Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1924. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2694, 12 February 1924, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1924. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

At last tight’s Council meeting accounts amounting to £504 5s fid were passed for payment.

The Napier Chamber of Commerce is agitating for the formation of a concrete road from Napier to Hastings.

Emigrants assisted under the Empire Settlement Act number to date 32,479 to Australia, 4,502 to New Zealand and 3,851 to Canada. Viscount Lascelles, who married Princess Mary, lias been elected Master of the newly consecrated old Etonian Lodge of Freemasons, and is to be installed this month.

Following a report of a Hull city analyst that a ton of soot fell in a day over every mile in Hull, experiments are being carried out in smokeless fuel.

During the month of January three horses and one cow were impounded by the local ranger. Driving fees to the amount of 4s were collected.

Local bandsmen are reminded that, owing to the Band Contest at Palmerston, there will lie no sectional or general practices this week.

Mr. -J. R. Booth, aged 97, Canada’s most famous lumberman, has transferred £1,000,000 as a dowry to Miss Lois Booth, iiis grand-dau-ghter, who will next week he married to Prince Eric, of Denmark.

The engagement is announced of Miss Hope Mnckie, of Pukehu, Hastings, eldest daughter of Mrs 11. Hussey, of Foxton, to Air Eric Williams, second son of Air and Mrs 11. Williams, Rangiuru, Otaki.

A claim for £IOO made by Mrs Burt, of Wellington, against the Otaki Maori Racing Club for the loss of a fur coat, left with an attendant at. the September racing meeting, was determined at Otaki last week, when Air J. L. Stout, S.M. gave judgment for the defendants.

A farmer walking clung one • >f‘ the main streets of Wanganui had his trousers nearly torn off by blackberry that spread across the footpath. “By gum,” lie said, “I could whistle, and fifty breeds of Government, inspectors would hear me.” He even looked to see if rabbits were running among the timber stacks. He closed the gap iti his pants with the aid of a nail, and munched ripe limit from the weed that bad ruined his nether garment.—0 hro n i «• le.

“The Royal Navy is the greatest humane institution in the world.” says the Morning Post. It is also the greatest school of manners, inasmuch as it inherits the high and courteous tradition of centuries of service. When the White Ensign rides into port. Englishmen long exiled know lliaj here is a piece of England brought to them. None save those who have sojourned iu foreign lands, or have settled in the Dominions, know what it means when a British man-of-war drops anchor in the bay.

A motoring accident occurred at Struggletown, near Taumarunui, on Saturday morning, in which a taxidriver named L. C. McKay was killed. He had met the train at 2 a.m., and with a passenger proceeded towards Piriaka. It is believed he was enveloped in a fog, and swerving from the road lie ran on to an old tramline and capsized into a lagoon. The passenger was thrown clear, but McKay was pinned down and expired in a few minutes.

The Prince of AVales broke his right collarbone while exercising a hunter at Billington Manor, near Ascot, last week. He proceeded to London, and was attended by a specialist, and is progressing well. The Railway Department has just completed arrangements for the purchase of 34 acres of land at Otalmhu, the property of Mr E. Shepherd, for the erection thereon of 100 homes for railwaymen. It is understood the Department intends to start building operations immediately. The price per acre was about £250.

The Governor-General and party accompanied by Colonel Allen Bell, M.P., visited the famous NinetyMile beach north of Auckland, and were greatly impressed with the majesty of the bench, which is probably tbe finest motor track in the world. On the return journey, Lord Jellicoe took the wheel and attained a speed of over 65 miles par hour on the hard sand.

“The first school established in New Zealand was a native school at the Bay of Islands in 1816,” said Air J. A. Nash, M.P., at the opening of the new Hokowhitu school. “The natives were taught in their own language and people of all ages, as well as children atlended. We owe a great deal to the missionaries for pioneering education in New Zealand.”

“Is your father nice to people outside,” asked counsel of a young man who was giving evidence against his father in a maintenance case in the Magistrate’s Court at Auckland. “Yes, he is—very, particularly when he is preaching to about a dozen of his brethren, hut at home ho is violent and cruel to all of us, particularly my mother.” Air F. K. Hunt, B.AT.. “A r es, I’ve heard of (hose sort of men before —angels outside, but real devils at home.”

