NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2182, 28 September 1920, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

A recent ami hy no means inf refluent visitor to (lie J.P. Court wa> forwarded the oilier day with Ids name inserted twice on the police charge sheet. Having received his reward for misdemeanour number one, lie was again put in the dock charged with having a dog running about without a collar. When asked for an explanation of this offence, he remarked, to the great amusement of the entire Court: “It wul Ink d— weel lae see the dug sportin' a collar when its maisler couldna afford lae wear yin himself.” The fine was a modified one. and “Rabbie” stepped down quite pleased.—-Hamilton .Advertiser.

A Taranaki sheep farmer who is on a visit to. London, wrote to his friend.', out hen 1 : 1 have been down to Weddel's to get (he strength of the meat situation, and 1 consider (hat it is vested interests in the Argentine that have landed us in the present mess. .British capital is in the railways, freezing works and farms, and they have men in the Government who have a pecuniary interest in Argentine trade. All the meat (inns receive 21 per cent, commission for handling Governmeat meat, and conseipieutly it pays them better to handle the dear Argentine meal, which is fresh, than the stale New Zealand that is cheap. 1 walked through Smithlield market, and I must say that our meal looked very unattractive, especially the cut ('arcuses, and most of it was dirty and. dingy.

Heal lovers of Rugby had cause for regret during (he past season at the manner in which sport has been subordinated to gambling on the results of matches in all parts of the country. The following frank paragraph by the Taihape correspondent of the Wanganui Chronicle gives some indication of the attitude of a section of the public, in that locality: “A large number of Taihape supporters of Rugby .journeyed to Marlon to witness the match, and incidentally to collect, if possible. They all returned with complaints of the lightness of the money market in Marion. Marlon football supporters believe in the good old British motto: ‘What we have we hold.’ They carried out their scheme with good effect in one respect, but: not in holding the trophy." Taihape beat Hangitikei by 11 to 7.

It is high time that the Federal Government gave attention to the state of affairs in the Northern Territory. The outlook is becoming rapidly worse, and the whole territory is drifting into a condition of absolute stagnation (says the Melbourne Age). Since the meal works ul Darwin closed down practically no work' is being done, and the unemployed, who .are growing in numbers every day, it re demanding that the Government shall immediately provide them work, or, failing that, provide them with food. A. message to this cited Ims been received hy the Minister of Home and Territories. Government administration has undoubtedly proved a .most lamentable failure. The only alternative seems |u give private enterprise a chance, ll is useless tor the Government to continue making appointments to the Territory service when the Territory is becoming denuded of population. I. uless there is a very radical alteration in (he present slate of a lit airs, Darwin will require not a new Administrator, costing the Government .C 1,200 a year and allowances, hut an officer to control a Government: bureau for Hie relief of unemployed. How longdoes the Government intend to he hurdeped with such a while elephant ?

A new discovery in the storing of fruit without the use of rei rigeraling machinery and ice chambers, mi that il may he preserved’in its original condition for many months, has recently been made in Melbourne, where tests are being carried out, stales the Age. ll consists of wrapping the fruit in specially prepared and treated fibre, rolled out and leased from the bark of certain varieties of eucalypti. The medicinal properties of eucalyptus oil are well known. Used externally or internally or as an inhalant if has proven curative and beneficial for colds and kindred complaints, it is held that these same antiseptic virtues prevent the multiplication of the miero-organisms which cause fruit lo degenerate and decay, and arrest the development, of rot, which of course, is just what cold storage does. Test,- of the value of eucalypti bark fibre in preserving apples have been made, and it is asserted that by its means apples have been kept in good condition for many months, including the hot weather, in a small iron-roofed shingle shed. Experiments are to he made with pears, oranges, and lemons, and tomatoes and prepared fruit will also he sent overseas to subject the new method lo the severe test of tropical shipboard conditions.

The story of bow a dog was responsible for saving the life of a boy comes from Canimblu, nine miles from here (writes the Cowra, N.S.W. correspondent of the Sydney Evening News). The five-year-old sou of Mr W. Peake was playing on the bank of a creek near bis home, when he fell into the water, and was carried down the stream. At once the dug dashed oil; lo the house, and by his behaviour drew Mrs Peake’s attention. He fawned on her and whined, convincing her that something was amiss. She conveyed her fears to her husband, who noticed the dog was wet, and went to the creek. Here the first thing that attracted bis notice was his son’s cap floating on the’ water. A few mimttes’ search clown the

stream brought him to the spot, where his son was clinging to the limb of a tree in the creek. The boy was exhausted when found, and could not possibly have held on more than a couple of minutes longer. After being taken from the stream he was for a long lime prostrated.