LOCAL AND GENERAL

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2522, 23 December 1922, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A very heavy shower of rain tell locally on Thursday night. We acknowledge and heartily reciprocate the season’s greetings from Mr P. Skellen. The local seaside has attracted a large number of visitors for flu* holidays. All the houses are occupied. Local business people state that the Chri.-tma- trade this year compares more than favourably with hist year. We are unable to publish the name- of prize-winners at the local State school until the list is lurnished. This also applies to the list of those who gained attendance certificates.

Though it is generally known that Parliament is to meet early in the new year the Prime Minister has not yet announced the date on which lie intends to call the House together. The Magisterial recount of the voles cast for the Oamartt seat was concluded on Thursday, giving Mr Macpherson 4,0(17, Mr Lee 4,053, and informal 01. Four more absentee votes were received. Mr Lee receiving three and Mr Mine pliers on (>no.

Members of the local Eire Brigade are becoming very efficient in their duties under the instruction of superintendent MeDermid. Much enthusiasm is being displayed by all members and some good practices have resulted. Before another issue of the tieraid is published the Christmas season will have passed. We take this opportunity, therefore, of wishing .•nr readers “A Merry Christina.may good digestion wail on appetite and health on both. The festive season,' coining so soon on the top of the recent elections, is doubly weh-ojml. A verdict of accidental drowning was returned at the inquest held yesterday afternoon by Air A. Eraser. coroner, touching the death of the young man, Ronald Kilpatrick, drowned at the seaside last Sunday morning. The evidence tendered wa> on the lines of that already published. Speaking at a function at Manaia Mr E. Mills said that many people made The foolish mistake of supposing that because a hoy is clever lie should not lie a farmer. Framing ow-a-days was a highly specialised industry requiring scientific (raining. Only the clever could hope to succeed as farmers. The hottest spot in the world is Death Valley, an arid, sunken plain iu California about 12 miles in width and 150 miles in length. Its maximum temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit lm- never been equalled elsewhere. Even at midnight the temperature hover- around 120 degree- and -o hot does the earth become in summer that a. rock or a piece of iron scorches the naked hand;

ToysT"ete., will be distributed to the children this afternoon in Easton Park. The gifts were provided by local residents and business people.

The chairman of the Harbour Board (Mr 4. Lankin ter, M.P.,) and Mr .1. A. Nash, AI.P., are to wait upon the Minister for Railwyas re sorting charges at the local wharf and failing a satisfactory answer to their request that the co-operation of other Boards thoughont the Dominion be obtained to have the chages eliminated. Andrew S. Wallace, a well-known Invercargill clerk, motored to Awarua Bay, on Wednesday, where lie borrowed a rifle to go shooting. He reached a farm house in the evening with a gunshot wound through l,is body near the heart. The victim states that he lay unconscious for a time and then boarded a ear to drive for medical aid. AH Wallace who is 35 years of age, and .-ingle, lies in hospital in a critical condition.

11 pays belter to he a promoter of strikes than an unpaid striker. An Australian contemporary gives some interesting figures its to the remuneration of the members of the Council of Action the Communist administration set up by allAustralian Labour Conference a year ago. Their salaries as union secretaries, organisers, and advocates range front £312 to .£(134 per annum, with pickings in travelling expenses. Eleven members of the council collectively daw £5,000 a year from the workers who keep the strike-promotors in comfort while they and their families do the starving during a strike. An agitator with a sure £OOO a year, wet or dry, can well afford.to urge a unionist to tighten his belt and tight for freedom.

