LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2529, 13 January 1923, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Kiwi Bacon Co.’s I rucking liaic for Foxton has been altered from the 22nd to Friday, the 29th

A juvenile while appreciating the delights of the seaside informs us that, the only drawback is that “Foxton penny ice creams are tuppence at the Roach.”

The leader of the Liberal-Labour I’arly (.Mr T. AJ. Wilford) will visit Taranaki next week, and will be entertained at a party function at New Plymouth.

It is pointed out by a writer in a medical journal that bald-headed men never suffer from consumption and that a tendency to baldness is an assurance that the dreaded scourge will pass over him whose thatch grows thin.

Mr (1. Witty has indicated that he will vote tor the present Government on a no-conlidenee motion and if Mr. Ktatham is appointed Speaker, and Colonel Bell (Bay of Islands) goes into the lobby with the Massey Party, the position will he that the Government will have a

small working majority.—N.Z. Tim

Fifty-seven operations were performed at the Palmerston North Hospital during Ihe month of December. There were only three admissions for infectious diseases in December. These included two scarlet fever eases and one admission for puerperal fever. There were 122 patients admitted to the hospital during the month of December; 121 were discharged and there were live deaths, leaving 02 patient.-, in the hospital at the end of the month.

Ngau.ruhoe was Ill’s! climbed in IS4! by Mr .J. C. Bidwell, in defiance of tiie Maoris (states a Taranaki paper). He was not New Zealand's firs I mountaineer as was stated in a Wellington paper the other day. A party from the Tory a year or two previously climbed Mount Egmont, “Worser” Hebberley. after whom Worser Bay is named, being the first man to reach the summit. The Maoris refused to let even Sir George Grey go up Tongariro or Ruapehu, and Mr J. H. Kerry-Nicholls, in 1883. seems to have been the first white man up Ruapehu.

Mr Gordon Saunders. ALA., and Miss Marion Saunders have been spending a few days with their aunt .Mrs .lugger, of Marotiri. They were joined by their brother Mr Ivor Saunders, wlm is on his way to‘lnvercargill, to take up an appointment as assistant in the bacteriological laboratory. Mr G. Saunders, is at present on the staff of the Hamilton High School. Gordon and Ivor arc sons of Mr J. F. Saunders, of Ngaere, Taranaki, and nephews of Mr A. Saunders, late of Afoul on, and now of Hastings.

A mistake in the dimensions of a grave resulted in . a distressing scene at a funeral in the A\agga (Sydney) general cemetery a few days ago. The funeral was largely attended, and to add to the discomfort which the mourners experienced the heat was exceptionally oppressive immediately before a storm and flic shelter afforded by file few trees in the burial ground was inadequate. Tin l trouble was that the grave had been made too small for the coffin, and it became ueces>arv to complete the digging while I he mourners stood by. and the service was suspended.

Mr and Mrs Frank B. Barton, of Blair Street. Wellington, sustained a series of bereavements during the past fortnight. On December 15th, Mrs W. Maun, the mother of Mrs Barton, passed away at the residence of her son in Auckland. Five davs later Mr Barton received word of flic death of his father at Westport, and on the way to the funeral telegraphic advice was received by the bereaved family advising them of the dcafli at I’apakura. Auckland. of the wife'of a brother, Mr Jack Barton, a son of the deceased gentleman, and who. on account of his wife’s illness had been unable to attend his father’s funeral.

The question of mixed bathing is one of the genus perennial. The Wairarapa News says:—“We have favoured mixed bathing ever since the baths came into being but our city fathers timidly cling to old prejudices apparently guided more by ancient prudes than modern experience. Mixed lmthing is not a sin. nor does it outrage the properties. It is not even a new proposal. Mixed bathing is the custom everywhere where there is a beach, or a suitable “swimming hole” in a river. How much better would it be in the public baths with all conveniences of dressing sheds and their acessories.

Mr W. E. Bullard is confined to Ids home with a severe attack of gastric influenza. We arc pleased to report that he is progressing satisfactorily.

Mrs ,Y. Stevenson, of Hall Street, who underwent a serious operation in a private hospital in Palmerston a short time since, has now returned to her home and is progressing fav.ourabl v.

During 1922 there were 73 bankruptcies in Hawkes Bay, says the “Daily Telegraph,” being an increase of 40 over those recorded the previous year. In 1920 the figures were 10. The Rev. Frank McDonald, accompanied by Mr Hedley Wilton, of Bangibtu, left for a motor trip to the north this week. They took with them a camping outfit and intend to do (he journey in easy stages. They expect to be away about a fortnight.

The death Ims occurred of Mr H. Turkey, a West, Coast pioneer. He was 89 years of ago. He landed 99 years ago in New Zealand, going to Ross in 1595. With the late Air AY. {folder lie sank the first shaft on Jones’ Flat in 1865. About 19 years ago be settled in No Town. John Bonnifaee, a shunter, and a married man had both legs and several ribs fractured through being run over by a truck at the Lyttelton railway yards and succumbed to bis injuries. He was riding on a cow-catcher of an engine and whilst unhitching a truck in what is known as a slip shunt, fell off and flu* (ruck passed over him. Probably the largest family gath-

ering ever held in New Zealand was that which took place on the racecourse at Rangiora on New Year’s Day in order to welcome Air James Boyd, a pioneer of Canterbury, who, after an absence of 59 years in California, has returned to New Zealand mi his way round the world. Ninety-four relatives attended the banquet.

