Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1921. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2243, 24 February 1921, Page 2

Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1921. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Good soaking rains fell throughout this district-on Tuesday night. The Colvton Schools’ picnic is to lie held at the local seaside tomorrow.

Mr F. J. Nathan has decided not to contest the .Mayoralty at the forthcoming municipal election in Palmerston North.

A total of SS divorce eases is set down for hearing before Mr Justice Stringer at the present silting of the Supreme Court in Auckland. A. 0. Sumner, a crippled man, who had been discharged from the Trentham military hospital, fell down a staircase to the ground at an hotel on Monday. He was removed to the hospital, where it was found that both thighs were fractured, and he died from shock.

It is intended to establish an aerial mail and passenger service between Napier, AYairoa and Gisborne, and for this purpose an airplane of 130 h.p. was landed at Napier on Saturday. Besides carrying mail matter, the machine has been built to carry a pilot and two passengers.

At the Christchurch Magistrate’* Court on Monday, Mr McCarthy imposed fines of £ls on Stacey and Hawker, and £lO on John Gilmore, bakers, for selling under-weight loaves. The Magistrate said the loaves were seldom found overweight, but were frequently underweight. The consumers were paying a high price for bread, and mustbe protected. A rep. cricket match, Wanganui v. Manawalu, has been arranged to •be played at Palmerston North on Good Friday and the day following. The Revs. 11. G. Blackburnc and J. Hobbs wrote to both associations protesting against the match being played on these days, but they were informed by the association that the fixture would not be altered. as they could not see that any harm was being dmic. At the Auckland Police Court, before Mr J. W. Poynton, 8.M., Thomas Clark and -Adam Davis were each lined £SO for sly grogselling. Clark sold a bottle of whisky to a constable on the street on Sunday, and Davis sold beer to a constable in a house. The constable stated that the accused said lie usually received about twelve dozen every Saturday, and they were generally sold by breakfast next morning. BURNS AND SCALDS.

Constable Shannon, of Greymouth, lias* been transferred to Otaki, in place of Constable Satherlcy, who is very ill at Rotorua. An old resident informs us that the recent spell of dry weather was the longest he had experienced during a period of over 30 years. The screening of the eight-reel feature, “Everywoman,” will comtnence at the Town ITall at 8.25 tonight.—Advt. The death occurred at Carterton yesterday, after a lingering illness, of Mr j. T. M. Hornsby, ex-M.P. for Wairarapa, and a well-known journalist. A gaslight croquet tournament was held on the Otaki. green on Tuesday night. Mesdamcs Hodge and Olliver tied for first place, and on the draw the former won.

\Ye are asked to remind those who have tickets for sale in connection with the Carnival art union that children under 10 years of age are barred from publicly offering same for Sale. There was an exchange of ministers and cjioirs between the -Methodist Churches of Levin and Foxton on Sunday evening. The Rev. Air Harding conducted ihe service at Levin, and the Rev. Mr Frost at Fox ton. There were large congregations at both churches, and the exchanges were appreciated by Ihe congregations. The innovation will be repeated at a later date. The principle of the abolition of credit by bakers, which was discussed at the recent Dominion Conference in Auckland, has been affirmed by ''the Auckland Master Bakers’ Association. The Herald states that if is anticipated that at an early date the coupon system of payment-of cash on delivery will be inaugurated throughout the city and suburbs.

A case of inlere-i to employers and apprentices was beard at the Pelone Magistrate's Court, when F„ Baltersby proceeded against an apprentice for breach of his indentures. in that lie bad not finished bis term of apprenticeship. For defendant, Mr A. Fere contended that the Act provided that where an apprentice was over the age of 19 years lie could not be held by his master. The Magistrate, Mr F. K. Hunt. S.M.. agreed, and the case was dismissed.

“What about the Levin-Great ford railway?" was asked Mr Veiteli, M.P., when addressing the Development League at Marion a few davs ago. Mr A ciicli said that be had opposed it. a- il would divert traffic from Palmerston North. He believed that il would not be to Marlon's interest to agitato for a railway to divert traffic through “No Alan's Land,” and overlook Palmerston North. If the district in question wanted a railway they could go in for if, but lie would not favour a line that would demoralise the surrounding districts.