A recent visitor to Taranaki informs us that if Hawera maintains its present- rate of progress, if will not In* long before it eclipses New Plymouth as a commercial centre. It is the centre of a closely settled and productive district and its business houses are attracting country trade over a wide radius. “Of course,” added our informant, “Hawera. will never he able to compete with New Plymouth as a pleasure resort.”

When the steamer Leviathan stranded off Robbins’ Reef, in New York harbour, she so jeopardised the outlets of the 20,000,000 dollars sewerage system which serves Newark and two other municipalities, that the Passaic Sewerage Company has notified the Shipping Board to prepare to receive claims for damages, if preliminary reports of engineers are corroborated by deep-sea divers. Engineers predict, that flic damage will amount to a quarter million dollars.

Who is the youngest volunteer milker in the Dominion? (asks the West Coast correspondent of the Christchurch “Press”). Mawheraiti has an example hard to beat. The three-year-old son of a well-known local farmer milks a heavy-produc-ing cow twice daily. He not only hails up the cow and log-ropes it, hut also feeds and paddocks the animal. They appear to have formed a strong mutual attachment, and it is stated that on one occasion when the boy was absent through illness, the cow almost ceased yielding milk, although it was in the middle of the season.

The farcical system of “trade discounts,” which is kept. up between some retailers and their employees has (says the Express) an earnest devotee in the person of a. new comer to Blenheim who recently joined the stall of a local grocer. Making his way into a confectionery shop a day or so ago lie purchased two bottles of soda water for sixpence and informed the girl behind the counter that he wanted a trade discount:! Being unable to work out exactly what. 10 per cent, of sixpence amounts to, the girl left tlie matter to the adjudication of her employer, who is still worrying ever the problem of finding farthings in a fartliingloss community.

Out of 194 Labour members in the new British House of Commons 130 represent trade unions and 58 are connected with other professions, the proportions in the lust Parliament were 84 and 58. The increase is thus ;m increase in the trade union element of the Labour Party. Some of its so-called “intellectuals" suffered defeat, and of the non-trade union element in its membership most fought county constituencies in the south and the southwest when- the chances of victory were not high. The miners have 40 out of 130 specially chosen by the unions. So great in fact, is the concentration of Labour power in the mining areas that one-fifth of the members of the Trade Union Congress returns one-third of the total trade union membership in the House of Commons.

In Popular Aleehunies, of Chicago, it is aunouced that Air Frank L. Newbury, of Reef ton, New Zealand, offers an award of £750 for an effective blackberry bush exterminator that will pass a test conducted by New Zealand Government experts. It must impregnate itself in roots of bushes without harming surrounding plants. Talking motion pictures will entirely replace the present type of pantomime films within another year or two, it is predicted by Dr. Lee Forest, New York scientist and radio expert. Dr. De Forest announced the perfection of the “Thermophone,” an invention by which it is possible to reproduce and amplify sound waves that have been photographed on a film.

Heavy rain is falling throughout the district to-day.

The members of the Presbyterian Bible Class are holding a picnic up the river next, Saturday afternoon, weather permitting. All members and their friends are cordially invited to lake advantage of this trip.

Some splendid specimens of “Early Puritan” and “Dacota Red” potatoes are on view at D. W. Robertson and Co.’s store. The potatoes were locally grown by Mr D. W. Brown, and indenfe the suitability of the local soil and climate for such vnriotv of tubers.

A number of loeal residents proceeded by road and river to the flax swamps on Sunday, and gathered large quantifies of blackberries, of which hundredweights must have been brought bark. The berries grow to great size in sueh lmmid conditions, and ripen in bunches like grapes. At last night’s Council meeting, in reply to Cr. Bryant, the ATayor said the decking of Whirnkino bridge was being attended to. Councillors made adverse comments on the had stale of the AVhirokino road. Cr. Colev suggested that the willows should be periodically cut back.