As an instance of the profit to be made on the supply of electric current in certain areas, the engineer to the Mann watu-Oroua Power Board stated in bis monthly news budget on Monday that the Whan-gai-ei Council made a profit of £4115 last year from 983 consumers. The current• was bought at £9 per kilowatt, plus Ad per unit, and sold at 5-Ad for lighting and 3d for power on a fiat rate.

World bread riots within a century were predicted by Dr. Charles Steinmetz, the electrical expert, in an address on “Energy” before Urn Pittsfield Rotary Club. A food shortage within 190 years, he said, is certain, even if we double or treble food production, and the harnessing of the sunlight, in his opinion, is the only solution of the threatened famine in the year 2922. The famous electrical expert said sunlight can be harnessed by fields of glass, and that about 300,000,000 horse-power is available from sunlight.

A tall, well-set-up seaman, who rather fancied he was a boxer, received the surprise of bis life the other evening when he refused to obey the commands of the second officer of the Ivini. to which vessel lie belonged (states the Napier Telegraph). The second officer, who in stature is about half as tall as the seaman, ordered the man aboard the ship. The seaman used unseemly language, and refused to move, whereupon the officer went into action, and in a very short time a badly bruised and very surprised ‘’boxer” crawled on to his ship.

A lucky speculation was made by

r group - of Tallinnranui men who all ended the New Year race meeting at Auckland. They Imd been backing “sure winners” which proved excellent losers all day. and when the last race came I hey found their 'finances at a low ebb, and not one of them had a “tip” which would be likely to make up the deficit of the day’s outing. However, the party struck mi a brilliant idea after perusing Ihe race card. Broadwond was*V,eluded in the list of. horses, and as the Broadwond piano was, in their opinion, a good one, and they lmd a man with them who was connected with I he musical side of Tannin ranui, lliey came to the conclusion that it would lie safe to invest alt tie money on the horse. Accordingly I lie money was put on the machine and their horse romped home and paid a handsome price. Even music comes in handy sometimes at a race meeting!

A respected city man discovered some lime ago that the small bets he made on big races, like many other city men, had become an extended and rather expensive habit (writes a correspondent to t he Dunedin “Evening Star"). He was having a small flutter every day and lie recognised frankly that it was from the financial point of view, in the familiar phrase, “a mug’s game.” At the same time he found when he stopped it altogether that he really missed the daily study of the racing columns and the mild excitement of the small bets. So he was seized with the brilliant idea of acting as his own bookmaker. He produced a big niooy box, into which he faithfully paid all his bets, and out of which he regularly extracted precisely whatever his occasional winnings amounted to at the correct odds. At the end of twelve months, under this remarkable sporting system. he discovered an astonishing, result. After having all the fun of hacking his fancy just in the usual way. paying in his money, and drawing out his winnings as though with the ordinary “bookie, be bad about £7O in hand -or, rather, in the money box.

When the doctor makes his periidicat visit to the Mangahao hy-Iro-o lee trie works. Ids arrival is iroclaimed hy the sounding of five vhistles.

Mr J. Linklater. M.P., • returned to Foxton on Thursday evening where lie atetnded a caucus" of the Reform Party. In eouversation with our representative, Mr Linklater said he had nothing to report hut we gleaned that the prospect of another general election is very remote.

The Prime Minister stated on Thursday that the revenue and expenditure figures for the first nine months would he ready for publication shortly. They were not quite ready yet, hut from what he had seen of them he was able to say that the public might expect to find them very satisfactory.

“The Scotchman is essentially a man who keeps . the Sabbath —and every other ‘blessed’ thing which he can get liis hands on,” stated the Mayor (Mr R. A. Wright, M.P.) amid laughter, when welcoming Pharmaceutical Society delegates to their conference at Wellington this week.

Fmsign Hill and Lieutenant Talbot, who have been in charge of the local Salvation Army Corps, have been not tied of transfer. The former goes to Pukekoli'e and tire latter to Waipukurau. They will conductfarewell services on Sunday next and take their departure Wednesday. Ensign and Mrs Huston will take charge on Thursday next. Mrs Simon McKie, a misanthropic but animal-loving New Yorker, has announced that she will bequeath her entire fortune, unofficially estimated at one million dollars, towards the foundation of an animal hospital bearing her name, and containing a bust of herself, m which her ashes will be deposited. Over the door there will be carved this inscription: “The more I saw of people the more 1 thought of dogs.”

