NEWS AND NOTES

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2916, 30 July 1925, Page 1

NEWS AND NOTES

Savage attacks on a. babv were made by a rat on three successive evenings at Auckland recently (states the “Herald”). The father of the child who, is a suburban resident, was awakened on the first occasion by the baby's loud cries. The little one was found with a deep scratch between the eyes, but it was thought it had hurt itself in its sleep. The next evening about the same time the family was disturbed again, and found that the baby was bitten right through the nose. As soon as the baby gave, tongue on the third night, the father rushed to (he room and slammed the door. His smartness was rewarded by finding a large rat cornered. It was quickly dispatched. Its attacks on the baby did not cause any poisoning, and the child is now as well as ever.

A tragic story of two sixtoen-yoar-okl girls, who had drifted from the control of their parents into evil ways of lilc, was told at the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court (says the “Lyttelton Times”), when 1 ]ic gilds appeared on remand on being idle and disorderly persons support. Their lives during the past year had been a round of. dances, batch parties, and drinking. The Magistrate (Ah'. Wyvern Wilson) suppressed their names. The girls were well dressed, and looked mueh older than their years. Speaking to one girl the Magistrate said: “You’ve got yourself into serious trouble at last. You’ve been drifting for twelve months, and had a chance, but you broke away again. Yon are voung —no more than .1 child —and T don’t suppose you realise the harm you have done yourself. When you go to St. Anne’s you will have good companions, and Vou must cut out all your old friends, particularly the young men who led you astray. Your ease will be adjourned for twelve months, and it: y“" a,,n?t I>el,ave you may be brought up again on this charge.”

A member of the Katana executive, when discussing the attitude of Archbishop Averill .and Bishops Sprotl and Sedgwick towards the Katana church, said: “They appear to lie actuated by motives ot jealousy. Katana has decided not to take the slightest notice of then manifesto and his church will P lO cce<l on the lines already laid down and approved by his people, the services will be shorn of a good deal of useless flammery and will be m accordance with the straightforward, simple teaching of Christ (relates an exchange). Katanas representative pointed out that Katana was a direct descendant of a great Maori chief named Tekere, who was a tohunga and in his day a man with marvellous influence among his people. Ratana, although directly opposed to anything in the wav of tohungaism, inherited all tiie leading qualities 01 Tekere. His people honoured ana trusted him, and it was no 0 wondered at that in an endmnour to unite the Maori peop cin • common religion they won t 1 round him in thousands, and tn • jealousy from outsiders would be a 1 natural sequence.