The Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1923. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2655, 6 November 1923, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1923. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Goatsrue is gradually spreading along the river banks. Lieutenant H. J. Brow, a Navy aviator, attained the highest rate of speed ever achieved by a man—26s miles an hour —in a Curtis racing plane over a course of three kilometres.

The latest “howler” comes from Taihape. When asked for the meaning of “tomahawk,” one bright youngster wrote is the male hawk, not the one that lays eggs.” It is reported that the blight: which almost, exterminated the groves of blue gum trees throughout the Sandon,- Eeilding and Colyton districts, has followed the prevailing wind into the Pohajigina valley. Mr Hickson, the healing missioner, visited Otaki on Saturday and treated a number of sanatorium and other eases. Some patients claim to have received benefit.

v Ensign and Mrs Huston, of the Salvation Army, wish to thank the friends of Foxton and the surrounding districts for their most generous and hearty support, towards their annual self-denial appeal. General Booth, in au interview, said he intended to send 10,000 hoys to the Dominions. Six hundred lout already been sent this season, and three hundred more would go by the end of the year. The numbers in future would depend on the absorbing powers of the Dominions. Luis Pirpo has been invited to fight C'omarcho, a Bolivian Indian giant, 7ft. 2in. high. The challenger has an arm spread of eight feet and posesesses a formidable punch and great agility. He is said Iff he a perfect specimen of the slighting, man. Comacho offers to light Firpo six rounds at La Pa/, (capital of Bolivia, in South America). The Poverty Bay Meat, Company’s works at Waipaoa "were submitted at. auction last week under orders of the Registrar of the Supreme Court. The only bidders were Nelsons (N.Z.), Ltd., to whom the property was sold at £192,000. The sale was attended by a large number of business people and farmers.

The entries for the University matriculation examinations, including the accountants’ preliminary, number about 4,500, an increase of nearly 500 on the previous year. On account of the enormous number of entries each candidate will, be notified by post of the result, hut beyond that the University authorities do not intend to go to the expense of preparing lists for publication. In honour of the centenary of the Rugby game, a match betweeu combined English and Welsh and Scottish and Irish teams was played at Rugby School close. The close holds 2,000 spectators, and there was enough applications for tickets to fill the space available several times over. There was glorious weathey, and the result was that England and Wales beat Scotland and Ireland by 21 points to 16.

The Te Horo railway station was destroyed by fire at 2.20 p.m. yesterday. The origin of the fire is a mystery. Foxton sportsmen are reported to have had a good win over the victory of the locally-trained Rouen in the N.Z. Cup on Saturday. Mr W. R. Oates, of Wanganui, has practically recovered from his injuries and was able on Friday to leave the District Hospital. Ho is staying with friends in Wanganui East. Lnrg-e quantities of whitebait were to be seen in the Manawatu River near the Maori pah on the way to the bench about, five o’clock last; evening. The bait were making up stream, but kept well in' the centre of the river. Fishermen witnessing the spectaele declare that, it was the largest quantity seen in the Manawatu for a number of years. Some good catches were recorded yesterday, two men netting 70 odd pounds during the day. A painful accident occurred recently near Mr Sorenson’s store

when Mr Turner senr., of Palmerston N’orth (late of Oroua Downs) had a leg broken through a collision with a motor cycle, ridden by Mr Bert. Gardner, and travelling in the same direction. Mr Turner was conveyed by car to the Palmerston North hospital by Mr Gardner senr. Mr Turner had just recovered from a broken arm, and as he is'a man well up in years, this accident was most unfortunate. He is progressing satisfactorily. In the published list of local suc-

cessful candidates in the recent teacher's examinations, we inadvertently omitted the name of Edward Fuller, who obtained a partial pass for Class D. This candidate is an ex-pupil of the local school and he is to be congratulated upon his success.

The pall bearers at Mr Bonar Law’s funeral at Westminster Abbey on Monday, were the Prince of Wales, Mr Baldwin, the Speaker, Earl Balfour, Mr Asquith. Lord Fitzalan, Lord Carson, Lord Beavotbrook, Mr Austin Chamberlain and Mr Ramsay MacDonald. The" bearer parly will be four non-commis-sioned officers of the Kings Own Scottish Borderers and four from the R.A.F. These were selected because Mr Bonar Law’s two sons, who lost their lives in the war, belonged to the Borderers and the R.A.F. respectively.

Reference was made at the Council meeting at Shannon last week by Cr. Carter to the bad state of the road from the Shannon bridge to the borough boundary. He said it was in a dilapidated condition and if we should have a week of. wet weather it, would become impassable for vehicular traffic. It was resolved to write to the ITorowhenua County Council and ask them to give some attention to their portion of the road.

