LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2072, 30 December 1919, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The “Herald” will not bo publish-' cd on Thursday (New Year’s Day).

On Christmas and Boxing days there were record crowds on, the local bead).

A special service; will be held in idle Methodist Church to-morrow (Wednesday) evening-, at 7.30 o’clock.

One hundred picked Australian soldiers are expected in New York from England, en route to the University of California, where they will work for a year on the University farm, so that they may introduce new T scientific methods, into Australia.

The expectation that Sir Thomas Mackenzie would return to New, Zealand," and re-enter politics on the completion of his term as High Commissioner, is contradicted by a statement in a private letter received from him. Sir Thomas writes: —“T have decided to stay here rather than venture upon the uncertain field of colonial politics.”

To he paid foy attending the funeral of a friend is an experience which is probably unique' in this country. It happened to all who attended the funeral of a wealthy man who died recently in Timaru. They attended the funex-al in the ordinary way out of respect to the deceased, and with no thought of rewax’d for so doing. Judge then, of their surprise when they found that then.' names had all been taken, and a re; lativc of the deceased gentleman in England sent them eajh a cheque for £O.

'All the cottages at the beach are occupied, and there, are also many visitors under canvas. The police desire to warn the. public that in future any person setting oil’ crackers or “double-bang-ers” will be prosecuted. . On Thursday next-, Few Year’s Day, there will be a eefebration of the Holy Communion in All Saints’ Church at 7.30 a.m. fr ■■ "" 1 .Many local “sports” visited the Palmerston Races on Friday and Saturday, but the majority of them returned lighter in pocket than when 11103- set out. The s.s. Kennedy, from Wellington with general, is due (his afternoon. She will sail again for Wellington to-morrow afternoon, hemp laden. The local business people have decided to observe Iwo holidays (bis week, instead of one, as previously advertised, and the shops will bo closed all day on Thursday and Friday, January Ist and 2nd. Local business people repi.rl excellent Christmas business, the takings generally being in excess of any previous year. Wednesday wa< a particularly busy day, the street being thronged with people from early afternoon, and the staffs in all the shops were kept going right, up to a late hour at night.

On Friday evening next. ((January 2nd), a grand eoneerl, organised by the local Methodist Choir, will be held in the Beach chu'reh. The programme will include orchestral selections, quartettes, solos, and items by the choir under the leadership of Mr 11. Osborne. The overture will take place punctually at 8 o’clock, and will be played by the full orchestra. The price of admission is one shilling.

The distribution of presents by “Father Christmas” to the children in Main Street on Wednesday afternoon .was a most successful function. “Father Christmas” was brought into . town by motor’, and was accompanied by' Captain Goflln and several members of Iris band. The children, about 700 in number, were lined up along (he street, and each presented with a small pack-

Mi ss Myra. Sawyer, a talented Wellington singer, is at present in Foxton. She has consented to render solos at the concert organised by the Methodist choir, to he held in I lie Beach Church on Friday evening next. This will probably ho Miss Sawyer’s last appearance in public in New Zealand for some time, as she is shortly leaving for Italy to continue her vocal studios. A number ‘of llaxmills in the Waikato, which have been idle for several months, will probably resume operartions shortly. The president of the Northern Flaxraillers’ Association, Mr P. Henry, states that (he high freight rates have made llaxmilling really an unprofitable undertaking. In consequence, thousands of acres of (lax have been left untouched, which In the ordinary course would have been milled months ago.

The dairying season, during Hit; last (wo months, lias nut been rip lo the usual standard (stales (lie Opmiake correspondent of (be Taranaki News). The constant winds have kepi the growlh of grass bank. Kvery dairy factory along the coast reports a shortage in (lie supply of milk. The coastal farms show very pool' past urage, but (he bush lands have nut suffered so much. The high priced farms will require a good autumn to help the owners over a poor summer. The serious ei’l'eef of (he high rate of exchange now ruling between British countries and America was home in upon an■ Aucklander who had occasion ■ to remit a..small sum of money to California a few days ago (states the Now Zealand Herald). Jn taking out a, money order, ho found that in commission and (lie difference in market value between the dollar and the sovereign, lie was obliged to pay Gs 8d in the £ upon the sum in transmission. Nearly the whole of t his was represented by the difference in. exchange'’ values, for the post office commission is only Bd in the £.

