Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 1927. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3591, 27 January 1927, Page 2

Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 1927. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Natives from all parts of the island gathered at Katana on Tuesday lor the official opening of the temple. Over 5000 Maoris wore in attendance and were addressed by Ratana. on two occasions.

Henry Shawl, aged 35, a.returned soldier - engaged in cycle repair work, was found dead in his shop at Hokitika on Tuesday, with a' gas tube in his mouth and the gas turned on.

For anything in the shape of light'clerical occupation there is always a host of applicants. For instance, nearly 150 applications for the position of meter-reader were received by the Waitemata ElectricPower Board last week.

*“You are described as a printer’s devil,” said Mr. E. D. Mosley, S.M., to a youth, who was charged with ■the theft of a pair of bicycle pedals, in the Christchurch Magis t rate’s Court. “That is correct, sir,” replied the boy. “And the emphasis is on the devil,” added the magistrate in admitting Harris to At a meeting of the Nelson Borough'Council the Mayor stated that the public were under the impression that rates could not be sued for until they were six months and 14 days overdue. This was not so as rates could be sued for 14 days after notice had been given.

Owing to a motor lorry overturning on the way. to the Waimurama beach (Hastings) yesterday, Miss Hay Sym.es suffered a broken collar-bone, and Patrick Hassett and Arthur Wardrop, a telegraph boy, suffered a broken leg and arm respectively. Three others received minor injuries.

The body of a man named Edmund Thomas Vaughan, aged 03 years, was found in the river at Katikati (Tauranga) yesterday afternoon by some boys who were bathing. At an inquest it v*is found that death was due to drowning, and that there was no evidence to show how the deceased got into the river.

A contemporary publishes -a statement to the effect that owing to the recent arbitration decision between E. K. Easton and the Moutna Drainage Board the former has decided to offer about 1000 acres of his Afoul on land a t £25 or less per acre.

General Andrews announces al Washington that he has a new formula. to make drinking unsafe for democracy. Starting on January 1 alcohol will contain a certain percentage of an otherwise harmless drug so unpleasant to taste that it, will he impossible for the most corrugated throat to swallow it. The re-licensing of 155,000 motor vehicles in the Dominion will be commenced within a few weeks, and every car, motor cycle and commercial motor has to he fitted with the new number plates before April 1. Before re-licensing is completed, the 'total vehicles will exceed 1(30,000, if present 'monthly increases are maintained. In order to provide for the registration and licensing of new cars during the year, about 180,000 pairs of number plates have been manufactured.

A Maori centenarian wearing a very old top hat, probably brought to the district by a missionary, was presented to the Governor-General at Kerikeri on Saturday (says an exchange). His Excellency asked the Maori to exchange headwear, and the old man immediately put on the Governor-General’s cap. His Excellency put on the lop hat, saying it was the greatest token of friendship to exchange hats. Sir Charles Fergusson later brought the old Maori some tobacco on hearing that lie had lost his pension owing to liis ownership of some land and could not buy any.

In connection with Palmerston North jubilee celebrations to he held in March, Mr. .1. A. Nash, Al. I’., is in charge of the programme for the entertainment of the old identities, their children and grandchildren. Mr. Nash initminted that lo dale his list of.folk who had resided in the district for 40 years and over had reached -100 and. that (here were more to follow. Every endeavour is to he made- to bring one-time residents of Palmerston North back to their home-town for i‘,.s anniversary, and the people now resident were to lie asked to assist in this and facilities for doing this were outlined by the organiser.

Hawkes Bay fruitgrowers, especially those who reside in the Pakowhai district, are full of praise al the decision of the Hawkes Bay A. and P, Society in its effort to help the checking of the lireblight disease, by cutting out of the hnwlliorn hedges which surround the showgrounds. There is little doubt (says a Hawkes Bay paper), that those hedges are actually a greater menace tojlio industry, through their susceptibility to lireblight, than anything else, and the local growers were not pleased at the fact that while they had to clean oul I heir orchards of the pest, Ihe hawthorn hedges, which were the main source of infection, were allowed to remain. ■ Air. J. Pringle, business agent of Ihe New Zealand Railways, visited Eoxton on Tuesday evening. He subsequently met and conferred with the Alayor and Town Clerk, and C hairman of the Manawatu .County Council, and President, of the local Chamber of Commerce. The object of Mr. Pringle’s visit was to discuss railway matters as affeefipg this district and to take note, of any suggestions offered. In conversation with our representative, Mr. Pringle said that he had recently been through the Taranaki district where motor traffic was in keen competition with railways. He said I hat rival motor concerns were cut(ing frieghts to such an extent which would ultimately spell ruin. The railway was the people’s business and would continue, and everything was being done by the department, within safe .-limits, to assist farmers in developing the country and to increase productivity. ' The activities of the railway were nolional and settlers were now realising that in supporting the iron way they were helping themselves and gelling good and reliable service in return. The greater support accorded, he said, meant more liberal concessions. He added that since the commercial department, had been operating many misunderstandings had been cleared up and the public were taking a keener inioresl. in railway affairs.

