Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, DECEMB. 29, 1921. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2373, 29 December 1921, Page 2

Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, DECEMB. 29, 1921. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Cherry plums are being sold jn Wanganui at Id per lb.

We are informed that the Christmas trade locally this year, although good, did not equal that of last year.

The local police state that the Christmas crowd was very well behaved. Only one arrest was made for over-indulgence in Christmas cheer.

A fair number of local, residents look advantage of the railway excursion fares during the Christmas holidays, but the number travelling on the whole is less than usual.

An unfounded rumour was. circulated recently to.the effect that an arrest had been made in connection with the lire which destroyed the Oroua Downs cheese factory.

“Punch” quotes an extract from a letter written by a native of India to his solicitor: “Please get me this money by fair means, if possible; if not, then by legal proceedings.”

The Foxton friends of the Rev. G. K. Aitken, of: Featherston, will be pleased to know that he is able to get about again, after his recent misfortune in breaking his leg.

The arterial road from Foxton through the Manawalu and Rangitikei counties is in good order. From the top of the Wangahen hill to Wanganui borough the worst piece of road is experienced.

Mr Finlay Bethune, headmaster of the Newtown Rschool, died suddenly on Christmas morning, at the age of 59. He was a well known teacher, and from ISBB to 1890 was headmaster of the Manakau school.

A local resident, while motoring from Wanganui yesterday, passed several men “humping their blueies” in search of work. There are more men on the tramp searching for work at the present time than for many years past.

Teacher: “Can any one tell me what a day at home is?” Little giid: “Please Miss, father says it is a day when mother telephones to her friends to come to afternoon tea and talk scandal.” The truth will out!

A new periodical has just reached us from Auckland. It is entitled “Board and Council,” and purports to lie a review of the New Zealand local authorities. If should be invaluable to members of borough and county councils.

The census figures of 1921 establish Birmingham definitely as the second town in England and Wales. With a population of 919,438, she is beaten only by London, Glasgow and Calcutta within the Empire, and perhaps by not many more than a score of cities in the whole world.

The weather on Sunday and Monday marred the enjoyment at the local seaside. On Monday evening a dance was held in the hall, and every one who attended spent a most enjoyable time. On Tuesday the weather cleared, and there was a large influx of visitors, who spent the day fishing, boating and swimming.

It appeared as if all the children in the town and district had assembled in Main Street on Saturday afternoon to receive gifts at the hands of Santa Claus. The youngsters had a real good time, and the noise of squeakers and other unmusical instruments for a time was deafening. The gifts were provided by the local Retailers’ Association, who are deserving of special thanks for their thoughtfulness.

Mr Mercer, of the N.Z. Aero Transport Co., is at present making passenger flights at Castlecliffe, Wanganui. When weather permits, he is kept very busy. One of Walsh Bros’, machines is also at Wanganui’s seaside resort. In conversation with Mr Mercer, our representative was informed that after leaving Foxton, en route for Wanganui, last week, he circled over Ratana’s camp, which presented a very animated appearance from the air. After circling round the camp, Mr Mercer brought the machine down, much to the consternation of the live stock which were to be sacrificed for the Christmas fare. The Maoris evinced great interest in the aeroplane, which only remained for a few minutes.

Appropriate Christmas services were held in the various local churches on Sunday last.

A fair number of local sports attended the final meeting of the Manawatn Racing Club to-day. Heavy-rain fell throughout this district last niglit. To-day the weather is fine.

Measles and chiekenpox have nmdejtheir appearance among the children of the Pahiatua district.

The s.s. Kennedy arrived in port this morning with a cargo of benzine and general.from Wellington, and sails again to-night with a cargo of hemp.

Special services will be conducted at the Salvation Army Hall on Sunday next, by Brigadier Newbury, Provincial Commandant, assisted by Commandants Buttermore and Holmes. Letters -received by the Australian mail stale that five workmen in Christchurch drew £5,000 in Australian sweepstakes, an Invercargill woman £I,BOO, and a Wellington syndicate £1,600.

The sudden death occurred on the bowling green at New Plymouth On Tuesday afternoon of Mr Janies Thompson, an old Taranaki identity. He collapsed while playing, and died immediately. He was aged 75 years.

“If is a time when we must all economise,” said the Hon. C. J. Parr, Minister for Health, at Henderson on Saturday. “I know my own salary is coming down by £2OO or £3OO in a week or two, but what of that? We must all come down a liTtle.”

The matron of All Saints’ Childrens’ Home at the seaside desires to thank the following for gifts of vegetables, etc.: —Messrs Newtli, Robinson, Chalk, Hussey, Andrews, Robinson, Humphries. Mr P. Robinson will convey any gifts free of charge.

A marriage has been arranged, and shortly takes place, between Mr T. E. Y. Seddon, M.P. for Westland, and M iss Beatrice W T nod, daughter of the late Mr William Wood, of Christchurch. Miss Wood is a sister of Mr B. B. Wood, the wellknown representative golfer and cricketer, aiql a son-in-law of Sir Joseph Ward.

The world’s sculling championship will be decided on the Wanganui River on January sth, between Arnst (present champion) and Hndfield (challenger). In conversation with a Wanganui sculling enthusiast. our representative was informed that Arnst would win by several lengths, unless Iladfield is keeping his true form dark. The other day the challenger and his pacer were on the river with Webb, and the latter easily accounted for Iladfield.

“A mining strike is good for business.” This rather surprising statement was made by a Greymouth grocer. He explained that strike talk among the miners set their wives to the task of stocking the family cupboard with foodstuffs and every penny available was devoted to this purpose, with a consequent temporary improvement in the grocery business. “One day recently,” he said, “I received no less than £ldo worth of orders from Blackball alone. The business done so far this month (to December 17th) equals that for the whole of December last year.”

A clerk, tidying up the safe in the post office at Aquila, Italy, found a

bundle of papers more than 20

years old, one of which was a postal note for a considerable sum of money. No one could throw light on the matter except an old man who had been in the service for more than a quarter of a century. He recalled how a fellow-clerk had been charged with stealing a postal ordei', and, although nothing definite was proved against him, he was dismissed from the service. Investigation by the Ministry showed that the suspected clerk, now a man of advanced years living in Palermo, was innocent of the charge. He has now been awarded by the Government £4,750, the total amount of salary he would have received if he had not been discharged.

A Maori Anglican clergyman reports some sensational cures by Ratana on Tuesday evening at a religious gathering where an invitation was extended to any sick natives to come forward. A blind woman was led up to the prophet by her relatives. She was told that if she implicitly believed in Divine power to heal she would be healed. Having professed such belief, it is reported that her sight was restored, and that she walked away unaided. Another case was of a man aged 30 on crutches, who is reported to have handed his crutches to Ratana and walked away. Another cure is that of a man who was unable to walk without the aid of two sticks.

Referring to the Communistic, Bolshevik and Socialistic proclivities of a section of the community, Mr V. .J. Earner, speaking at a school prize-giving ceremony in Auckland recently, said it was satisfactory to know that the portfolio of Education was controlled by a man who would see that, whatever opinions parents might hold, the children would have the principles of loyalty-instilled into them, qnd that during their school days they would have the opportunity of learning something of the glorious history of the Empire, and what in the past it had stood for and stood for to-day (states an exchange-. “If we get the children right,” said Mr Larner, “it will only be a question of time when we will get the whole Dominion right.” '