NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3769, 20 March 1928, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

Measles are at present prevalent in Otaki and district.

A Supplementary Gazette issued on Tuesday night announces that Parliament will meet again on Thursday, the 7th of June. “I am sure we shall be only too pleased to receive his resignation with regret,” said a speaker at a. meeting in New Plymouth. It is not recorded that the remark caused any laughter. The Auckland Star took a vote cn daylight saving, 7078 favouring the principle and 5068 opposing it. The city vote was in favour of the measure and the country vote was against it. “Out of the 200 babies born at the MeHardy Home, Napier, there has been only one death, and that was a particularly serious case when admitted,” s'aid Mr. J. B. Andrew, chairman of the Hawke’s Bay Hospital Board.

School have caused many a laugh, and much wonderment at the strange and unaccountable twists given to unfamiliar facts by children when at their lessons. The latest specimen was perpetrated at a school in the Wairarapa district recently (says the News). One young student of history wrote: —“Napolean was an American soldjer. He was killed when walking through a town. His mother was a pheasant!” That is hard to beat. \ “It is one of the most historic places in New Zealand,” said a Wanganui resident on a visit to Auckland, in mentioning the fact that of late rumblings had been heard beneath Wanganui, and that old Maoris stated that Pukenamu, the small hill in the midst of the river city, which is the site of the art gallery, was once a volcano. He said that Pukenamu in the early days was the site of the Rutland stockade, and in the first Maori war was strongly fortified. The whereabouts of a young man who secured a motor cycle for a trial run are inquired for by a Hawera motor trading firm (says the Hawera Star). Hailing on the finp a few days ago with a view, ostensibly, to the purchase of a se-cond-hand machine, the stranger, who appeared to be about 20 years of age, and alleged he was employed by a farmer in the district, was shown a second-hand cycle valued at about £37. After a demonstration outside the premises he at length managed to secure permission to take a trial run. So far efforts to locate the machine have been unsuccessful.

During the war two men who had been friends before that great European catastrophe left New Zealand on the same boat for the first stage of the great adventure some 12 years ago. They parted at New Plymouth and met again the other day at Patea. They were sent to different camps; both served at Passchendale and at other engagements, and were patients at the same military hospital. All these facts were unknown until the two “diggers” met for the first time since parting company in England on the Patea lawn temlis courts to wield rackets instead of rifles.

Contrary opinions as, to the damage done to land and stock by rooks were expressed at a meeting of the Hawke’s Bay County Council this week, when the local branch of the Farmers’ Union wrote asking the council to agree to the appointment of a committee to deal with the rooks. One member said that the rooks did some harm, but he was also convinced that they .were immensely valuable. He had seen a patch of maize near a rookery that was unharmed, and he was convinced that it was due to

[lie rooks that the wireworm was being eradicated in Hawke’s Bay. Another councillor said he had seen the rooks do tremendous damage. An extraordinary happening occurred at Balfour (says the Southland Times). Miss Lyla-Grant, who is a keen swimmer, was sitting on the banks of the Mataura River prior to taking a plunge. Her hands were dangling near the water when a three-foot eel suddenly bobbed its head out of the water and grasped the finger next the thumb. The finger was rather badly lacerated with the network of teeth, and the eel was lifted clean out o£ the water before releasing its grip. To add to the confusion, Miss Grant slipped off the bank and had to swim a considerable distance before reaching safety. A case of unusual generosity was mentioned at a meeting of the Southland Hospital Board. The secretary said, that a man had called at the office and inquired after a friend, a patient in the hospital. On learning that his condition was not very favourable the caller asked what his account amounted to and was told that the sum was £56. The caller then stated that his friend was “up against it,” and he handed over two £SO notes. When the clerk said he would get the change he said that the board could regard it as a contribution to the board’s funds. He said he did not want a receipt and declined to give his name. This means that the board benefits to the extent of £44.