LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2703, 4 March 1924, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Airs Hodgson, of Carterton, is paying a brief visit to Eoxton friends.

The slide of Hie health of Queen Alexandra is causing anxiety. The Queen was born on December Ist, 1844, so she is in her 801 h year.

A walk from Wellington to Auckland, 495 miles, is reported to have been made recently by Mr H. Atmore, M.P., for Nelson, in 14 days.

A number of people are in doubt of the date of Easier (his year. Good Friday is April 18th, and Easter Monday is April 21st. Anzac Day, of course, falls on April 25th.

An inmate of the Costley Home in Auckland, who is 98 years old, is aide, to read and write without the aid of glasses.

“I am not an engineer,” said the Hon. -1. G. Coates to a deputation at Oamaru. “It took me a good number of years to become a small farmer, and I don’t pretend to nndersland (lie leehniealilies of electrical engineering.”

Two American bison for the Auckland Zoo were brought to Auckland by the motor-ship lluuraki, which arrived from the Pacific Coast on Tuesday. The animals are said (<> he the only members of the species south of the equator.

The officials in a certain bank in Hastings received something of a shock when a resident paid his initial deposit, £l5O, with exactly 150 sovereigns. Several Hastings business people report that gold is making an unusual appearance.

At a meeting of the Wellington Hospital Board a statement was submitted showing (he works which it was proposed to undertake and the cost. The total amount is £288,500. It is anticipated that at least: £150,000 will be expended dining flic first three years, and the whole of the money within five years.

“We want cheaper freights,” was the remark made by Air. William Goodl'ellow. u member of (lie Dairy Produce Export Board, to the Taranaki “Daily News.” To my mind the freight question is more urgent than that of despatch, which is pretty fair,” lie is reported to have said, “'although vessels do sometimes loiter too long around (he coast.”

A story is fold of a call made by a King Country Mayor on a party of Japanese naval officers who last week visited bis town. He was a heavy man, nearer seventeen stone than seven, and he also found himself woefully short of small talk. Most imtaetfully lie introduced a sore point with the Japanese, their si/.e and weight, and asked for the average among their countrymen. One officer gave the information and then in laboured English, but very politely, inquired: “And pray, sir, what may be your own displacement ?"

A freak in the form of a puppy with -fix legs was born among a litter of seven spaniels at Cjirist- ( liiirch. The little animal was perfectly formed in the upper part of ils body, but the lower part had two pairs of hind legs, which were facing each other and which, owing to their position, would have prevented the puppy from walking. The body altogether was about three limes as large as that of any of the other puppies, and when held in an upright position, was not unlike the shape of a pear. The puppy, with which its mother would have nothing to do, was kept alive for a day or (wo by means of a feeding bottle.

“That provision for the taking of 5 per cent, from subdivisions for the purpose of reserve is, 1 know, working out very badly,” said the Prime Minister, in reply to a deputation at Christchurch. Air Alassey added that lie did not know if there would he time for dealing with it daring the approaching session. He knew some of the reserves were absolutely useless, and lie was not sure what was the best way of getting over the difficulty, Mr G. Witlv, M.P.: “Why not sell the reserves and use the money for purchasing larger areas, which could he used as sports grounds? Mr Massey I see your point. That would lie the most useful ami sensible thing to do. .Mr Witty added that he had made (hat suggestion in tlie House two years ago. The matter cropped up when the chairman of the Papanui Domain Board suggested !i, Mr Massey that the Government would lie able to help the Papanui people in extending their domain it it altered the law so as to enable the reserves set aside when subdivisions were made to lie sold, and the money used towards the purchasing of parks.

