Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY", FEBRUARY 17, 1925. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2847, 17 February 1925, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY", FEBRUARY 17, 1925. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The reward for a conviction of offenders damaging insulators with pea rifles or other means has been increased from £25 to £SO by the Wairarapa Power Board.

Thomas Leslie Slmw, about 25 years of age, who arrived in Wanganui from Auckland on Friday, committed suicide at the Criterion Hotel on Saturday night by cutting his throat.

Between £1,000,000 and £2,000,000 will be made available shortly by the New South Wales State Government Savings Bank for home building. It is intended at a later stage to advance another £1,000,000 to home seekers. It is anticipated that the money will cover the erection of at least 2,000 houses and will directly benefit 12,000 people. Argentina, which the Prince of Wales is to visit this year, has been described as the most extravagant country in the world. The Argentines spend money like nobody else on earth, as our London hotels found during the season, says an English writer. The night begins' ‘late i'n Buenos Ayres, the dinner hour being about nine o’clock, but dance parties carry on until 9 or 10 o'clock the next morning. Then the fashionable world disappears when if, meets in the beautiful Palermo Park for Ihe aperitif hour. One does not have to go back to the. days of the early pioneers for examples of grit, (says an exchange) as this little paragraph proves: “Up Manawatu way lives a little widow with four children. She is uncertilieated and therefore an underpaid teacher in a State school. On the Cup day she walked seven miles in and seven miles out, not to see the races, but to earn a pound as an emergency waitress to help to keep her boy at High School. In holiday times her hoy, good lad, earns £1 a week, delivering newspapers and she, good mother, earns £1 10/- per week cooking on a farm. Many a strong man would break down under the strain, but women are appurenllly made of sterner stuff”

The other day two young women proceeded to the beach about four miles 'from Opoliki for the purpose of indulging in a swim. They doffed their usual apparel, and in elegant bathing costumes were soon in the breakers. Attracted by others, they wandered along the beach, until tired, when they proceeded to the spot where they had.disrobed. When they reached it (as they 1 bought) their clothes had disappeared, and after a vain hunt for an hour they perforce had to make their way to Opotiki just as they stood) Tired and hungry they plodded on, concealing themselves when cars or pedestrians came aleng. The clothes were subsequently found, it being merely a case of the parties concerned getting mixed up in their hearings.

Mr W. E. Bullard has a prolific crop of maize growing, in his orchard in the Avenue. The maize is about 13ft. to 14ft. high and heavily cobbed. The fertiliser used to produce the crop was a mixture of fowl manure and blood and bone. Donald Seacroft Freer, vicar of Port Chalmers Anglican Church, appeared on remand before Mr H. W. Bundle at the Dunedin police court yesterday, on two charges of having indecently assaulted two boys, aged 10 and 7 years. Accused, who was represented by Mr IV. G. Hay, pleaded guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.

One of the most important property deals in the history of Levin was completed on Saturday morning (says the Chronicle) when the C. M. Ross Co. Ltd. purchased the late showroom premises of Messrs Stiles and Matheson Ltd. Occupation will he effected on March 2nd, when it is anticipated that the new owners will make extensive alterations.

“I am of the opinion that school committees to-day are merely bodies to look after tho- school building and the cleaning. The privilege of making teaching appointments has been taken away from them, and they are a fast diminishing power,” said Rev. G. W. Dent, at a meeting of the Palmerston N. Council of Christian Congregations last, night. Wanted, everyone to see black cash mole socks at the C. M. Ross Co.’s at 2/- pair, 3 pairs for 5/9, worth 3/fi a pair.—Advt.

Mr Edmund Osborne, who many years ago was a prominent local business man, is pwying a business visit to the (own in connection with his now famous “Tohunga” ointment. Mr Osborne has hath some remarkable testimonials from different parts of the Dominion as to the efficacy of “Tohunga” in curing skin diseases. His old friends will wish him success in his campaign against many of the ills that human flesh is heir to.

The Hon, Minister in Charge of Publicity has notified the appointment of Mr J. W. Collins, secretary of tlie Industries and Commerce Deparlment, as a member of the Publicity Board. The activities of that Department are largely directed towards developing overseas trade and the appointment of Mr Collins, whose wide experience of overseas conditions is well known, will ensure complete co-operation in all matters affecting the welfare and advertising of the Dominion abroad.

The distinction between a push and a blow arose in the Supreme Court, at Auckland, during tho hearing, before Mr Justice llerdman, of a charge of manslaughter. One witness indicated by a sweep of the arm, that the accused luid practically swept aside the man, who fell and subsequently died. Two other witnesses spoke of the man being struck a direct bolw. To indicate the type of assn nil t they were asked to face the jury and deliver the blow they had described. Finally the jury found the accused guilty only of common assault and he was admitted to probation.

