LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2127, 13 May 1920, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The local Racing Club has been allotted Saturday and Monday, January 22nd and 24th, 1921, for their annual race meeting.

The contractors for the erection of the Soldiers’ Memorial stone, in the Triangle, at the north end of Main Street, have now practically completed the work. Bunnythorpe is stricken with iniiuenza, and though there are few severe eases, so many are affected that much inconvenience and even hardship is being fell. .The local school is closed.

A resident of Te Aroha, writing to a local citizen, states that at the present time there are many cases of influenza in that town, and that several deaths have taken place from this complaint.

The Dominion Customs revenue for April, 1920, amounted to £602,049 (including £41,700 primage), compared with £337,237 for April, 1919. Excise beer duty collected was £25,547, against • £25,500 in April, 1919. It- is claimed that the Dunedin Hospital is the /lowest, as regards cost per occupied bed, of the four main hospitals in the Dominion. The cost per occupied bed in the Dunedin Hospital is £lll 4s, while at Wellington it is £129.

A considerable reduction has taken place in the price of salt and rennet, used extensively by dairy companies. It is mot so long since salt could not be obtained under £lB ■los per ton, and the market price is now £l2 10s, while rennet has dropped.from £25 to £ll 10s per cwt.

At Monday's meeting of the Foxtan Harbour Board an application was received from the Beach Improvement Committee (per Mr A. 6. Dawick) for a grant of' £2O towards the cost of tree planting. —It was decided to make a gran! of the amount asked for, the Chairman remarking that the Committee was doing very good work.

Says a Bulletin writer; “Plenty of the lads will remember when the Prince of Wales played two-up with the Diggers in France. When Ned took the kip, the push started laying their bets. ‘Lot ’em go, Vrince,’ ‘Give ’em a fly, Prince,’ and st) forth. But one roughneck struck a new note’ when he bawled, ‘Five francs lie don’t turn his old man’s head up!’” The Manawatn Rowing Club made application at Monday’s meeting' of the Foxton Harbour Board for permission to erect a new boat shed on the site on which the old shed, recently destroyed by lire, stood. Members were of opinion that the site asked for would be required by (he Board for its own purposes later on, and it was decided to advise the Rowing Club that the Board was not prepared to grant them the site suggested, but would be prepared to lot them have a site further no the river, or down below Messrs Levin and Co., Lid's., stores.

The question whether mothers-in-law deserve all the unkind things

said about them at times is very debatable, experiences being varied. At the Magistrate’s Court, V'.'angamii, one mother-in-law was very much discussed, because of alleged interferences on her part. The house was divided against itself to such an extent that she was made (lie ground for an application for separation. The Magistrate considered that if such a suit were .successful numerous eases of a similar nature would be constantly coming before the Court. He held that whether a mother-in-law was desirable or otherwise to have about the house was no ground for a separation, either on the part of the husband or wife.

Here is si Idler sent by a proud

mother to an inquiring uiiu-iai:—To the Kogistrer Berths and Mirages. Dear sir, —We got your nolire _about registering the berth of our baby an Mr —— . : uys mats your hurry, we got S days yet. We ainl sending you (lie printed form yet because we and deciden on’any name yei. 1 wanted Edith and my lutsban wanted Margaret, so we deciden site was born she was a boy and we got it to do over again. Wal you wans is the father's name, well it .is George: place of residence,. High Street; length of residence, 38 feet 4 inches including the woshhouse; babies name, well we not decinen on that yet. Gan you register him now and we lei you have the name, when you vaesnate him?

At Monday night's Council meeting a letter was read from Miss E. G. Plimmer, Wellington, advising I hat recently whilst driving her motor car over the Whirokino Bridge she pulled on to the side in the centre of the bridge to allow another vehicle to pass, and that a bolt on the structure which was projecting out. about eight inches caught in the mudguard and damaged it, with the result that a new

mudguard had to be fitted at a cost of £lO. This amount she claimed from'the Council. —It was decided on the motion of Crs. MeMurray

and Pearson,' that iMiss Plimmer be informed that as the Whirokino Bridge is not under the jurisdiction of the Fox ton Borough Council the Council cannot admit her chum for damage sustained to motor car mudguard; that the-Town Clerk be instructed to report the matter to the Manawatu County Council, in order that the obstruction, it any, may be attended to.

