Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1926. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3003, 25 February 1926, Page 2

Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1926. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Miss Madge Adniore, an erstwhile pupil of the local State School, was successful in the recent examinations in gaining a pass in history and philosophy in the B.A. section.

The honour of being the first in the Southern Hemisphere to pick up Comet J 1925 (Van Biesbroeekj, has fallen to Mr. .). T. Ward, director of the Wanganui Observatory. The comet was discovered on Friday evening last. The very latest in silk stockings was noticed on the lawn at the races on Saturday, when a Itappei paraded in gold-coloured stockings, with black ribbon sewed up the hack to give them a distinctive touch (says the Wanganui Herald).

Gisborne has undertaken a campaign for the raising of £IO,(KM) for the erection of a Y.M.C.A. building. A start was made on Tuesday and at lunch time it was reported that £I3OO was in hand. The objective was £ISOO a day, so that the total sum might be obtained in a week.

The University Senate at its meeting this week adopted the medical report to abolish Latin as a compulsory subject for the dental preliminary examination. 11 is expected that the result will he that those who failed in Latin will now he able to enter the dental school.

‘New Zealand consumes more petrol ]>ev head of population than any country in the world except the United States and Canada. In the United States the consumption in .1924 was 09 gallons per head, in Canada 29 gallons, in New Zealand 20 gallons, in the United Kingdom 114 gallons, and in Australia 84 gallons.

The terms oi‘ the Bangitikei Power Board to supply Batumi settlement with power and light are £250 per mile for the transmission lines from Tnrakina. The Board will instill the wires to the 200 houses at the pah provided the Maoris pay the accounts in one lump sum monthly and collect from the individual consumers

Some time ago states, an exchange, a Christchurch solicitor, who owns a runabout car, received an unexpected visit from thieves, who helped themselves to the motor accessories in his garage. Then the police force took a hand and arrested a number of men on a charge of stealing motor cars and lit tings. Now the solicitor finds that he has to defend one of the men who is charged with stealing from his garage.

In the opinion of any experts and others who have studied the question, (lax-growing in the Auckland province may Be expected in lime to rival even dairying as a source of wealth. Almost unknown to the general public, hemp production in New Zealand has undergone a revolution within the past few years. The old haphasard methods are fast disappearing from use, and under the new era of scientific development, llax cultivation promises to irive profitable employment to thousands of New Zealanders.

An .experience of concrete roads, extending over a period of 10 years, has convinced the people of Auckland of their value (says the Auckland Herald). The “white highway’’ is regarded as the proved solution of the problem which heavy and last Ira Hie suddenly created. The cost has hen heavy .judged by old standards, Iml the attitude of ratepayers generally is that the costly concrete surface will he the cheapest in the long run on the principal Irallic ways.

An amusing incident occurred at Auckland as the Marama was about to sail for Sydney on Friday afternoon. A girl reached the wharf with a ’etter for posting to Australia in the snip’s mail box. However, the steamer had cast off and was about 15ft from the wharf. Aii obliging Harbour Board official came to the rescue and signalled to a crane-driver to lower the wire rope. The letter was then tied to the hook and was swung aboard the Marama, where it was unhooked by a passenger and handed to the purser. It was the lightest load ‘l.e crane has ever been required to lit t.

The team to represent the local fire brigade at the annual demonstration in Dunedin next week, leaves Fox ton to-morrow for the south. Tin's week the C. M. Ross Coy. have made further drastic reductions throughout their whole stocks. Thrifty buyers would do well to pay a visit to the big sale this week. The suit of Boote and party, cooperative colliers, who claimed over £6200 from Armstrong and party for trespass in their workings, was decided at Greymouth yesterday, the Warden (Mr. Meldrum) awarding plaintiffs £2OOO. Mr. Edmund Osborne, of Palmerston North, is at present spending a brief holiday here. Mr. Osborne spent the best part of his life in Foxton, and is well-known throughout the district. Although advancing in years he is still hale and hearty, and the telling of a good story, remains a favourite diversion

The matriculation examinations this year will be subject to an important change decided upon by the Senate. The chief points are that an average of not less than 45 per cent, of the aggregate marks in five subjects, not less than 40 per per cent, in English, and not less than 30 per cent, in any other subject, is required.