“One of the crimes of the twentieth century when looking for a house is lo have a family." said Mr S. E. A!'Car! by. K.AL, at the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court last week. “The Court and the community arc faced with this serious house shortage. Il is all right to talk about a AA'bile New Zealand, and of tilling up Ihe waste spaces with more population, hip there is discouragement to a man taking a wife and rearing a large family; if he cannot rent a house suitable for a family of moderate means. Legislators -should find a remedy for the position that lias arisen.''

“It is just as important that the Church should say that social exploitation is wrong as it is to say that individual thieving is wrong. It is just that timidity in reference to social problems that loses so many men to the Church, and particularly so many young men. The Church must insist that men are something more Ilian wealth. The "Church must say that men are something more Ilian money. The weight of the Church must be placed against all the soul-destroying influences working against the people, such as the aggregation In towns and bad housing," said Professor J. E. Condi iff e in the course of an address to members of the Christchurch Council of Churches.

The Government Gazette contain.' interesting information- concerning the acreage of occupied holdings within the Dominion. This shows the total area of occupied land to be -13,473,0(0 acres. Oi this, one-eighth is held in areas of over 50,000 acres. The principal large areas are in the mountainous country of Canterbury and Otago. In ihe Taranaki land district there is not a single bolding of over 10,1)00 acres, and comparatively few holdings between 3,000 and 10,000 acres. In Hawke’s Bay, on the other hand, over a million acres are held in areas of from 10,000 acres upwards, and in the AA ellingtoir district over 700,000 acres. Taking the Dominion a- a whole, there are 15,041.817 acres* or more than a third of the total occupied land, held in areas of 10,000 acres upwards.

The highest salaried actor in the world is William Furnum. He ap-

pears at the Royal on Monday, in “The AYolves of the Night.” —Advt. “The Grocery Clerk,” to be shown at the Royal on Saturday, featuring Larry Semon, is said to be the funniest picture ever shown. —Advt.

Only one criminal ease is so far set down for hearing at the sittings of the' Supreme Court in Mastertom It is a ease of alleged obscene language from Carterton. The Rev. G. K. Aitken (late of Fox-ton) delivered a very interesting address to the Featherston school children last Friday afternoon, says the News.

By advertisement Air G. G. Kelly notifies that he has disposed of his motor and cycle business in Foxton to Air Norman Hughes, of Levin. Accounts owing may be paid to Mr Herman Graham.

*Mr H. J. Thornton, assistant secretary to the AATinganui Education Board, has been appointed secretary to the Taranaki Education Board, in place of Air P. S. AVhitcombe, retired. Mr H. AY. Bundle has been appointed to (lie magistracy. He was admitted to the bar in 1904 and practised in Lawrence and Dunedin. He served with the Imperial forces from 1910 to 1919, and is now resident in Palmerston North.

“No, that’s what is worrying me,” was the ambiguous reply given by a defendant in the witness box at Petonc Alagistrate’s Court. He was being charged with being oil licensed premises during closed hours, and was asked by the Bench whether lie did not have a drink upon that occasion.

A party of Tangoio Maoris left Napier by Aard ear on Friday to visit Ratana, the Fa 1 1 Ii - healer, reports the Daily Telegraph. The worst afflicted of them all was a baby hoy, who was suffering from pneumonia. The journey did not improve the child’s condition, for it died one hour after the party reached Ratana, and before it could be taken to the healer.

After a lengthy Cabinet meeting mi Tuesday, the Prime Minister announced that Mr.Downie Stewart, ALP. for Dunedin AYest. was to he the new Minister in the place of Hon. Sir AYm. Herrics, who has resigned the portfolios of Labour, Native Affairs, Marine and Custom'. but not his membership of the Executive, before leaving for the Old Country. Air Stewart is to take over tin 1 portfolio of Internal Affairs from Hon. G. •). Anderson, and will bold one other, while Air Anderson retains the Labour and Government Printing Department portfolios. and will hold one other. The readjustments are to he complete before the House meets on March 101 h.