A prophet, they saw, has no houuiu in his own country, and it has been too much the policy of New Zealanders in the past to pass over the products of their country in favour of the imported goods, which in many cases, are actually inferior to the New Zealand article. Take tobacco for example. Aiost American tobaccos arc obtainable on the score of excess nicotine, and defective combustibility, leading to the clogging of the pipe, the unpleasant, and indeed injurious eon sequences to the smoker. Try Riverliead Gold, mild and aromatic, or Toasted Navy Cut (Bulldog) of medium strength, and if you prefer a full body, try Cut Plug No. ft), the Bullhead label. Their purity, ltavour, aroma, and all round excellence will surprise you. Unlike most brands from overseas, this particular type of tobacco does not foul the pipe and leaves the mouth sweet and clean. Experts maintain that of all varieties known, N.Z. leaf is the least injurious on account of its small percentage of nicotine and that it may be smoked continuously without the slightest after eilects.

A well-known Christchurch lady, Mrs Wanklyn, the wife of Mr W. H. E. Wanklyn (brother of Air Wanklyn, of Foxton) for many years secretary of the Canterbury Jockey Club, died to-day. She was a daughter of the late Canon Gould, of Gisborne.

The Rev. S. W. Hughes recently related how a youth who had been in Palestine, upon his return home told his mother that the Bible story about the pigs running down a steep place into the sea was all wrong, because the hill was 80 miles away from the ocean. This did not shake the mother’s faith, who simply repdlied: “What’s eighty miles to a pig with the devil in it?”

“Here we are holding a temperance meeting in Oamaru and not a single drunk to liven up the proceedings,” said Air L. At. I.sitt, AI.P., the other evening. “Years ago,” continued the speaker, “it was the practice of the drunks to attend the prohibition meetings and interject but their interjections in many cases helped the speaker considerably.” “However,” said Air Is it l, “no-li-cense has altered all that in Oamaru.”

We have just received a copy of the ATareli issue of “The Ladies’ Mirror,” and as usual, this copy is well up to the average, and, perhaps a slightly better production as regards social notes and photographs than any previous issues. “In the Mirror” pages are particularly interesting . There is a line article on domestic artichecturo with plans, etc., by R-. K. Binney, A.N.Z.I.A. There are notes and articles of numerous kinds which help to make this number of “The Mirror” n particularly fine one. Secure your copy now so as to avoid missing it later.

“Here in Sydney there is wilful waste, women dress in most expensive clothes, sometimes new dresses for every meal. The war has made many classes. One is the spendthrift class. The women of this class smoke and spend money galore, and their hunger for clothes and finery seems insatiable. Yet, as wo wander from street to street, (he limbless and blind heroes of the war are begging or selling newspapers. Thousands of half-dressed men lie asleep in the parks—no work, no food, no beds.” —A New Zealand lady visiting Australia. A correspondent to our Palmerston morning contemporary, says:— On the Palmerston North Foxton line from six a.m. to ten p.m. and from dusk on Sunday night a procession of motor-cars was to bo >een on the road to and from the seaside. Tires and petrol consumption are about equal to the expenditure for road repairs mid together these three are 2(1 times greater than it would cost to convey five times the number by train. In this matter, the Railway Department does not consider the convenience of its clients, the finance of the ratepayers or its own revenue.

The current issue of the New Zealand Worker says: —-If we were Mr. J. McCombs. ALP., the laudations of the anti-Labour press would make, us extremely uncomfortable. To be praised by the squatter.s’ Dominion and the Tory Evening Post, as well as by the Liberal Lyttelton Times, is an experience which can hardly he described as pleasurable, and it should impel some severe self-investigation. In a connection such as this, we should not like to have it said of us that people should be judged by tlie company they keep. A remarkable accident oecui’red during the Southland Parliamentary tour when the cars were approaching Fortrose. The leading car met a horse and dray with the driver on lop, on the narrow road along the side of a hill, and at the critical tunc in passing the horse broke loose and was thrown helplessly through the air, landing on its back at the bottom of the hill. Driver and dray also made a remarkably quick and unconventional descent when the motorists reached the scene they found that no harm save the breaking of the shaft and a few bruises had been sustained by horse and owner.