The. Union Company’s steamer Bohemia, which was condemned four years ago and has since been stripped In the hare shell, was buried a I sea on Sunday morning. The hulk was lowed about eight miles from the Heads by the tug Tarawliiti and there sunk in 100 fathoms. A quantity of scrap iron nbonrd ensures Lor remaining whore she now lies.

At a meeting of the Presbyterian Tennis Club held last evening, it was decided to complete the laying down of the court at an early date, and that a working-bee lie called to carry out the necessary work on Saturday, 16th instant. The secretary was instructed to offer the Foxton Bowling Club £5 for tbe disused roller, and sincere thanks was expressed to Mr William Ross for the gift of a net.

ATr Jack Evans, of Foxton, met with a painful accident on Sunday afternoon. He was motor cycling on the Foxton-Palmerston road with his brother, when the front stays of the machine supporting the mud-guard broke, and precipitated both on to the roadway. Air J. Evans received a severe laceration of the right leg below the knee. He was removed to the Palmerston Hospital, and bis injuries attended to. Air A If. Evans got off with a few slight bruises and abrasions. As a result of the accident, MY J. Evans will be incapacitated for a few weeks.

“People have expressed alarm at the size of the public debt, but I can assure them that there is no need for alarm,” said the Prime Alnister at Wellington recently. “The total debt is 207 millions, but, during the last financial year, in spite of the fact that we spent six millions in public works, and for other purposes, we reduced the public debt by £1,324,000. (Applause) There is no country in the Empire that can show the same sound position with regard to national assets that New Zealand can show. I do not want to boast, but surely I am entitled to draw attention to it. (Laughter).

“I have read of New Zealand in books, and one of the things that impressed me most „of all is the fact that the native Maori race and the British should be living and working happily together,” said Vice Admiral Saito at the luncheon given to the visiting Japanese naval officers at Wellington. “I think it is a good tribute to the colonisation and administration of the British nation that so many of the Maori soldiers went forth and fought so bravely in the war, and that many of them payed the supremo sacrifice. I think that such a case ;i- this is rare in the history of the world, and 1 admire the two people very much for it.”

Four draught horses, owned by Ah- Hugh Hanna, a farmer at flefton, were stung to death by bees yesterday morning. Air Hanna was driving a live-horse team along the road when a him! 30 colonies of bees left their hives iu ;i section adjoining I lie road, and attacked the team. Hanna, though badly stung himself, liberated the. leader's, which bolted for the stables, but I lie three others were blinded instantly. and stung to death in the chains. One of those which were Creed died before fencing the stables, and the other is in a critical condition. The only reason that can be assigned for the vicious attack is that the honey in the hives was removed two days ago, and the bees were si ill angry at. their loss.

An interesting letter has been received by Air. Afassey from Auckland from a man who is anxious to render thunks to the Government for enabling him to erect a. home under the State Advances A c.t. “While you were absent from New Zealand, I kavfc been fixed up with a worker’s home,” he writes to Mr. Alassey. “I write this in appreciation of what has been done, and to ask you, sir, if ever you art, in this neighbourhood, to call at this address and judge personally of the result of the policy caried out by the Government, under your lead. Interest and sinking fund cost me £5 3s 7d a month; previously I was paying £1 5s a week rent for two unfurnished rooms, with not even a fireplace.” Owner is wanted for a lost stephney wheel found on the Motuiti road a fortnight ago,

“Singapore is an island where there is no income tax and no customs dues,” declared Mr T. M. Wolford, in addressing the Dominion Executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union at Wellington on Wednesday upon the possibilities of trade with the East, The Government of Singapore imposed an income tax for two years during the war. The people, however, had called a mass meeting, and had demanded a balance-sheet from the Government, in order to see that the tax was .justified. The Government had been unable to show that they had not a huge surplus, and the tax was removed, (Laughter.) Mr. Wilford declared that, as a result of there being no harbour dues, steamers came from Penang, Batavia, and other ports', and laid up at Singapore whenever they were idle. Mr. Matheson: “How does the country obtain its revenue?” Mr. Wilford: “By licenses. Every business in the country must have a license to trade, even the tobacconists.