The funeral of the late Mr Ernest. Ilowan was held yesterday afternoon. A service was conducted in the Presbyterian Church, by the Rev. F v 'McDonald, prior to the cortege proceeding to the cemetery, the Rev. McDonald also conducting the service at the graveside. Relatives of the deceased from Wellington and elsewhere were present, and the attendance in view of the short notire was such as to intimate the general respect in which the late Mr Ilowan was held in this district.

Two children, a hoy aged nine and his sister aged three, had a painful experience at Opofiki on Saturday evening as the result of eating blackberries from bushes which had recently been sprayed with a mixture of lead and arsenic. The children were soon seriously ill and nearly collapsed. A doctor, who fortunately was not far away, was called in at once. He administered an emetic and then rushed both childre in his ear to the hospital, where they received effective treat - menl. The children are now mil of danger

A Maori named W. Hiko was working on the road at Waimana for the Wlliakatane County Council (says the “Whakatane Press’’). The day was hot, and he kept his bat tightly drawn down over his forehead, but he found that lie was suddenly stricken with blindness. He was taken to the Opotiki Hospital, where it was concluded that Iliko’s hat was too tight round his forehead, thus causing the optical nerve to be interferred with. Since admission to the hospital the patient’s sight has returned, and it is hoped that he will suffer no illeffects from the unfortunate experience.

After trying hard for more than a year, the Auckland Chamber of Commerce lias ousted from one stronghold the disliked word “Australasia." The London Chamber of Commerce has had for a long while an “Australasia Trade Section.? Early last year the Auckland Chamber wrote suggesting that the title was misleading, and that it should be altered to “Australian and New Zealand Trade Section.” The London Chamber seemed at first not to take the proposal seriously, but at its meeting last week the council of the Auckland Chamber notified that the section had unanimously recommended that the change should be made.

During the welcome accorded the Governor-General, Sir Charles Fergusson, in the Sanatorium grounds at Rotorua recently His Excellency, in replying, referred to the great need which existed in New Zealand for cultivating thrifty habits, and avoiding indulgence in luxuries, including motor cars, especially American cars. Two American tourists, who were listening to the Gov-ernor-General's remarks, resented the reference to American cars, and the following day, when llis Excellency was inspecting the thermal wonders of W'hakarewarewa, they interviewed him on the subject. Approaching His Excellency one of the tourists said: —"Say, Governor, about those American cars. Don’t you think yon were rough on the Failed States '! That’s the feeling of the Americans who heard you speak yesterday." His Excellency received his interviewers with a smile,, which quite disarmed them, and when asked if they were not in accord with his policy regardng luxuries, they replied. “Sure, Governor, you said the right tiling." The Governor-General then shook hands with the tourists who departed quite charmed with the cordial manner in which they had been received by llis Excellency. An interesting point in connection with llis Excellency’s reference to American motor cars is worth mentioning. After the American tourists had listened to the* Governor-Gen-eral’s remarks in the Sanatorium grounds they proceeded to the main entrance to ascertain whether he was being driven in an American oar, but they quickly learned that His Excellency was using a car of British manufacture, and promptly admitted that he was consistent in the attitude lie had taken up in reference to British goods.

At a meeting at Hamilton recently it was decided to urge on the Government the necessity of the appointment of a commission of inquiry to consider the soundest method to dewater the 57,000 acres of waste land lying north of the railway line from Hamilton to Morrinsville, and extending out to Mangawara into fertile fields and smiling pasture, as contained in the report of the Chief Government Drainage Engineer. Smoker’s heart is a distressing malady caused chiefly through the effects of an alkaloid called nicotine which is extemely poisonous. Strong tobacco with a high percentage of nicotine should therefore be avoided. When selecting a brand, !.’ t smoker should not be guided by appearance alone, because even an apparently mild cigarette tobacco of a bright lemon colour may contain —and often does contain —an excess of nicotine. It is a peculiar fact that certain New Zealand soils produce a leaf with a small percentage of nicotine, compared with the foreign type. Take for instance our local brands, Riverhead Gold, Cut Plug No. 10 ad Toasted Navy Cut. There you have an absolutely pure article, which can be ■smoked continuously without the slightest after effects. It burns to the last shred, leaving the mouth sweet and clean. So highly is New Zealand tobacco commented upon by doctors and experts, that smokers should acquaint themselves with the merits of our own product by ii'iving the above brands a fair trial. —Advt.