LOCAL AND GENERAL

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2674, 20 December 1923, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Advertisers please note that the Herald will be published in the forenoon of Saturday next.

Mr Massey has left England on his return to New Zealand. He will visit Canada on his way home.

There are just over 250,000 private dwellings in New Zealand and last year 5,025 were added.

The editor and staff desire to acknowledge and reciprocate season’s greetings from Mr P. Skellen.

The Foxton-Slmnnon road, from the bridge to the Shannon borough, is in a shocking condition for traffic and requires the utmost care to negotiate it in safety. About a week ago, a Maori lad, J. Potaka, picked up a fully inflated motor spare wheel on the Motuiti road. It was advertised but so far the owner has not turned up. Jim is anxious!

About 80 applications have been received by the Taranaki Education Board for 36 vacanees to which pupil teachers and probationers have to he appointed for the coming venr.

Wiring between Levin and Shannon has been commenced by the llorowhenua Power Board’s gangs and already 2,250 chains of wire have been run out, besides 32 Post and Telegraph lino crossings which were undergrounded.

A striking coincidence occurred at jho rendering of oratorio, “The Messiah,” at Oam,aru (states the North Otago Times). A lady singer was just entering upon the recitative “For Behold Darkness,” when (lie electric light failed and (he chm-oli was plunged into darkness.

Following (he practice of recent years, arrangements have been made for flic appearance of Father Christmas in Fox ton at about 2.30 p.m. on Monday next. Toys will he distributed in Easion Park by the genial Father Christmas to children from one year to ten years of age, after which if any parcels still remain, they will he given to children above that age.

Among the prize winners at Queen Margaret's Girls’ College, Wellington, were the following local pupils: Misses Tda ft pairs (two awards in Iho senior music division and a Home Nursing Certificate), Baugi Easton (sewing award), and Zena Easton won fame and four awards in the athletie division. We congratulate the students on their suceess. A novel scheme to ensure that motor lorry drivers would know when ;i vehicle desired to pass from the tear was put forward by Mr ft. •Ticket!, one of the engineers of the Mhnawntii Gorge Board of Control. Mr .Jickell’s idea was that a tube should he run from the driver’s cab to the rear of tho vehicle where a funnel would enable the warning of I lie motor behind to he distinctly heard.

A mistake in drinking turpentine instead of hop beer was made a day or two ago by Mr J. Geddes, of Morinsvillo. He was haymaking in a paddock and bis children took some bottled bop beer to him. With I lie hop-beer there was also a bottle containing turpentine. Mr Geddes drank a quantity of this before lie discovered his mistake. Medical aid was summoned, and he lias been confined to his hod since the occurrence, hut is progressing favourable.

At the trial of Higgins for the Waikino murders Constable Trask said he escorted accused to Auckland. During the journey Higgins talked freely with witness, mentioning the events leading up to the tragedy. Referring to the shooting, Higgins sad, “I am prepared to face the consequences for this terrible deed. I know I was doing wrong, but could not help doing it. The devil was in me.” The accused elecled to reserve his defence and was committed to take his trial at the silting of the Supreme Court in February.

An incident in nature study on a farm at Oka to of late lias been followed with interest by the farmer’s household and visitors (says the Stratford Evening Post). A goose that had been sitting on eggs for some time left the nest and the gander took her place. Later, he insisted on her return by peeking at her and pulling her bv the neck, eventually persuading his spouse to resume her family duties. However, he was not quite certain that she would remain faithful. He stood on guard for a couple of days, and whenever she left the nest lie pulled her hack again.

Tenders for the proposed theatre, public offices and block of' shops to he erected by I In* Levin Borough Council closed on Saturday and were opened at a recent meeting of the Council. Four tenders were received, these being as follows. — Judd and Russell (Masterton) £28,484; Irvine and Burr (Wellington) £28,475; J. L. McMillan (Wellington), £28,200; A. E. fttanden (Levin), £31.509. All these tenders were considerably above the architect's estimate and the amount of the loan, £24,000 (from which various deductions for furnishing. first year’s interest, architect’s fees, etc. have to he made). After considering the position the Council referred the tenders to the Building Committee. says the Chronicle.

