LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2145, 29 June 1920, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At (he local Presbyterian Church on Sunday special prayers were offered for the peace of Ireland.

A monument after the style of Cleopatra’s Needle has been adopted by the people of Whangarei as a war memorial.

Mr Walter D’Arcy Cresswell, the victim of the Ridgway Street (Wanganui) shooting-sensation, is making steady progress towards recovery, and will be able to-leave the hospital til an earlv date.

“A useless and vexatious measure’’ was the description of the antishouting legislation given by Mr G. Witty in the House of Representatives. He asked the Prime Minister to have the legislation repealed during .the present session. A meeting of the Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Committee was convened by the Mayor yesterday. It was decided to ask the contractors of the memorial to provide and erect an urn on the top of the monument, at a cost of £lO. The total sum voluntarily subscribed was £272 12s sd. This will leave a balance of a few pounds in hand after meeting all payments. It was decided to hand over the surplus to the Borough Council.

A Royal Commission consisting of Chief Judge Jones of the Native Land Court, Mr John Strauchun, 1.5.0., and Mr John Ormsby, of Otorohanga, has been set up to inquire and report as to various Native land grievances. These include complaints as to treatment in regard to ancient purchases in the South Island, a claim to the Inner Harbour at Napier, and various reserves, which the Natives claim were set aside for them, and were then diverted to a different purpose, notably one on which the town of Stratford is built.

As a sequel to the fatality which occurred on March sth at the Puke, bridge, Paeroa, whereby Harry Slockley (jockey) and W. C. Walker (taxi-driver) lost their lives, John Francis Rush, bridge-opener, was charged with manslaughter at Paerora last week. After a lengthy hearing the Bench gave judgment that, while inclined to the opinion that there was an element of neglect on-Rush’s part, they did not consider that any jury would convict the accused on the evidence brought before them. Accused was discharged. Sergeant O’Grady (for the police) intimated that he would apply for a rehearing of the ease.

A deputation from the master bakers of the Dominion waited upon the Hon. E. J. Lee (President of the Board of Trade) and Mr W. G. McDonald (Chairman of the Board) on Saturday, at Wellington, with a request that they be allowed to increase the prices charged for broad. They suggested increases of a halfpenny for bread sold over the counter and a farthing, delivered, in the North Island, and a farthing all round in the South Island. They estimated that to put the bakers on a proper footing it would be necessary to charge Gd per 21b. loaf over the counter and GAd delivered in (he North Island, and 5Ad and Gd respectively in the South Island. The Minister said he would go into the details placed before him, and arrive at a decision just to both the bakers and the consumers, and promised that an answer would be given speedily.

“They talk about a sugar shortage here,'’- said Colonel Hunter, chief dental oOicer to the Education Department. “Why, this community could do without two-thirds of the sugar it consumes, and be all the better for it.”

Mrs Keith, wife of Mr Angus Keith, of Longburn, who has been an invald for some years, died on Saturday. The late Mrs Keith was a daughter of Mr Owen. McKitterick, one of the early settlers of this district, She leaves a family of three boys and a girl. The Otaki Brass Band, which has only been in force for a few weeks, is making rapid headway, and at Wednesday night’s practice nearly thirty members were present. Unfortunately there were not enough instruments, and it is hoped the pubinstruments, and, our exchange says, it is hoped the public will accord further liberal support so that the band may be made up to the full strength.

Hoarding of sugar involving hundreds of tons exists in the Masterton district, according to a merchant who was interviewed by an Age reporter. In this connection, Mr A. D. McLeod wrote to the Age, contending that the merchant’s allegations should be reduced to something more tangible than statements, as they redacted on the farming community, who were the alleged hoarders.

Tlic inspectors of the Wellngton Education Bonn! give the following general eslinnite of llie efficiency of the schools of the district: Good to very good, 80 schools: satisfactory to (•■ood, 123 schools; Inir to moderate, 34 schools; inferior, 0 schools. The schools in which'the work is recorded as less than satisfactory are, with three exceptions, small aided schools, for which it has been impossible to find teachers with even minimum experience. The standard of efficiency of the district as a whole has been well maintained.

Some interesting work was carried out by the late Mr H. Newport, the Kawiu road (Levin) nurseryman, with the object of producing a disease-resisting apple tree. A series of experiments (says the Chronicle) were conducted on a tree of Mr Newport’s own breeding, which he had named Newport’s Orange Pippin. Cuttings from affected trees, thickly covered with woolly aphis, were attached to the Pippin, which resisted communication of the aphis, and is to-day finite clean and free from disease. A mpiest that the Public Trust Office should refrain from issuing uncrossed cheques was made to the Minister in charge (Hon. •!. G. Coates) by Mr H. Holland (Grey). The Public Trust Office, said Mr Holland, had sent an open cheque for some £3,000, on account of a trust estate, to a trustee on the West Coast. This trustee, who happened also to be prominent in local politics. had been able to cash the cheque across the counter, and now he was missing with about £I.OOO of the money. The Minister expressed concern, and promised to look into (he matter.

