NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2142, 22 June 1920, Page 1

NEWS AND NOTES.

A line example of practical help is reported from the Hautapu district. A party of settlers invaded a returned soldier’s holding the other day, ploughed his fields, erected fences, dug drains, and did innumerable small jobs. This spontaneous assistance brought feelings of joy to the ex-lighting man’s heart, and made him feel that his sacrifice had been worth while.

General Booth, the Salvation Army’s commander-in-chief, in conversation with a New Zealand Times reporter, slated that in the very early' days of the war he obtained from the British Government 10,000 suits of khaki at £1 per suit. When

the time came for payment, the

Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr Austen Chamberlain) himself handed a cheque for £IO,OOO to the general to pay the account. “Was not that a grateful act, which demonstrated that our services wfore being recognised ?” said General Booth.

An unusual incident occurred in the Hamilton Supreme. Conn when the' jury was being empanelled. When lumded the Bible, a juryman said he objected to swear, and when the Judge asked why, he said; “Because the Word of God forbids me." The Judge said that the juryman could make ;in affirmation. The man replied that the Bible told him not to swear, “neither on earth or in heaven." Thereupon His Honour said that the man was not Hi to be a juryman, and excused him from service. A Dunedin resident, who is interested in rubber-growing in the Malay Slates, and who lias recently returned from the East, states Unit (he rice crop, in both Java and Siam has been a comparative failure for the past two years, and that many rubber-growers have been compelled to reduce their labour force, not being able to obtain sufficient riee to feed the natives usually employed. This is having a, serious effect on the rubber-growing industry.

“1 can recall, a few years back, a traveller saying la me, when land was £']() to £4O per acre in lid-- district, (hat the farmer was paying too high a price for his land, and nnisi become bankrupt,” remarked Mr Goldwater at a meeting of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce, “I replied, ‘Do you see any fanners’ name in the bankruptcy notices'?’ He said ‘No.’ At that lime our luit-lor-fat was eight pence to nineponco per pound. Now it is about two shillings, and with the advent of the dried milk industry the returns will be much larger. The farmer is a shrewd dealer, and knows what he is about, hut, of course, some lauds are speculated with, and disaster mav come to a few.”

“The King is a very nice fellow indeed." So General Booth told the big audience at the Wellington Town Hall yesterday afternoon. “Before I (mine to New Zealand the King .asked mo to call upon him,” continued the General, “in order that I might discuss with him the plans for the tour which I was about to undertake. We had quite a good time. Yes, the King is a very nice fellow, and, well, lam another. (Lalighter.) Wo had a. long talk, and the King stated earnestly, bringing his hands together: T am satisfied that the only way to make a happier world is to strengthen the bonds of Christianity.’ It is that which the Salvation Army has set out to do.”