Manawatu Herald SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19 1927. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3719, 19 November 1927, Page 2

Manawatu Herald SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19 1927. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Tlie proficiency examinations in the Wlanganui Education Board’s district for country schools will he held on the 3Qth inst. ‘Sickness among children has been prevalent in Sanson, and the nature of the complaint is causing considerable alarm. Quite recently two bright little gills succumbed after a short illness, and parents are having a very anxious time. Harold Thomas Addis, sheepfarmer, of Tikokino, Hawke’s Bay, was sentenced to three years’ hard labour for sheep stealing yesterday at Napier. Mr. Justice. McGregor said that sheep stealing was becoming too common and was difv ficult to,put down. A return of 311bs. of potatoes from one tuber is something in the nature of a record. Yet this result was obtained by Mr. Spring senr., last season. He informed our representative that he divided a potato into four parts and the yield was as above stated. Members of the Foxton Rugby Football Club committee visited the racecourse yesterday and inspected the iarea alloted to the club for football purposes by the Racing Club. The scheme for improving the ground will be submitted to the Racing Club’s committee at an early late. t A lawyer, a surveyor, a detective, and a Court official spent over an hour perusing the Bible, searching for a quotation applicable to a case at the Supreme Court at Wanganui on Thursday. Such diligence on their part shows that they do 'not often resort to this good old Book for enlightenment and that they have omitted the injunction to “search the scriptures.” Land in the vicinity of Norbiton Road was originally swamp and covered with standing bush. A remnant of the bush may still be observed at the foot of the hill to the north-west of the borough. A few old settlers ean remember when ■pigeons and duck were plentiful in the locality. Since then the land has been drained and the shrinkage of the peat soil still continues. •Stumps which were beneath the surface a few years ago are now several feet above the surface. At the.rate of one ‘every five minutes throughout the forenoon, and one every six minutes in the afternoon session of the Supreme Court yesterday (says the Auckland Herald), 46 cases on the divorce list were disposed o’f. In two instances, where the petitioners were women, they fainted in the witness box, one collapsing and falling back heavily on to the floor behind. When Ernest Shatton, of 34 Harding Road, Napier, attempted to pass between a Government bus and a ear on Awatoto Road on Friday,"he became jammed and struck the ear. The driver of the car had no warning of the cyclist’s presence, as the latter shot out from behind the bus. Shatton was sent to hospital with a fractured leg, a fractured wrist, and facial injuries, but his condition is not serious,

A witty retort by a Maori witness in the Magistrate’s Court at Port Awanui proved somewhat embarrassing for the solicitor who was cross-examining him. “Ask the witness,” said the solicitor to the interpreter, “whether he considers it reasonable of him to charge the defendants £2O for only two hours’ work.” The interpreter put the question to the witness, who promptly replied: “Yes. Some time ago I employ you for one and a-half hours —£100!”

“The speed of service cars lias also shown a marked improvement since the recent prosecutions,” reports.the Manawatu County’s traffic inspector.

In Waipoua forest there are some very big trees. One of the largest, known as “Joe Treadwell,” has a girth of 42ft. and the first branch is 42f,t. from the ground. It is estimated that there are 55,000 superficial feet of timber in this tree. Another tree, in which Sir Joseph Ward was greatly interested when he was through the forest some years ago is situated on the .side of the road and has a girth of 31ft. Both these trees are in the Wairait Valley.

Following the unveiling of tlie Cross of Sacrifice at the Te Henui Cemetery, New Plymouth, on Sunday afternoon, Major-General R. Young, General Officer Commanding the New Zealand Forces, who performed the ceremony, inspected the returned soldiers on parade. He noticed one man wearing the Military Medal and asked him 'where lie won the decoration, the returned soldier replying, “At Messines for carrying you out, sir.”

The Education Board architect reported as follows on the local High School building at Wednesday’s meeting: —“The erection of the new High School buildings is now well in hand, and an immediate start is to be made on the lower timber work. Some difficulty was experienced in obtaining a solid founlation at one point, and ' in order to secure the building from any fracture by reason of weak foundations, the excavation was at this particular point taken down, to a distance of 16 feet. The levelling work has been suspended temporarily, and is to be resumed when the building is advanced far enough to enable the levelling to be wholly completed in one operation.”

A kindly action by a Hawera business man the other day had its reward in a sudden and amusing manner. It happened that a lady from the country arrived in the town carrying a robust infant, and went into a certain emporium to hire a perambulator, as she was desirous of visiting a relative at the hospital. The manager of the business told her his firm did not. make a practice of hiring prams, hut, on learning of the lady’s predicament lie offered to take her to her destination in his car. On reaching the hospital she thanked her benefactor foil his kindness, remarking that her husband had just built, a new house, and she would see that all furniture was purchased from the firm of her good Samaritan. When speaking at the Horticultural Society’s Summer Show on Thursday, Mr. M. E. Perrcau, when touching on the necessity for encouraging the children to compete in the cookery classes said that recently lie had visited a local residence and while there had partaken of afternoon tea. The cakes offered him had been of 1 a remarkably good! quality and he could not help but remark on this fact to the lady of the house, who replied: “Well, Mr. Perreau, it was my endeavour as a girl to win your points prize at the horticultural society’s show that taught me how to cook.” Mr. Perreau said he was a great believer in encouraging the young people to compete in the cookery classes and even more encouragement than at present should be offered them.

Mark Twain once said: “Woman is a conundrum—but I will never give her up!” This was in allusion to .the changeable views of the adorable sex. The sex is certainly apt to alter its point of view. Time was when ladies “couldn’t bear tobacco smoke” —said it made them “ill.” In those days father and the boys had to seek the seclusion of the coal-house or the backyard when they wanted a whiff. Nowadays the girls—young, old and middle-aged—will tell you when to-bacco-smoke is mentioned that they “love it!” Well, there are worse habits than smoking, and so long as the “baccy” is good and not overcharged with nicotine it won’t hurt anyone. Apropos of that, its a pity the imported tobaccos are so full of nicotine. How is it? Our New Zealand brands are almost free from it. You can smoke them “till further orders” and take no harm. Sweet, cool and fragrant they appeal irresistibly to all smokers. All tobacconists stock them. Ask for “Riverhead Gold” (mild), “Navy Gut” (Bulldog) medium, or “Cut Plug No. 19” (Bullshead), full-strength.