It i.s not so many years since the district round Taiimpe was lirst set - tied, and it; was not till about 1901 that (he railway .reached the township and the lirst (rain ran through. He fore the wav land could have been bought of first-rate quality almost anywhere at under £2O an acre. At present prices . are booming, and land which fetched that figure in 1911 is now ottered at: £4O an am 1 with little prospect of. reduction. The demand sill] lends to exceed supply, and properties are cluing" ing hands at rates which would have .seemed fabulous in the “good old days” before the war. ’The shooting of a. rabbit 1 which had been doing considerable damage to a Mount Hdcn resident's garden led to a man being prosecuted in the Police Court at Auckland last week, for having discharged a firearm without reasonable cause, and to (lie danger of passers-by. The defendant said be had shot the rabbit in “self protection,” and complained that lie could not Use poison lor fear of killing his neighbour’s dogs, and that if he tailed to destroy rabbits he would lie liable lo a fine of £SO. He ro-e at 5 o’clock one morning to kill the rabbit, and hud been shooting for 45 years without accident. Sub-In.-peclor ’ WohJmann slo.led tin:t the proscenium had been made as -the bullet bad ricocheted and penetrated the bed clothes ol a, neighbour who hud slept on a verandah. The Magistrate, Mr J. R. Wilson. S M.. said it was not a trivial charge, aad imposed u line of £l, with 9s costs,

Some idea of the enoTiiUMi4 r her of cow-s being milked m the per Waikato and Thames" distriet.s may he gained fact that last year no 75,000 ealvos were gainst blackleg in these alone (says a northern Tiiis. is in addition to the number of calve-, killed. The export of limber froii Grey-;& mouth has been seriously hamperetjf,Sji this month owing U> lack of ships: ping facilities (-ays (he (treyraoufelj Star). ■ ..Timber recently unloaded‘ . from a boat which sailed fur Lyltelyd ton is still lying on the wbarfa i- estimated that about 7,000,000 ftSjf’ij is slacked on the mill sent awaiting means of transport. by sea to where it is. urgently re- r_■ quired. Four young men. of Japan, cdueated and of good address, needing no >; interpreter, recently visited the jy South 1-land, looking at the couuiry. paying parlieiilar attention to wool growing and the processes of - manufaelure. Two of the parly. , wore in Dunedin. They were note." lalkative, but il is understood that -■ > they are .studying the wool industr . in Victoria, and just made a slrjp ' excursion to New Zealand. ’ C# jj ; Fifty years ago “A Great Deluge” 1 - \\a- expected all through Xow Zca- - land,. Tl was based on the misroad-

ing of astronomical investigations * made by a Mr Saxby, of Kent. 'The ' news caused much excitement in - New Zealand. At Hokitika they were taken very seriously. - People • ■ made preparations' to remove to the gaol hill for safety in anticipation (according to the Post of 241 h Sep~1 ember, 1809), of a great tidal wave, which, it was said, Mr ' ■predicted would submerge the Souna Island on 17th September to within 12 feet of the summit of Mount : Cook. . The South Island is still well above water. Two policemen had an exciting "• scuffle with two opium smugglers on 1 the cliffs near Cremorne Point, Sydney harbour, a few days ago. Two men approached the shore in a skill, , and dragged a big hag from the boat. As (hoy walked up from the water’s edge the constables closed on them, and a, tight ensued, during which the men managed to escape, They dropped the bag, which .eontai} ined 98 tins of opium, valued £2,701). Later in the day the police visited a house in Cremorne and arrested a man on suspicion. '-'.A

A very enjoyable concert was given in the Town Hall oa Tuesday, the 23rd Inst., by the children of ■ the Methodist, Presbyterian and Salvation Army Sunday school*. The united choir sang very acceptably under the conductorship of Air Betty, and • individual items* were rendered with great success. The Salvation Army Baud played a march and selection, which ■ specially arranged fpr the by Captain Godin, and which. weriW veil received. Rev. T. Halliday acted as chairman, and helped to make flie evening bright and enjoyable. At the conclusion prizes were distributed to the scholars of the Salvation Army Sunday school, and voles of thanks were passed Ip all who had assisted to arrange the pro- , gramme. ’ : : On Christmas Eve the Salvation Army Band delighted a large crowd in the Alain. Street, with a splendid programme of music. A cornel solo by iionakl Ebbed, “The Rose of No Alan’s Land,” was vigorously applauded, and caused much favourable comment. A collection was made tor new instruments, which resulted in the sum of £8 12s 9d. For Now Year’s Eve a special pro- , gramme his been arranged by Captain Coffin, which will bo given from 0.30 pan. to 8 p.m., and at 11.30 pan. a special “Watch Night” openair service will _be conducted by Captain and Mi's Godin as tbe old year is dying. Captain Godin will render the “Last Post” on the trumpet, and as- the New Year glides in the “Reveille” \vill lie sounded, after ■which the Band will play “Auld Lang Syne” ami (he National Anthem.

