NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2587, 31 May 1923, Page 1

NEWS AND NOTES.

Ninety-onp periodicals are published by the Salvation Army in forty-eight languages. Extending about a mile, 3,000 mourners were present at a funeral in Derbyshire recently. Canada’s Parliament has requested that no more British titles be conferred upon Canadians.

Women electors in the Wandsworth district of London outnumber the 70,000 men by 0,000.

Last year there were 23,966 street accidents in London, an increase of 3,087 on the previous year.

This is the centenary year of “Home Sweet Home,” one of the most famous songs in the world. Picton’s centenarian, Mr William Fortescue, celebrated his 105th birthday last. week. Mr Fortescue was born on May 24th, 1817, in Devonshire. He is hale and hearty and retains all his faculties.

In the flush of the season, the Pahia tua Egg Circle was sending 500 dozen eggs weekly to Wellington. Strong comment has been made in Pahiatua concerning a despicable fraud made by a supplier to the Pahiatua Egg Circle in sendiii" preserved eggs to the depot. If this happens again the committee will revert to the stamping system reports the “Wairarapa Age.” An old resident of the Manawatu district over 80 years of age, drove his horse and gig from Fordell to Oliura last week. The distance is 80 miles and the time occupied was under five days. The road over Mount Messenger he described as “a bit tough.” The rates struck last year were reduced wherever possible and £l,466 12s 6d less was struck over the whole county. In my opinion it would be unwise to make any further reduction as under the Local Bodies Finance Act the council must live within its means, and must of necessity have a reasonable balance to work upon, stated the treasurer (Mr A. K. Drew) in his report to the annual meeting of the Manawatu Countv Council on Saturday.

The familiar designations of many great British Prime Ministers of the past were referred to by the Mayor at the reception to Mr and Mrs Massey at the Auckland Town Hall on Thursday last. They had he said, “Billy Pitt,” “The Duke,” “Pam,” and “Dizzy.” Mr Gunson remarked that without seeking to be irreverent he might extend the list by adding “Bill Massey.” This observation was greeted with a storm of appreciative applause. A reverend gentleman stepped into the Aramolio railway refreshment room and called for the usual tea and sandwich, reports the Wanganui Herald. The waitress, not recognising “the cloth,” pleasantly inquired what horse he fancied would win the Steeplechase. The minister replied: “We parsons don’t know much about horse-racing, but,” sipping his tea, he added, “we are authorities on Amber Tips.”

A sad looking man went into a chemist’s shop. “Can you give me,” he asked, “something that Avill drive from my mind the thought of sorrow and bitter reflection?” And the druggist nodded, and put him up a little dose of quinine, worm-wood, and rhubarb and Epsom salts, and a dash of castor oil, and gave it to him; and for six months the man could not think of anything in the world except new schemes for getting the taste out of his mouth.

As the outcome of the recent controversy in Wanganui in connection with the horer being found in heart of tolara timber, specimens of infected timber were, by request, sent to interested parties in other parts of New Zealand, states the Chronicle. One Auckland linn interested in totara lias now expressed the opinion that the borer is only found in the sap of totara as the result of lojrs lying on the ground. This opinion, however, does not coincide with some of the observations made locally.