Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 1928. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3769, 20 March 1928, Page 2

Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 1928. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

All the eight Canterbury mean ers of the All Black team 1 have pa? <ed the medical test prescribed by the New Zealand Union.

The official opening of the Massey Agricultural College will lake place at Palmerston North to-day, when the Minister of Agriculture (Hon. 0. J. Hawken) will per? rm the ceremony. A contract has been let for the construction at Milford Sound of a first-class hostel to provide for 60 guests, according to a statement made by the Minister in charge of tourist resorts, Hon. W. Nosworlhy. It is stated that Sir Amos Nelson who is building a large mill at Lancashire for the manufacture of artificial silk, is likely to require the' total output of New Zealand grown flax for some years to come. At last night’s meeting of the Palmerston North Borough Council, it was decided that all offenders reported as having used hoses during the present restrictions on the use of water be prosecuted.. There ‘were four offences, according to reports submitted by the inspectors. The Taranaki Hospital Board has received intimation that it will receive a gift of £6OOO for the establishment of a children’s ward at the hospital from a New Plymouth lady, but the date of the gift and name of the donor are not, yet announced.

The Hornblow Shield for competition between the smaller country schools in the district was won by Oliakea at the Sandon Sports on Saturday. The points scored were tis follows:—Ohakea A 36, Kopane A 34, Sandon A 27, Glen Oroua A 18, Awahuri A 10, Sandon B 5.

Tom Heeney has departed from New York for London for a vacation with the recognition for a bout with Gene Tunney. Before he returns at the end of April, Tex Rickard will decide whether Heeney and Risko will fight again, or whether Heeney will fight Tunney in New York or London. The funeral of the late Mrs. A. J. Hartley, of Manawatu Heads took place on Sunday. There was a largo attendance of friends and relatives of deceased, and over forty cars comprised the cortege which fol 1 owed the casket to the graveside. Rev. Crockett (Levin), conducted services at the house and graveside. Invercargill is becoming as bad as America for freak championpionships (says the Southland Times). Two local men attempted to set up a world’s record in oyster eating during the week, and set to with gusto to reduce New Zealand’s supply of the popular shellfish. The affair proved very disappointing, '.ne man givipg up at six dozen and three, while the other, who excused himself on the ground of indisposition took the count at five dozen.

The question of the importation of Australian swallows was raised at a meeting of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society, when a letter was read from the Otago Society asking if any steps in this matter had ever been,taken before. It was stated that nothing had been done by the Wellington Society, and, further, that it was rather doubtful that it would ever prove a success. The birds are migratory, and it is doubtful whether they would stay in the country. The work of the New Lynn School (Auckland), is being impeded and the interests of children sacrificed as a result of frequent changes in the teaching staff. To a deputation on Saturday morning, the Hon. R. A. Wright, Minister of Education, said he knew that frequent changes were most injurious to schools. Teachers should be fixed in their jobs and there should be fixed salaries. That, of course, would mean a considerable increase in salaries paid, but lie was of the opinion that each particular job should have a fixed minimum and maximum salary.

Good progress is being made with the construction of the bridge over the Manawatu River near Shannon. Most of the steel girders are in position and part of the decking is completed. The road formation at both ends is moving ahead quickly and everything points to the work being completed at an early date. Aberdeen is keeping up its reputation. By a recent mail to Dunedin came a letter from a professional man asking the price of a certain medical book that was published in Dunedin, and asking “Have you any representative in Scotland* as this would save postage?” The Department of Internal Affairs has advised the Woodville Borough and County Councils to the effect that the recommendation of the commission to have the boundaries altered to exclude certain land from the borough and include it in the county have been given effect to. It is contended that the land is unsuitable for a residential or industrial area, being subject to floods. A wedding ceremony, probably unique in the history of the town, was performed at Dover (England), the contracting parties both being deaf and dumb. There were two deat\ and two. dumb bridesmaids, sisters of the bridegroom, and the best man, Ms. G. Ralph, of Hythe, was also a deaf mute. The marriage service was in the deaf and dumb language. The following is an excerpt from a letter received by a. well-known Wjhangarei poultry breeder from a lady fancier in the country: “I shall not recommend anybody to buy eggs from you. Evidently you cannot pick pullets’ eggs from roosters’, as there are half roosters out of the ten I have, and that is too big a percentage when one pays a good price for what are supposed to be good eggs.” An amusing incident occurred at u railway station not a hundred miles from Hawera (says the Star). As the mail train pulled up at the station, a bewhiskered old man, whose garb betokened the (toiler from outback, thrust his head in the carriage containing the Australian bowlers, and exclaimed: “How do, boys? Here’s a quid; have a spot! I belong to South Australia, but I’m not going back. I knew the Chief Justice too well.”

in the Otago Province, claims to be one of the driest districts in New Zealand. Last year the rain fall was llin., the lightest experienced for 35 years. The Prime Minister (Mr. J. G. Coates), speaking to the settlers of the district last week, said that, notwithstanding the light rainfall, he was very pleased with the appearance of the country. It was showing an improvement every year, and there could be no doubt the settlers were working.

