LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2638, 27 September 1923, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The quarterly meeting of the Fox ton Fire Board was held this afternoon.

Mr E. Healey-returned to Foxton this week from a ‘business visit to Sydney and Melbourne." The Foxton friends of Mr 0. L. Barnard will regret to learn that he is seriously ill in a private hospital in Auckland.

A meeting of all interested in the formation of a Band of Hope will lie held in the Presbyterian Schoolroom to-morrow night at 7.30 o’clock. The president stated, at a recent meeting of the Waverley branch of the Farmers’ Union, that wild pigs were eating lambs on his bush property. Pigs were also causing a large amount of damage in the back country. In three days he and a friend had killed 85 pigs. The London “Daily Express” states that- an extraordinary story .surrounds the marriage of the Dowager Countess of Breadalbane, otherwise Mrs Edwards. She believed Mr Edwards was killed in the wav, when she married the Earl. Three months ago, Mr Edwards called upon her, and since then, in a condition of distress, she has kept her doors locked and refuses to see anyone and leaves the house only after dark. - —*

Members and intending members of the Foxton Defence Riile Club are reminded that the annual meeting is to he held to-night in 1 ho “Herald” office at 7.30 o’clock. The position of ranger to the Southland Acclimatisation Society is evidently regarded as an attractive one, as 180 applications were received for the vacancy to he filled stales the Southland News.

The loss on soldier settlement had been variously (estimated at from £-1,000,000 to £5,000,000 but last session the estimate was reduced to £2,000,000, Mr Rolleslon told his audience at Timaru (says the Herald), and he added the hope that the latest estimate would not prove too optimistic. The Law Journal, commenting on Madame Fahmy Boy’s trial, suggested that tho authorities should devise a better system of regulating sensational trials at Old Bailey. It declares that the eager attendance of fashionably dressed women reduces England’s most important criminal court to the level of a playhouse or a cinema show.

Another fine achievement and still one more* New Zealand record, is to he credited to North Taranaki Jerseys. Tn the herd of IVfr Harry fiatway, of “Hua Brook,” Bell Blopk, two members of the herd have made records of 725!b5. and 7021b5. of fat respectively. This it is claimed, is the first New Zealand herd to produce two such wonderful performances in the one season.

“To my mind we as a nation arc getting too far away from the keeping of the Sabbath,” said Mr T. S. Pavionr-Smilh at the annual meeting of the Dannevirke Bowling Olub on the question of Sunday play (states the Wairarnpa Age). “The closer we keep to the Sabbath the better it will lie for ourselves as individuals and as a nation.” (Hear hear).

Aii incident showing that the exports as well as the imports of the West Coast are benefiting from the opening of (he Otira Tunnel occurred the other day (reports the Greymouth Star), when three trucks of white pine were railed from a West Coast mill direct to Fleming and Co., Gore, at a price which compares favourably, (he firm states, with that of Southland cut cases. This was. of course, impossible formerly, and is a remarkable tribute to the .value of the tunnel as an asset to West Coast industries.

A little bit of conscious, or unconscious, humour has been noted in connection with one of the calico streamers hung from the verandah of business places drawing attention'tn Industries’. Week (says the Christchurch Press). This particular sign reads: '“Keep busy. Buy New Zealand Goods.” Tn front of the sign is the corporation notice: “Keep to the Left,” which practically obscures -“Buy New Zealand Goods.” r l’he result is the very necessary admonition: “Keep busy. Keep to the Left.”

Platinum, now worth up to £3O an ounce, is in short supply throughout the world, and, relatively speaking, t lip New Zealand West Const although supplying only a few ounces per annum, is ranked by the world's metallurgical authorities as one of the main sources of supply (says the Grey River Argus). The chief supply on the coast is connected with the TTokitika river and its tributaries and beaches, In the? ranges lodes containing platinum have been discovered which, on essay, yielded four penny-weight to the ton.

That the Almighty was responsible for three cattle straying in a cemetery was the somewhat novel plea put forward at the Port Chalmers Court last week. The defendant, Thomas Wilson, was charged with allowing cattle to wander in the country contrary (o the provisions of the borough by-laws. Defendant, in the first part of his statement, after pleading guilty, said there was no gate on the cemetery and the fence was down. “But that does not excuse you for not having your fences up to keep them in,” said the Magistrate. Defendant then went on to state that the Almighty sent the recent floods which let down the Corporation gate that generally kept his cattle in (reports the “Otago Daily Times".. The Magistrate was not inclined to go into the matter of relative responsibility, but considered Ibal under the circumstances a nominal fine of 5/- with costs nmonnting In 7/- would ineel the case. An interesting narrative is recorded of the early days of the bullock drivers of Oamnru (says (he North Otago Tillies). One of them William Elston, rejoiced in the sobriquent of “Yorky.” He was the hero of an adventure which lie used tti relate with great gusto. His bullocks having wandered, he started early in the morning in search of them, got benighted in the ranges, and lay down to sleep, faint with hunger, having tasted no food all that day. Next day he found a patch of tutu, and ate rather freely of the ripe berries. He became ill in consequence and imagined he was going the way of all ILesh. So he planted a long piece of manuka scrub firmly in the ground. On this he hung his 'clothes, thinking they might attract the attention of some benevolent passer-by, who would give his bones a Christian burial, and lay himself down to die. Greatly to his disgust he did not succeed in dying of eating the forbidden fruits and finding the ill-effects were gradually passing off, he resumed his garments and succeeded in finding his way back to the station, having been two days and a night on the ranges without food.

