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

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3696, 27 September 1927, Page 2

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

Imports into the Dominion during 1926 decreased by £2,566,844 as compared with the previous year. A start is now being made with the concreting of the walls of the public swimming baths in Easton Park.

The friends of Royal Uil'ilma Will regret to learn that he is at present suffering from pneumonia and was removed to the Palmerston hospital, to-day.

A To Aroha resident on tour, writing to a friend from Sydney, stated that owinpr to the droug-ht in Australia, a whole side of lamb is purchased for 2/11 and three pounds of the best beef for 3 /3. At the local police court yesterday, before Mr, J. K. Hornblow, J.P., a first offending inebriate, arrested on Saturday night and subsequently bailed out was convicted and fined 5/-. Up to midnight on Friday last the number of inmates at the Palmerston North Hospital was twoj hundred. This is the highest number recorded since the epidemic in 1919.

The percentages of imports during the past two years from the United Kingdom are, 1925 48.68, 1926 45.60; from the United States of America, 1925 16.94, 1926 20.05.

The value of the external trade of the Dominion during the •calendar year 1926 amounted to £95,165,138, a decrease of £12,503,666 as compared with the previous year.

Miss C. Buchanan has been appointed relieving assistant in the secondary department of the local District High School during the temporary absence of Mr Doel, and will take up her duties on Monday next.

The Schneider Cup race at Lido, Italy, for the greatest, intensive air test ever devised,. took place yesterday. Italy, America .and Great Britain, were the competitors. It is .janticipated, bar accidents, that the British representatives will regain supremacy.

The Hinemoa, which left Auckland on September 15th, for Norfolk Island, next day ran into a Imrrieane and was hove-to for twelve hours in a heavy sea. Two feet of water entered the forecastle. A horse in a box on the main hatch was washed out and found lying in the scuppers. Passengers who returned by the Hinemoa speak highly of her qualities as a sea boat. The laying of the foundation stone of the Maternity Home at the Palmerston Hospital yesterday vas conducted by the Hon. J, A. Young, Minister of Health, before a representative gathering, including Dr. T. H. A. Valintine (Director-Geper-al of Health), Messrs J. A. Nash and J. Linklater, M’s.P., Mr W. Wallace, of Auckland (Chairman of the Hospital Boards Association) and members of the Palmerston North Hospital Board. Mr. R. Goldingham had a narrow escape from serious injury while motoring home to Foxton from Palmerston North last night. When rounding a bend at Bainessb he was blinded by the bright lights of an approaching car and went over the bank into a boggy piece of ground. It u r as found impossible t,o extricate the car in the dark and Mr. GoUl•iog.ham proceeded to Foxton and brought the car in without difficulty this morning. The only damage sustained was a bent rear mudguard. A big mortality amongst pigs is fore-slmdowed as the result of the installation by many farmers of pipe lines from milking sheds to pig troughs for the .conveyance of skim milk (says an exchange), A wellknown veterinarian, Mr, S. Burton, says he recently visited one farm where over 80 pigs were dead, 18 or 20 were dying, and the balance were sick. He traced the mortality to the sun playing on the pipes and making them incubators for germs, which found their ways to the lungs of the animals causing septic pneumonia. As such installations are now becoming general there are likely to be wholesale deaths during the summer unless the pipes are kept scrupulously clean.

A petition in bankruptcy has been filed by Mary Ilemingsley Newman, a married woman, trading as the Newman Transport Coy., Levin. On Saturday the Foxton Football Club held a successful shop day. Competitions resulted as follows: — Dinner: Mrs. C. Hart, No. 11; cake: Mr. Wi Neville, No. 31; cigarettes: Mr. W. Broad, No. 20; fowls: Mrs. C. Fuller, No. 16.

Sheep farmers near Otaki report that hawks are causing many deaths among lambs, and even picking the eyes out of woolly sheep, which have been cast. One family alone have Happed or shot over a hundred, but the number appears to be on the increase.

It is expected that the Government will shortly introduce an Oil Bill into Parliament. The Minister of Mines, in a brief reference to the proposed measure, said it was necessary to provide that the control of the Dominion’s oil treasures should be kept within the Empire.

“Some people think the hospital is a dreary place,” remarked Sir James Wilson, when .speaking at the Maternity Home ceremony at Palmerston yesterday. “That is not so,” he added. “If you want to see happiness' just look into the children’s ward at any time of the day. In fact many of the kiddies don’t like having to leave.”

