LOCAL AND GENERAL

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2661, 20 November 1923, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

There was a large crowd at the beach on Sunday. The body of Mr Harry Thomas, who has been missing since Saturday last, was found yesterday in the Wanganui River.

It is anticipated there will be a good attendance at the Town Hali eu Thursday evening when an entertainment by the Maori String Band, from Shannon, will be given. Tickets may be obtained from local shop-keepers. Mrs Jane Bass, who celebrated her one hundx-edth birthday at Cambridge recently, said that the recipe for long life was plenty of tea and hard work. New Zealanders do the tea part of it. That hiccups may be due to rheumatism is the contention of Dr. Martin J. CJievers, a well-known Manchester physician. “I have never failed to cure the most obstinate case by. a few doses of antirheumatic medicine,”

Another euchre party under the auspices of St. Mary’s Church, will be held in the Town Hall .supperroom this evening at 8 o’clock, tes the Olaki Mail, and several have piti Island than for years past, slates iheOtaki Mail) and several have been eaptured by loeal fishermen.

Mr W. IT. Reynolds of the Otaki nurseries, has consented to judge the roses and sweet peas at Frida v’s show.

The ratepayers of the Gonville town district took a poll yesterday and decided by 552 votes to 35fi to amalgamate with the Borough of Wanganui. We are informed that ex-Council-loi Thompson will bo a oandidate for the extraordinary vacancy on the Borough Council caused by the retirement of Cr. MeMurray. The names of several other aspirants are also mentioned.

The Gisborne watersiders refused to work yesterday on account of the appointment of a new deputy foreman. The local disputes committee considered the matter and the trouble has tentatively been settled. The inatier is to go before the national disputes committee and work in the meantime will go on as usual.

A lire destroyed a tennis pavilion and garage at Otaki beach at an early hour yesterday morning. A motor ear in the garage was also destroyed. The property destroyed was owned by Mr Byron Brown, who is a heavy loser. The fire is said to he the act of an incendiary.

There is at present on view in the C. M. Ross Co.’s a huge candle. This is to be used as a competition in connection with All Saints’ Community .Fair. This candle will be lighted during the Fair and the lucky one to give the correct or nearest time it will bum out will receive a handsome reward.

’file “Daily Express” Rome correspondent says Anthony Zamone, aged (>3, once a famous brigand, has been released under Royal amnesty, after spending 44 years in prison, lie says he intends to start a new life with the 700 lire which he has saved out of his prison earnings.

Captain Foster, skipper of the Trevessa, gave evidence.at the Board of Trade inquiry that the probable cause of the disaster was that in diving into heavy seas, the Trevessa hit a spar or heavy wreckage, which caused a leak in No. 1 hold.

Queer as our law of libel seems at limes, it has been surpassed in that quality by some of (lie Western imitations. In Wisconsin some lime

ago an editor was successfully sued for damages on account of an obituary notice which appeared to be above reproach. But the dead man’s widow won her case because of the notice that her late husband had “gone to a better home.”

A loiiih, presumably that of one of the Pharaohs, has been found by natives, who kept it secret until they had stolen I lie gold, silver and other treasures, says the Cairo correspondent of the London Daily Mail. The suspicions of the authorities were roused by the large number of antiquities lately appearing on the market, and inquiries led to the arrest of the robbers.

“Death can be the result of suggestion,” said Mr Kenneth Mackenzie, in the course of a lecture at Auckland on ancient medicinal practices. He gave the ease of some students who wished to play a joke on an unpopular janitor. The unfortunate janitor was subjected to a mock trial and sentenced to death. He was then told to put his head on a block, as his head was to be cut off. The man placed his head on the block, and a cane was lightly passed over his neck. When the students came to look at the man they found lie was dead.

Strange creatures are oftentimes found in most unlikely places. The surprise may be imagined of a wellknown Dunedin citizen who, when cutting an ordinary loaf at breakfast time, discovered a black beetle of fair size. He prodded the insect with the point of the knife and discovered that it was very much alive. Examining the loaf llioroughIv. In* could find no hole, crack, or opening in the crust, through which the insect could have crawled, and it is presumed that it must have been deposited in the Hour in the form of an egg, and hatched out by the heat of the oven.

On November 12, the GovernorGeneral sent a message for submission to the King, reporting that Armistice Day was with due reverence observed throughout New Zealand and expressing, on behalf of the Government and people of the Dominion, assurances of continued loyally to the Throne ou the occasion of that hallowed anniversary, llis Excellency has received a reply requesting him to convey to the Government and people of New Zealand His Majesty’s deep interest in hearing of these observances and his sincere appreciation of the message of loyalty.

Following' a .somewhat heated discussion at the Wellington City Council, when question time arrived, Cr. Monteith asked the Mayor if he would favour texts, such as “Love one Another,” being placed in the committee room. This, Cr. Monteith suggested, might have the effect of doing away with the verbal listicuffs which had been indulged in, and which were a little trying to those who took no part in them. “Oh, that’s nothing,” replied the Mayor, “you often see that in the House, Cr. Monteith. Councillors should do as they do in the House —light like Kilkenny cats while they are at it, and when it is over, go and have a cup of tea at Bellamy’s together.”

