LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2374, 31 December 1921, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Strawberries are selling cheaper at Auckland this week than for the last ten years.

“The Herald” staff heartily reciprocates good wishes for the coming year from the proprietors and staff of the .Wairarapa Daily News. The highest output in the history of the Levin Dairy Company was reached last week, when three tons eight cwt. of butter was manufactured in one day.—Chronicle.

Our staff desire to acknowledge wedding favours' from Mr and Mrs Dearlove, and join with their many friends in wishing them health and prosperity.

The influence of Ratana upon the native mind was evidenced by the ’act that hundreds of Maoris who usually patronise the Manawatu ■aces were absent from the recent neeting.

Special services will be held at the Salvation Army Hall to-morrow, conducted by Brigadier Newby, Provincial Commander, assisted by Commandants Buttermore and Holmes. a

At the Methodist Church last Sunday evening, the Rev. L. Minitie, in thanking all who had assisted in making the Christmas services such a success, paid a special tribute to (he “Manawatu Herald.” When dreams come true. The fiancee of an enthusiast of the turf dreamed that Nursing Sister had won the Liverpool Handicap at Awapuni. Her betrothed invested £ls on the strength of the dream, and collected almost £2OO. —M.D. Times. At the Taranaki Jockey Club’s meeting this week, the totalisator handled £25,040, as compared with £37,015 on the second day last year, making £57,000 10s for the two days —a decrease of £25,051 10s compared with the two days last year. The Auckland Star of Wednesday says:—The position at the moment of the market in ham, bacon and butter is somewhat indefinite, but people dealing with these commodities are agreed that prices to the consumer will show a decided drop within a few days. Already ham is being retailed locally at threepence per pound less than was the ruling price last week, and a progressive decline in the prices of bacon and butter is anticipated. It seems almost certain that a drop in the price of butter will be announced next week.

There was at least one lucky individual at the Awapuni races on Monday. In the last race he collected £250 off Astinome, and was evidently delighted with things in general. He was generous, too. While making his way to his car with a party of friends, he called out to an individual who was standing near: “Do you want £1?” The astonished one naturally said “Yes,” and he got the £l. Two other similar gifts were made to bystanders before the sport reached his car. An unusual incident was associated with the running of the Auckland Trolling Cup at Alexandra Park, Auckland, on Tuesday. One of the limit horses, Comedy Chief, to have been driven by the owner, R. A. McMillan, lost his driver just as the race started through the sulky of another competitor colliding with that of Comedy Chief. Notwithstanding the loss of his pilot, Comedy Chief went to the front, and trotted out the race just as though he was being driven. Every time a competing horse would range alongside Comedy Chief, the latter would extend himself and draw away without the semblance of a break, and he was the only horse in the event to withstand the great finishing run of the backmark horse, Man o’ War, actually passing the post about a length in front of the latter.

An elderly man arrested for drunkenness in Napier on Christmas Eve had in his possession £129 in notes. When accused realised the value of his cash,he quietly said that it was a good thing he had been arrested. He added that he had over £20.0 when he arrived in Napier a few days previously, and he did not know where the balance had gone. He remembered giving “a few pounds" to his friends, and that was till. To mark his appreciation of the consideration (and protection) given by the police, the discharged prisner offered to donate £1 to a fund the police were raising for a blind comrade in Oamaru, the man having read the heading to the list while awaiting the opening of the Court. In order to protect the man against himself, the police had him put on a train bound for his home somewhere up the Main Trunk.

SAVE THE EXPENSE. Do not call in a doctor when you sprain your ankle. Bathe your ankle in water as hot as can be borne, and rub in Chamberlain’s Pain Balm freely. Repeat the rubbing several times, and in two or three days you will be able to get about and will be quite cured in less than a week. For sale everywhere. —Advt.

Sir Robert Stout, who has reached Sydney on his return from England, left for New Zealand yesterday.