The gas strike in Melbourne was responsible for some curious situations. The Melbourne Age describes one;—Grouped in the Assembly Mall in the dim religious light of a guttering candle (lame, the reverend members of the Presbytery of Melbourne South might have been pardoned had their feelings been not even dimly religious. The situation would have made St. Andrew himself miserable, so chilly and cheerless wits the aspect of the unlighted and unhealed chamber. The occasion was the final meeting to wind up the a (Tit irs of the old presbytery, following upon the reconstitution of Presbyterian church management in Melbourne —but it might have been a Guy Fawkes eonspiraey iu the eelhtrs of Parliament House, or

a, basement scone in u spy play, with mysterious shadows scampering round the walls, and while faces peering through the obscurity. Pince-nez were adjusted and readjusted, and sore eyes screwed painfully at I lie last documents of the dying presbytery. It was significant (bill no motion was passed calling a blessing from heaven on Hie engineers and gits workers who are out on strike.

A most exciting chase took place recently, when a prisoner named Tn Tanka escaped from a gang at. Waikeria. Stealing a horse and bridle, he rode far into Putavuru ranges, miles from any human habitation (stales the Taumarunui correspondent of the Auckland Star). A sheriff’s posse, under Constable P. Doyle, Te Awanmtn, set out on horseback after the fugitive. They spent all one day in the Kawa Hat near Otorohanga, but saw no sign of the prisoner. On the following day Constable Doyle and a Maori guide sot out on a perilous trek across the Kangiatea ranges to see if Tu Tanka had crossed the Mnungorongii Diver. They rode all morning, having to undress and swim rivers Hooded by heavy rains. When they were practically exhausted from heavy going, at the summit of the ranges, the Maori lad saw tracks of Tanka’s horse. A fast chase resulted iu his being captured as he was- just about to swim the river naked. When caught Taaka made but little resistance. He was reconveyed to the prison. Great praise is due to the Maori hoy for his expert guidance over roadless country. The police understand that Taaka slept within a few yards of his pursuers on Saturday on Kawa swamp.

Sixty doses of XAZOL cost only 1/6. Splendid for coughs, colds, throat and chest soreness. Get busy with XAZOL to-day.

We are asked to warn the public that a lesl of (he lire svren will ho

made al 7.15 this evening:. “The Man of Might” will he shown to-night and Thursday this week, at the Royal Theatre, and not on Wednesday. Don’t miss it. It is more exciting than ever.

The Council of the local Chamber of Commerce spent a_ good deal of time last night in discussing the spirit and letter of some of its bylaws.

The friends of Rev. W. Rainc and public. art* reminded of the farewell social to he tendered to him in the Masonic* Hall at 7.30 o’clock this evening. Occasion will also ho taken to welcome (he new vicar. The conference of local body delegates, to discuss the linking up of the Main Trunk line between Marion or Grea t ford and Levin, will be held al Sandon on Saturday next, al 1.30 p.m.

The clasf-, which has been, held at the Presbyterian schoolroom, has now been removed lo the new school. It is hoped that the furniture will tie in readiness to accommodate the class now in All Saints’ school room in the course of a few davs.

Owing to the dislocation of the railway time-table on Saturday, due to a slip on (ho Main Trunk line, the night train from Palmerston did not arrive a I Koxlon until nearly midnight. The delay caused consider l able inconvenience to passengers, particularly those who were accompanied by little children.

Petly thieving is still strongly in evidence in. Masterlon. The other evening (says the Age) the residence of a local clergyman was visit cd. and his pyjamas were stolen from a clothes line. This is the hist, word in meanness. To rob a ehnreh is had enough, but to rob a parmm of his pyjamas, well

An employer's plaint expressed during the hearing of the bakers' dispute in Christchurch: “The man who employs labour is little better than a lunatic. The man who is struggling along without an employee in his business is the happier man. He can make a good living, while the man employing labour cannot live against him.” The only person Millionaire Guthrie is afraid of is Amy, who is aIraid of no one. In this spirit of mind she hurls mahogany chairs at the butlers, monkey wrenches a! her two chauffeurs, bread at (he waiters, and lip slicks at her maids. See “The Hoodlum,” the Alary Piekford picture of 1,000 laughs, at the Koval to-morrow night.

At the Alethodisl Church on Thursday evening "ext the Rev. C. H. Olds, organiser for the Young People’s Department of the Methodist Church, will address all interceded in Sunday school and Bible class work. Owing to the abandonment of the united service this evening, a special invitation is extended lo ;i! 1-who attend these services to hear Air Old's address on Thursday night. During the lime the local school children have been in occupation of temporary class-rooms, the Presbyterian Church bell has been the tocsin for assembling the children, etc. It has been put to a severe test at times, and last week it cracked. The church authorities are now petitioning the Board for a new hell, on the understanding Unit all damage to buildings, etc., was to be made good at the expiration of the Board's tenanev.

The Post's London correspondent mentions that a strange will case has been decided, in which a legacy of £OOO had been left to a country church, on condition that all of its clocks and services were regulated ‘‘by the true time of the sun," and no attention paid to the legal innovation of “summer lime.” If this condition were not observed, then the legacy was to revert to the Colonial and Continental .Society of the English Church of New Zealand. The Chancery Court provided the curious spectacle of the representatives of two ecclesiastical entities contending: for the same prize, the one maintaining (hat the condition amounted to a breach of law, and the other affirming that if church clocks want to earn legacies they must be prepared to humour those who leave them. In the result, the £OOO stays in Buckinghamshire.