• Mr. J. Raine met with a startling experience while motoring in Wellington on Sunday. He was driving along the Day’s Bay road to town iwhen the side of the hill fell out on his car, smashing the wind-screen and hood. Mr. Rain efortunately was not injured and managed to pull the car clear, hut he found it damaged and had to leave it on the road-side.

“Everywhere I go in your country I sec water-power running to waste,” said Professor Schaffer, of Vienna, to a “Christchurch Press” representative on Wednesday. “Why not harness it and use it to run your railways? The water costs nothing and it would be cheaper to export your coal. In Austria, where to-day we have no coal all our railways are electric. I believe that this will ultimately be the system in this country.”

“One thing the Government will have to seriously consider,” remarked Mr. J. K. Hornblow at the Maternity Home ceremony yesterday,” is _the sending out of experts amongst the young people to teach them how to live. If that were done —and a similar system is working in the United States —there is no reason why ignorance should not be banished, and in this special;ly favoured country, there was no reason why, in the future, people should not live to 100 and enjoy comparatively good health. The tone of the following comment from the Londop “Times” last year should prove f>f interest in view of the criticism j that has been levelled against the!New Zealand Summer time Act. “The end of Summer Time last Sunday was by no means welcome. Groans accompanied the readjustment of clocks and watches. The only consolation, in the minds of grateful folk, was that attention might be directed by the period to the Willett Memorial Fund.” The fund was for the purpose of purchasing a wooden common at Chislehurst to perpetuate the memory of the founder of Summer Tinje. “It is only a passing phase, and could not possibly live without the activities of the bookmakers,” said Mr. A. G. Bignell, to a Wanganui Chronicle reporter, when he referred to tin hare racing in Australia. Mr. Bignell, who has just returned from the Commonwealth, said that on a Friday evening when he attended at the sports ground, there were 30,000 people present. There were bookmakers everywhere, and even the children were putting on their “two bobs” and “five bobs.” “It is said over there that Australia is “going to the dogs.” They are certainly going after the dogs,” said Mi’. Bignell. The following is taken from an issue of 1877 of , the “Lyttelton Times;” —“They have another nuisance on the railroads in the North Island besides stray cattle. The ‘Taranaki Budget’ says: An old Maori, tried to race the train between Sentry Hill and Henwood Road, and was running on the line in front of the engine for a considerable distaee. We hear it is a constant practice for Natives to do this, and notwithstanding the warning they have received they still persist in doing it. But for the extreme caution used by the engine drivers some accidents would have resulted. It is a pity the Natives cannot be dealt with by the law in the same manner as the Europeans.”

A party of little grave-digging beetles at the London Zoo lately gave demonstrations of the useful work they do under natural conditions. There are five of these burying beetles, and they are periodically given the carcase of a rat toi inter. A full-grown specimen was buried by them to a depth of six inches in two days. When caught in. the woods, the beetles were burying a blackbird. The method of these beetles is to patiently rake away the soil beneath the remains until these have sunk to a sufficient depth. Then the beetles lay . their eggs in the carcase, and cover it with earth. The grubs, upon hatching, feed upon the body, thereby acting as scavangers. It is largely owing to the efforts of such beetles that the countryside is freed from the decomposing remains of the countless casualties which continually occur iu Nature.

The Homeland tour of the New Zealand cricketers has resulted in a loss to N.Z. Cricket Council of abolit £4,000. The usual monthly meeting of the Foxton Chamber of Commerce will be held in Ross’s Rooms next Thursday evening at 7.30 o’clock. Thomas Mahon, aged 72, married, the chief officer of the s.s. “Canopus” when having the hatches removed at Westport yesterday in preparation for the loading of coal, fell into the hold and was killed instantaneously.

Hares have become a nuisance in some parts of North Otago this year (states an exchange). They have come down from the ranges in hundreds and have done a great <]eal of damage to crops. One farmer has destroyed no fewer than 750 since the beginning of the winter.

In the past it has been the policy of the [Defence Department to hire the horses required for mounted training camps (says the Clutha Leader). The cost usually worked out at 10s per horse per day. The department has now decided to change this procedure, and purchase sufficient hacks at the beginning of the training period and dispose of them when the camps have been concluded.

