens being lighted-by great balls of fire for some time. The houses wore peppered with hail and sand from the beach, and people were terribly' alarmed. The storm then passed over the town, and there, too, alarming conditions prevailed. A number of trees were torn up by the roots, and windows were blown in, apd quite a large number of buildings in the business area were rocked. Some church congregations were apprehensive. St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, very solidly built in brick, met the full, force of the storm, aild at times there was a perceptible tremor of the structure. Many of the congregation were alarmed, and the climax came when one of the ventilators blew in. Quite a number of people made a hurried exit, and only the appeal of the Rev. J. it.-M’Ken-zie prevented a panic, I3y 0 o’clock everything was very calm and peaceful. : '

A howling gale raged throughout this district on Sunday, followed by,a cold snap. . If the present weather is any cation of what we are to get for the holidays, then (he outlook is not too good. Mr E. Newman, .VI.P., on behalf of the Wellington Navy League, last week 7)re*entod the scholars of the Marion District High School with a 1 New Zealand ensign. . A Jady of 105 years was wheeled to a polling booth in South Dunedin on election day. She was probably the oldest elector iit New Zealand who voted that day. : . ; ■ The trains, -im-c the excursions , commenced, have boon crowded with passengers going north and south, and accommodation is taxed to theutmost. ' Owing to a glut at the SmithJield market, the Food Ministry has permitted the sale of a few hundred tons of Australian mutton, at Id under the controlled price. The Napier Mardi Gras queen election resulted in the Taradale candidate, Miss Airini Perry, receiving. 103,171 votes. The tola! polled by the. nine candidates was over half a million. Krupp’s deficit amounts to £l,700,000 for the year, and is covered by drawing on reserves. The . firm is now constructing locombti- . ves, waggons and agricultural machinery. / A very amateurish forger appe- u ars to have succeeded in defrauding several persons in Auckland recently by issuing pennies silvered in imitation of half-crowns. One woman , received two such coins among change after a purchase, the other day. A man arrived in Masterton from the backblocks recently with £B2. lie put £SO in the bank, and drew on it from week to week- for joy rides to Carterton. On Tuesday he was found stark naked by the roadside, suffering from delirium tremens, lie had £1 left after paying bis fine at the Magistrate’s Court,

Sir James Carroll, avlki was defeated for the Gisborne seal, had sat . in Parliament since 1887 without a. break, having represented the ern Maori district for six Waipu for 15 years, and Gisborne for 11 years.. Sir James also held Ministerial rank for a continuous period of 20 years, from 1892 until 1912, which is a record for New Zealand.

Mr Herbert Booth, third sou of the late General Booth, of the Salvation Army, arrived in New Zea- .. laud last; week from the United States for the purpose of making a six months’ tour of I lie. Dominion, during which he will bo engaged in evangelical preaching. He was formerly in charge of the Salvation » Army in New Zealand and Austral lia, but 18 years ago he left that organisation. A serious shortage of labour in New Plymouth is aggravated by a serious shortage of houses. It was • slated at the last meeting of the Now Plymouth Borough Council that a number of men from outside districts were prepared to accept employment with the borough, provided accommodation , was guaranteed them. The council discussed various proposals, including one that an effort be made to purchase a number of lints from, the Defence Department, but eventually it was agreed lo go into the question of ways and means of providing accommodation’ on (he dormitory principle with - common dining-rooms.