An extraordinary ease of a woman who suffered for six years from an illness caused by the cream she was using for freckles has been discovered in Germany. Complaining of head-aches, pains in the back and limbs, and sleeplessness, the woman consulted numerous physicians, who variously diagnosed the illness as rheumatism, neurasthenia, hysteria and disturbances of the thyroid and other glands. Finally, it was found that the freckle cream which she was using contained mercury, of which the woman had rubbed into her face.a total of 13 ounces during the time she had been using it. The mercury lia caused chronic poisoning and it took 15 months to cure her.

Torrential rain fell throughout this district yesterday.

All the primary schools in the Wanganui district break up to-day for the summer vacation.

Following the public appeal by the Borough Council for donations to the Radium Appeal Fund, a cheque for £5 5s has been received from the .James Barber Estate.

Re-enacting the story of William Tell, a Ballarat schoolboy placed an apple on the head of a schoolfellow, and .standing twenty paces away, let fly with an arrow. Lacking Toll's sure guidance, the arrow flew and struck the boy in the eye, severely damaging the eyeball.

The children attending the sideschool at the Beach were visited by Father Christmas last night and spent a most enjoyable time. The arrangements were carried out by Miss Paton, the teacher in charge, and a most happy time was spent by all.

At the Dunedin Police Court on Saturday George Connolly was fined £25 for carrying on the occupation of a bookmaker. His business was transacted entirely among his workshop mates. Counsel stated accused had become infatuated with a young woman, spending all his money on her.

Following their usual custom, (lie local Salvation Army band commenced carrolling last night when the-south end of the town was visited. To-night the north end area will be visited. The Army hopes that its musical efforts during the past year have been appreciated and in order to further equip the band any donations received by r a milling will be used for this purpose.

Messrs ITornblow, Murdock and Phillips (secretary) of the Palmerston X. Hospital Board, conferred with the Mangahao Medical Association at Shannon yesterday in reference to a renewal of medical services at the Mangahao camp. Dr. McDonald, tho medical officer, was also in attendance. After a lengthy discussion a tentative agreement was decided upon, subject to confirmation hy the Hospital Board.

Included on the cargo list of the Ruahine, which is now discharging London merchandise at Wellington, is an entry for two cases of earwigs. sent from England to the Cawthorn Institute at. Nelson. Many and varied were tho instructions for feeding the insects on the passage, and it is to the credit of their attendants that the majority have reached the Dominion safely. Several of those which died were eaten hy their fellows.

“Never lie tempted to give up your studies in the course you are taking to go out to work for high wages as unskilled labourers,” was (lie advice given by the Hon. C. E. Stallinm, M.P., to tho hoys at the Dunedin Technical High School break-up. “Far too many hoys,” lie added, “are giving up the study for trades and professions to earn high wages at unskilled labour. For them a day of reckoning will come, and they will be sorry that they took that step.” “It seems to me that too many of our lads are going into professions, and are disposed to overlook the primary and secondary industries of the country,” said Sir Thomas MaeKenzie in the course of a speech at the Ashburton High School “breakup” ceremony. Professions were only successful in proportion to our manufacturing and industrial progress. Very few lads were learning trades. Whether everyone wanted to join the black-coated battalion he could not say, hut it- was certain too few were taking up trades and occupations more closely associated with the primary' and secondary industries, on which New Zealand so largely depended. Some interesting remarks relative to the poisoning of rabbits were made by a well known Palmerston South land owner recently (stales (lie Otago Daily Times). Sp'eaking of smothering rabbits in burrows, lie expressed the opinion that the use of ordinary smoke obtainable by burning coal at the entrance of (lie burrow was most effective. The system was to hum the coal and pump the smoke into the hole. As it found its way through the burrow and out at the other entrances, those entrances were blocked up until finally there was no means by which the rabbits could escape. The animals could not live long enough in the stifling smoke to burrow their way out as they sometimes could in the case of gases, some of which were dangerous to handle.