Manawatu Herald SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1924. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2693, 9 February 1924, Page 2

Manawatu Herald SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1924. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There was an a ( tendance of upwards of 420 pupils on (lie opening day of the local State and side schools.

The hearing of evidence in (lie charges against Russell Dvtes Martin was concluded at Christchurch on Thursday. Accused pleaded not guilty and was committed for trial.

“It was a shame that he had to go. He a better man to the district that Bill Massey. He had triplets and two sets of twins!” Roars of laughter greeted this unique expression of appreciation of a departing settler uttered bv a member of a deputation to the Southland Education Board.

A married woman, named Mary Ellen Bergstrom, resident of Palmerston North, died suddenly yesterday, at the age of 33 years. After returning home at 10 p.m. she retired and later complained to her husband of heart palpitation. He summoned a doctor but Mrs Bergstrom died in a few minutes. An inquest will be held to-day.

A retired farmed, named Abel Rowe, was charged at the Wanganui Court this week, with having been drunk while in charge of a motor. He was sentenced to fourteen days’ imprisonment by Mr J. S. Barton, S.M., who said the punishment was intended to act as a warning. When Rowe was driving he collided with a cyclist, whose machine was badly smashed.

The operations of rabbit boards in the counties has had an unexpected effect, as “bunny” is starting to find sanctuary inside the borough, says the Wanganui Chronicle, the rodents being quite plentiful in some localities. “What am I to do?” asked a harassed borough resident the other day, whose cabbages and cauliflowers had suffered severely. “It is against the law to use lirearms, or lay poison.” Possibly the next development will have to lie the formation of a borough rabbit board vested with the necessary statutory powers to combat the furry invasion.

To a Canadian girl, aged seventeen, one a jewelled tiara the first prize at a beauty contest arranged by a beauty cream manufacturer in the vast Madison Square Gardens in New York. Site is Miss Norma Niblock, of Montreal, and was selected from 84 entrants by a committee of 100, after Mr Rudolph Valentino, the film star, had said that he found the beauty too dazzling to make an award and referred the task to the committee. Miss Niblock is the only girl who eschewed cosmetics. Once free of the limelight, her perfect features, clear complexion, and sparkling eyes, ensured her selection the other girls being from all sections of the United States.

An unenviable experience befell a well-known family at Fencourt, in the Cambridge district. One night last week the mother was awakened by hearing the screams of her mon-th-old baby, which had been sleeping in its cot alongside its parents. On lifting the child out she was horrified to discover a large rat clinging to its head. The mother struck the rodent which turned and savagely attacked her, biting her on the arm. The husband, awakened by his wiles screams, endeavoured to kill the rat, which escaped. The baby received a nasty wound just above the eye, where the rodent had bitten a piece away. The baby was covered with blood. As the result of the attack, the mother was almost in a state of collapse.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Borough Council will be bold on Monday evening at 7 o’clock. The weekly Intercession services will commence on Tuesday next at 7.30 p.m. hi All Saints’ Church. Speaker Rev. F. MacDonald.

To arise at 3.30 o’clock every morning and milk GO cows, repeating the performance in the afternoon, is the task performed by a couple who have recently leased a farm in the Mawheraiti district (says the Gray Star). One advantage they have, possessed by very few dairy farmers, is that the separator is driven by an electric plant. This plant seen in action gives convincing proof of the labour-saving qualities of electricity. The Rev. Frank McDonald, of Foxton, and Mr Hedley Wilton, of Rangiotu, returned from a motor trip to Rotrua via Taranaki recently. The two travellers carried camp equipment with them and not the least enjoyable incidents of the journey were Ihe way-side campings out- at comparatively short intervals. The weather was ideal for such a. trip, and the roads were good. On this occasion Mr McDonald said that they motored through the new Awakino Valley road en route to Te Kuiti and this part of the journey was much enjoyed. At. the last meeting of the local Chamber of Commerce correspondence was read from Captain Hamilton of Invercargill, in reference to shipping between that port and Foxton and giving particulars of the class of steamer suitable to work both ports. A letter was also received from Mr Hamilton (ex-M.P.) in connection with the same subject. The secretary stated that he had forwarded certain information to Captain Hamilton on the subject. It was pointed out that tbe Chamber together with the Harbour Board, is anxious to encourage shipping to the port. Erosion along the beach fronts at Eastbourne. Wellington, in southerly weather in causing residents a great deal of anxiety. The Council were asked by a resident on tbe waterfront to move in regard to the matter. One councillor expressed the opinion that groynes built of heavy wire-netting and loaded with l'ocks should be run at right angles from the foreshore. Sea walls had been proposed, but he was of the opinion that these would be expensive and would probably affect (.tlier parts of the beach. It was decided to inspect the beach, with a view to deciding what should be done. The finance committee, in a later report, recommended that a loan of £IOOO be raised forthwith for the purpose of protecting the foreshore. Decision on this point was left over pending the examination by councillors. A commendable effort to foster public interest in support of New Zealand industries has been made in Christchurch, states Mr. G. W. Allsop, on his return from a visit to the South. On the tram-cars he noticed display boards inscribed “Support the country which supports you,” and “Keep you money in New Zealand and your workers employed.” As a practical illustration of wluit might be done by large concerns Mr Allsop mentioned that while motoring from Featherston to Masterlon lie passed thousands of telegraph posts made of reinforced ed concrete. He was informed that they had been erected about six years ago, and showed no signs of deterioration. By thus employing local materials, thousands of pounds at present going to Australia annually to purchase hardwood poles, would be retained in the Dominion, while additional employment would be given to local labour.