A sensation was caused at the Christchurch . Railway Station last Friday evening, when a man, in attempting to boarcl the train for Lyttelton as it was leaving the platform, slipped and fell under the carriages. An alarm was given, and the train was pulled up with' a jerk. Porters rushed a stretcher Io the scene, but to the surprise of everyone the man crawled from beneath a carriage uninjured. Three carriages had passed over him before the train was brought to a standstill.

An amusing interlude occurred recently in the Police Court at Bluff wlien a resident appeared before the Bench for having an unregistered dog in his possession. Defendant pleaded that the dog was not a dog, being only in the pupp; stage, and was therefore not liable for registration. A discussion ensued upon how to tell a dog’s age. Expert opinions on the matter were heard from unexpected quarters, the Justices finally awarding the palm to the defendant by dismissing the case. Mr. H. S. Alpe, the veteran longdistance walker, arrived at the Basin Reserve, 'Wellington, at 8.35 o’clock on Saturday evening after having walked the 102 miles from Palmerston North to Wellington, and hoping by his feat to assist the fund so that. New Zealand might be adequately represented at the Olympic Games at Amsterdam. Mr. Alpe is 56 years of age, and he States that he averaged just under six miles per hour on the! journey. It is not yet- known how much the Olympic fund will benefit as a result of Mr. Alpe’s effort, as all the collection boxes from the various towns on the route are not yet available. Mr. Alpe intends to undertake a walk from Napier to Wellington, walking one day and collecting in towns enroute the next, in aid of the Moncrieff-Hood fund.

Somewhere in Christchurch, there is a family called Smith (says the Sun). This fact may cause no considerable surprise, but a correspondent has written pointing out that he wishes to let the people of Christchurch know that a certain Sir Grenville Smith died recently, with no son to fall heir to his money and estate, Ashton Court, in Bristol. A Smith or Smyth family in Christchurch is supposed to be (he rightful owner of the estaje, and of a rent-roll practically the whole of Bristol. The correspondent says that the family of the late Sir Grenville appears to have been of royal descent, dating from Edward 111., and he expresses the hope that the rightful Smith or Smyth may be able to prove tlieir connection with Sir Grenville Smith. The Canterbury directory has about seven and a-half pages of assorted Smith and Smyths and Symthes, so that there may be a chance for somebody.

There are no fewer than 45 makes of motor ears being sold in New Zealand.

The new Christchurch municipal concert hall was opened by the Mayor on Saturday. It cost £35,000 and will seat 1300.

The takings at the Australian - Auckland cricket match amounted to £538. After deducting the guarantee and expenses, the Auckland Association makes a profit of £34. A law clerk named- George Miller, aged 25, a single man, who had been missing from his » home at Stanley Point since March 15, was -found hanged at Takapuna yesterday morning. The body was suspended from a willow ■ tree by a rope.

The instinct of animals is well known, and none perhaps shows it more than the horse. A Hawera trainer says that on one morning last week he was riding from the course, and several minutes before an earthquake his horse stopped and trembled. He could not imagine what was wrong, until the shake occurred.

Riverton is suffering from a, plague of rats. These increased very much during the fine weather, and with the approach of the colder season they are invading the buildings. With the appearance of rats the mice have had to quit. One resident who makes a point of keeping down rats had to confess that the dwelling was getting infested. *

The annual re-union of the Manawatu section of the Post and Telegraph Officers’ Association took place in the Druids’ Hall, Levin, on Saturday night. It was attended by some 50 members from Palmerston North, Poxton, Shannon, Levin and Otaki, and a very enjoyable time was spent. The gathering was pre-

sided over by Mr E. Whitehead, chairman of.the Manawatu branch, and also present were the Mayor of Levin (Mr T. Hohson), Mr .T. Linklater, M.P., Mr J. A*. Smith, A.M.LE.E. (representing the Horowhenua Power Board), and Mr H. H. Brown, the Association’s organiser.