LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2300, 9 July 1921, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The F. L. R. Meat Company hud a very attractive display of small goods in their shop window last, night. The red deer sent from Paraparaumu and liberated on the Taranto ranges are reported lo be doing well.

According to the report of the Acclimatisation Society, hares arc. increasing, especially in the Ilorowhenua, Manawatu, Wairarapa and Rangitikei districts. “Idols of Clay," the great Paramount special, is to be screened at the Royal on Wednesday next. — Advt. ‘ - -

The position of superintendent to the Levin Fire Brigade has been filled by the appointment of Mr C. E. Shaw, who recently arrived there from' Dargaville to take up the duties of manager of the Levin gasworks.

Steady, if somewhat slow, progress is being made with the new Parliament Buildings in Wellington, and the line front elevation, including one wing and the central part of the building, is gradually assuming a more finished appearance. There, is still plenty of money for amusements in the Dominion, for according to a Government publication the revenue derived by the Government from the totalizator during May, the revenue from this source totalled £72,007 7s sd. The amusement tax yielded £11,459 9s 4d for those two months, the tax for May being £7,27(5 3s 3d.

As an argument in favour of the State’s cheapening the cost of school requisites to parents, the Minister of Education (the Hon. C. J. Parr) told a booksellers’ deputation Unit parents were compelled to send their children to school, and compelled to buy books. “What aIjoiit providing clothes'?” asked a member of the deputation. “Now, let’s be sensible,” said the Minister, and, he added with'a smile, “we don’t compel them to buy clothes. Many go to school without boots, mid are all the better for it.” It would be hard to beat the following incideui for meanness,, and the facts may be stated baldly without further comment (says • fho Otago Daily Times). A man who had been in the employ of a local tradesman for some years had worked one week up to Friday night, when he was taken ill. He was sent, to the hospital, and next day it was found necessary to operate without delay. Unfortunately, the patient! died, and his widow is left unprovided for. Ilis employer paid the: widow for the last week bo had worked, but deducted the pay for the Snturdnv.

Having sold his wool at 4Ail pet lb., a Manawatu farmer expressed himself cheerfully to a pressman this week. He had been offered 3d a couple of months ago, and refused if. Then when the offer was raised to Id lie decided to put it up for auction, and at the Wellington sale on Monday it was disposed of at 4LI. "Will that pay you?" asked the pressman. “Ah. that is another matter," replied the farmer. "Still, if T had ston'd it it would have cost me the storage. It is bettor to .dispose of it than to hold it." Another farmer told a pressman lie thought 8d per 11*. would be a payable price for average crossbred wool.

A hot exchange between the Mayor and a councillor took place at the Port Chalmers Council meeting, when the Finance Committee’s report was being discussed. The councillor in question wanted details of an item tabulated “miscellaneous.” The Mayor said he would not have that sort of questioning at the Council meetings, its any councillor could get the information by calling at the town clerk’s office, if lie were not too lazy to do so. The councillor who had caused the explosion stated that lie had not the time to call at the clerk’s office for details, and he was not afflicted with the laziness referred to by the Mavor.

An early standardisation of Mrliool books throughout New Zealand was stated bv the Minister (tho Hon. C. J. Harr) as the policy of the Education Department. He saw no reason why the same arithmetic or the same history should not be used by all the boards. There would be ample notice given to the bookselling trade, so that they should not be left with large 'stocks of old books, but they could take it from him, that, in view of the changes that would be made in the curricula. there would be steps taken to largely standardise the books throughout New Zealand. Tntil the courses were reviewed and revised, and came into effect, however, about 1923, there would not be much change. The sentence inflicted by Mr Justice Sim upon the late clerk to the Feutherston County Council closes a very painful incident (says tho Wairarapa Age). Cobb was not merely in a position of trust. He was adequately paid, and he was a highly respected member of the* community, holding various positions in public and religious life, as well as the warrant of a justice of the peace. These facts made it im-j possible -for the Judge to grant either probation or a reformative sentence. To have done so would not have met the demands of The ease, and it would have discounted that standard of probity which the ratepayers rightly demand in their officials. The ease is of a kind unhappily rather frequent nowadays, a concomitant, it would seem, of inflated ideas. It is to be hoped we are near to the end of the list.

