Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1921. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2242, 22 February 1921, Page 2

Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1921. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The climax chapter from the hook of Every woman’s life: “Kvervwoman,” Town Hall, Thursday.—Advt.

A number of Levin residents were lined in sums ranging from 5s to .02 for allowing stock to wander on the Levin borough streets, at the Levin police court yesterday.

Rain is badly needed throughout this district. The weather looked like a change yesterday morning, when there was a lii*ht shower, hut it. cleared again. To-day a si ill' westerly breeze i> blowing.

Flags were living on the Wellington Harbour Board Buildings yesterday, celebrating the completion of the fortieth year of the Board’s activities. Its shipping tonnage for its first twelve months’ work was ■‘144,000 tons. The tonnage dealt with last year was 1,05.1,000 t<nis.

A war memorial in the form of a Celtic cross was unveiled in the Foil ding Anglican Church on Sunday by Major W. TI. McLean, M.C., before a big congregation of parishioner's. The Veil. Archdeacon Tn- . nes-Joues spoke impressively before the unveiling, 'file names of the fallen appear in raised lettering. There passed away at New Plymouth early on Wednesday, in her 80th year, another of the early settlers, in the person of Mrs .J. It. Duncan, widow of thejaic Joseph ltidenl Duncan, who came out to New Zealand with her parents, Mr and Mrs William King Wakefield, on board the ship John Taylor, arriving at New Plymouth on November 28th, 1853. The law of the land demanded that before marriage the history of her parents should be revealed to her. The knowledge appalled her, humbled her, crushed her, and wrecked her future. See Mile. Thea in “Who Has the Best Time,” a U.C.I. special production, at the ltoyal on Thursday. Also Charlie Chaplin in “The Dare-Devil Queen.” —Advt.

The cocksfoot harvest at Akaroa is now being blessed with the favourable conditions that enabled last year’s crop to he cleaned up in record time. The broken weather of the past few weeks, and more especially the heavy downpour towards the end of last month, have interfered with threshing operations to such an extent that some of the seed has become more or less badly discoloured. .

Larry Lemon appears at the Royal on Saturday in “The Grocery Clerk.” Don’t go if it hurts you to laugh. —Advt.

The jury failed to agree in the 'bookmaking charges against James Patterson, at the Wellington Supreme Court yesterda.v, and a fresh trial was ordered.

A fire swept through one of the railway reserve plantations on Sunday. The tire was confined to surface growth, and very little damage was done to the trees.

A peculiar complaint appears to be attacking dairy cows in the Greytown district. In less- than 12 hours they develop lameness akin to a fractured shoulder, and move about with the greatest: difficulty.

Mr Woodroofe, land agent, has at present for quick sale a modern live-rooiued bungalow, situated in Lady’s Mile, containing all conveniences, large sleeping porch, scullery; pantry, porcelain hath, beam ceilings, and also motor shed on section.

Although there are no baths at the local State School, the head teacher, Mr Furrie, takes a keen interest in teaching the scholars to swim in the river. The records of some of the local lads are set out elsewhere, and are very creditable performances. If is hoped that as soon as the borough water supply is installed that swimming baths will he provided at the school. It is seldom an employer in these days receives the spontaneous tlmnks of his employees (remarks the Timaru Pos.t). Such was the experience of the MaekenzieCouncil on Friday, when it was reported that some of the gangs employed thanked the council very cordially for an extra bonus given without request. A shrewd but very hoary old .trick was sprung upon a man who professed deafness at the Wellington Magistrate's Court yesterday. He did not appear to take more limn a very casual interest in the evidence called by the police against him, and < ertainiy appeared as if he did not hear the witnesses, hut the Magistrate, Mr F. K. Hunt, awoke a gleam of consciousness by asking quietly, “Are you deaf ?” “Yes. sir,” answered the man, “very."

The Central Development Farm at Weruroa is experimenting with sugar heel with the view of a possible industry in New Zealand in the future. An area was sown last year, am! another this year, and the seed analysed in order'to secure the most perfect variety. The Jerusalem artichoke is another plant that- is receiving attention in other countries for its sugar-producing qualities, il being claimed to have returned between 25 to 30 tons per acre.

Tn delivering a reserved decision at the Palmerston Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., said that in the ease of a tierson who drove an unregistered motor ear it would have to he proved that the person charged had actually been the driver. ’The Act, lie said, seemed to he rather loosely framed, and it would appear that in the ease under review Jhe evidence was insufficient. It lmd not been proved that the defendant had actually driven the ear on the day in question —the fact of his ear having been driven was not an offence so far as the defendant was concerned. Judgment would, therefore, he for defendant, and the information would be dismissed.

Referring to the request made dial payment of income tax should be made in two instalments, the Prime Minister slated to a reporter that his responsibility its Minister of Finance would not permit him to make this concession. The request amounted to a proposal that one instalment should stand over into the next financial year. If this concession were made the Treasury would have to call for payments of income tax covering a year and a-lmlf during the coming financial year. If another instalment were allowed to stand over the Government would lose half a year's tax, and that it could not afford. The division of the tax was not possible when the collection was being made right at the end of (he financial year. If the money wore to lie paid by instalments, then the first instalment must he paid early in the financial vear.

One of the questions brought before Ihe executive of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association at its quarterly conference at Wellington, was that of the settlement of the ex-soldier on the land. A committee consisting of the president (Dr. E. Boxer), and Messrs R. Bell and D. S. Smith was set up to watch the returned men’s interests and to endeavour to enlist the support and sympathy of leading citizens and farmers. A report was leceived from Mr G. Mitchell, M.P., in regard to Tiraumea Estate. The Government, he said, had bought the estate at £8 an acre: hut il was doubtful whether before the war the estate had paid even at £4 an acre. The land had, however, been sold to the soldiers at £8 an acre, plus all the expenses of subdivision, etc. How, then, was the soldier, especially the disabled soldier, to make it pay ? The late owner of the estate had gone off with a fortune of £40,000, and the soldiers had to “hold the baby.” A delegate: “You will find Rcparoa is practically in the same position, and that the country will be faced with a loss of £IOO,000. Reparoa is an estate where even grasshoppers commit suicide to save themselves dying of starvation.” (Laughter.)