For using obscene language, a negro was lined £5 at the Palmerston police court yesterday. Sir Andrew'Russell has informed the Hastings Tribune that lie has definitely decided to stand as an independent candidate for Hawke's Bay at the next general election. Mr Herbert Gifford Moore, the well known solicitor of Palmerston North, died on Thursday, at the age of 5S years. He had been in illhealth for a long time.

Mr W. Higgins, of AVaitotara, has beaten the record for sheep shearing. On Mr Moore’s station, Maxwell! own, last week, he put through a total of 312 sheep in 8 hours 24 minutes.

The London Daily Chronicle gives prominence to the suggestion of the Inspector-General of Mental Hospitals in New Zealand that where a plea of insanity is raised in criminal eases, notice of the fact must be given before the trial, so that a special board may examine the accused, and report to the Judge. When a man at the Supreme Court at Hamilton last week, who was charged witli a number of thefts, was declared to be an habitual criminal, his counsel said the accused must have a kink, to which the judge retorted that every one who committed a crime had a kink, and it was his duty to straighten out the kink.

Several local business people have been busy on a rat-extermi-nating campaign during the past week, with more or less successful results. The Borough Council will distribute poison for rodents free of charge to householders upon arrival, notice of which will be given. Householders are specially requested to destroy garbage and filth, upon which (he rodents thrive.

The breaking-up ceremony at the Bayfield SehooJ, Auckland, provided a touching incident. When one of the pupils, a little boy, was presented with a small monetary prize for a competition he had won, liehanded back the money to the headmaster with the words: “Please, sir, I should like the orphans to have this." “Give me your hand,” replied the headmaster, “You are a little gentleman.”

There was a time when business people presented their customers with presents in the way of sweets or handy calendars. The local Retailers’ Association have descovered a better way, which brings happiness to young Foxton without discrimination each Christmas Eve. The Association levies its members for a certain definite sum, which is expended in toys, etc. These are distributed by Santa Claus in the main thoroughfare during the afternoon, amidst great jubilation. This innovation could be introduced in similar country towns to advantage.

The opinion that Maori school children should receive more tuition in handiwork and vocational subjects in preference to the academic subjects now so largely taught was given much prominence at the conference of the Native School Teachers' Association, at Auckland. A resolution was passed urging upon the Education Department the necessity for an early revision of the native school syllabus, and insisting that in any such revision the paramount requirements of the native people should he the first consideration. Lord Nor! heliffe, in article in The Times, commenting oh ' the closeness of the tie between New Zealand and the Home country, narrates the following incident: —In talking to a young official in one of the great sugar companies in Fiji, I heard something that touched me deeply. 1 asked him, “AA’here are you from ?” “New Zealand,” he replied. “And how oftefi do-you go home?” “I have never been home,” lie responded; “but I hope to go.” It was then I fully realised that throughout New Zealand and the New Zealand proks Britain is Home. And, by the way, in the newspapers the word is always spelt with a capital H.

“How much money has your husband in (he Savings Bank?” asked counsel of a plaintiff in the Arbitration Court at Auckland, who was claiming compensation for the loss of her son. “My husband does not tell me his business,” said plaintiff, “and never shows me his bank-book. All I know is what he tells me —that lie earns £5 a week, and he gives me £4 15s. But perhaps he’s like the rest of the men —they never tell their wives straight' out wlmt they earn. I know one iimn who tells his wife he only gets ha]f of what he does.” (Laughter.) Plaintiff, who was smartly dressed, astonished the Court somewhat by declaring that she had not been able to buy any clothes for three years, and that a pair of shoes lasted her for twelve months.