“Domestic troubles” are responsible for many of the ills which assail humanity, and the term is apparently becoming an till-embracing one. Recently an employee of a certain Taranaki local body applied to bis foreman for a fortnight's holiday, alleging as an excuse that he-had domestic troubles hanging over him, and consequently could not work. The foreman, says the “Taranaki News” lent a sympathetic ear, and readily granted leave. A fortnight later the employee went hack and'quietly resumed his duties after having served ten days ia durance vile at the expense of His Majesty’s Government, a penalty imposed hy a Magistrate for the troubled one’s failure to pay a debt.

Just what the actual loss in wages will he to the seamen who went on strike, and the waterside workers at some ports who showed their sympathy hy doing likewise, perliaps nobody will be able to compute, but it will undoubtedly be considerable. A ca-c has come under our notice (says the Dannevirke News) where an apprentice at Napier earning a few shillings a week wa« given permi-mon to act as a free labourer. He knocked out £l4 easily in a couple of weeks, and is. at present temporarily occupying another position at remuneration at the rate of Jl'23 per month.

During the past six months a great change has. come over the policy of the banks operating itj New Zealand. Wihere onee they would not consider making any advances, no matter what the security, they now show a tendency to help business enterprise again. This is the experience of one investor or speculator, who was in Wanganui recently, says the Chronicle. He wanted £5,000 for a venture, hut was turned down without consideration six months ago. The same hank (a city bank) smiled kindly at him recently when he made a similar proprosal.

A petition is being circulated in England asking the Government to give- 'facilities for the introduction of legislation for the suppression of Socialist Sunday Schools. A writer in the London Daily Telegraph furnishes the following illustration of what is happening in the United Kingdom: At the funeral of one of the little girls who attended the Walworth Socialist Sunday School, in January. 1022, a group of her fellow scholars were marshalled round the grave and the teacher, pointing to the skies, said: “Don’t look up there, comrades; there is no God or angels up there.” Then, pointing to the little coffin in the grave, he continued, “Don’t look down there: there are no devils or anything move —it’s all over.”

According to the North Auckland Times the Dargarville gas manager has been making exhaustive enquiries in connection with a practically new system of gas making known as Tally's patent. This process is a great money saver, and the system < onld he installed at about half the cost it will take to bring our present works up to what they should be. Full details will be laid before the Council at its next meeting. We understand that the process involves a combination of ordinary gas and water gas, the latter being obtained per medium of the coke. It has been in vogue for some two or three years, with other somewhat similar patents, and experts are inclined to think that the principle is destined to come into general uke. It is said, however, that while the gas produced is satisfactory for lighting, heating, and incandescent lighting, it is not suitable for the old style open flat flame burner.

Mr and Mrs G. H. Stiles and famly, of Palmerston North, are spending a holiday at the local seaside.

Mr E. Healey, and his two sous ire at present on holiday at Roto-^

The Palmerston Hospital Board has appointed Dr. McDonald, of Levin, as medical officer at Maugahao. On December 31 last the number of inmates at the Old People’s Home at Awapuni was 32, of whom - were men and seven women.

Several local firms are making enquiries as to the cost of uista. ling motors in lieu of other power in order to connect up with the electric power when it is turned on.

Mrs J. W* Hodgson, of Carterton who has been in indifferent health, visited Foxton this week. She was accompanied by Miss Hodgson, who has been spending a holiday in the AYairarapa and whose marriage takes place at AVangnui on the 16th inst.

The death has occurred at Ross of Mrs Mary Ann Lopas, a native of Kilkenny, aged 76r She came out in the Star of England 60 years ago with the late Mr R. J. Seddon as a shipmate. She went to Ross 54 years ago. and had resided there continuously ever since, not being more than two weeks out of the town for the whole period.

Sound asleep in the lupins, and unconscious of the fact- that 100 people had been looking for him all night, John Giles, aged two and alialf, continued to dream of teddy--I,ears and sixpenny ice creams (says, the Christchurch Sun). He was dressed only in a bathing suit and an overcoat, and had obviously cried himself to sleep, as the sandcovered tracks'on his face showed. The kiddie was lost at 4 p.m. on Saturday and found at 5 a.m. on Sunda v.

A parly of Wellington trampers when proceeding over the Tararua Ranges recently, found alongside the track at a landmark known as the “beehive,” on the south side of Mount Hector, a soldier’s kit bearing the name of “Brunton, Canterbury Regiment,” written in white letters on a black background. The hag contained a number of articles of wearing apparel consisting of a black overcoat, trousers, one stocking with a yellow top, a khaki jersey, a heavy army pink siuglet and a pair of dark shorts. The police to whom find was reported are endeavouring to trace the owner. As far as can he ascertained, no one. has been reported missing on this side of the range.

The flaxeutters at Miramii are now cutting under a new method. In tiie past it has been the pactice to cut the whole plant, hut now they , are cutting the leaves separately a- J* round the plant, allowing thecefis tre to remain. From trial experi- ' meats in the past made with small areas it has been found that plants cut under this method have come away quicker and the yield has been considerably increased. From the cutters’ point of view it is a slow process, as they are only able to turn out about half the usual quantity, hut that has been overcome by the owner paying 16/- per ton as against 8/- under the old method. If the new method of cutting is going to raise the flax yield and improve the quality, it will he worth the extra work and expense.—Chronicle.