“It is not the farmer who is profiteering,” remarked a local farmer to an Eltliam Argus representative. “For his pigs he is now only able to obtain 4|d per lb., and buyers will not look at three-year-old bullocks if the farmer asks any more than £8 10s for them.

The arterial road between the top of the Wangaehu hill and Wanganui borough still retains the reputation of being the worst for traffic between Wellington and New Plymouth. The whole stretch, about seven miles, wants re-grading and making. Schools under the Wanganui Education Board will close on Thursday, March 24th, for the Easter vacation, and will re-open on 'Tuesday, April sth. It. has been customary in the past to re-open on the Monday, but this year an extension of one day has been granted, so that teachers may have the benefit of the second week-end and return tU their homes on the Monday in readiness for commencing duty next day.

It is fifty years since the Rhine and the Rhone have reached si (eh a low level as at present, and the lack of rain in the Alps has caused an enormous loss of electric power. The lateral bed of the Rhine at Laufcnburg has dried up, making it necessary to close the electric stations. The famous Rhine falls at Schaffhausen have dwindled to a trickle, and the minor electric railway lines have been obliged to return to steam power. Three more bakers were fined in the Police Court at Auckland on Friday last for exposing lightweight loaves for sale, the Magistrate (Mr Poynton) remarking that whoever., baked the loaves was not allowing enough for lost weight in cooking. “That is the crux of the whole thing,” said the Magistrate, “and until bakers allow more as a safety margin these eases will continue to come up." One line of £25 was imposed, and two of £lO each.

“I wish to heaven Armour and Co. would come and ent up you farmers,” exclaimed an exasperated auctioneer who had time and again appealed for attention at the ram fair at Masterton. “That’s right, silence for a minute or two while you chew it over, and then at il again!” Another auctioneer informed the farmers that lie was there for the purpose of selling rams: they were there to buy them, not to discuss Armour and Co., freights, or the price of meat. He desired to point out that there was another place for that.

What the drop in sheep and wool means to farmers is brought home by the experiences of a well-known South Taranaki breeder, says the Herald. He took a line of iirstelass Lincolns to the Waikato rani fair la>t week. The animals, he estimated, cost him 50s each to breed and get ready for show, and another 15s to rail and enter for the fair. His best bid was 10s fid. Last year lie received from eight to ten guineas for similar sheep. Just, before that he got at Wanganui only 7s fid for fat ewes that last year brought 37s fid, and £7 for cattle that seven months before he bought as stores for £lO.

tn a letter to the Sub-provincial Branch of the N.Z. Farmers’ Union at Levin on Saturday, Mr T. M. Wilfonl, M.P., s'ays: —“I am satisfied that the public of New Zealand are not having a fair deal as far as petrol is concerned. I would point out (hat when the Hon. Mr Lee raises the question of London exchange and cost of credit he must realise that I bought my petrol paying the then rate of exchange with America which was even lower than it is to-day, and notwithstanding this disadvantage, 1 got possession of my petrol at 23> per ease.” It was decided to forward Mr WilI’ord’s letter to ihc Minister.

At the Wellington Supreme Court on Saturday, Lillian Selina Krebs, the mother of four children, a>ked for divorce from Robert Max Krebs. Petitioner said that Krebs had left her and the children on several occasions. The marriage was not a happy one, and some of the trouble was due to Krebs’ frightful temper. On one occasion he had sold tlie farm, gone away for nine months, and on returning stated that he had lost all his money in Australia. He left her and the children finally at Foxton after a quarrel, which arose through his knocking one of the hoys about, and when lie left he declared that he would not keep her or the children again. The ‘children had had to gather wood and sell it to help to keep the home going. A decree nisi was granted.

Thomas Needham, who killed his son with a broom, and Frederick Spearpoint, who killed his mother with an axe, came up for sentence at the Auckland Supreme Court on Saturday. In respect to Needham, His Honour said that though the jury were right in not accepting the plea of insanity, it was shown that accused was of an excitable mental equilibrium. If he was capable of ordinary human feelings, his remorse for having in a fit of savage passion destroyed the life of his own son, would he greater punishment than any sentence the Court could 'inflict. He thought he was giving full effect to the jury’s recommendation in sentencing accused to five years’ imprisonment. In Spearpoint’s ease His Honour said there were some mitigating circumstances. Owing to prisoner’s illhealth and other conditions, he probably acted on the impulse of the moment when he committed the awful crime of killing his own mother. Accused would be imprisoned for four years,.

The Palmerston butchers have decided to reduce the price of meat as from Mareli Ist.

New Zealand telegraphic services are shortly to be brought into line with the world’s latest ideas by the installation of automatic telegramprinting machines, whereby the oldstyle dot-dash system will be replaced on the main lines, at least. Mr E. A. Shrimpton. Chief Telegraph Engineer, while on his recently concluded tour of England, Europe, and the United States, arranged for the sending of the first consignment of these machines to the Dominion, and two multiplex machines and one' start-stop combination are due to arrive here by the first direct steamer, possibly next week. The transmitting operator simply types out the message on a keyboard similar to that of an ordinary typewriter, and the receiving machine, transposes the electric impulses hack into typed letters. The principle is similar to that of the tape-machine used very largely in America, and to a less extent in England and Europe for the transmission of advice as to the fluctuations in the stock markets.