Now that the Prince of AA tiles is m England once more many new stories, brought back by members of his suite, are being circulated < uncorning him. One of the best refers (o tin incident in Australia. The Prince was taking tin early morning gallop alone, when he bad some trouble with his saddle, and dismounted. An Australain boundary rider happened to pass, and, seeing a stranger in difficulties, tent a band. The girths adjusted, the Prince thanked the Aussie cordially for his help. The Aussie recognised the English accent, and asked the Prince whom he might be. “I'm the Prince-of Wales,” was the answer. “Hull!" said the Aussie, who thought his leg was being pulled. “Are you? AA’ell, I'm his father!’’ AATili that lie rode away. The next day (says Pearson’s Weekly) the Prince saw til a reception his friend the boundary rider. Pushing his way through the crowd, lie seized him by the hand. “Hullo, dad!" lie said.

Atnong'l I lie passengers who arrived in Wellington by the Moana was Airs Gladstone AYard, daughter-in-law of Sir Joseph and Lady Ward. Airs AYard was, before her marriage, Aldlle. Sophie Harb, ol Greek parentage, and bad lived till her life in .Jerusalem. Indeed, she knows no country except Palestine, as she and her husband joined the Naldera at Port Said, and connected with the Aloana in Sydney. To Airs AYard, her sister, and father belong the honour of being the very first people to greet the victorious British Army upon its entry into Jerusalem. Her home, on the outskirts. was between the Germans and Turks on the one hand, and the British on the other. For days shells were dropping all round them, and they bad to live in their cellar. Then one day the firing ceased, and they ventured out. Right overhead were two British aeroplanes, and very soon the advance guard came riding along the Bethlehem Road. Airs AYard and her sister knew practically no English, but they knew that flowers represented welcome, so they met the soldiers with flowers. Air and Airs AYard have a farm near Christchurch. and intend to make their home there.

AAlien perusing the 1905 price list of grocery commodities everyone sighs for the times which are gone, and wishes futilely enough that some at least of the then ruling values were in vogue to-day. In those days the pound sterling was indeed worth twenty shillings worth of groceries, but this, alas, is hardly the case to-day. In 1905 butter wascosting the consumer but Is per pound; eggs were offered at Is per dozen, raisins at fid per pound, pastry butter at lOd per pound, sago at 2d per pound, barley at 24 per pound, candles at 9d per packet, cream of tartar at 2s per pound, and kerosene* At 7s Cd per case.

The Hon. E. P. Leo (Minister for Justice), replying to a question in regard to the ease of the man Matthews, convicted of murder, said: “1 have had several communications in connection with the case, giving various grounds for the commutation of the sentence. I have been informed also tha,t a petition is coming from Invercargill. A meeting of Cabinet will be held in due course, when all these communications will, of course, receive the most careful consideration. No date has yet been fixed for the meeting of Cabinet.” “Money is tight in this country, and it is going to be tighter,” says the Minister of Labour. “But we must not get down and whine. We must get down and shove the old coach along instead of sitting in motor cars and letting it get along the best way it can.” The man who adopted a go-slow policy at this juncture was a traitor to his country. It behoved everybody to get down to work. That was theway to help to make this a great country and to tide over its difficulties. The Word of God, which all respected, said that ‘ln the sweat of his face so shall he eat his bread.’ ” A flax stick with a diameter of 5 A inches and a circumference measurement of 17? inches is something of a novelty to the present generation (says a W airarapa paper). A splendid sample of the giant flax stick was found near the junction of the Runmahunga river with the Wairarapa Lake by a native, who stated that in (lie old days in some districts giant flax was quite common, the blades being so large that a man could nearly hide behind a single blade. Taking the gigantic size of the flux stick into consideration, the story is not past credence. The stick is to be sent down to the Wellington Museum.

Says the Wellington correspondent of the Wanganui Herald: — Zealous advocates of the purification of* the racecourse bad hoped that tile case beard in Christchurch last week would show them just bow far the recent amendments to the Gaming Act would help them in their campaign against the bookmaker. But the points reserved for the Court of Appeal may delay the final decision for an indefinite period, and meanwhile the reformers are faced with the fact that the layers of totalizator odds and other kinds of odds have taken heart of grace from the failure of the Wellington cases, and arc carrying on their business almost as openly as they did before Parliament decreed their extinction. The responsible Minister declares bis intention to see the matter through, but be evidently is not very confident as to where bis good intentions will land him. It is doubtful if all the racing clubs arc doing their duty towards the law very wholeheartedly. It is notorious, in any case, that some owners and racing officials are among the bookmakers’ biggest customers.