LOCAL AND GENERAL

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2386, 31 January 1922, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Minisielr of Railways told the House of Representatives on Friday that the vote for the Palmerston North railway deviation this year was £(5,000. An indignation meeting of citizens of Tamnarunui was held on Saturday evening (says a Press message), when einphatic protects were registered against the proposed action of the Wanganui River Trust in having the timber in a patch of scenic bush, situated behind the new railway collages, cut for milling purposes. It was further decided to convey the decision of the meeting to the Minister of Lands and the Forestry Department. No hope of changing the Government’s plans in relation to the railway cut was held out by t lie Minister of Railways (the Hon. D. 11. Guthrie) in replying to a question by Mr A. S. Malcolm in relation to the through expresses between Invercargill and Christchurch. He added that the second express going north would, however, not be taken off until after 13th February. Maybe (says the Post) this is an indication of the date of a general cut.

The pine cone industry, though quietly conducted, is a successful and extensive business in Palmerston North. The cones are actually sold for fuel at less than one-fourth what they cost to gather, but in the meantime the seed is extracted by beat and marketed in Europe and America. The extent of the trade may be judged by the fact that one contract alone was for gathering 3,500 sacks, and one fuel supply was 500 sacks.

The local Stale School re-opens to-morrow.

Up to March 31st, 1922, a sum of £143,000 bad been spent on the Manga Into works. The commitments to March 31st, 1922, were £350,000.

Paddon will leave Sydney for New Zealand shortly. He is confident of being 1 able to give Hadfield a good race. His local admirers are presenting him with a new boat. Mr E. Ingram, of the New Plymouth telegraph office staff, has received notice of his transfer on promotion to the position of line foreman at Podding 1 .

The retail price of beef in Auckland is to be reduced as from February Ist. This will make the third reduction since November 7th, the last one having been made on December 2nd.

Members of tlie local Fire Brigade intend visiting Levin this evening to witness a demonstration by the Levin Brigade, and to glean informalion re the constitution of a Eire Board for Foxton.

At the Palmerston S.M. Court yesterday a Shannon resident, Hector Neil Gammed, was convicted and lined £5 for using obscene language, and £1 and costs for failing to notify change of address, as applied to the registration of a rifle.

Exports from the Dominion for [be year ended 31st December last were in value £44,828,827, as compared with £40,441,946 for the corresponding period of 1920. The specie exports included in above were £367 for 1921 and £36,580 for .1920.

A resident writes asking that a portion of the money raised for beautifying purposes be expended on Victoria Park. The writer points out that the judicious expenditure of £IOO in planting during the coming year would greatly improve the Park, which is much used at present.

Nomination of candidates for election to the llorowhenua Electric Power Board for the Eoxton borough and Awahou Riding of the Maim watu County Council close tomorrow, at noon, the former with the Town Clerk, and (he latter with the County Clerk, at Sanson. So far only one nomination for the borough has been lodged.

At the invitation of Mr T. Henderson, caretaker of the local State School, our representative luid a look over the school building this morning. The floors of corridors and (dass-rooms, except for ink stains, would starve any microbe. The windows are spotless. The whole interior is sweet and wholesome for the assembly of pupils fomorrow. The Austrian Parliament has asked the Government to introduce a law making marriage dependent on a medical certificate assuring tl/ 1 satisfactory health of the couples. It is urged that persons suffering from incurable or infectious diseases should be-excluded from wedlock, and that the authorities should !»o empowered to enforce the cure •f infected persons.

Replying to Mr C. E. fstalham in Ihe House of Representatives yesterday, the Hon. E. P. Lee said he would inquire into the circumstances under which two young men were sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for breaking into a wbare in the Dannevirke district, but lie would not promise to interfere with the sentence, us to interfere with the course of justice was a serious matter.

A sad fatality marked the weekend at Kaiwarra. A woman named Hind, who had been on a visit to the Unit Valley, was returning to town by the suburban service on Saturday evening, and at the Kaiwarra slop she evidently intended to I olive the train, and remained on the station until after the train started to continue its journey-.- Attempting to board the train, she fell beneath the carriages, and was killed.

A motorist travelling on the Foxton-Shannon road saw two neat parcels on the road. The car was pulled up, and the driver was astonished to read the following inscription on the outside: “You’ve been had, you fool.” From a safe distance there was an outburst of juvenile laughter, as the fooled motorist dashed the parcels to the ground. After the lapse of years, one of his juvenile tricks had come back on him.

During the course of his sermon at the Presbyterian Church on Sunday night, tiie Rev. Thos. Halliday referred to the rescue of the crew of the 11. B. Sterling by H.M.A.S, Melbourne, in response to the wireless call for assistance. He paid an eloquent, tribute to the rescuers, and said such actions made one proud of tlie nation to which we belong l . Such acts were a tribute to Christian principles. During the service (lie hymn, “Fierce Raged the Tempest,” was sung.

A visitor lo the local seaside informs us that Eoxton does not appreciate the .valuable asset it possesses. He says the river foreshore is by far the best and safest bathing and boating proposition between Auckland and Wellington, and the sea beach, with its miles of firm sand, is excellent for surf bathing with less risk from backwash than most other seaside resorts. There is ample room for the planting of suitable trees, which would add to the attraction of the resort. “A big obstacle,” be remarked, “was the lack of direct communication by rail.” He added that if a light railway fb the seaside connected with the train service, the seaside would attract large numbers from the inland towns,