A return called for by Mr 0. J. Parr, the new Minister of Education, recently, disclosed the fact that there are in New Zealand 16(3 teachers’ residences in the country not at present occupied by teachers. The proportion of these empty residences is greater in the South Island. Mr Parr said the other day that the Department proposed to begin a building programme in a modest way with half-a-dozen houses for married teachers who could not fine! accommodation in the backblocks areas. An interesting' experiment also was being tried with small movable houses for the accommodation of single teachers, especially female single teachers in remote districts. They will consist of two rooms merely, and they will be built on wheels or runners, so that in the event of the school attendance falling a great deal, or the attendance rising sufficiently to warrant the appointment of a married teacher, and ■the erection of a new house of a permanent character, the house on wheels may be taken to Another place where it may be more needed.

In the. Methodist. Church tp-iaoE.: row night Mr Robert Harkness’, -of the Chnpman-Alexandor Mission, will give 'a musical evening, under the auspices of t}ie Foxton Ministers’ Association. The prices of admission are, adults Is, juveniles (id.

At the meeting of tlie\Waitotara County Council one of the members related that.the proud boast of the “city” of Woodville was that it did not owe a penny of debt, but on the other hand it was. the slowest, and most unprogrossivc place in the Dominion. His view was (hat if a local body: wanted to progress it bad to, go into debt.

The ‘ Manawatu Flax Workers’ Union has decided to link up with the. New Zealand Workers’ Union, which has embarked on a wide area of activity respecting the...organising of the “One Big Union’’ idea. It is understood that various other unions have unanimously accepted the principle of one big union of workers.

There has just been completed in Hamilton a live-roomed residence of concrete slab construction. The residence has been purchased by the Public Works Department, and will be immediately occupied by a resident police official. The concrete slab is-produced by.whi.il is known as (lie “coke breeze’’ primes;-,. The shybs are longued and grooved, i.e., interlocking, and each is 2ft. bin. by Ift. 3in. These concrete slabs, used mainly in house construction, arc said to bo cheaper than bricks, and about the same in cost as timber for building purposes.

The notification of infectious diseases (luring' the month of April in the Palmerston North Hospital District were as follows; —Palmerston North, scarlet fever 2, diphtheria S, influenza 17, pneumonia 3. Foilding, scarlet fever 1, diphtheria 5, influenza 7. Levin, scarlet fever 1, diphtheria 1. Shannon, influenza (i. Fox ton, diphtheria 1. Oiaki, influenza 4, pneumania 1. Kongotea, inliucnza 10. Oroua County, scarlet fever 7, diphtheria 1. Manawatu County, diphtheria f, influenza 37. Kairanga County, enteric 2, influenza 12. Horowhemia County, diphtheria 2„ influenza 0. Kiwitea County, influenza 1,

‘‘Now for the annual growl,” remarked a councillor at the Hutt County Council meeting this, week, when the Wellington Hospital Board estimates came up. The county’s share totalled £3,150, £50!) more limn last year. The Lower Unit Borough Council’s share of (ho levy came to £2,215 (is Bd, compared with £1,820 12s 8d last year, an increase of nearly £389. The present levy is equal to fls per head of the population of the Hull borough. The Horowhenua County and Levin Borough will sec in these figures very good reasons for congratulation upon their escape from the Wellington Hospital District,'and should-he all the more grateful to those public men who laboured so long and successfully for incorporation in the Pa 1 meisto ll Distriet. —Lcvin Chroniefe.

