NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2347, 27 October 1921, Page 1

NEWS AND NOTES.

An impromptu ocean race is taking place between three Shaw, Savill and Albion steamers across the Pacific, en route from England to Auckland (reports the New Zealand Herald). The Mahia of 7914 tons, from Cardiff, and the Raranga, 7956 tons, from Middejsbrough, cleared the Panama on 9th October. They were followed the next day by the company.s’ new steamer Matakana, of 8000 tons, from The Mahia, which is bringing a large quantity of Welsh coal for New Zealand railways, is due in Auckland on 29th October. The Raranga, with a large quantity of rails for the New Zealand Government, is due on Ist November. The Matakana has general merchandise, and is due on 2nd 0 November. ' “This lad has not been to school for about two months. He is fifteen years old, and in the fourth standard.” The remark was made by Senior-S'ergt. Eecles in reference to a boy brought before the Court at Invercargill for theft of money. He was one of a of six, continued the sergeant. The father was away from home all the week. The lad and two others were step-child-ren, and their step-mothei’, while she looked after her own three all light ,appeared to neglect the others. “Unfortunately,” remarked his Worship, “that is very often the case.”

Referi-ing to “clean-up” day in New Plymouth, the News says:— This is the fifth occasion on which the practice has been carried out. It oi’iginated in New Plymouth, and has been a big success in the matter of cleaning up the borough. Aftef the initial trial in New Plymouth the idea of holding a “clean-up” day was taken up by most municipalities in the Dominion, and was also endorsed by the Health Department. Householders are requested to lmvr all refuse dumped on the kerb outside their respective dwellings before eight o’clock on Tuesday morning. Motor lorries are used in the work of collecting the rubbish, and a start made from the centi'e of the town, the vehicles working towards the boi'ough boundaries. The work necessitates the employment of seven or eight labourers in addition to the drivei - s of the lori’ics.

A subscriber named Bill Jeffrey was advised that his subscription had expired. A few days later the editor received back his own letter, aci’oss the bottom of which was scrawled: “So’s Bill.”

A curious experience was recently reported in a gai’dening journal. The writer of the paragraph was troubled with wireworms in his vegetable garden, and in hopes of trapping them he employed the common method of buiying pieces of potato and carrot. Close bv were some old chrysanthemums which had been planted out. When he came to examine his various baits lie did. not find a single wire worm, but happening to disturb one of the chrysanthemums which had been planted close by, he was surpi’ised to see that it was infested with them, and on further inspection so were the other chrysanthemums. In future he intends to use these plants instead of pieces of potato and caiTot for trapping worms.