The Town Clerk returned to-day from a business visit to Wellington and states that be has secured some very fine pictures for the Town Hall for the Christmas holiday season, among them being: “The Monkey’s Paw,” by W. W. Jacobs, “Love is an Awful Thing,” featuring Owen 'Moore who appeared in “Reported Missing,” also two very line productions, “Outcast,” with Elsie Ferguson in the leading role, and “A Connecticut, Yankee at the Court; of King Arthur.” Arrangements have also been made for the screening of “Rupert of Ilen/.au,” and “The Common Law,” the latter a very well-known work of Robert W. Chambers,

A good illustration of the fact that the sand hills ringing the coast of this district are not necessarily useless for productive purposes if only they could lie “fixed,” instead of allowed to drift as at present, is given in a patch of Uicerne of about a chain square growing amongst the marrain-gra .s <•:> the Hon. E. Newu’s property within fifty yards of I lie beach. Examined by a “Chronicle” i. present-ative recently, the , laiil.s appeared to be quite healthy with an excellent colour and making good growth, whilst, one plant, obviously a young one, which was pulled up, showed a well-developed root .-.ysliui in which the main root was :! r. e feet in length.

D,,!., pay to build good roads? Certs' .'y the Americans think so, other i v o:.e would not find such piilibo improvement estimates as I bat drawn up for the State of lllinoi . for 1924: —960 miles of road pav.ni. nl at 26,009 Moilars a mile, 23,40i),0(t1) dollars; new building at the University of Illinois, 2,500,000 dollar-; expenditure on waterway 3.O(mhMI(I dollars; erection of State Fair mu filings, 450,000 dollars; minor improvements totalling three milliod dollars, in all, Illinois proposes to spend thirty-two millions on public improvements and over twenty-three millions of that will go down in roading, not in the States, but in one State in one yeai\

“O main papaku,” which may be translated as “beside the still walers,” was, until a few years ago, the proper name of a piece of native bush opposite the Aiotuiti railway station. As with many Maori names, the initial difficulty of correct pronunciation led to a grotesque corruption (*says a writer in the Palmerston N. Times) and this beauty spot was everywhere known as “Old Mother Paker.” This fact probably led to the adoption of its more recent name of Motu-iti, or the little bush. From time immemorial this bush, isolated among the swamps and sand dunes has been a guide for the Alaori fishing canoes to enter the river mouth, and for three-quarters of a century it has been the beacon for the entry of shipping to the port of Foxton.

Guy Fawkes Day was celebrated locally yesterday evening by the letting off of fireworks and the lighting of hon fires in different parts of the town.

Mr Hai’old Osborne had the misfortune to poison his hand last week and complications set in which necessitated medical attention and careful nursing. We are pleased to report that he is now progressing satisfactorily towards recovery. The body of William Austin, single, aged 28, employed as a labourer, was found banging to a tree at Uilverdale, Auckland, on Alonday. At the inquest a verdict was returned that Austin committed suicide while in a state of mental depression.

The complete maimer in which some boys entered into their tem-porarily-enlarged status during Boys’ Week at Auckland was demonstrated on one evening by a lad’s reply to a greeting of welcome as he entered ond of the banqueting halls, “Yes, I’ve come,” he said exciledly, “and have brought father with me.” The parent smiled _a smile of tolerance, accepting his new role without protest.

At the conclusion of an address delivered at Temuka, the Hon. J. G. Contes referred to the remark of Mr Holland, M.P., who had declared that the drums of doom were beating for the Massey - Government. That might he, Air Coates said, hut if it were true—which he very much doubted —Air Holland would find he and his party would have a very hard tussle before he would gain command. Mr A. W. Stevenson had a narrow escape from a fatal accident on Sunday. He was underneath his motor lorry .when the jack slipped and th<f hack portion fell striking him on the head and indicting a nasty cut over the eye which had to receive medical attention. Air Stevenson was also badly bruised. We are pleased to state that he is making a good recovery from his injuries and hopes to be about again iii a few days, f That (he racecourse has its humorous side was evidenced • last week at the totalisator, at the Alakaraka course, states.the Auckland “Star.” The law foi’hids ttye purchase of a ticket by any person under the age of 21 years. A young woman —in fact, almost a girl in appearance —asked for a ticket on a particular horse. The totalisator e'erk, a vonng man, did ndt desire tr, .see the girl come within reach of the law, so with blushing face, he said: “Are you sure you are 21 xears of age?” “No doubt of it,” said the frmalc speculator. “I’m ovei* 21 and what’s more,” she added wifb pride. “I’m the mother of four children.” The abashed young man dealt out the ticket hurriedly without further parley. His comrade next to him in the totalisator house laughed at the incident and said that the young lady’s words were perfectly true, for she lived in bis neighbourhood.