That modern man is no move intelligent than the ))rimitive being of! 40,000 years ago is the coni cut ion of Professor, Osborne, who addressed a large andiem-e at the Socialists’ Hall, Melbourne, last week, oft Landmarks in Modern Evolution (says the Melbourne Age). He said that though, man made wonderful progress in various branches of science, it was doubtful if wc could show any improvement in intelligence. We must also admit that every advance in man’s .evolution has been dearly bought! Although one of the greatest changes effected was the assuming of the upright position, it was quite evident that the organs of our own bodies were built, for action of the quadruped. * The main reason for this stage of evolution was to pul. the hands of human being's at (he exclusive use of the (main, without the interference, which would lie'necessary had we not advanced from the slate of using the hands as a means of locomotion. The .only great hopes for future evolution in man, if we desired to assist humanity, was the combating of four great enemies of mankind —war, superstition, narcotism (which included alcoholism), which could* all be suppressed by man; and disease, which could, with the aid of modern hygienic’ methods be kept in check for the benefit of humuniiv.

Lieutenant Steele, son of Mr F. Steele; of Rukubia, who has been spending some time in the Argentine after seeing active service on Ihe Western front, lias sent his father a realistic if not a very inviting picture of the methods on which dairy farming :s conducted in the South American Republic. “They have a queer way of milking here,” he says. “Most of the land is rented for five years. If .you rent, say GOO acres, you divide it into three paddocks, put up a yard 50 yards .square, and a mud hut for the milkers. You stick a .separator in . one of the ’rooms of the hut (a couple of hands generally sleep in the same room as the separator), put- on 150 cows, and let the people carry on, and you don’t go near the place for sixmonths on end. No cowshed or concrete floor. In the wet season the poor devils are up to their bellies in mud. *The cows are only milked once, a day, and the calves, do the rest. After your lease is up you can pull down your fences, take'the iron oft your hut, and look for a fresh hit of camp,” “Wayfarer,” in the Weekly Press asks: “If this picture fairly represents the conditions under which butter is produced in the Argentine, the article is not- likely to become a very serious rival to the best New Zealand make for some time yet.” -

The by-ejection for the Palmerston Borough Council resulted!—M. 11. Oram G(iO, P. Jackson 310, B. ( JickplJ (ox -borough..engineer) 275, D. Trow 21. The contest practically hinged,on the issue of trams v. motor-’busses, the “ ’bus candidate” beating all the rest put together.

Owing to being unable to get a suitable property in Poxton, Mr Thomas Carmont Ims removed to Palmerston North, and will in future train his horses on (ho Awapuni course". Tim horses under bis charge, Persian Prince, Orleans, Mead, and an unnamed two-year-old, were removed to. their new quarters this week. Air James Buglass was a visitor to Poxton yesterday. It will be remembered that shortly after the outbreak of war Mr Buglass went to Bngland to undertake work in Vickers’ munition factory, and has been engaged there until recently. Accompanied by Mrs Buglass, he arrived buck in New Zealand by the ii’emuera hist week.

At (he Progressive League luncheon at Mastcrton, Colonel Mitchell, when speaking of the necessity of the Himutaka deviation, said that lie was surprised,jo learn from the President of the League (Mr Temple) that a tremendous amount of Wairarapa trade was going to Auckland. “The chief reason,’’ said the colonel, “seems to be that you have a good railway line to Auckland, and a d bad one to Wellington.” (Applause). An excellent programme has been arranged for the benefit concert to he held in the Town Hal! on Tuesday evening next, and all who attend can rely- on getting good value for their money, in addition to the satisfaction of knowing that they a,re also assisting a deserving case. The following are among, those who will take purl;—Mßs Bryant, Mr and Mrs Baker, Captain • Gotlin, and Messrs P. Pobinson, Hovnblow, McColl, Head, Beale ami Ilakaraia.

Although we receive ail kinds and conditions of applieations/at different times, we (his week received one that was quite out of the ordinary. A young man, with the intention of shortly changing his life of single, blessedness for that of a benedict, walked in with the request for a marriage license. We had to refer the- applicant to the Postmaster, whence he proceeded, and the necessary particulars being furnished, the required document was forthcoming. Miss Cossey, speaking at (he anti-, profiteering meeting at Auckland Ihe other day, dealt with the proportion which the cost of labour bore; lo the cosf of manufactured articles. She stated that in the making of a. costume to a 22-guineas model, the sum paid the sewer, the machinist, and the presser for their labour was Ids Phi. She said she could not give what the approximate cost of malerial, linings, etc., would be, hut maintained (hat if was not the wages paid to the women workers which were respt m.iblo for (V high prices of ready-made gai’inonls. A large cattle deal was completed recently. A draft of 294 head of fa! ami forward Hereford bullocks and heifers from Mr Geo. Pinckney's Glengarry Hun, Upper Waikaia, besold to Mr Peter Anderson, of iuchclutha, Olago. ’flu; draft consisted of 252 five, six, and seven-year-old bullocks, 31 fat and forward heifers (most ly three and four-year-olds), -the balance of 11 being made up of fat cows. The mob when mustered made-a very line showing, and all were bred.and fattened on the tussock at Glengarry Slalion. The hulk of the draft were the progeny of Holmes’ Wanmahaka Here fords. The monetary value of the.deal exceeded £5,500.

