Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, JULY 12, 1923. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2605, 12 July 1923, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, JULY 12, 1923. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Colds and sore throats are very prevalent at present in this district. Opossums are reported to be plentiful in the bush on the Tauherenikau and Waiohine Rivers. The silver grey predominates. The Rev. -T. H. Bredin, of Maraekakaho, and for several years Presbyterian minister at Foxton, has been given a call to the Terrace End Presbyterian Church. It is probable that Mr Bredin will accept.

A number of frost fish have been washed up on the local sea beach during the past few days. The flesh of these fish is sonsidered a great delicacy. The fish have to be secured at day break otherwise the gulls soon dispose of them.

Mr Charles Hill, of Maraina Cresent, Wellington, for many years a member of the linn of Charles Hill and Sons, and a member of the wellknown musical family of Wellington, died on Sunday, after a brief illness at the age of 03 years. Al a meeting held in Palmerston North the Mayor (Mr F. J. Nathan) stated that in the course of a conversation with the Minister of Railways recently he had been informed that within two months the Minister would give a definite date for the commencement of the work in connection with the railway deviation at Palmerston North. Police Constable Grant, one of the victims of the railway disaster, was associated with Police Inspector Cassels, of Christchurch, in the work of arresting Run, the Maori prophet, in the wilds of the Urewera country some years ago. Detective Cassels says Grant was a Maori linguist above the average “ability, and had considerable maim among the Maoris of the Urewera.

The late Lord Brampton (Judge Hawkins) once found himself in a railway carriage sitting opposite to a remarkably handsome woman. After looking at her a moment or two he took off his hat, “I hope I am not making a mistake, madam,” he said, “but I feel convinced I have had the pleasure of meeting you somewhere. I am Mr Justice Hawkins.” “Yes,” she said, “I know you, you old blighter. The last time I saw you, you gave me two years.”

A well-attended meeting of lady members of the local Presbyterian Church was held at the manse yesterday afternoon, presided over by Mrs McDonald, to discuss arrangements in connection with the forthcoming sale of work and social afternoon. Various stalls were arranged for and supervisors appointed. It was stated that the Terrace End choir had offered to provide a musical programme during the evening. Full particulars of the effort will lie advertised at a later date.

The first shipment of cattle to leave the Manawatu district via the local port in fourteen years was shipped per s.s. Kennedy yesterday for Lyttelton. The cattle, forty head in all, were shipped by-Messrs Dalgety and Co. Ltd., of Palmerston North and are to be sold at the Addington market, Christchurch. It is probable that further shipments will follow.

Ha when (Egtnont) expressed the opinion in the House last, night that some of the undeveloped lands of New Zealand might hardly pay for the reading, but lie did not bold this view respecting swamp and tidal lands. He thought a great effort should be made to bring the swamp land into cultivation, even though some of it was privately owned. Some of these lands were very valuable and capable of close settlement. Those which had been opened up had proved more valuable than the forest lands.

The death occurred at Palmerston North of Mr Patrick Scanlon, one of the earliest of New Zealand’s settlers, at the age of 91 years. The late Mr Scanlon’s wife predeceased him some years ago. He leaves a grown-up family of three sons— Messrs J. C. Scanlon (gaoler at the Wellington prison) and Edward and John Scanlon (both of Sydney)— and two daughters—Mrs B. Deiderich (of Palmerston North) and Miss Scanlon.

It is the Government’s intention to set up a special Commission to inquire into the cause of Friday’s accident. It is understood that a Mag* istrate will preside. The British Museum has acquired a fine copy of Shakespeare’s first folio for £13,500, most of which was contributed by an anonymous donor.

Another Government official in a position of trust was arrested at Wellington last evening. John Craig Neill was a clerk, employed by the Labour Department, and it is alleged that while in the Government employ he stole £IOO.

Mild influenza is .reported to be mi the increase in Dunedin, but there !s a decrease in the number of pneumonic cases notified for the 24 hours ended noon yesterday. No cases wore reported in Otago or Waitaki, two in Southland, one in Wallace (died subsequently) and one death at St. Clair. The nine pneumonic discs at Dunedin Hospital are all doing well. The greatest thunderstorm in living memory raged over London for seven hours from midnight on Tuesday. Over fifty lightning flashes per minute were recorded and two and a-half inches of rain fell. Scores of houses were struck. Mr Justice Russell’s house at Walton was struck twice and was burned down. Three thousand telephone lines were put out of action, and many continental trunk lines were interrupted. The City Fire Brigade responded to forty calls. No loss of life lias been reported.