Dr. William J. Alayo, a famous American who is attending the Aledieal Conference in Auckland, when asked as to the trend and development of modern medical healing science, said that never in the history of the world had there been so much activity in all branches. A tremendous amount of work was being done in chemistry, as well as important investigations in physiology. Asked whether the human race was becoming stronger or weaker in susceptibility to disease, Dr. Mayo said science was gradually eliminating many diseases which had ravaged mankind in the past, and as the medical profession was gaining fresh knowledge ail the time, there was distinct hope for further improvements.

At the luncheon of the visiting Catholic prelates at Wellington, his Grace Dr. Barry, of Hobart, in replying to the toast of "The Visitors” was most eulogistic in his appreciation of the scenic wonders of New Zealand. He hoped that all the Australian Hierarchy had on this visit seen the Dominion from Rotorua to Alount Cook, and in their peregrinotins over the globe in the future would individually do themselves less than justice if they did not tell their friends everywhere what New Zealand had to oiler to the visitors. They were struck with New Zealand’s bright, happy, and intelligent children who laugh into the face of the future and in whose hands the continued moral, commercial, and physical weli-being of their beautiful country were sure to be in. safe keeping.

One of the many problems which confront the farmer is the disposal of surplus straw. Tt is a of great importance, and lias a distinct bearing upon success or otherwise of corn growing. A new straw ropemaking machine spins the straw into an article of commercial value. This commodity hitherto has been manufactured almost entirely on the Continent and considerable interest is being shown in the edeavour to make it in England. The machines produce ropes of two strands, the straw being fed into narrow troughs and carried forward bv means of scored rollers to the spinning boxes. The ropes can be made in diameter varying from ®in. to 1J in. There is a demand for them as packing material, and in the foundry trade they are used as core binders. MV E. TT. Liddell, the famous British 100 and 200 yards champion runner and Scottish international Rugby player, is a member of the Moniingside Congregational Church, Edinburgh, and the soil of an T..M.S. missionary in China, Rev. J. D. Liddell, of Peking. Mr Liddell has been talking to an Edinburgh “Evening Despatch” interviewer on religion and sport. Tie objects in toto to Sunday sports, and rather than run on a Sunday in Paris in the Olympic Games next summer he would, he said, be prepared to sacrifice the greatest honour and distinction that can come to an athlete. Matters have, however, been so arranged that the events in which Mr Liddell will probably compete will be run off on week days. Mr Liddell is in great demand as a lay preacher and speaker at religious meetings for young men. The danger arising from the stray dog nuisance on the Waikanae beach was emphasised recently when an infant child of Mr Pilkington, of Awapnni Road, met with an alarming and painful experience (says the Poverty Bay Herald). Tt appears that the child wandered unobserved on lo (he beach and innocently placed its hand on a dog. The dog immediately (lew round and buried its teeth in the child's face close under the left eye. Not content with this the dog assumed a most aggressive atttitude as it stood over the prostrate and terrified infant. But for the prompt and timely intervention of a visitor oil the beach the infant would have probably been killed by the dog. As it was surgical attention was necessitated, the loss of the eye being narrowly averted. Tt is understood that the dog has since been destroyed.

"Mr. Ramsay .MacDonald and his colleagues are not likely to find general support in the House of Common.-< tor any further reduction ia the size of the Army,” says the Army and Navy Gazette. “The Libera! ranks contain a numerous following who agree with the Earl of Derby that the Army is as small now as circumstances will permit, and that further curtailment would he disastrous. Tn this connection it is satisfactory that a very strong politically mixed Army clement sits in tlie new House. It is a hundred strong, and can make its influence felt. Tts Generals comprise Sir Aylmer Hunter-Winston, Right Hon John Seely, Sir John Davidson. Sir Fredrick Sykes, Sir William Alexander, Rev. Dr J. M. Simms. J. Nicholson, E. Makins, E. Spears, and G. Cockerell. As a committee the Service members will be capable of recording some trenchant advice.”