There are indications that the output of the coalmines of (he Do-

minion is increasing, especially of those on the West .Coast. Delays in delivery, however, are due to a variety of causes, including had bars at the ports of Greyrnouth and Vi eslport. Heavy rains have delayed the discharging of colliers at their terminal ports, Unis hindering their prompt return to the coast for reloading. , The recent holidays in connection with the visit of the ■ * Prince of Wales and the stoppage of the railways, together with occasi-onal-shortage of trucks, have also helped to retard distribution. But the mine output is better than it was. A local body in this district some time ago purchased a new sanitary cart, which'on arrival was found to be unsuitable. It was too heavy, ‘ and was satisfactory in other ways. Suggestions for the converting of same into a water cart, or a tar sprayer, were made, and it was eventually decided to endeavour to sell the vehicle for £4O. It had cost much more than this sum.' Other local bodies were circularised, but the result was —nothing doing. The cart was then stabled, it being looked upon as what is known as a “white elephant.” However, a few weeks ago the clerk to the local body noticed an advertisement to the effect that another town was in need of a vehicle of this particular class, and immediately put it under offer ■■ for £SO. An officer was sent along to inspect,’ and on the day that he arrived a telegram was read from another source, offering fifty guineas for the cart. The first buyer was informed of the better offer that had been received; and he immediately increased his price accordingly, and look delivery .of. the vehicle. At the last meeting of the local body a member inquired if the buyer was satisfied with his bargain, and .the clerk said he did not know, hut had a few days previously received a wire as follows: “Re sanitary cart. Who was the other buyer ?”

T!ie shortage of the Tasmanian hop crop, together with small supfrom Victoria and New Zealand, is causing Sydney brewers concern. The 'price of Tasmanian hops has been fixed at 3s 2d per ,1b —almost treble the former price.

A deputation from a country school district waited on the Canterbury Education Board the other day and complained that nothing was being done in regard to the erection of their school, which had been burned down ten months ago! As a- matter of fact, it usually takes the Educational Department a couple of years to make the grantenabling a Board to go on witii such work after a lire! —Feilding Star. 1

A recent letter received by a friend in Auckland of an Australian lady, a water-colour artist, who is at present studying in England, stresses the high cost of Jiving in the Old Land. The writer says, “eggs are 5s fid a dozen, butter 4s fid, bread Is 2d t-he 41b. loaf, paraffin oil Was Is Bd when 1 started in this flat some six months ago, it is now 2s 2d, tinned milk is Is fid tin, fresh Is cpiart, dried apricots 2s !b. The oUly things cheap are green turnip lops used for greens, and things like that. Fruitf and vegetables are the only things that are reasonable, and all the'things that are manufactured in England people in New Zealand will have to pay a big price for a long time. Those people who sloop with their mouths open will learn with alarm of the experience of a Lambeth wo-, man, who has been under treatment at St. Thomas’ Hospital. “Mrs Alary Watson came to the hospital,” stated an official, “suffering from violent sickness. She said she had swallowed a mouse. According to her statement, she was in bed with her baby, and was awakened at 3 o’clock in the morning by tin; child moving. At the same lime she saw a mouse running over her chest, and, as she put it, lit just slipped into my mouth before 1 could slop it, and f swallowed it. Yon see, I always sleep with my mouth open, otherwise it wouldn’t have happened.” She was not ill enough to bo detained in the hospital, and wo were able to give her comfort of both mind and body.”