LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2307, 26 July 1921, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A fail* amount of whitebait is being netted locally. The ordinary meeting of the local Chamber of Commerce will be held at 7.30 o'clock this evening.

The public is notified that the L. It. & F. Meat Co.’s telephone number is 137. No fewer than sixteen (ires have occurred in Palmerston North since April Ist, making twenty-live in all since the beginning of the year. At last night’s Council meeting a vote of sympathy was passed to Dr. and Mrs Mandl in their recent sad bereavement. The motion was carried in the usual manner.

Those present at last night's Council meeting were : —His Worship the Mayor (Mr John Chrystall) and Councillors Bryant, Whibley, Smith, Rand, Ross, Martin, Thompson, Walker and Coley. It is not generally known (says the Age) that Mr W. Uru, M.P., who was a visitor to Masterton last week, is the heaviest member of the House, weighing not less than 22 st. Next in weight comes the member for Northern Maori, Mr T. Henare, with 20 st. The average weight of members of the Lower Chamber is 13 st. 7 lb.

A visitor to Foxton yesterday was Mr *‘Tom” Levett, youngest son of Air Levett, an erstwhile resident. Mr Levett is the metropolitan inspector of the Australian Provincial Assurance Assn., Ltd. The Marnroa, with the Springboks on board, made a protracted trip down to Lyttelton on Saturday evening. Leaving Wellington at 8.15 p.m. on Saturday, the vessel not arrive at Lyttelton till after 3 o’clock on Sunday afternoon, “owing to a southerly gale.”

The judgment of the full Court on the application of Dr. Mngnnlal Manila 1 for admission as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of New Zealand was deliverer by Mr Justice Sim, at Wellington yesterday. The application is refused.

At the conclusion of to-morrow’s meet of the Mannwatu Hounds; the huntsmen will be entertained by Mr and Mrs Geo. Coley, at their residence. Mr Coley has taken a keen interest in fathering hunting in this district, and the first hunt held, several years ago, was over his property at Himatangi,

Mr Furrie, head master of the local State School, has been eonlined to his bed since Thursday lasi. It will probably be a week or so before he is able to resume duty. The work of the school during the past few months has been somewhat strenuous, and this following on his recent operation has been a heavy strain on Mr Furrie’s health. A ref|uesl has been forwarded to the Board for a relieving teacher.

A llaxmill owner in this district informed the Chronicle that he has had a large number of applications for work during the past few weeks. He states that there are a considerable number of men on the road tramping from one place to another on the look-out for work, the position being just the reverse of wlint it was a year or two ago. when the miller had to be content with what labour lie could get.

Sub-committees of the Beautifying Society have been set up to supervise work on the old cemetery and Easton Park, planting operations are to be commenced almost immediately, on lines laid down by Mr Black. A large proportion of the trees and shrubs planted last year, owing to Into and careless planting, died.

“While we long and hope and pray for the establishment of the League of Nations, and the ideal of the universal brotherhood of man,” said Mr J. P. Firth in the course of an address to tlie National Defence League at Masterlon, “let us swear to God that we will be true to our own country, and keep alive the sacred fire of patriotism."

Jt i- most desirable in every ease, says the Racing Commission’s report, where t<> do so is reasonably possible, that the club should itself undertake the working of the totalimi tor. The practice, which at present largely prevails, of contracting with machine-proprietors on a percentage of turnover basis, is to our mind often wasteful, and objectionable in manv wavs.

Enthusiastic crowd' welcomed Carpentier at Havre. A\ hen interviewed, Descamp.' described Dernp>ev ;t> ;t champion of champions, and the greatest boxer the world has. 'Cen. combining science with iremondoiis strength. Carpentier, who is nineteen pounds lighter, atlempted a superhuman task. Nothing lias been definitely settled for Carpentier' s future.

