LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2320, 25 August 1921, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

“I look upon the kea as the most entertaining bird in the world,” said Mr Edgar Stead, in the course of a lecture at Canterbury College, on bird life in Xew Zealand. “It has a great sense of humour, and an extraordinary intelligence.’ l ' Mr Stead went on to describe some of the kea’s little ways. He had known the birds to pimk off the pebbles covering a light wire trap, set to catch them, and then drop it over a prechoice!

The farewell given on Monday night was to Mr H. Gray, of the local Railway staff, not Mr D. Gray, of tho Post Office, as previously reported. Mr R. P. Broad, organising teacher, will act as head master of the local State school from September 6th, pending the return of Mr Furrie.

Whitebait was retailed locally yesterday at from 2s Gd to 3s-per lb. One local buyer was paying 2s 10d per lb. for it. Yesterday’s Wellington wholesale offer to local suppliers was £5 per tin (341bs. nett), f.o.r. When Mr Massey and Sir James Allen, New Zealand High Commissioner, received a private deputation urging direct trade between New Zealand and Bristol, on the ground that cheaper distribution was available therefrom, Sir James Allen incidentally declared that it could not be too widely known that New Zealand needed young women of good health and domestic habits. Lord Northcliffe will motor in New Zealand from 27th August to 3rd September. He has been overwhelmed with invitations from New Zealand and Australia, but is only able to accept official hospitality, owing to the large number of private friends to be visited. He will leave Sydney for the Philippine Islands on Ist October, after the briefest visit (o Tasmania.

“I am glad a slump is coming,” was the comment of Sir John Salrnoml at the Supreme Court at New Plymouth on Saturday morning, when counsel said it was a common thing in Taranaki for farms to change hands quite a number of times, even during negotiations for sale and purchase between two parties. As to a slump coming, counsel suggested that butter-fat prices this season looked like being better than ever.

The Sinn Fein oath reads as follows: “I solemnly swear or affirm that I do not and shall not yield a voluntary support to any pretended Government, authority, or power within Ireland hostile or inimical thereto; further, that to the best of my knowledge and ability I will support and defend the Irish republic, and the Irish republic’s government, which is the Dail Eireann, against all enemies, foreign and domestie, and that I will bear I rue faith ami allegiance thereto. I take this obligation freely and without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion.” Air C. Fraser, of Palmerston N., who refereed the Springboks-Auck-land match, played at Auckland last Saturday, stated at a meeting of the Manawatu Rugby Union that several members of the South African team had told him, while in Auckland, that the Combined team’s bucks bad been the best ol‘ till the provincial teams which they had occasion to meet. They also referred in high terms to the solid forward division. The Springboks were surprised by the local men’s performance, and considered themselves lucky to “get out” with a three-point win.

Towards the end of last week a young girl had a very narrow escape from death on the face of Bluff Hill, Napier. While she was walking (dose to the edge, the earth suddenly gave way, and what looked like certain death was only prevented by the girl falling on to a ledge about 2IJ feet from the top. Her brother, who was accompanying her, at once went for assistance, and secured the services of the signal station-keeper, who lowered a rope to the girl. This she tied round her waist, and was then pulled to the top. Her only ..injury was a slight abrasion on one hand.

“Joy-riding” in 'other people’s motor ears is increasing in favour amongst the sneak-thief class in Blenheim, and is, in fact, assuming serious proportions (states the Marlborough Express). The “borrowers” of cars are adopting means of evading detection; a car taken from outside His Majesty’s Theatre on Thursday night, and found in a Springlands lane, had had the number plates smeared with grease and then dusted with, earth, so as to make them illegible. It will soon, apparently, be necessary to place a padlock on a car left by itself for any length of time.

At the end of July an intrepid voyager landed in Suva from England (says the Suva correspondent to the Sydney Daily Telegraph). He is an active man. clean-shaven, full of energy, witty, clever talker, and of attractive personality. He is Lieut. G. P. H. Mulhauser, R.N.R., and he left England in September last, in the little 28-ton yawl-rigged yacht Amarillis. Tie voyaged aeross “the Pond” to America, visited several ports in the Caribbean Sea, called at the Marquessas and Samoa, and reached Suva without any exciting happening beyond some rough seas and good blows at intervals. He proposes to stay in Fiji for some weeks, and about the end of August to go on to Sydney, and thence to New Zealand, probably Auckland. The. Amarillis is about 40 years old, but a staunch little sea craft. She has a small screw for river work.