“Is smoking injurious?” Dr. Giotti, the famous Italian nerve specialist, says it entirely depends on the tobacco. He states that many of the well-known American brands are so rich in nicotine that they tire best avoided, because their constant use is bound to cause nerve trouble. He considers smoking may be actually beneficial under the proper conditions. His advice to smokers is: “Select a brand that while satisfying your ‘tobaccohungcr' is yet practically free from nicotine.” But it is not always easy to find such tobaccos. However, we certainly have them right here in New Zealand. They are grown and the leaf is cured and manufactured for the market within the Dominion. In fact, tobacco culture and manufacture now constitute one of our most promising industries. Moreover, om New Zealand grown tobaccos are so pure and relatively so free from nicotine that they quite fulfil the Italian specialist’s conditions. r l hey may he obtained from any tobacconist. Ask for “Riverhead Gold,” mild; “Navy Cut” (Bulldog), medium; or “Cut Plug No. 10,” (Bullsliead), lull strength. Caversham Mixture is the latest addition.

Mails which left Auckland on December 21st, per R.M.S. Niagara, via Vancouver, arrived in London last Saturday.

MV. J.'.Allen, demonstrator for Messrs A. S. Paterson and Co., distributors for “Caterpillar” tractors, has been in l*'oxton for a few days on business.

•Joseph Robinson, the cyclist who was badly injured in a collision at Christchurch on Monday evening, lias now recovered consciousness, and is making satisfactory progress. lie has undergone a successful operation.

The gate receipts at the motorcycle races at Ashhurst on Saturday last, although not a. record, were £ls in excess of those for the meeting held last year. The attendance was estimated at about 4,000.

Tn response to a communication from the Minister for Education, the Wanganui Education Board are to provide facilities for allowing accredited members of the Bible in Schools League to obtain the names of parents and guardians of children from the school 'registers. “Pillion riding is becoming a serious thing,” commented M.r E. D. Mosley, S.M., in the Traffic Court at Christchurch. “Yes,” agreed Chief Traffic Inspector 11. Macintosh, “we thought we were getting ahead of it, joo, but I find there are a number of cases yet to come.”

The Italian Minister of National Economy lias issued a circular declaring that the Forest Department under his direction has found a practical substitute for motor fuel In gasified charcoal, prepared by utilising tlie by-products of.coal and petrol, and much more economic in price. Tractors driven by means of the new fuel are being ,*ed h.v the department in Sardinia .with success.

A good story is being told round Geraldine. A certain business man, who lmd been persuaded by a hospitable farmer to stop to tea, was led into a bathroom, which was somewhat dark, to do bis toilet. While there, the fair dame ot life bouse crept silently in and bestow- 1 ed a large kiss on his cheek, with the words, “Harold, dear, we’ve no meat in the bouse'” The end of the story has not yet been heard.

Rotorua is preparing to give the Duke and Duchess of York a fit ting Maori welcome on a scale as magnificent and barbaric as the memorable receptions accorded tlie present King and Queen in 1901. It is expected that between 2,000 and -1!A 'Pfoso.id oq |[i.v\ suoupf OOOT lages are being renovated, and war and poi dances are being prepared. The Duke will unveil a Maori war memorial in the Government grounds.

An amusing incident happened at a recent sitting of the Magistrate's Court at Waipawa. A Maori was sued for debt, and, questioned as to his prospect for paying the am-, ouiit, lie replied that lie would pay in less than a month; in fact, he would pay £4 at- once. The lawyer for tlie plaintiff accepted Ihe money unit gave a receipt. In five minutes another solicitor informed the court that a comedy had been enacted, inasmuch that the wrong man had been sued.

The practice of harnessing wellgrown dogs to children’s carts is fairly common, and the use fo docile gnats has also been explored by the irrepressible juvenile,, but something of an innofation was seen the other day in Stratford when a. woolly pet lrtmb was observed trotting proudly along Regan Street drawing a. light-running cqrt. filled with parcels. The lamb had a rather elaborate set of harness, and seemed to take as much delight in the outings as did The small hoy who guided it. A mishap which might easily have been attended by serious results occurred in Johnston Street this morning. Mr. S. J. Hartley, of IJimatangi, was proceeding up Johnston Street in the direction of the town in his car and when nearing tile Whyte Street intersection the horse attached to a butcher’s cart under the charge of Mr. Martin wandered across the road right in front of the car, which, fortunately, was travelling, at a very slow pace. Mr. Hartley swerved the car suddenly but the road is very narrow at this point and the vehicle, after just grazing the horse’s shoulder could not be straightened up in time to prevent it sliding slowly into the drain at the. side of the road. No damage was done with the exception of a buckled bumper and the car was removed from its precarious position and proceeded on its way. way.