LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2480, 14 September 1922, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr Ed. Newman, M.P., opened the Rongotea Horticultural Society’s Show yesterday. Mr Newman was also in Foxton on Tuesday. The police are investigating a case of an alleged serious offence on a little child which is said to have occurred locally last Sunday week. Final arrangements are completed for the footballers’ ball to be held in the Town Hall this evening. The committee have made elaborate arrangements for the convenience and enjoyment of patrons. A line of 1,200 head of fat cattle was sent by special trains to Auckland from the Moivtoa district during the last weeek. The animals will be slaughtered in Auckland and the beef dispatched to an overseas destination. The anniversary services in connection with the local Presbyterian Church will lie held on Sunday next. Both services will be conducted by the minister, Rev, Frank McDonald. Communion a't close of morning service.

The Borough , Council lias given authority to the superintendent of the Fire Brigade (Mr McDermid) to take action against persons for breaches in connection with the lighting of lires in the open and the storage of dangerous and inflammable goods, etc.

“Rivers are almost human," remarked the chairman (Sir James Wilson) at the last meeting of the Maimwatu County Council. “If we display a bold front and protect a threatened bank, the Manawatu liver, recognising the futility of carrying on a losing light, almost invariably stops bothering us and turns its attention to some other weak spot.” Sir James was commenting on a case in point which cropped up in the monthly report of the council’s engineer. The latter reported that the erosion in the Manawatu river, which a few months ago threatened to cut away the main road near Shannon, opposite Mr W. E. Barber’s property, was working destruction lower down the stream towards the Shannon bridge. The whirlpools causing the erosion opposite the above property bad, curiously enough, shifted down the stream several chains, and immediately above the old position accretion was now taking place on rather a. large scale. The sand spit on the south-east side of the river was being eroded away by every Hood, and it was not likely that the old road would he destroyed ut the present time.

“Fancy any two men, with only £7OO between them, wanting to start in a business requiring £16,000 capital,” said the Chief Justice, when addressing a jury. Such cases were an unfortunate feature of the purchase of farms in this country, he continued. A great number of people in the Waikato, Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay had been ruined by speculations of this nature. The following minute concerning the ministry of Rev. F. McDonald, at Paeroa, was adopted at last meeting of the Waikato Presbytery: On the occasion of the transfer of the Rev. F. McDonald from Paeroa to Foxton, the Presbytery would place on record its high estimation of him, both as a member of the Presbytery and Pastor of his late congregation. During his ministry of three years in Paeroa, he has proved himself an efficient preacher of the gospel and a faithful Pastor. Under his ministry the Church there has made good progress, the membership has increased, and the contributions to the work and Church have been well maintained. The charge has been consolidated, and he has left it ready for development both internally and externally. The Presbytery prays that God’s blessing may continue to rest on him in his new sphere. Evidently the appeal of the State Forest Service for systematic planting of trees for the growth of timber has not fallen entirely on deaf ears. At Tuesday’s meeting of the Manawatu County Council a letter was read from the Conservator of Forests stating that, as showing the wide-spread appreciation of the necessity of tree-planting, over 20 local bodies in the North Island were now engaged in schemes of more or less magnitude. In addition large orders had been received for next season’s planting, and many more were anticipated. If the Council had any intention of doing any planting during the 1923 season, it would be well to communicate with the department as early as possible. The engineer reported that lie had planted all (he council’s reserves wherever possible. It was resolved to go into (he matter of whether the council could carry out a further scheme of planting.