A gem from the Christmas number of “The Spectator”:—A few months ago I was in the smokeroom of Chavannes’ Hotel at Wanganui, when an argument was got up as to wlmt was the greatest invention of man. There were a lot of bagmen present, and many answers were given, including speech, mathematics, astronomy, printing, money,, taxation, steam, telephones, wireless, gunpowder, aviation, etc. There was one bloke present w T ho was a farmer. He simply said a few words about the price of wool, and relapsed into silence. At last he rose and got as far as the door, then turned round and said: “You chaps have talked a lot, but I tell you the chap who invented interest on money was no slouch —damn him!” shen he slammed the door.

Cable reports from Irelandmdicate that the country favours the ratification of the treaty.

All local business premises will be closed from to-night until Thursday morning next. . The weather does not look promising for the holidays. Warm rain is falling throughout the district, but there is an absence of wind. A Chronicle reporter has been informed that a large butter concern in Northern Manawatu intends paying sixpence per lb. butterfat to its suppliers at the next payment on January.2oth.

The Secretary of the Education Board has informed the Chairman of the local School Committee that Mr Furrie, who* according to press reports, has been appointed headmaster of fhe Stratford School, has not yet forwarded his resignation to the Board as headmaster of the Foxton School.

“There is no such thing as ‘red tape,’” declared Mr W. Gee, chief postmaster at Auckland, when speaking at Henderson, amid laughter. Red tape was really what other people on lied business methods, he added. A Government department could not be treated as a private business, therefore they had to have that splendid thing called red tape. (Renewed laughter.) Mr Gee also said New Zealand civil servants were absolutely free of political influence, and were the most independent body of men in the Dominion.

That many of the young soldierfanners are as resourceful as their fathers and grandfathers were in the earlier days of the Dominion’s history has been illustrated in the Auckland district. A party of young settlers (says the Star), finding money rather scarce for the Christmas time, struck on the idea of pooling all the surplus vegetables on their farms, and sending them to the city, where they struck a high market, and were enabled at the minimum of expense to get the wherewithal to buy a few extra luxuries for the festive season, and have a good time beneath the cool shades of the fern trees which grew around their primitive homesteads.

The final deposits of £IOO aside were put up at the AALanganui Herald office on Thursday morning in connection with the sculling championship. Iladfield’s was paid in by one of his supporters, while Arnst cycled down from his camp and paid in his own cheque. The champion is looking fit, and did a fast two and n-half miles row on AA T ednesday. On Thursday afternoon he took matters easy. The supporters of Hadfield are very confident, but the balance of opinion there seems to lie in favour of Arnst.

There passed away at her sidenee, 123 Scandia Street, on Thursday, one of Palmerston’s oldest residents, in the person of Mrs Septuagesima Shailer, relict of the late Mr G. AA T . Shailer. Born in Brentford, England, and with her husband, she came out: to New Zealand on the Ocean Mail in the early ’seventies, and look up her residence in Feilding for a number of years. Forty years ago she went to Palmerston, where she had resided ever since. Her husband predeceased her three years ago. She leaves a grown-up family- to mourn her loss. Mrs G. T. AVoodroofe, of Foxton, is a daughter of the deceased. On the deck of (he Paloona Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote his farewell to the Dominion: —“Farewell, New Zealand! I shall never see you again, Wi yerlmps some memory of my visit may reuuu'x —or not, as God pleases. Anyhow, my pwn me—, mory will remain. Every man looks on his own country as God’s own country if it be a free land, but the New Zealander has more reason than most. It is a lovely place, and contains within its moderate limits I lie agricultural plains of England, the lakes and hills of Scotland, the glaciers of Switzerland, and the fiords of Norway, with a fine, hearty . people, who do not treat the British * newcomer with ignorant contempt or hostility. There are so many interests so many openings that ' it is hard (o think that a man will not find a career in New Zealand. Canada, Australia, and South Africa seem to me to be closely balanced, so far as their attractions for the emigrant goes, but when one considers that New Zealand has neither the winter of Canada, the droughts of Australia, nor the racial problems of Africa, it does surely stand supreme, though it demands, as all of them do, both labour and capital from the newcomer.”