Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, SEPT. 16, 1926. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3538, 16 September 1926, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, SEPT. 16, 1926. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Tlie Ponsonby Boys’ Brass Band will next year undertake a tour of Canada.

Heavy frosts in Pukekohe played liavoe with large areas of early main potato crops. Much damage lias been done, and it. will take the crops fully three weeks to recover, so that growers will lose the early market.

The world’s wrestling championship, match between Zbyszko, holder of the title, and Ike Robin, New Zealand and Australian champion, held at Auckland on Tuesday, resulted in a draw, one fall each. Zbyszko secured the first fall in the fourth rouiid, and Robin made honours even in the sixth round.

The Horticultural Division intends to release nearly 100 hedgehogs in tlie Alexandra district to experiment whether these will afford a temporary relief to the orehardist from the ravages of the earwig (reports the Herald). The hedgehog, which naturally lives on slugs, snails, and similar insects, may possibly include the earwig in its menu. However, they are likely to do no harm, and on the other hand may prove a boon to the pest-infected orchards.

What is described as the worst railway smash in the history of New South Wales occurred shortly before midnight on Monday, when four wool wagons broke away from a goods train, dashed down the line until they attained a speed estimated at sixty miles an hour and crashed into the North-West mail train, which was travelling at about thirty miles an hour in the opposite direction. Some of the passenger carriages on the express were crushed or telescoped, and twentysix people were killed, and some fifty or sixty injured. Two suicides occurred at Invercargill on Tuesday. William Nope, a married farmer residing at Grovebush, shot himself through the forehead this morning. Death was almost instantaneous. lie leaves a widow and a young family. Henry Hamilton (aged 79), a casual tally clerk, visited the Bluff Railway Station at 9 o’clock this,morning, and asked to be allowed to go into a room. An explosion was heaid, ancDhe was found to have shot himself through the head with a rifle. Death was instantaneous.

The launch and barge which was sunk at the Pukehuia wharf last week have been pulled ashore and also the engine and truck. A dog that was in the cabin of the launch at the time of the accident was drowned. The driver of the engine had a miraculous escape as lie went down to the bottom of the river with the engine, and how he escaped is hard to tell, and he does not know himself. At the spot where the accident occurred the river is 20 feet deej/at low tide. When the brakes were jambed on, the engine skidded some distance, struck the 12in. buffer at the end of the wharf, and took it into the river.

Addressing a meeting of ex-ser-vice men at Auckland, Gipsy Smith said he had tried to get to the front, but was three times rejected because he had a disease the doctors could not cure. It was that he had been born too soon, and was a grandfather. At last the Y.M.C.A. sent him over to France. He did not take a sermon with him, but served out hot coffee and tea to the boys. “I also handed round cigarettes,” added Gipsy Smith, “I might as well confess it, though I never smoked in my life.” He had been asked: “Is it right for a Christian to smoke?” His reply was, “Brother, there are ten commandments it takes me all my time to keep, I am not out for making an eleventh one.” (Laughter). Men can always understand a religion of service, when they cannot always understand a religion of words.

Thomas Allen, forty-five years of age, a slaughterman at the Horotiu freezing works, Hamilton, was seriously injured on the head on Tuesday through coming in contact with a revolving fan. His condition is critical. Tho contract for next year’s motor car number plates has been given to the Precision Engineering Works. The design is a dull black background, with orange numbers. The Government has stipulated that all materials must be British, and all the work to be done in New Zealand.* One hundred and seventyfive thousand pairs have been ordered.

The unusual circumstance of a man marrying his wife twice, and twice divorcing her, came before the Hamilton Divorce Court recently, when an Auckland land agent, Sydney Valentine Mack, sought a dissolution of his marriage with Hilda Mary Mack. It appeared that petitioner was married first in 190.1, and divorced ni 1918. The following year, he married her again, but she deserted him again, and refused to live with him. A decree nisi was granted.

In explaining why his car was left standing all night without lights-at-tached, a defendant in a by-law case at the Timaru Magistrate’s Court last week stated that after transacting business in town he walked home forgetting that he had not put his car in the garage. It was not until the following morning, when he discovered it was not in the garage, that he found it outside the shop where, he l*ad left. The Magistrate accepted the explanation, but decided that it was advisable to inflict a penalty of 10s.

Married ladies who are wise should encourage/ their husbands to smoke. The beneficial influence of I lie “weed" has been known to loosen tlie purse strings in the most surprising manner. Many a wife has learned by experience that the best time to approach “Father” when a little cheque is wanted is while lie, is in full enjoyment of his after dinner pipe, and is feeling at peace with all the world! —especially if' lie smokes our famous New Zealand grown tobacco. Most of the imported brands contain a tremendous lot of nicotine —and that is bad. Tlie purest tobaccos going are the New Zealand ones. Owing to the leaf being toasted (quite a novelty) their flavour and aroma are unusually developed, and as they contain very little nicotine, they may be smoked all day long without fear of consequences. They appeal to all tastes. It you like a line aromatic try “Riverhead Gold”; if you prefer a medium flavour ask for “Navy Cut” or “Cavendish”; “Cut Plug No. 10” is full strength.*