The local Masonic Hall la-t night: was the scene of one of the happiest gathering- yet held within its walls, when the local Druids entertained the children of members and their little friend.- at a Christmas festival. A huge Christmas tree, loaded with toys, occupied the centre of the stage and each child received a toy and forthwith put it to practical use. Bro. Flanagan, of Grand Lodge, was present and delivered a very happy and instructive address and conveyed the season’s greetings to all. A splendid vocal and instrumental programme was submitted. At the conclusion refreshments were handed round. The gathering was voted the most enjoyable social event yet held under the auspices of the lodge. An old man wishing to invest £IOO in war bonds recently toddled to the public counter of a certain post office not 10(1 miles from Stratford (states the Stratford “Evening Post”) and made known his wants. He was referred to the money department and repeated them. Then, with shaking hand he took his cheque boolv from the inside pocket of his coat, and handed it to the clerk with a request to fill it in for the amount named and he would sign same. The clerk gruffly replied that he had no time to do so, and that when the customer presented the cheque properly tilled in, he would be attended to! The old man with still shakier hand, returned the hook to his inside pocket again and slowly went away. “My blood boiled at such treatment of the old fellow,” said an eye-witness, when relating the incident. “That’.- not red tape, either—it’s amazing impertinence and disrespect- for age that 4- growing far too common now-n-days!” The funeral of the late Ronald William Kilpatrick, only son of Miami Airs Kilpatrick, of If) Ward St., Palmerston North, who was drowned at Eoxton while bathing in the river on Sunday morning, took place yesterday afternoon at the Palmerston North Cemetery. The cortege was a lengthy one. and consisted of 3(l motor-ears in addition to the hcar-e. As the procession left the residence of the deceased lad’s parents, the-scene was an impressiv ' one and the blinds in every house along the street were drawn a- the cortege passed. In addition to a large number of relative.- there were also pre.-ent member.- of the stall of Messrs Barraml and Abraham Ltd., by whom deceased was employed and a large number of friends and old school fellows. The Hornl tributes were numerous, and included a beautiful wreath from the firm of Messrs Bafraud and Abraham Ltd. The service at the graveside was conducted by the Rev. -f. H. Boyd, of St. David s Presbyterian Church. Terrace End.

Some interesting comments <>n the economic conditions prevailing in the Dominion at the present time were made by a director of a local firm in conversation with a "Standard" repro-entafive on the subject of Christmas trade. “I believe," be said, “that the political situation has a big influence on public spending. Especially is it influencing the investment of capital and until this country is assured that its affairs will be conducted by a strong and stable Government, people with capital will ‘bottle it up.’ This is only natural, particularly when there is the risk of a Labour Government of which so many people are afraid. A Labour Government which -lands for the confiscation of wealth, would be the means of driving capital away, and while there is the sightost risk of such a Government taking office we. shall find that money will he scarce. Once establish a sound Government, and capital will be loosened. Aloney i- the shyest thing on earth; the least disturbance of conditions and it hides itself, and we all know that if prospects are not of the best capital i> at once hidden, and everybody suffers in consequence.”

A large number of children had their wants attended to by Father Christmas at Perreau's yesterday afternoon. The Salvation Army Band has been visiting various parts of the borough at evenings during the week caroling and have been well received by residents. Mr Bell, chairman of the Mana-watu-Oroua Drainage Board, speaking at the Harbour Board meeting in reference to the proposed cut to come out at Hartley’s Bend, pointed out that, if adopted, they would have to negotiate with only four property owners, whereas, in the case of the alternative scheme, they would have to negotiate with at k'ast a dozen.

Referring at the Harbour Board meeting to the proposed scheme of the Manawatu-Oroua River Board to relieve the flood waters of the Manawatu in the lower reaches, Mr .1. A. Nash, M.P., spoke on the beneficial effect the scheme would have on the land in the area eoncorned and agreed that something would have to be done, but lie wished to point out to the deputation that the great difficulty so far as the Harbour Board was concerned would be to raise the. money. The boards must co-operate, he added The chairman (Mr J. Linklater, M.P.,) expressed himself as being in agreement with the views expressed by Mr Nash and voiced the sympathy and interest of the board in any project that might be brought forward for straightening the river. He hoped that when the time came for action the Harbour Board would not be found wanting.