A good story was told after the. last meeting of the Tailiape Borough Council of a Main Trunk sawmilling firm which was prosecuted some years ago for allowing sawdust to pollute a stream. The firm engaged a well-known barrister to defend the case, which it won, the legal expenses being £IOO. The firm was prosecuted again shortly afteiy* wards on a\similar charge, but evidently decided that it would he less costly to lose the case. It was, too, as the Magistrate imposed a fine of £2.

Contingent on the recent strike by the Hikurangi coal miners, the Inspector of Awards (Mr Joseph Hollows, of Auckland) took proceedings in the Whnngarci Magistrate’s Court on Monday, against the Hikurangi Coal Miners’ Union to recover £2OO as a penalty for a breach of Ihc Arbitration Act on the ground of abetting an unlawful strike and aiding the continuance thereof: also against twelve employees of Foote and Doel’s mine (where the dispute originated), including the president of the union, as parties to an unlawful strike. After haring lengthy evidence, the Magistrate (Mr Hewitt) imposed the maximum fine of £2OO on the union and £lO each on the defendant min-

With her hold full of fat bullocks for (he Addington market, the steamer John arrived in Lyttelton last Friday evening after a fifty hours’ run from Wanganui and a tempestuous passage. The steamer left Wanganui on Wednesday evening and next day sheltered at Ohura Bay, near Terawhiti. The weather came on had after the steamer resumed her voyage and was rough all the rest of the way, snow falling in the latter stages. The stock arrived in good condition, one animal only being lost, and the Christchurch butchers were prepared to offer £l2 a head for it. The stock was to be sold next day at Addington. Prime beef from the Wanganui district is in good demand in the south and despite a freight of about £1 a bead, the difference between local and southern prices leaves a good margin for the producer.

The Bank rate of exchange on money sent from London has been a sore point with commercial men during the past few years. There is another side to the question, however, of which the Horowhenua Power Board had experience last, week. The Board had to remit £4,38!) to London in payment for copper and it was actually paid £ll by the Bank for giving it the privilege of forwarding the money. This is at the rate of 5s per cent. On the other hand it costs 1} per cent, to send money to Australia. The reason for these arbitrary exchange laws seems to he beyond the comprehension of the average citizen, but the fact remains that at present the Banks will pay for the privilege of sending money to London for their clients.

“In country districts, where children are engaged in trapping rabbits, it is rather a difficult matter to teach kindness to animals,” stated the teacher of the Inch Valley school in a letter to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. 1-le added that the animal that the town child would value as a pet was to the average country child, a pest to he got rid of, and so the habit of killing them was formed. At a meeting of the committee of the society the letter was considered. The chairman (Sir George Fenwick) said lie had never had that aspect of matters presented to him before. The killing of rabbits must have an effect upon children, and the killing of small birds must also have a bad effect; yet how were they going to get over it? Miss Porteous remarked that in regard to the killing of sparrows, it was done just because there were a few pence involved. She did not think children should be encouraged in killing. The Rev. W. Saunders said that it had to be put down to our ancestral tendencies. The letter was received. For Influenza, take Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure

A writer in a contemporary says: The whale is worth more money than any other living creature. For this reason it is hunted unceasingly, and if the present rate of destruction continues, our grandchildren may look upon it as an extinct monster. A single Greenland whale will have in its mouth about a ton of whalebone, which alone is worth from £SOO to £2,000. From its blubber 25 tons of oil may be obtained. As whale oil fetches £2O per ton, this represents another £SOO. The Perano party, at Te Awaite, would like to come across a few of these gold mines. The practice adopted by some clubs of holding their meetings outside their own districts is certainly against the best interests of country racing clubs generally (says the annual report of the Country Racing clubs). Wfi have gained sympathy —even from some of our opponents in Parliament —through our constantly stating that one or two days racing in country places was the means of bringing settlers together for friendly intercourse —better than any other means —that, in fact, it was a country picnic where each brought their own provender and foregathered in manipulating it. Totalisator licenses are practically granted to the residents of the various districts and clubs are merely the purveyors on their behalf. Of course, it may he argued that having only one day’s racing, and the many calls on the revenue, compel clubs to hold meetings in large centres where the gate money and extra totalisator receipts enable them to square accounts; however, it is against our interests to countenance taking away from the residents any privilege that racing may confer.