LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2398, 28 February 1922, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Hag was Down at the local post olliee to-day in honour of Princess Mary's wedding. A meeting of the Beautifying Society was held last night. Report crowded out of this issue.

At the local police court this morning, before Mr Hornblow, J.P., John Wheeler, charged with drunkenness, was convicted and ordered to leave the town forthwith, and Charles Wilson, similarly charged, was convicted and fined Ids.

Those present at last night’s Council meeting were: —Ilis Worship the Mayor (.John Chrvstall, Esq.), and Councillors Bryant, Whibley, Smith, Rand, Marlin, Thompson, Walker and Coley. Air K. W. King, Borough Engineer, was also in ntFendance.

Persons passing by Mr Bauck--1;a in's business premises in Main Street at about 9 o’clock on Saturday night were startled by a great commotion inside the shop. Shouts of ‘‘l've got him!’’ and sounds of much scuffling and banging caused people to gather round the premises. The cause of the uproar was a wellplanned rat hunt, and eleven large rats were captured and despatched. Because of the slump in the value of the Dominion's primary produce, ihe Government recently decided to give relief to soldier-settlers in difficulties by postponing the due date tor the payment of rent and interest. Up to 91st January last, the pavments postponed had reached a total of £190,297. Of the amount, C2o,')f)2 has been repaid.

Since the Mnnawatu Gorge road has been under the jurisdiction of an independent Board, great improvements have been effected to the most dangerous bends, which have been widened, and the bridge strengthened. At the present rate of progress it will not be long before this gateway to the Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa districts will have no terrors for motorists.

The roads under the jurisdiction of the Kniranga County Council, and thoir road-making schemes are, alike, an evidence of highly efficient, administration. The arterial roads loading in and out of Palmerston borough for several miles, are second to none in the Dominion, and the up-to-date methods adopted by the County are gradually being extended without in any way neglecting the network of by-roads. It would be interesting to know the saving effected in maintenance over those portions of the roads treated on scientific lines.

A Palmerston visitor to Eox ton, in discussing with our representative the recent tire which destroyed Messrs Levin and Co.’s premises, said many years ago there were a number of mysterious fires in Palmerston which baffled the police. The culprit was at last discovered through an attempt to burn down his own house. He overlooked his house Lank supply, which enabled some passerby to put out the flames and discover his elaborate preparation*. He subsequently confessed to other fire-raising jobs, for which he had a mania.

Ministers of the Gospel as a rule are not overpaid, exeepl a few who happen to land upon plum jobs, and it is, therefore, very rarely that a professional burglar pays a visit to the house of a clergyman. However, in Wanganui on Wednesday afternoon (says the Herald), a local minister received a complimentary call from some light-fingered person, who got into the dwelling through the window. Evidently his conscience hit him very hard, or the inner man was very empty, for, after having a look round, the cupboard was the only place from where anything was missing.

The fallen Royalties of Europe have been engaged in various amusing pastimes, from the humble wood-cutting of Wilhelm to the cavalier escapades of Karl; hut a note of originality has been struck by Princess Stephanie, daughter of (he lure King Leopold of the Belgians, who has successfully applied to the Budapest authorities to run a kincma in the town. The Princess’ life has not been very fortunate hitherto. She lost her first husband, the Archduke Rudolph, in 1889, and nine years later her mother-in-law was assassinated in Geneva. She married, secondly, Prince Elenier Lon.vny, of a very old Hungarian noble family, and had serious trouble with her father over the union.

Burglars who stole the family jewellery and the D.S.O. and 0.8. E. medals of Colonel Levey from his house in Lonsdale Road, Barnes, relumed the military decorations next day. As Colonel Levey was having a conference with the police inspector and detective who were investigating the case, a letter was handed in by the postman. It was an ordinary envelope, bearing a twopenny stamp, and inside were the missing medals, unaccompanied by any note of explanation. Colonel Levey thinks that the thieves were sorry for him —having learned that he had risen from the ranks —and sent his decorations back in a repentant mood. He was originally a private in the Scots Guards, and during the war served with the Gordon Highlanders.