The Jewish New Year began at sunset yesterday. This is the year 5688, the Jewish calendar being dated from the Creation, which is considered to have taken place 3760 years and three months before the commencement of the Christian era. In the construction of the Jewish calendar numerous details require attention. The New Year may commence on any date between Sep- ! ember sth arid October 5. The year is luni-solar, and, according lo whether it is ordinary or embolismic, consists of twelve or thirteen months and of 354 or of 384 days. Tisri is the name given to the first month of the year.

Yesterday was Dominion Day, and was observed as a bank 'holiday, although it was not a general holiday. Dominion Dav is the day which commemorates the proclamation issued in 1907 that “His Majesty the 1 King is graciously pleased to change the style and designation of the ‘colony of New Zealand’ to the ‘Dominion of New Zealand.’ ” I From the early days of settlement until 1841 New Zealand remained a dependency of New South Wales, subsequently being created a separate colony by Royal Charter. Although this Charter was dated November 16, 1840, the change did’ not take effect until May 3, 1841.

“A properly controlled lunch is essential to the child who is taking the meal away from home,” wrote the Medical Officer of Health (Dr. R. J. R. Mccredy) in a report on visits to various schools which was considered by the New Plymouth Education Board, says a Taranaki exchange. At Hawera the school lunch was controlled by a teacher, and the children were prohibited from using the playground until 20 minutes had elapsed for the meal. At Eltham, while the, lunch was not controlled, the pupils were not allowed on the playground until 20 minutes had passed. The doctor was pleased that such attention was paid to the point. The’ senior inspector (Mr. N. R. M'Kenzie) said 11. J. R. Macredy) in a report on that lunches were controlled in other schools as well.

Horatio Bottomley is not resting after his prison labours. He has commenced a series of articles to the Weekly Despatch under the heading of “From ’Broad Acres to Broad Arrows” —by “Convict 13.” He was an unlucky number —perhaps that is why he did not secure release earlier, despite the efforts of influential friends. “I promise,” says Bottomly in a foreword, “to publish something which, I avow, will send a thrill through the heart and conscience of the nation. The public will learn from me, for the. lirst time, the truth of the great prison underworld.” In a comment on this publicity, Public Opinion observes! that few will question Mi - . Bottomley’s right to deal with the question of prison reform in the light of his own experiences, adding: “Many ex-prisoners in years gone‘by have related their reactions to the prison system, and in all matters of reform there has always been a readiness to weigh the vices of those who have been in the position to judge the effect of the conditions in force on themselves and others.”

The lure of tobacco! As you may be aware prisoners in our gaols each i - eeeive an ounce to tobacco weekly; and it’s said that when one of them misbehaves, there is no punishment he dreads more than the stoppage of his tobacco. It’s the same with the inmates of our homes and refuges. The old folks spending the evening of their days in these institutions prize the stick of tobacco served out to them once a week, more than anything else. They know the comfort and solace of it. Does smoking harm all these people? It harms nobody so long as the tobacco is pure and of good quality. Unfortunately, the imported brands arc full of nicotine. And it’s nicotine in excess that does the harm when harm arises. Perhaps the purest tobaccos in the world are grown and manufactured in New Zealand. And they are comparatively free from nicotine. Also they are unequalled for fragrance and flavour. Ask your tobacconist for “Riverhead Gold” (mild), “Navy Cut” (Bulldog) medium, or “Cut Plug No. 10” (IBullshcad), full strength. 73

The Mayor (Mr M. E. Perrcau) was present at the laying of the foundation stone of the maternity home at Palmerston Hospital yesterday.

There is a great freedom of crime at present not only in Auckland but in the whole of New Zealand, said the Commissioner of Police, Mr. W. B. Mcllveney, at Auckland yesterday. “The crime outbursts,” said the Commissioner, “come in cycles and there may not be another for a very long time. It is difficult to account for them. Something abnormal occurs and works itself off.”

A gust of wind blew a motor van from the road into the sea at Miramar on Saturday afternoon. Darragh, a baker, had with him his eight-year-old son. The little boy was thrown out as the van went over, but Darragh was unable to free himself. The van settled in about six feet of water. But fortunately water did not reach the top of the body, and when assistance arrived a few minutes later Darragh was able to climb out of the back of the van with the aid of a ladder.