Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 1925. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2832, 10 January 1925, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 1925. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Strawberries are still available in fair quantities at Auckland. They sold at from 9d to 1/- a chip for choice varieties at the Auckland City Markets this week, says the Herald.

Regarding flu- reported unsafe condition of St. Paul's Cathedral, the Lord Mayor of London declared that there was no.need for alarm as to the condition of the Cathedral. “There is no reason ” he said, “why repairs cannot he carried out without .closing the building.” Mosquitoes have been very troublesome during the past few nights. The past wet weather and resultant surface water at this time of the year increasing their multiplicity. Residents should empty tins containing stagnant water and where possible spray any pools with kerosene which effectively kills them.

Farming conditions in the Wairarapa distinct are reported to be particularly favourable, there being a plentiful supply of green fodder with which to feed stock, owing to the splendid mixture of rain and sunshine in recent months. Farmers there are sharing in the prosperous times and the butter-fat production is well up to standard. What is probably the richest coal seam in England has been discovered at Moor End, in South-east Yorkshire. It is thought that it may extend (15 miles out under the North Sea. It has been estimated that even without the seam running under the sea, it contains 23,000 million tons of coal, which at the present rate of output will last 400 years. Wellington has this year produced a fine crop of a particularly dangerous plant, the poisonous hemlock, in spite of the fact that a few months ago the council adopted a special by-law naming hemlock as a very noxious weed, and calling upon dll and sundry, presumably within the corporation’s employ as well as out, to wage war upon it. Hemlock is distributed over a very wide area in the city and suburbs, says a Wellington paper, and within a few weeks’ time will be in full seed. Unless steps are taken in the meantime bushels of seed will be sown to ensure a liner crop next year.

The tender of the 0. M. Ross Co. for the supply of 25 uniforms for the local hand .has been accepted by £he executive and the bandsmen were measured on Thursday night. The uniforms are to be ready in time for the Band’s appearance at the local race meeting.

A peculiar labour dispute occurred on Wednesday morning, when about sixty waterside workers refused to travel to Chelsea in oil launches. The men had been engaged to work cargo on board the \\ ingntui at Chelsea, and two launches had been engaged to carry them, but the walersiders demanded to he taken to their work by a vessel with steam power, and the Union company granted their request.

Speaking at the local Chamber of Commerce meeting last night, Mr Me Murray said the river at the Heads had broadened to a considerable extent during the past few years and was making to the south. Tabling walls should he erected to confine |he water and so deepen the channel and scour the bar. He said I hat in 39.1.3 88,000 tons of shipping passed through the port whereas now only about 10,000 tons passed through instead of 100,000 tons. There was no reason in his opinion, why the local port could not be made as workable as Wanganui.

Speaking with regard to the per-s'cnl-day tendency of putting boys into professions rather than trades, Sir James Parr, at Gisborne, said that the real cause was the attitude of the minds of parents towards trades. “For instance,” he said, “if a boy is an engineer and conies home black and grimy, it is quite all right, as he is in a profession. On the other hand, if the same boy were following the profession of a blacksmith, and came home in llii.' same condition, he would be 10.-ing caste in the social scale.” Sir James said the very best brains of the country were needed to-day in trades and in the country, as well as in professions.

One of those coincidences which attract attention occurred at Ellerslie and had a direct interest both for the Governor-General and Lady Alice Fcrgusson (says the Auckland Herald). For many years past photographs of all the distinguished men who have filled the position of Governor or Governor-General have been bung, in the order of their term of office, on the walls of the stewards' luncheon room. When Sir Charles sat down lie found that facing liini on the wall was the photograph of his father,-the late Sir •fames Fergusson. To carry the coincidence a stage further, Lady Fergtisson likewise found that immediately facing her was the photograph of her father, the late Earl of Glasgow. “In my opiniom no one who drinks should he allowed to drive a motor car.” Judge Rolin made this comment in Melbourne when upholding (he conviction of a man who had had his motorist’s license suspended for driving a ear while under the influence of liquor. “A motor weighs anything from 15ewh to two lons, and when driven fast it is a serious danger to life and properthe .judge declared. He said that the question was whether a li,ah should he deprived of his license if he was once drunk. .“I think not,” lie said. “But twice — then a suspension for a very long period of years is necessary. And then he must show some repentance. Drunken men must not drive mofor cars. If they do their licenses should he suspended, and properly so. They put the rest of the community into gravest danger,” emphasised the judge.

Not a few West Coast miners may lie seen in the week-ends around Grevniouth at (lie wheels of their ow.il motors, handsome touring cars that'a professional man might envy. Host of (lie owners, if not all, are members of co-operative mining parties whose six days’ arduous toil each week is required, not with the ordinary wage, blit with a full share of the profits derived by the respective parties, to which they belong. Apiarl from the fact that it reflects a degree of thrift for which the miner is not usually given "credit, such evidence of opulence naturally attracts the curiosity of the visitor. There is no reticence on the part of the miner that the co-opera-tive parties, once their initial difficulties are surmounted prosper, because the mine in which they work is theirs and because each man is efficient.

.Smokers who are niggardly of their ’baccy are rare. As a mile (lieir poueli is at the service of almost anybody. Of course there are exceptions. Do you remember the story of the smoker who kept two pouches"? fine lie called “the world’s,” the other “providence.” The first was always empty; the second , always well tilled, if asked for a filll he would regret that he “hadn’t a bit in the world.” If questioned as to what he was going to do for himself he would sav: “Oh, I must trust in Providence.” Well, there are all kinds of smokers, just as there are all kinds of tobacco. By the way, have you tried our own N.Z. grown tobaccos"? In some respects they are unique. For one thing they are all toasted. Hence their peculiarly delightful flavour; secondly they contain so little nicotine that they may he smoked “till the cows come home” without proving injurious. That’s why (lie doctors approve of them. Try Riiverhead Cfold, mild; Navy Cut (Bulldog) medium, or Cut Plug No. 10 (Bull’s Head) full. 20 For three years a woman living near Regent’s Park, London, has kept a snake nine feet long in her safe to guard her valuables.

Give and ye shall receive, is an old adage with a true meaning, but very often those who can afford to be benevolent fail to be so. However faith in the district’s prosperity, and gratitude to the community that had made him successful, has been expressed in N a tangible form by a wealthy Masterton citizen. A visitor to that district told a Wanganui Chronicle reporter the other day that the gentleman in quesion had erected a number of fero-con-crete houses for returned soldiers, and they are being paid for by the tenants at the rate of 12/6 a week; (his amount being paid off the principal, lip believed. In addition to (his, money was being provided for Ihe erection of a Salvation Army Home, and maternity hospital. “If there were a few more public-spir-ited people like this, wliat a fine place New Zealand would be to live in,” commented the informant in conclusion.