At Bendigo two Shorthorn bullocks, fattened at Gunbower on the Murray, realised £7<) ,10s each, which is an Australian record. With reference to Australia’s attitude regarding penny postage, which comes into force in New Zealand in October, the Hon. J. G. Coates, Postmaster-General, has communicated with Mr Massey,.suggesting a conference with Mr Bruce, Prime Minister of Australia. A bucket of petrol thought to he water, was poured on a little fire in a tailor's shop at Orangelield, a village near Beaumont (Texas), 'flic fire thus stimulated, practically wiped out the village, destroying thirteen buildings and doing damage estimated at £IO,OOO. At a wedding which took place at a registry office in the Whangarei district a few days ago the bridegroom, a widower, produced his first wife's ring, but when the time came to slip if on the bride’s third finger, it was found to he too small so it was placed on the little oiip) and solemnisation of the wedding was then completed.

“Some of the unions of this country are cursed with glih-tongued demagogues whose only aim in life is to create friction between employers and employees. Some day the workers will recognise how grievously they are misled, and they will demand a squarer deal than they are at present getting from those who are looked upon as leaders.” EH ham Argus, “People should give up this continual repetition of the remark aboiil the man that will, and the man that won’t work,” said Mr J. Wignail, M.P., a member of the Overseas delegation, when speaking to a. reporter on Tuesday. “They have worked harder in New Zealand than anywhere in the world, and I feel I must enter a protest on behalf of the British immigrants.” “In Australia before a famous judge, a man was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment,” said the Hon. Downie Stewart (reports the “Wairarnpa Age”). “The prisoner said lie was 70 years of age and would not live seven years. ‘Well, do the best you can,’ said the judge, That is the position that Parliament is in on the soldier question.”

Last year 19,112 people entered into the bonds of matrimony in New Zealand. These 9,550 marriages corresponded to a rate of 7.03 per 1,000 of the 'menu population and the number was 1,070 less than in 1921, and 2,010 less than in 1920. The high figure for 1920 was due to the "’return of men from the war, collided with the prosperity-of the countvv.

There are few of our overseas dominions which enjoy greater popularity among investors than New Zealand, and at the annual meeting of the National Bank of New Zealand, Ihe chairman (the Hon. W. Bomber Reeves) had a good account to give both of his hank and of the 'country in which its operations are carried on. After the difficulties experienced in 1921, in the shape of financial stringency and heavy trading losses in the country, Mr Bomber Reeves, said that the year 1922 bad opou'od with a better feeling and that all reasonable hopes had been fulfilled.—“ The Spectator,” London. A good story was told by Sir Maui Pomare at the opening of the Tailiape Nurses’ Home. He said that lie hoped they would have a stream of Ministers visiting Taihnpe, but lie advised them against improving lon much. They did not want to be like the Maori whose wife was sick in hospital. When he asked Ihe doctor how his wife was getting on the doctor always said, “she’s improving.” Unfortunately the woman died, and when a friend of the Maori saw him downhearted he asked him what was the matter, and lie said: “My wife just die of a new disease.’’ When asked what he meant he said: “Oh she die of the improvements.” (Laughter).

Set 111 !•:. iii the Kairanga district have brni complaining about I be acii.on of gangs of men, engaged :n erecting electric power transmission lines, in cutting down shelter trees along the roadsides. Messrs J. A. Nash, M.P., J. Liiiklater, M.P., and Mr W. A. Waters, of the ManawatuOrona Power Board, journeyed to Ilia Kairanga district and met the settlers, who explained that they bad no objection to the line running across their properties if it would save cutting down shelter trees. Messrs Nash and Liiiklater agreed (o get into touch with the department concerned and request that its representatives he sent hero at once tn go into the question.

