LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2403, 11 March 1922, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Men in search of work are to be seen daily “humping their swags” along the district roads. A Palmerston North resident- who erected a house two years ago at a cost of £1,(500, sold it recently for £1,300. The Mercantile Gazette says: “A corner in any foodstuffs is a vicious thing, and tends to make rebels of the poor, who are thus deprived of their means of sustenance.”

A meeting of Liberals and Moderate Labour at Featherston on Thursday night officially selected Air John W. Card, solicitor, of Featherston, as a candidate for the Wairarapa seat at the coming election.

The Hadfleld-Paddon race for the world’s sculling championship has been definitely fixed for Tuesday, April 18th, at Wanganui. The race will he rowed at 3.15 p.m.

The local Retailers’ Association have decided to observe a close holiday on the occasion of the school picnic on Wednesday, 29th inst.

Three men are in custody for having caused actual bodily harm to Mr R. A. Kinsella at Waikino last week. Mr Kinsella is in the Waihi Hospital, suffering from a compound fracture of the nose, a lacerated eye, and abrasions on the face.

“1 feel ashamed to walk down the street for fear people will think I am loafing, yet I have only been able to get a few hours work this week,” said a local man yesterday. He said labouring work was very difficult to obtain locally. It is reported, says the Palmerston Times, that overtures are being made to Air B. J. Jacobs, the wellknown solicitor, and president of the local branch of the R.S.A., to become a candidate for the Palmerslon’ North seat in the interests of the United Party.

Alfred Hill, licensee of the Commercial Hotel a't AVoodville, was convicted by the magistrate, Air Free, on four charges of selling liquor to youths under age, and one charge of selling after hours. He was lined £5 on each charge, and the license was endorsed.

The Hon. C. J. Parr, Minister of Education, is to officially open the new Campbell Street School at Palmerston N. next Wednesday. Several of. the local School Committee have accepted an invitation to be present at the ceremony.

The campaign against rats has produced very unfortunate results for one New Plymouth lady. On Wednesday she was opening a tin of a certain rat poison, and something in the nature of an explosion occurred, throwing the contents of the tin in her face. Fears are entertained that the eyes may suffer permanent injury. /

The number of Maoris and Iml 1castes in ilie different counties in tlie Aranawatu and Rangirikei dis--1 riels lasi year were as follows: Rangitikei County, 599; Kiwitea, 3; Polmnginn, 9; Oroua, 268; Manavatu, 242; Ilorowhenua, 1,298; Kairanga, 16S.

The insurances in connection with the fire which destroyed Air J. Purcell’s residence in Patrick Street on Wednesday were: £4OO on the building, and £2OO on the contents, in the London, Liverpool and Globe Office. Mr Purcell’s loss is' considerably in excess of the insurance, as practical!” nothing was salvaged.

The Robinson Crusoe Pantomime Company played to a moderate audience in the Town Ilall on Thursday night. The entertainment was more in the nature of vaudeville than pantomime. The various leading roles were well sustained, but the performance was not up to the usual panto "standard.

Some consignments of new season’s fowl wheat from the South have arrived in Wanganui, and the retail price being asked is 25s per hag. The quality is stated to be good. Apparently there are several grades of fowl wheal on offer in the South, and the prices vary'considerably.

A man named Coman, working in Air AV. Nve’s swamp, 'net with a painful accident on Thursday, which necessitated his removal to I he Palmerston N. Hospital. He was culling flax in the swamp, when his hook slipped and entered his leg at the ankle,joint. Dr. Wvllie 'attended the injured man, and ordered his removal to (he hospital.

The grand ball to he held in the Town Hall next Friday promises to he a huge success. Visitors are expected from Palmerston ayd suryoj unding districts. The Committee are leaving no stone unturned to make ibis a successful opening of the dancing season. A first-class sit/down supper will be provided, ■and music and other arrangements will he of the best.

Speaking af the School Committee meeting-the other evening, Mr Geo. Coley compared the results of labour twenty-five years ago with to-day. He said he had cleared a cargo of co,a I from the ship at the local port between the tides. This’ was not done to-day. “Yes,” added Air Ross, “and caused us to grumble because we could not have a night in port.”

The estimates show that, £60,000 has been embezzled by dishonest Government officials during the past fen and Mr W. T. Jennings, ALP., asked the Govern-, meat, as the result of tlie Te Kuiti defalcations, whether it would consider the advisability}of investigating the present system of Government auditing. Air Jennings is receiving the attention of the Cabinet. The medical superintendent (Dr. G. A. Forrest) reported at Thursday’s meeting of the Palmerston N. District Hospital Board that there was a marked diminution in the number of infections diseases. The number of infectious cases admitted to the hospital last month was-: Scarlet fever 5, diphtheria nil, infantile paralysis 1, phthisis .1. The total number of operations performed during the month of February was 42.

A curious discovery is said to have been made at Butler Bros.’ mill at Ruatapu a day or.two ago (writes the Hokitika correspondent of the Greymouth Star). In the log was found embedded a three-inch shell from a gun. How it got into the tree trunk is not known. It is sur-. mised, howeyer, that the shot must have been tired many years ago out at sea, for the shell (or shot) showed signs of great age, and was much corroded.

The prohibition of -the exportation of (lie following goods has been revoked, by an Order-in-Council: Bags, bagging, sacks, sacking, and piceegoods of jute, hessian, or linen; cotton'piecegoods suited for use as men I-drops, cheese-cloths, and similar articles; manures of every description: platinum ore, and platinum or platinum scrap in admixture with gold or otherwise; rennet; scrap-irrfn and scrap-steel; tungsten and its alloys and compounds, also tungsten ores; and wattlebark.

Consideration of the letter ; from the Palmerston North Friendly Societies’ Dispensary Board, asking I bat members of friendly societies shall be admitted for treatment at tlie Palmerston North Hospital under a special arrangement with regal’d to fees, will be considered at the next meeting of the executive committee of the hoard. In consideration of any concessions granted, the friendly societies are prepared to guarantee payment of the accounts of any of their members who inav be treated at the institution.

Reporting to the meeting of the Mariawatu County Council on Tuesday, with reference to. the recent conference of delegates from the Ilorowhenua and Alanawatu County Councils and the Foxton and Shannon Borough Councils concerning the Shannon bridge, when assistance was asked in raising a loan for (be purposed of diverting the road, which is threatened by a serious erosion in the Alanawatu river, just above the bridge on the Foxton - Slmnnon road, the county engineer said that so far no agreement bad been arrived at, and it was quite possible that the road would be closed for traffic unless a stop-bank and a road were constructed without further delay. It was decided that the matter of going on with the deviation of the road near the bridge be left in the bands of Cr. Barber, with power to act.

It is rumoured (stoles the Otago Daily Times) that overtures are being made to Sir Josepli, Ward to assume the leadership of the United Progressive Liberal-Labour Party. From to-dav the price of bread is being'reduced. The prices are in accordance with those recently gazetted by the Government, and have the endorsement of the Board of Trade... , ’ * Char-lie Harris, in the printing business) got slightly peeved at a letterhead from a doctor who wanted bids on several thousand letterheads, different colours, and; wanted the printing form held So Charlie took his typewriter in hand and ujrote“An\ in the market for bids On one operation for appendicitis. j One, two or five inch incision —with or without ether, also with or without nurse. If apjiendix is found to be sound, want quotations to include putting same back and cancelling order. If removed, successful bidder is expected to(hold incision open for about sixty days, as I expect to be hr the market for an operation for gallstones at that time and want to.save the extra cost of cutting.”