NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2832, 10 January 1925, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

At a dance in Oamaru on New Year’s night a young lady was the recipient of a brown paper bag containing, as she probably thought, sweets, but on opening the bag a pretty little kitten was disclosed with a card around/ts neck with the words: “New Year Greetings” written thereon.—North Otago Times. Bombardier Wells, former British and European heavyweight champion, is attempting a comeback. Making his first appearance in the ring in several years, Wells knocked out Guardsman Penwell in the second round of a 15-round match at Horton Baths. One of the Christmas lambs killed by a Winton butcher turned the scale at 711 b. when weighed (says the Southland Times). The lamb was dropped in August, and its rapid growth and development hear testimony to the excellent season experienced in that locality. The butcher said he had never killed such a'heavy lamb. In the records of the Wliangarei County Council during the year 1880 is a resolution censuring the then chairman, the late Mr J. T. Wilson, for having expended £SO on the purchase of an area of: land in the borough of Wliangarei (states Ihe New Zealand Herald). That area, which was dubbed a duck pond, is the site of the existing county chambers in Bank St., and it embraces (lie shops and offices adjoining to (lie boundary fronting on Vine St. The property to-day is worth approximately £15,000 on a basis of £IOO per foot, . Every garden, carefully cultivated, almost without exception, produces some unusual feature which the owner might show his friends with no small amount of pride. According to the Star, a Eeilding lady .interested in horticulture is very proud of at least a hydrangea bush which she planted some HI years ago. The bush this reason is 14 feet in height and loaded with Mowers, tiie majority of which measure from .18 to 2+ inches in diameter.

For some time past the Northern Wniroa Co-operative Dairy Company has put in each box of butter exported a card on which the puri baser is asked to fill in particulars as to tho date the box is opened, the. quality of the butter, the price and whom it is purchased from, also asking that the card be returned to the factory with postcard view of flic town or district, where the purchaser resides, in return for a postward view or illustrated booklet of this district. Mr T. Downs, manager of the factory, informed a representative of the Tlawera Star that by athnosf every mail tin company ? eeoives cai’ds filled in, • also poster. ids.

After arranging to combine the Christmas Eve celebrations with the marriage of bis daughter, a resident of Remuera and members of his family received a rude shock oil discovering on the morning fixed for the wedding, that the prospective bridegroom, bad disappeared. Apparently not the slightest suspicions concerning the young man's bona tides were entertained by either the young lady or her family. The trousseau was ready and the preliminaries to the wedding ceremony had been settled. It was not until the wedding breakfast had been laid that (lie bride to be received the startling news that the young man had vanished and any doubts regarding the.truth of the communication were speedily dissipated. The young man has. not beeii seen since.

It is- estimated that there have been 15,000 “Sittings” in Auckland this year. In fact, up to las! week the Postal Department had received no less that 14,30(1 notices of changes of address, and all these relate to persons who have left one house for another, and not to persons who alter their address from “care of the Post' Office” to a private address.

•A proposal lo levy a 101 l of oneeighth of a penny on all passengers over (ifteen years of age carried by the ferry and coastal steamers, and lo reduce the wharfage on ferry steamers to 5/- per day, was submitted to the Harbour Board. Without discussion, consideration was deferred for six months. !t was reported that a conference had been held on (he subject with representatives of 1 lie North Shore boroughs and shipping and ferry companies, who all were opposed to tiie proposal. Rlieims Cathedral (France) will profit greatly by the munificent Rockefeller bequest, the committee of which is now allotting the sum of (approximately) five million francs to restoring its roof and walls (o their pre-war condition. Even more is to he done for Versailles. For (he upkeep of the place a million and a half francs will be laid out annually, and, in addition to this, the Louis X4II. wing, the facade looking upon the park, and the paroquet flooring throughout the chateau will be put in order at a cost estimated at from seven to eight millions.