Clip your nails and trim your whiskers! “Brush-up” smart and show your breed, Hold your own among “fine frisk-

ers, If you don’t you'll “run to seed!” Wear no garments antiquated,

All old-fashioned fade abjure. For colds refuse all dopes outdated, Insist on Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure.

The scow Maroro (Captain Mariner Holmes), from Gisborne, concerning which anxiety has been felt owing to the long time she has been out, has been sighted off the Sydney Heads, in good condition.

A man named William Grinrod suicided in a public park at Wellington by hanging himself. He is aged fifty-five years, and leaves a wife and family. He had been suffering from insomnia. Mrs McDonald, wife of Mr McDonald, our local stationraaster, should be a great acquisition to local musical circles. Mrs McDonald, who possesses a cultured voice, will make her first appearance locally in the Town Hall to-night. A final reminder is given of the Methodist Anniversary Concert and social to be held in the Masonic Hall at 8 o'clock this evening. A capital programme has been arranged, which should attract a large audience.

Frank Walter Barnes, who was charged before two J’s.P. at Palmerston last week with the theft of a wedding cake, and concerning which the Justices were unable to agree, came before Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., on Monday on the same charge, and the case was dismissed.

Master “Bill’' Christie, of the local State School, has been appointed captain of the Manawatu primary schools reps., who will tako part in the district school rep.games which start at Wanganui on Saturday. The districts taking part are Manawatu, Wellington, Wairarapa and Wanganui. A meeting of the “United to Assist League” was held in All Saints’ schoolroom last night. It was decided to hold a concert at an early date, to raise funds. The Rev. Mr Walton arranged to engage a number of performers from Levin to provide the first half of the programme, the second half to be provided by local talent. A further meeting to make final arrangements will bo held on Wednesday evening next.

The death occurred at Ivaiapoi on Sunday, the 14th inst., of Mrs \V. Jury, wife of Mr W. Jury, of that town. The deceased lady, who was (it) years of age, was very well known, having resided in the Kaiapoi district practically all her life. She leaves a husband and a family of eleven sons and one daughter (Mrs A. Wallbutton, of Foxton) to mourn their loss.

A very old resident of Palmerston North, in the person of Cecil Augustus Victor Ilotezzi de Cortando, Baron von Blaremberg, died yesterday at his residence. Mr Blaremberg, as lie was familiarly known, had resided in tiiis country for 53 years, and formerly conducted it private school. The late gentleman, who was 78 years of age, had been in indifferent health for many years, and his death brought a happy release, from long .suffering. He leaves a widow and two surviving sons to mourn their loss.

The friends of Mr W. P. Redgrave (Reddy), the well-known exNew Zealand representative cricketer who played the game in Foxton for some years, will be pleased to learn that he is “still going strong,” and is at present spending a holiday with bis people in Queensland, after an absence of 20 years. Mr Redgrave states that cricket, in Queensland during the past few years lias not been tip to first-class standard, but better things are expected next season.

Writing to a Foxton friend, from South Brisbane, Queensland, Mr TV. Redgrave (“Reddy,” as he was familiarly known to his Foxton friends), says:—“New Zealand, in my honest opinion, is the best country in the world. . . If things don’t improve over this way very shortly, there will be something doing. You can’t imagine what a state this country is in at present, full of unemployed, and some of the poor devils literally starving. Of course, among their number are a lot who don’t want work, hut for all that things are very bad.”

Inquiries made in Greymouth recently showed that, although there is little general distress in the town, a number of painful cases have corns under the notice cf the authorities. Absolute destitution has been reported in several cases. When one home where relief was sought was visited, it was found that three young children werg sleeping on sacks on the floor, covered only by the clothes they had to wear through the day. Another six children slept in one bed. Food was sent by a charitable society the other day to a mother and several children who had been starving for three days. The same society relieved three more had eases of distress.

“I want to give a word of warning to this city and the Dominion,” said Dr. Thacker, M.P., Mayor of Christchurch, at the commencement of the meeting of the Christchurch City Council on Tuesday night. “Three years ago we had a very serious epidemic. The anniversary of its appearance will be about the 14th of next month. A similar phase of mild influenza is now being passed through.” ■ The death of ex-Couneil-lor Cuthbert Harper that day had been due to pneumonia, and there had been various other deaths ‘from a similar cause. Not only as the Mayor, hut as a medical man, he urged citizens not to congregate together, and to take the precautions taken before. The previous epidemic had come in a mild form, and had then become very severe, but the public had not realised the gravity of the position until November.