NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2816, 27 November 1924, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

Forty-two bands and over a Ihousand bandsmen will take part in the New Zealand Band Contest at Auckland in February. Sixteen are entered for the A. Grade Championship, including Malvern Tramways (Australia), and seventeen for the B. Grade, including Waratahi Municipal (Australia).

Two North-country villagers went out fishing. One caught a whiting, and then the other landed a sole, but on seeing it he unhooked it and threw it back into the sea. “What’s tha deein,’ Geardie? That was a grand ’un.” “Get away, man,” replied Geordie, “dis thee think A’s ganna hev a fish what the diver’s stood on?”

Although land values continue high the demand still exists for farm properties. The other day, a 72 acre farm on the Hawera borough boundary was sold for £IOO an acre. Land near the property sold recently was valued at nearly £2OO in the boom days. The sum of £IOO an acre was given last week for a farm at Normanbv. —Eltliam Argus.

“The only living things on Gallipoli are the graveyards,” said Sir lan Hamilton, speaking at a war memorial service at Hornsey. “There are no villages, no cultivation, and no shepherds or flocks. Every farmhouse is ruined, and only a few beachcombers are eking out a miserable existence. But the cemeteries are a mass of flowers, and are tended as if each soldier boy had been an Emperor’s son.” Brigadier-General A. W. Andrew, C.M.G., Hon. Chief Commissioner, when inspecting Martorr Boy Scouts and Wolf Cubs, said there are 1,500,000 Scouts in the movement, which is world wide and -i«j>rending daily. He congratulated the organisers on the splendid troop in Marlon. There was a good attendance of: the general public at the inspection, and the liaka by the Scouts and howl by the Cubs were creditable performances. The Post and Telegraph Department has the “wind up” over the 11,000 voltage, transmission lines of the Manawatu-Oroua Power .Board. As a result telephone wires crossing the line of route in the country arc being carried underground in covered cables, at t'he Power Board’s expense. II is understood that any electric power line coining into contact with telephone wires would carry the current to the exchange with, disastrous results.

“About 42,0(10 acres of our rearc being administered by the Government, and we have received very lilt Ic revenue from them,” said the chairman at a meeting of the Wanganui River Domain Hoard. He went on to say that 32,000 acres were taken for soldier settlement and the hoard had not yet received a cheque for any of the revenue. Mr. Langstone: “They ought to he shot for taking that land to put soldier settlers on.” Mark Twain was a sturdy democrat. He believed in the aristocracy uf accomplishment, so to speak, and would even talk to dukes if he could persuade himself that they had income dukes through no fault of I heir own ami were trying to live it down. While on a visit to the Bermudas a friend criticised him for eying on the golf links with a noted capitalist. “What ails him?” .s':e«l Twain. “Of course his money - tainted! It's twice tainted! ’TainT vours and 'tain’t mine.”

The whole of the piles for the new slipway in connection with the harbour development works at Gisborne have now been completed and ire being left to season before being driven. In the meantime, test pileare being driven over the line of the river diversion, with a view to ascertaining the resistance of the papa, whefi is of varying degrees of hardness, and, in consequence, requires piles of different lengths. The piles being used for this purpose are T-shaped,, and tongue and grooved, having a flush face to the river and being given added strength by rea-

son of the foot at the rear. The piles driven so far have proved very stt lisfactory in till respects.

A giraffe, or possibly a pair, will, ir is lioped, be included among the animals in the Auckland Zoological Park at no far distant date. The curator, Mr L. T. Griffin, who is at in Pretoria, lias intimated that he may be able to obtain the desired animals on reasonable terms, and lie has accordingly been instructed by cable to purchase one, or preferably a pair. • A number of improvements are being proceeded with the zoological park. These include the specially designed aviary for birds of prey, which is divided into five large compartments, each occupied by a distinct species ol: bird. Work is also being pushed forward for the provision of an alligator pool which will be completed by the time the expected alligators arrive next month.

How a repressed national spirit found an outlet in a postage stamp is shown in the Finnish “mourning” stamp, a copy of whielr is on view at the Philatelic Exhibition (says the Christchurch Press). When Russia took over Finland from Swden, it decreed that the Russian language should be taught in the schools, and even suppressed the national stamps. The Finns replied with the “mourning” issue, a black stamp, with the national coat of arms, and patriots placed it on their letters next to he official Russian stamp. The Russians promptly took the steps of destroying all letters with the label on them, and the re%ult is

a great rarity. Finland seized the opportunity of breaking loose after

the Russian revolution and she now has her national stamps again. During the height of the storm itr Taranaki a motorist returning from Uruti had rather a startling experience while passing under some cliffs bordering the Mimi river. Dislodged apparently bv the high wind, n piece of timber several inches in thickness and about 15 feet long, crashed mi to the road immediately in front of the car which was travelling at a moderate speed. So close was it that the driver had passed over the log before he could come to u standstill, but fortunately for all concerned, it had fallen lengthwise on the road, and beyond kicking up striking underneath the ear caused no trouble. Had it fallen across the road or u fraction of a second later, it might have put the car over the bank into the river.