Mr Avson, Chief Inspector of Fisheries, expects a run of quinnat salmon this year in rivers along this coast. These fish are from •stock liberated iif the Wairau River, Maiflhorough, where the -Departsent has been engaged for some years in intense stocking. Already the fish have been seen at Otaki, Manakau, and along the coast, where fishermen have reported cat ching them in their nets. The quiunat has not the same homing instincts as the Atlantic salmon, lienee the fish spreading along the coast.

When the law is set in motion the effects are both sometimes farreaching and surprising. This truism has been exemplified to a Wanganui business man, who was chargrilled some time ago to find that his valuable gold watch had disappeared. lie acquainted the Wanganui police with his loss, and pro-, hably what is known as a, police liio commenced to circulate. After a mouth or so of silence the bereaved owner inquired if the mystery had been solved, and no doubt the reply counselled patience, as the problem appeared rather complex, Filially a tangled skein was mi ravelled, and nobody was more surprised than the owner of the u a tell, for he learned, to his astonishment and sorrow, that, the accused person was his own son, who is duly charged with the alleged offence.

Does tobacco growing in New Zealand pay? The answer'to that quest ion is: Look at the rapidly increasing ninnhei* of men on the land who are now turning their attention to tobacco culture in this country. The early atenipts lo put New Zealand grown tobacco on the market (about 30 years ago) were it must he confessed, disappointing. The samples produced were very crude. But modern methods of culture and ' ii oatment of the leaf have completely altered a 111 that, and as ail average crop of New Zealand tobacco is now worth £SO per acre (sometimes more) there’ can lie no question about tobacco culture paying the farmer. As to the “weed” in its manufactured form, it. is excellent. 'Unlike most of the imported brands, it contains very little nicotine, and may he indulged in ad lib. without harmful results, while the toasting of the leaf (quite a new idea) develops flavour and aroma surprisingly. Undoubtedly, this industry already flourishing, is destined to become of national importance. Leading lines are: “Riverhead Go'ld,” mild; “Navy Cut” (Bulldog) medium; and “Cut Plug No. 10 (Bullhead), full. 34

A thunderstorm ✓accompanied by heavy rain passed over this district yesterday. The contractors for the Harbour Hoard buildings at the wharf are making - good progress with the work. The friends of Mr Alex Speirs sear., will regret to learn that he is an inmate of a Palmerston N. private hospital, undergoing treatment for a poisoned arm. We are pleased to report that he is progressing satisfactorily. A fine sample of the cabinetmaker’s art in respect to a beautifully finished cabinet gramophone is to be seen at Mr P. J. Jack’s shop, Main Street. Mr Jack imports English motors of first-class quality, fitted to take both diamond and • metal needles, and builds the cabinets to suit customers’ tastes.

Nurmi at New York on Saturday accomplished a task hitherto considered impossible of human achievement by running two miles in 8.48 1-5. (A. Shrubb’s record for two miles put up in 1904, a few years before bis New Zealand tour with A. P. Dully, the American sprinter, was thnin. t) J-Osoe.) The Palmers lon N. borough solicitor has been rebuked by the Palmerston N. city fathers for “turning hisinick on them and watching mosquitoes walking up the wall” when being addressed by a Councillor. The solicitor is to he informed that in future he is expected to treat every Councillor with courtesy when attending meetings.

The Germans are taking advantage of the radio to broadcast; propaganda.. They employ men speaking perfect English, who, after a time, tell llisteners-in what the Germans feel about the prolongation of the occupation of the. Cologne zone and the reparations question. Many protests are being voiced against this new Imiin of propaganda.

A remarkable coincidence occurred at a wedding in St. Luke’s Church, Oamaru, recently. Mrs. Mureott. of ITampeden, who was a guest at her grand-daughter’s wedding, was married in the same church fifty-six years ago. Mr Finch, the organist who played the “Wedding March,” played the same march at the grandmother’s wedding over lmllf a century ago.

Speaking at a meeting of the Feilding Chamber of Commerce last night, Mr Tolley, chairman of the Board of Managers of the Feilding Agricultural High School said matriculation was merely a fetish and bad 1 been copied from the old English Universities but was not adapted to New Zealand. Students should not be asked to devote so much time to Latin and French. The hours devoted to these subjects could be more usefully employed in acquiring general knowledge which would be more useful to the students in their avocations. Pupils were starved for English in slavishly following academic subjects such as Latin.

In sentencing Lawrence James Prendergast, solicitor, of Auckland to three years’ imprisonment with hard labour, on four charges of theft, Mr Justice Herdnian said: “Of all men in the community lawyers should know better than to break the law.” Lawyers knew their responsibilities. Prisoner belonged to one of the finest professions a man could follow, said his Honour. In New Zealand a very high standard of integrity is set by the legal profession, and prisoner had not lived up to that standard. He had brought discredit not only upon iiiiuself, but on fellow members of the profession. The publie had trusted Prendergast to the extent of £4OO, and he had abused that trust, by putting the money in his pocket. In the interests of the public, as well as his own interests, prisoner would have to be punished. He would he sentenced 10 three years’ hard labour.