Mr Patrick Spelman, of Palmerston N., met with an unfortunate and painful accident on Thursday last. He was at his Rnnmai farm and while pressing wool touched the suspender top of the press which fell from a height and cut the upper part of one leg which required eight -ditches. He will he incapacitated for some days. Some large consignments of farm seeds which had come from New Zealand and which were badly infested with weed seeds, were seen by a New Zealand visitor to the Government Forestry and Seed Department at Brisbane (the Southland Daily News reports). These, consignments were being- held up, and in addition 10 ttie reduced figure which the consignor would receive, he was not likely to get one penny of his money for six months.

The strange spectacle of three llat-hottoined boats lashed together slowly coming down stream loaded with Maoris and a coffin containing the remains of one of their number, who died at Eparaima’s pah on Saturday, was witnessed at an onrly hour on Monday morning by those on the wharf. The cortege pulled up at the wharf and the body was transferred to a waiting hearse and conveyed to Motuiti for burial. A tiingi is now being held there. The name of the deceased is Atarima Teri, married, aged about 25 years. Her husband predeceased her about twelve months ago.

Sir William Windham, a member of the Overseas Immigration Committee, which lately visited the Dominions, on beng interviewed on his return to Southampton, said: “The improvement in the European situation is the key to increased migra--tion to Australia. Australians feel fresh markets must he found, if large numbers of new settlers are to he absorbed. In New Zealand, the best land has already been taken up and further roads and transport facilities are necessary before seltlcrs in large numbers can he absorbed. In Australia, however, the possibilities arc enormous.”

An interesting point, was raised before the Power Board at Ashburton yesterday when a dentist asked for compensation of £4 for damage through fluctuation of voltage. lie stated that the Board supplied 245 volts instead of 230, burning out the element in his steriliser and heater, blowing out fuses and retarding work generally. The chairman explained that the fluctuation was on the Public Works side of (lie Board’s switchboard. The board itself had suffered. The question of bringing a test case was debated and finally if was decided to forward the dentist’s claim to the department.

The Rev. Phillip Carrington, in his address at the Tiinaru Fathers’ and Sons’ banquet, warned tlie hoys against I tie propaganda of men whom he called “cuckoos.” “Cuckoos,” he explained, “are men who or about with long, greasy hair, and flaming red ties, ever on the look out for some open-mouthed listener into whose willing ear they may pour equality of Red Russia, the splendid fraternity of Bolshevism.” .Judging by the hold which extreme Socialistic, and even Bolshevistic ideas have gained in New Zealand (remarks the Post) it would appear that the “cuckoos” have already secured quite a number of such listeners in the land of the kiwi.

Private Hatch, aged 20 years, is iving seriously ill in Alexandra Hospital, London, through having swallowee a dinner knife, tooth brush, Hi trouser buttons on a string and several needles and studs. When Private Hatch told his companions on Sunday he had swallowed n knife, they thought he was joking, Imt as he persisted in his story, ho was taken to hospital, after which a seriousi operation was performed and the knife, tooth brush and trouser buttons extracted from the stomach. If is feared the needles and studs have reached the intestines. The ease is one of the most surprising ever treated and there is no apparent motive for the swallowing.

In the London Zoological Gardens during September several valuable specimens of a collection were found dead. A hippopotamus died after eating explosive hidden in tin cans, three alligators had their eyes gouged out; a famous grey monkey, the oldest member of the collection, died from poisoning, and an ostrich, which, despite its reputation, was unable to digest pins which some .strange lunatic bad hidden in a piece of bread. The only clue to the crimes is a human finger found lying in a lion’s cage. It is believed to he that of the criminal, and it was probably bitten while he was trying to give tho lion poison. Many theories are advanced regarding motives but no satisfactory one has been found.

A. curious accident happened in Oamnru last week (says the Mail), when a motor cyclist was travelling fairly fast during the thunderstorm, A t the same moment as the very vivid lightning fiasli wheb occurred over Oamnru, the machine stopped dead, the magneto evidently having been affected. In view of the German claim that they were able to bring down French aeroplanes by stopping their magnetos this incident is somewhat interesting. Various electrical experts state that it is by no means uncommon for lightning to affect electrical apparatus but that this is the first occasion they know of in which an enclosed magneto has been thus affected. The motor cycle in the case was badly damaged by the sudden stoppage, and the rider received a slight shock. Rats are believed to destroy food to the value of £12,000,000 yearly.

Mr J. M. Hickson last night ad-c!rr-sod 600 people in the Anglican Church at Greyinouth, including 370 patients, preparatory to opening his mission to-day. A poll on the question of forming a county council at the Chatham Islands was recently taken. The result of polling has 'been forwarded to the Department of Internal Affairs. It now rests with the Minister to decide whether the time is opportune to proceed with the measure. The chief difficulty is the collection of rates as the natives claim exemption. As they are predominant in number it would mean that tlie whole cost of road-making, etc., would devolve upon the European settlors. •The natives are also exempt from paying the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board tax which lately has been enforced on the island. An endeavour has been made to place them on the same footing as the pakeha settlers, but this was not successful. A Maori who, some time ago, was an inmate of the Southland Hospital has'advaiuynl a novel reason why he should not be called upon to pay medical expenses (says the Southland Times). In reply to the Hospital Board’s claim lie refers the Board to the Treaty of Waitangi, under which, he states, the Government promised the Maoris free hospitals, free education, and free doctors. He further advises the Board to send the account to Sir Maui Pomare, Minister of Native Affairs and Public Health, who he thought would deal with it satisfactorily. The Board has replied stating that it is not in any way concerned with any arrangements made between the Government and the natives regarding educational or medical privileges. So far as hospital treatment was concerned, Maoris Avere in the same position as Europeans.