“Builders making fortunes! Don t yon believe it,” said a master builder to a Taranaki News representative the other day.AT will show you. yiv Tve just tinished the erection of. a five-roomed house that I started myself when 1 had no work in hand 1 fur my si alt I’ve just checked the 'jf accounts and made up Hie cost, the * building, which is well constructed , ■ of the best, timber, ha- run out at -a £987. A few years ago 1 could have built it, for ,<.’550.!’ The reporter asked him how lie accounted for this huge increase. Tie re)died that in 19.11 he landed a shipment of timber in New Plymouth for 8s 3d per 100 ft. It is now costing 38s. Pooling iron was then £ls per ton; it is now from £55 to £oo* Cement was £3 7s (hi; it isnowACT. Wages' 1 were: Is 3d carpenters, Is Id labourers; now they arc 2s 3d to 2s 6d for carpenter-, and Is 8d for labourers. - “We u.-ed to cm-t up the cost of a house at (id per cubic foot; the amount is now Is Gd. Will prices ever, come down/ That’s difficult to say, i know I his, I could make money out of building before at prices than I cun now out of ones,” < DO YOU KNOW ’ ■’ ; That many of the Minor ailments Tire due to improper bowel action, , and can be quickly relieved by m 1 Chamberlain’s Tablets? A "course M* 1 of Chamberlain’s Tablets will induce your bowels to act regularly naturally instead of-. creating the. necessity for eonliuucd And. inore-' ! - ased doses. For sale everywhere. —Advt. For Chronic Chest Complaints, Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure. .<

In reference lo l!io shortlife of bacon and ham, a Wellington authority "ay-: pigs are now almost as valuable as faf ositttc were a few years ago; £lO ean now be got for -a pig, hut it is claimed that it does not pay lo Imy at such a price.

Writing to a Southern farmer, an Australian stock dealer slides that he recently sold a line of 2,99(! bullocks, the average dressed weight ran to 8401 b very high average. One of the hides brought £8 lbs (Id. The beasts- travelled 300 miles by road and another 400 miles hv vail.

The Rotorua libel ease, in which twenty-two members of the staff of the King George Hospital, Rotorua, claimed damages from Robin Adair Gardiner. printer, Rotorua, Win. A. Sjyak, solicitor, Auckland, and Ellen A. Gardner, widow, ’Rotorua, lias concluded, and the jury returned a verdict in favour of each plaint lit’ lor £3, the damages aflmtmiing to £UG. To one question a rider was added to tin 1 effect I bill defendants showed gross carelessness in not getting the truth or otherwise of 1 > statements, which could have been e; iv done.

Rev. J. if. Bimnionds writes fn (be Journal of Agriculture: “1 have had sawn up into hoards specimen logs of the following exotic timbers grown at Three Kings, near Auckland: Poptiltts nigra, Cuprosstis maei’ocarpa, Qiterctis ilex, Eucalyptus panieiilata. Sequoia gigantea, Aea ciii decumms. Plan I amts iricntabs, and Carya abla (hickory). .The poplar is clean and sound, and obviously adapted to -a wide range /of purposes. The cypress reminds ■‘one of the indigenous totara. The ■turoak and eucylyptus are dense in itexture and very strong. The Orion tat plane gives the impression that it would be excellent for furniture. As a result of the increase*! price (if silver ( from 2s 3d per oz. before the war to (is 9<l new), the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand is fiiec to face with a serious prob’em ni financing its missions in (‘hem and .India. The missionaries Canton are paid in dollars a I He . rale of HI to the pound sterling, and those in India in rupees at 45 to the pound. At present the pound livings less Hum four dollars at Canton, and only nine rupees in India, so that every £IOO sent from New Zealand has to be made up to about £l7O for India and £250 for China. The income in New Zealand has grown from £B,OOO in 1914 to £ll,000 in 1919. hut with the same number of .missionaries the expenditure has grown from £3,00(1 to £.12.a00, and the estimated expenditure for the current year, at the present rate of exchange, i< nearly £20,000.