LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3618, 26 March 1927, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A slight earthquake was experienced this morning at about 0.30 o'clock. The primary schools in the Wanganui Education district will be dosed for Easter from Good Friday till Easter Tuesday inclusive. The Palmerston High School cadets will go into camp for a week's training on the Foxton racecourse on Monday. The Rev. G. T. Brown M.A., of St. Andrew’s, Palmerston North, will conduct the evening service at the local Presbdyterian Church tomorrow.

William Cochrane, a married man, aged 58, residing at Feilding, was admitted to Palmerston FTortli Hospital last night, suffering from severe injuries to the hand, caused by being jammed in the cogs of a railway jigger. Shyly a young waitress told tho Arbitration Court her name. So low was the pitch of her voice that Mr. Justice Fraser, in an endeavour to encourage her, remarked brightly: “Imagine you are calling out an order for bacon and eggs in the kit-e-hen. Don’t be afraid to shout!”

Like a good many things a wool sale is a game of chance, this truism was fully illustrated at the wool sale this week at Wanganui. At February’s sale a number of bales were passed in at Hid, while the same lot was submitted for auction and fetched Hid this week.

In accepting a tender of £5200 for the removal of a sandstone bar so as to secure a low water depth of 10 feet and 19 feet at high water, the Whangarei Harbour Board yesterday took the first step towards making Whangarei a deep water port. A more ambitious scheme, involving an expenditure of £740,000, was rejected.

Illness has its compensations, as a lady occupying a bed in a Wanganui hospital has discovered. Sho has made friends with several sparrows, among which her generosity with bread and cake crumbs, distributed when the meal and tea trays arrive, has apparently become popular. The result is that they appear regularly, hopping inside the loom to enjoy the scattered bounty. Apparently their affection for their sick benefactor does not extend beyond meal hours, says the Chronicle.

The Dunedin Hospital Board decided at a special meeting that its levy on local authorities for the current year should he fixed on maintenance expenditure of approximately £44,000 and capital expenditure of £OOOO. While the capital levy has increased from £30,000 to £44,000 this year, so that the total levy has been increased by £14,000 —from £30,000 to £50,000, the increase works out at only tv shade less Ilian 40 per, cent.

Harvest thanksgiving service will be held at the Methodist Church tomorrow. The morning service will be conducted bv the Rev. G. T. Brown, M.A. of Palmerston North, and the evening service by the Rev. S. Peryirtan. Special hymns will be sung at both services, and Miss Chalk will sing a solo at the evening service.

“The value of music to the community” was the title of a most interesting address delivered by Mr. •J. Holmes Rumiides, professor of music, under the auspices of the Foxton Chamber of Commerce, in All Saints' schoolroom on Thursday evening, before a good audience. A report of the lecture will appear in our next issue.

It is not generally known that bees can be carried through the post, but this is being done successfully Six queen bees arrived in Whangarei by the Auckland mail recently. Each was enclosed in a little crate measuring four by inches, the zinc-lined receptacles being well perforated to allow of adequate ventilation.

The following motion in reference to teritorial camps was carried by the Fcilding Chamber of Commerce: —That the executive of the Chamber of Commerce, and the individual Chambers, be written to asking for support in protesting against the recent changes in military training, and stating that this Chamber is of opinion that the system of night drills should bo restored. We strongly object to the tenday camp because it seriously interferes with our staffs to have them disarranged for so long a period.

A most ingenious and amusing defence to an action was beard in tlu> Wellington Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, when the landlady of a city boardinghouse elaimed £7 rent and possession from one of her boarders, an elderly man. The defendant's story was that he had done bis previous landlady's washing for three months in return for the use of the room and bad. in fact, washed so many clothes that he was entitled to a further month’s board. After bearing the evidence, the Magistrate (Mr. J. IT. Salmoml. S.M.), gave judgment for the full amount claimed and possession.

When ilie Duke of' York was visiting Christ church lie placed a wreath on the Bridge of Memories. This wreath had a quantity oL ! beautiful ribbon entwined with the llowers, and it was suggested to the Mayor of Christchurch by a firm of drapers that they should take the ribbons from the-wreath and weave them into artificial (lowers, or a rosette, as-a memento of the visit, which could be kept in the City Council buildings, or at the Returned Soldiers’ Association’s rooms. This suggestion was favourably received. but when the ribbons were sent for it was found that they had been removed by some unauthorised person. An elderly man named Tanner had a narrow escape from a serious if not fatal accident during "Wednesday night’s heavy rainstorm. He selected the wheel track of the road at the racecourse bend leading into the town as a spot to sleep. Mr.Bootli, on taking the turn in his car, was unable to sec the man until the wheel passed over him. The car pulled up and the police and Dr. Wvllie were at once summoned. Upon examination it was discovered that Tanner had not received any serious damage, hut it was decided to send him to the hospital for observation. Tanner .at the time of the accident was allegedly under the influence of liquor. A report from the hospital indicates that lire old man is practically none the worse for the mishap.

“1 do not want to pose as a prophet of evil, but you New Zealanders will have another earthquake like that of 1855 some time or another. That is as sure as that the sun rises and sets and that night follows the day. Your last great earthquake happened 72 years ago; and it is one of the established rules among seismologists that the further you are from your last earthquake the nearer you are to the next one. The forces that cause earthquakes have been gathering and you have no knowledge as to how much or how little they have gathered.’’ Those words were uttered by Professor Bailey Willis, of California, president of the American Seismological Society, who delivered a lecture in the University College Lecture Hall at Auckland, Married ladies who are wise should encourage their husbands to smoke. The bencHeient influence of the “weed’’ has been known to loosen the purse strings in the most surprising manner. Many a wife has learned hv experience that the best time to approach "father" when a little cheque is wanted is while he is full of enjoyment of his after dinner pipe, and is feeling at peace with all the world! —especially if he smokes our famous New Zealand grown tobacco. Most of the imported brands contain a tremendous lot of nicotine —and that is bad. The 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 may be smoked all day long without fear of consequences. They appeal to all tastes. If you like a fine aromatic try “Rivcrhead Gold;’’ if you prefer a medium flavour ask for “Navy Cut” or “Cavendish;” “Cut Plug No. 10” is full strength. Caversham Mixture is the latest addition,

Brigadier Macaulay, who is the Divisional Commander for the Wellington Division of the Salvation Army, is visiting Foxton for the week-end and will conduct all services in the Salvation Army hall. A cordial invitation is extended to all to be present at these special services.

A barman of the New Commercial Hotel, Wellington, named William Joseph Bums, aged 31, was arrested on Thursday, when lie pleaded guilty to a charge of book-ma-king and was fined £SO. Chief Detective Ward stated that the defendant's principal, a wealthy bookmaker. had also been arrested.