A young man who lives in the vicinity of Kaikoura took a trip to (ho city recently, donned in a new suit, with an up-to-date hat to match, say.settle Star. He also purchased a new travelling bag. On the morning following his arrival in the city lie was unable to open his hag, and after struggling for some time kicked it down the stairs. The landlady enquired iJ! he was leaving, but was assured that he would be back in a few moments. Lie made his way to the nearest jeweller’s shop and said; “If you can open this bag I will give you two bob. The jeweller took the bag, gently pressed the slide and the trick was done. The voung man looked astonished, handed over the two bob and left, smiling. It was so simple. The best of beer that brewers brew Cannot your shattered health renew The purest spirit stills distil May ease but cannot cure an ill. Suck stimulations still deceive, And for a brief respite relieve; But coughs and colds are ended sure When using Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure. 22

Owing to the unavoidable absence from Foxton of Mr M. E. Porrenu, tlie quarterly meeting of tlie loeal Beautifying Society lias lieen postponed until a later date.

A large and representative meeting of delegates of the Oamaru branch of the Farmers* Union, Chamber of Commerce and Harbour Board decided on Monday to form a Railway League to secure a connection between Bunbaek and Kokonga, and thus bring Central Otago into closer touch with Christchurch, Wellington and other northern markets. Branches of the league (states a Press Association message) are also being-formed at Palmerston and in Central Otago.

To be trapped for five hours haltway down a chimney was the terrible experience of a three-year-old Glasgow boy. He was missed from his home, and a hue and crv yielded no result. At midnight the father climbing on the roof of the washhouse, heard a feeble cry, “Dad,” coming from the chimney. The child was s 0 firmly wedged in the brickwork that a large part of the chimney wall had to be broken down before he could be rescued.

I In speaking at a fire brigade func- ' tion on the enormous fire los in New ' Zealand, Captain Hugo, Inspector of Fire Brigades, said that in England the average loss was only £6O i per (ire, whereas in this country it ! was £4OO per fire. He strongly ur- | ged the installation in large premises of automatic alarms and sprink- | lcrs, pointing out that the rebate on ! insurance premiums in cases where : there were such installations would pay for them in five or six years, I while experience had proved that ! when fires did break out in such casj es/the actual damage done was exceedingly small, and as a rule there was no dislocation of business either. I I In these days of “go-slow” and “ea-eanny” methods of industry, it. is refreshing to hear of examples of the opposite kind. One such (says the New Zealand Herald) is to be i found in the little gang of builders who have been employedAn the erection of the new (dub house of the Takapuna Boating Club at Bays- , water. For months past these inch I have been employed daily on the carpentering portion of the job. That, however, was not sufficient outlet for their zeal. Catching the , enthusiasm which has entered the whole community, they have regularly returned to work as members of tbe voluntary parlies engaged on i two evenings each week, and also on Saturday afternoons, giving to the Club not only their own labour, huh also their technical skill in directiiig the amateur Vankor-,

With only goats and. -beep as company, a lonely white man was found cr: ,t small island to tin' north of Australia by the destroyer Anzac which returned to Sydney last week from a norl.nern cruise. The hermit told the men on the Anzac that lie had taken up his abode on-llie island

•ui!i.> considerable timp ago. ITc had no particular reason for'leaving (ivilisatio'n. His only migratory companion- were a couple of slice]) and two goats. To-day lie says his Hock consists ot‘ over 700 sheep and nearly twice that number of goats. He has built a comfortable home, end he has an extensive garden. Once in a while, a ship from the mainland visits his island, and exchanges goods for his products. The island is beautifully fertile, and is about two miles in circumference, according to the men on the Anzae, while (lie surrounding islands are barren and rocky. For two days the Anzae -,tayed at this island and during that time the hermit was the guest of the men of the destroyer. The men on the Anzae would like to see the island again. They declare that the old hermit lives like a king.

Greymouth people have plagiarised that very ancient proverb joke of coals to Newcastle, just as Newcastle (Australia) took upon itself the claim of being Hie Newcastle mentioned when boatloads of Now Zealand coal or .Tap coal or American or any other coal was dumped upon its wharves, quite forgetting that Newcastle (England) had chuckled over the importation of coal to coal countries several score years previously, but Greymouth hahad to alter the wording and make it “coals to Greymouth.” Coal, a “Post” reporter was told by a business man over from the Coast, was apparently one of the first big lines to be run through the tunnel from Canterbury, Newcastle coal for the railways, and Greymouth people were keenly interested in it, the miners because they objected to the importations as being thoroughly against their principles of New Zaland eoal for New Zealanders and no importations, and townspeople generally because even if it was eoal it might not burn, Four out of five Greymouth Residents, the Coast man asserted, lmd either takken a sample home or intended to just to satisfy themselves upon the point, hut the miners were satisfied without the first hand investigation that the stuff would burn and were considerably annoyed about it.