Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, OCTOBER ,21, 1926. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3552, 21 October 1926, Page 2

Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, OCTOBER ,21, 1926. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The first strawberries of the season will make their appearance on the Auckland market within a day or so. They are bxpeeted to lie small and oif rather poor quality. Mr S. E. Cowley, of Foxton, who has a trip to England, arrived back by the Ulimaroa on Tuesday, and returned to Foxlun yesterday.

The Wanganui Harbour Board loan proposals, involving £40,009 for the purchase of disused buildings for cool stores, abattoirs, and wool stores, was carried yesterday by 000 votes to 200.

On Tuesday morning the body of William Breach was found in the Waimakariri River about three miles below Kaiapoi. He had been missing from bis home since the morning of October 0. A bicycle on which lie left home was found on the river bank the day afterwards.

A brilliant display of the Aurora Australis in the southern sky was witnessed from Christchurch in the early hours on Saturday morning. The phenomenon reached its maximum about three o’clock. The spectacle of various coloured streams of light reaching to the zenith-and tapering away towards the dark background of the hills presented a magnificent sight. “Yes,” said a traveller, “I had an amusing journey up to town. There were two Scotsman in the compartment.” “How do you know tliey were Scotsman” asked his friend. “Well, they.both happened to lake their pipes out together. They filled them and each calmly waited for the other to strike a match.” “Well, what happened?” “Oil, I brought out my pipe, so both of them waited for my match!”

Jazz, after all, has its uses. The vicar had employed a man to do some printing in the church, and found him plying his brush briskly to the whistled air of a. syncopated song. “A some what —er —secular melody,” said the vicar hesitatingly. “Could you not whistle something—er—slightly more appropriate!” Two hours later he returned to find the painter whistling the Old Hundredth, his brush moving slowly in unison. “Dear me,” he said thoughtfully, after watching a minute or two; “there was that other tune. Perhaps, after all, you might whistle that again!”

The magpie that at times creates a reign of terror at the Belmont golf links has earned attention from as far away as Dunedin. From that city a lady writes to the “Chronicle” to suggest that the destruction of the bird is advisable. Her brother, she relates, saw a magpie pick out a man’s eye, after it had perched on his shoulder. Some years ago they had in their own neighbourhood a magpie that had to be destroyed owing to its habit of flying at children, and other passers-by. “I trust this may prove a timely warning,” she concludes, “as they are dangerous birds.”

The loan poll to determine the ratepayers’ views on the proposal to purchase the McHardy property and to make a gift of part of the estate for the use of the Agricultural College at Palmerston X. was carried yesterday by a record majority of 512. On a rate roll of 5901 po fewer than 3099 recorded their votes.

The opinion that if good leaders were appointed to negotiate for either side the coal strike in England would he settled, was expressed by Mr B. S. Rowntree, of York, England, who is a passenger hv the Niagara to Sydney, when in Auckland last\week. He said-he did not think Mr Cook, the miners’ leader, had any not- had intentions, but he was not the man to deal with the situation. The trouble was that he talked wildly to the miners for two years and then when the trouble came | and lie tried to reason with them they would not listen to him.

That misfortunes no not always come singly was the experience of Mr P. J. Jack. A few days ago Mr Jack was unfortunate enough to badly gash his left thumb with a knife, and on Monday while in conversation ivitli Mr J. M. Thomson, who was in the act of inflating- a tire attached to his motor lorry, received injury to liis right hand through the tyre blowing out and causing the rim to spring outwards.

The hanking customs of England arc referred to in a letter received from, an Auckland solicitor, Mr R. J. Coats, who is touring in Great Britain, says the Herald. Mr. Coates says an interesting innovation in London is that the banks allow customers interest on current accounts. Both the Midland Bank nud Barclay's Bank are exhibiting notices advising that interest will ho paid on all accounts in excess of £l. Another commercial practice is that exchange is not charged on cheques drawn on hanks in different parts of England.

A painful accident occurred in a shed at the SI rat ford school recently, when the caretaker had his left leg fractured just above the ankle. At about nine o’clock one morning the caretaker was attempting to move the piano when lie slipped, the piano falling on his leg and pinning him against the wall in such a position that he could not move. He shouted for assistance, but was unable to make himself, heard, owin'? to tbe very few people passing at the lime. At about 9.30 a passer-by happened to hear shouts for help, and on investigating, discovered the unfortunate man in a semi-conscious condition.

A strange story was unfolded at the inquest on Elizabeth Maeready (aged 82), who was found dead in bed at her home in Governor’s Bay Lyttelton, on Friday. Although she had abouV£fio9 in cash, and owned a good deal of property, she lived alone, refusing to see any callers. Her grocer said she lived principally on apples, occasionally getting a pound of steak. She had lived alone for many years, and when the police searched the house they found cash amounting to £4l 13s (j> (including 27 sovereigns and one half sovereign), a.post office savings hank book showing a credit balance of £2(54, Bank of* New Zealand receipts amounting to £3(50, and scrip for 20 or 30 shares in the Kaiapoi Woollen Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

It has been said that the man who causes two blades of grass to grow where only one grew lief ore, is a public benefactor. If that lie true—and true it assuredly is—what is-to be said of those who established a successful loeal industry which finds employment for many hands, develops the latent resources of this Dominion and keeps the money in the country Look at what the poor gum lands of the North and the barren clays of Nelson, at one time considered worthless for agricultural purposes, are now producing. They furnish the manufacturers with the raw material for our loeal brands. And so excellent is this product that no smoker should fail to give, it a trial. He is in for quite a new type, a toasted tobacco, more fragrant, less nicotine, and, therefore, healthim'. A wonderful improvement compared with the noiltoasted tobacco. There are three grades —Riverhead Gold, very mild; toasted Navy Cut (Bulldog), of medium strength; and those who prefer a Cull body will appreciate Cut. Ping No. 30, the Bullhead Brand. Caversham Mixture is the latest addition. *