Dels I Eels! Eels! They were in their thousand' at the .Maori pa at Waitara ye'terday (says the Taranaki News of Tuesday), hanging on lines drying and curing, frizzling against a 14ft. long fire in the open, or smoking in the smoke room. They were of the lamprey variety, and, according to Dr. Pomare, the total weight amounted to four tons. They were taken out of the bed of the Waitara River. Bracken fern is thrown in, and the blind eels become entangled, and the skilful Maori throws them out in thousands. They are regarded as a great delicacy, espeeeiaily when they have been exposed to the weather for a week or two.

The science of orthography, like that of mathematics, is usually a weak point in the mental equipment of the average woman, and possibly the Great Architect intended them for a higher sphere, for which men should be duly grateful, as no doubt they are. This thought is prompted by the fact that when this district was first settled, a Eeilding lady suggested the name for the little Gorge township “Ashurst,” which was duly adopted. Later on it was found that the noble lord, after whom she named it, spelled his name “Ashlmrst,” and it was changed accordingly. Now, it is found that some lady correspondents are confused by the unusual combination of llie letter “h." and address their letters* “Asshurst!’’ —M.D. Time.'.

The Kennedy arrived from Wellington this afternoon with a general cargo, and will sail for Westport to-night. The Wnikite Geyser, at Whakarewarewa, which has been dormant for fifteen years, played yesterday for half an hour to a height of 35 feet.

Although the majority of dazmills have commenced operations, there are still a number of men out cf employment in the district. It would seem as if potatoes are again to become a drug on the market. “Agricola,” writing in the Farmers’ Union Advocate, remarks: “We nil know what happened last year, when a large quantity of good potatoes were allowed to go to waste, some in the ground and some in the pits. Hopes were entertained that matters would be better this season, but prices arc very low indeed —too low to pay for the cost of’ production. Auckland, that outlet for potatoes that has saved the situation for us again and again, is now willing to buy, but the prices offered will not allow farmers to get more thtyi 50s or 55s a ton on trucks at country stations. This shows that there are plenty of potatoes available. There is evidently an oversupply, and.low prices must consequently rule.”

An amazing instance of native witch-doctor’s magic was related by Hr. Felkin at a lecture in Havelock North. When travelling in Uganda many years ago, he met a native doctor who claimed to be able to produce animals from nothing. He invited the lecturer to see for himself. Dr. Felkin was taken into a glade in the forest, where he was 1 old to sit quiet and not move. The native doctor seated himself on the ground near, and commenced to sway his body about and clmnt, until lie frothed at the mouth. In the meantime a row of small fires had been lighted across the glade, and at the end a small hut was built, aliout Oft. high. When all was ready the lecturer was asked to name an animal. He asked for a lion, and immediately a lion sprang out of the imt with a roar, and, after looking round, disappeared in the forest. In succession, a python, a crocodile, and several other animals appeared as called for. As horses were practically unknown, the lecturer asked for a horse, and a beautiful horse appeared. The doctor said lie could give no satisfactory explanation how it was done; whether it was by hypnotic suggestion or not lie could not saw

“We were gratified to find (report, tlie members of the Racing Commission) that racing affairs throughout the Dominion arc, with few exceptions, controlled by men of high standard and repute, and according to the lies! traditions of the sport. Particularly were we impressed by I lie intensity of the interest shown in the clubs of country districts, where practically in every ease there was convincing evidence ol‘ a -incero and earnest desire to carry on the sport with credit to the club and the district concerned. Invariably, where a country club was found to be notably well conducted) with its racecourse in exceptionally good order, tiiosc directing the affairs of that club, or otherwise actively supporting it, were recognised as the very Dost settlers to the district. Certain country clubs in the Auckland racing district- are entitled to special mention. These clubs have, by joint effort, imported from Kngiand two valuable thoroughbred stallions, specially selected by the late Mr O’Rorke, for the purpose of improving the breed of horses in their district. This action is worthy of all praise, and sets an example which might be followed in other districts with advantage to the Dominion.”