NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2481, 16 September 1922, Page 1

NEWS AND NOTES.

/J'lit' Dominion executive of the Fanner*’ Union has appointed Messrs YV. J. Poison, G. J. Anderson imd G. L. Marshall to draw up a suitable set of questions to be submitted to candidates for Parliament.

A woman, aged 64 years, who was before the Auckland Police Court this week on a charge of being an incorrigible rogue, had been before the Court on 197 previous occasions.

The Waikato Times states that, on Monday afternoon, the train from Frankton Junction to Te Awamutu was delayed for half an hour for the passengers by the Cambridge- train, and that when the latter arrived there was only one traveller to Te Awamutu, a achool girl of 13 years. The trial flight at Port Moresby of one of the aeroplanes sent to Papua for exploration work was the occasion of much interest to the natives, who gathered in large numbers from the bush and rushed about cheering. They were wildly excited while the flight was in progress. “This council is, 1 believe, the most successful in the Dominion in collecting native rates,” said Mr T. E, Crosse at a meeting of the Hawke’s Bay County Council. The clerk, who reported that for the year ended on March 31, 1919, 83 per cent of the rates had been collected, was congratulated on his efforts. The whole of the European rates for the year ended March 31, 1920, has been collected. The following resolution was adopted at a meeting of the Dominion executive of the Fanners’ Union held in Wellington: “Thai in view of the serious position which the discharged soldiers on the land are in, owing chiefly to the high value placed on their land, this executive heartily supports the discharged soldier settlers in their efforts towards an immediate revaluation of their land.”

All dairy factories in Taranaki report hig increases in the supply of milk this year The Opunake factory is now turning out: over 16 boxes of butter daily, as compared with 10 boxes a day about ibis time last year (states the Tillies). Prospects for the season are bright. The Royal Air Force will tako over at the end of this month the sole maintenance of order in Mesopotamia, using at the outset eight squadrons of troop-carrying aeroplanes. The experiment, if successful, will effect a saving of four-fifths of tho present expenditure. Tile serious labour troubles recently experienced in the United States had only retarded the returning wave of prosperity fin that country, said Mr C. E. Arnold, of Los Angeles, who arrived in the Dominion this week. The depression, which had been passed through, originated in the Middle Yl'Tst and South-western States, chiefly due to the collapse of the markets for primary products, such as meat, grain and cotton. The steady recovery of these commodities was having its reflex throughout the commercial life of the nation and the economic machine was quickening to a fresh period of prosperity. The lessons of the past ' luid told, however, and there were ample signs that neither primary nor secondary industry would again be betrayed into the hectic activity that characterised the boom which ended in 1919. The Opunake Times says that the railway line is slowly but surely being pushed on to Opunake. the arrival of a ballast engine at tile Te Roti-Kapimi section being announced. YY’ork on the Knpuni-Pihama section is being expedited, and there is a possibility of a gang, together with a steam shovel, being pul on the Opunake end at the Waiau in the near future. Men engaged in the city railway excavations in Sydney unearthed three nuggets weighing respectively six, seven and 14 ounces, also a considerable number of sovereigns. The finds were made within a short distance of each other, just below the surface. It is supposed the finds mark the spot: where booty from some old-time robberies was planted. The nuggets have tho appearance of smelted gold. Interesting reference to the scepticism which greeted the discovery of the use of gan as an illuininant was made by Mr .T. Lowe, engineer and manager to the Auckland Gas tVnipany, in an address in Auckland. The famous Scottish engineer. William Murdoch, discovered the possibilities of gas about the end of the 18th century. To people accustomed to light obtained from candles and oil lamps, this light from gas without a wick seemed very wonderful, li was recorded that when Murdoch appeared before a Parliamentary committee. >a- member asked: “Do you really mean to tell ns that it "ill be possible to have |a light without a wick?” “Yes, indeed 1 do,” replied Murdoch. whereupon the member said, “Ah. my friend, you are trying to prove too much." Sir Walter Scott suggested that they were living to light London with smoke, and Wollaston, a distinguished scientist, declared they might as well try to light London with a slice from the moon. j Preaching at the Napier Cathedral on jSunday, Dr. Julius (Archbishop of New [Zealand) said that people thought too jmneb about what they could get out of retjigion. He related that when travelling 'recently on the West Coast he heard oneI woman say to another “Do you know i ?” mentioning a person in Christ'church, “l ie is a terrible man. he doesn't 'believe in God or heaven.” And the other replied. “Dear me! suppose he is right, what a lot of trouble we have taken over religion for nothing.”