A number of people intend to visit, the stranded whale on the beach to-morrow. The visit of the Maori team of footballers to Australia has been postponed until next year.

The flooded state of the river interfered somewhat with flaxmilling operations at the beginning of the week.

v Mr Charles E. Eglintou, a wellknown breeder of Romney Marsh sheep, died in the Wairarapa on Wednesday last, after a lengthy illr.e.ss. He leaves a widow and two children.

A file copy of the “Mnnawatu Herald” for the year 1917, borrowed from this office, is advertised for.

The All Saints’ Ladies’ Guild im tend holding a Children’s Party towards the end of this month, tickets for which are now available. A Wellington telegram states that Oliver Scott, single, aged fortyfour years, died at the hospital yesterday following an anaesthetic. Deceased was a mechanic, residing with his sister at liatai'tai.

The barrow fruit trade in Wellington is now almost exclusively in the hands of Indians. The shop trade, by the same token, is largely controlled by Chinese.' The supply of school books and stationery to school children at cost price, as proposed by the Education Department, was supported by the Canterbury Education Board at a* meeting yesterday. It was decided to compliment the Minister of Education 011 the stand he has taken. As a result of the Levin borough’s clean-up, it took 12 days to complete the work, and 104 loads of rubbish were lifted and carted from private premises. The inspector reported nine occupiers for having an accumulation of excessive rubbish, for which they will be compelled to pay. In all other cases the removal was paid for by the Couih oil in the interests of the public health.

The N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., will conduct a clearing sale on behalf of Messrs Savelle and Newth, at Oroua Downs, on Tuesday next, at 12.30 p.m., when they will offer the whole of their live and dead stock, comprising 34 Jersey and Jersey-cross dairy cows, heifers, and farm implements. etc. Light luncheon provided. See advertisement for full partieula rs.

A sinking paragraph from the official report of the recent jeonference of the New Zealand Workers’ Union —the “one big union” —reads its follows: —“It was resolved to carry out a more militant propaganda in favour of the abolition of peace-work ; the prohibition of overtime; (he. provision by the employers of all tools and equipment required by the workers in their various operations; the adoption of a six-hour day and five-day week in every award; and job control.” The remit, that all workers, irrespective of colour, be admitted to the membership of the union, was carried by “an overwhelming mnjorily.” Feminine interest in drapery bargains was at fever heal at Wellington on Thursday morning, when fully 2,000 women assembed at George and Doughty’s warehouse, in Victoria Street. The opportunity of buying retail in the wholesale warehouse was too great to be resisted, and women packed round the warehouse doors long before they were opened. They also lined up on the opposite pavement. When the doors opened there was as tierce and frenzied a “scrum" as any football lover could ask for. In three minutes the warehouse was considered to be fill! enough, and the doors were closed upon the clamorous crowd in the street. Police assisted in keeping order outside. A glance inside the warehouse showed that the crowd there had been well regulated. The opening of a warehouse for all and sundry to buy in was an innovation, and this accounted for the inclusion in the spectators of many interested representatives of both the wholesale and retail sections of the trade.

Hasty people arc seldom out of trouble, it is said. This is specially so in matrimonial affairs, if one may judge from the domestic dramas which unfold themselves in the Courts. Two middle-aged people appeared there on Thursday (says the Wanganui Chronicle), as the result of having known each other for a 'fortnight and then married. This happened four months ago. ‘‘How did you come to marry her?’’ asked the Magistrate. The lady had already been in the witness-box. The gentleman’s version of how he had been beguiled was simplicity itself. He had been introduced to his future wife, ‘‘and she had picked on me as being a suitable man,” he said. She being a lonely female, and ho being a bachelor, he thought the idea of marriage was not a bad one. Both being willing, there was no delay. Tie soon found out, however, that his wife drank, in fact, that she was rarely sober. Judging from his description of her when sho brandished knives and axes, she was a veritable amazon, although she did not look it in the box. The lady was the complainant in the case, which was an application for a separation order. She made allegations of gross brutality on the part of ho? new husband. The Magistrate refused to make an order, as he considered from the woman’s appearance that she drank to excess, and therefore would be likely to consider that everyone else was drunk.

Special, attention is directed to the striking cash grocery price-list published on page 1 by D. W. Robertson and Co. •