LOCAL AND GENERAL

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3796, 24 May 1928, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Herald staff desires to acknowledge wedding favours from Mr. and Mrs. J. Martin.

Many cases of sickness in Auckland with symptoms similar to ptomaine poisoning have been diagnosed as gastric influenza. [Robert Baf'f, a Public Works foreman at Dargaville, while riding a motor bicycle ,-collided with a wagon and died as a result of injuries received.

Confidence in Mr. C. Todd as president of the New Zealand Alliance and appreciation of his services in the cause of prohibition, were expressed bv various speakers at Wellington, last night, when lie was entertained by the standing committee of the New Zealand Alliance.

At the meeting of the Wellington Harbour Board last night, Mr J. G. G'obbe was unanimously re-elected chairman of the Board for the ensuing twelve months.

A rousing welcome was given the All Blacks on their arrival at Durban yesterday. The team landed in excellent fettle, glad that the tedious trip of five weeks had ended.

Hunterville’s public debt is only £11,939 4s 7d net, which is the lowest in the North Island for any town of equal population with electric light, water and sewerage, taji'-scaled roads, etc. (says the Express).

A public meeting convened by the executive of the Manawatu Flaxmill Workers’ Union is to be held in the Town Hall supper-room this evening at 8 o’clock, to discuss matters relative to the hemp industry.

Walter Hatton, aged about 70, left his boarding house at Whangarei on Sunday evening for his customary walk and was not seen again,. His body was found in the river mud by the police on Tuesday.

A man who recently drove a car through the hedge of The Square Gardens, at Palmerston North, was lined £5 for having driven a car while in a state of intoxication. Ilia name was suppressed owing to the slate of health of his wife.

About three miles outside the Nelson harbour entrance before daylight on Tuesday the auxiliary schooner Te Arolia collided with and sank a fishing launch owned by Mr. G. A*. Thompson. One of three occupants, a youth named Gnley, was drowned.

An inquest was held at Wellington yesterday before (he Coroner (Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M.), concerning the death of Mark Berncy Breeze, a returned soldier, aged 31. who fell into the harbour on Saturday night. After hearing the evidence, the Coroner returned a verdict of death through accidental drowning. Deceased’s parents reside in Hokitika.

The death occurred at Gisborne this week of Mr. Richard Bach, at the age of 82. He arrived in Auckland seventy years ago in the Gertrude, his father having brought in that vessel sections of a smaller vessel with which to institute a shipping service on the New Zealand coast. The little boat was fitted together at Auckland, and ran for many years between Auckland and Thames.

Following upon the encouraging flow of oil from the “Blenheim” oil bore al New Plymouth during the lasi week or two which, according |o a statement issued by the chairman of directors, has averaged between fourteen and twenty barrels a day, the Blenheim Oil Well Reclamation Co., Ltd., with a capital of €6,000 in £1 shares, of which 5118 shares arc subscribed, has been listed on the stock Exchange.

A tag on the Eastbourne Borough Council’s annual balancesheet stated that the cost of the provision of supper for councillors had been wrongly charged to the borough account, 111 reply to a councillor the Mayor (Mr. H. M. Jones) said that the supper expenses could not be met out of tho unauthorised expenditure. “I am afraid it is looked on in the nature of a tip,” Ik* said amidst laughter, “and we will have to make good the 25s ourselves.”

In his reserved decision on the petition by Felix Stuart Hindmarsh Bolton, farmer, of Pahiatua, for a decree absolute in the divorce from Eileen Bolton, heard at a recent sitting of the Palmerston -North Supreme Court, Mr. Justice Ostler grants the his complete divorce, and although granting him as well permanent custody of the children, he has made an order that Mrs. Bolton should be able to see them on occasions. Petitioner has also to pay maintenance at the rate of 30/- per week to respondent until such time as she is able to earn her own living.

“Hey, Dig!'’ said ex-Private Bill Wnzir, 40503, of the Trench Mortars. “Hey, Dig- Is that dinkurn wot you put in The Sun about England sendin’ a ultimatum to the Gyppos?” “Absolutely,” said Petal's. “Hey, Dig—ls that dinkurn too old to go away to war any more! Gripes! The risin’ generation ’as all the luck—fancy ’avin' a charnce to do the pyramids’ the sphinx, picnic on the canal, an’ fight the battle o’ the Whzir wiv-out no bloomin’ danger uv Gallipoli or Prance to foller it! My oath!” “I don’t think,” said Peter, “that even should the worst come to the worst, there will he any call for Australians.” There y’are!” said Bill. “That’s them cliooms all oer —givin’ us the ’ard work an’ savin’ up the reel good stunts for themselves!” —Sydney Sun.

Mr. E. A. Marchant, the wellknown surveyor of Wanganui, the other day made a discovery at Nukumaru which is of interest to those who make a study of Maori history (says the Herald). He was engaged in looking for an old trig station when he came across the remains of a Maori oven or hangi. This was in the sand below a deposit of loam about nine inches. To the casual observer this would not convey very much, hut to a practical man it meant a good deal. In the first place loam deposits or sand do not form very rapidly ajul to get that depth would take at least a thousand years or more, so this gives some idea of the age of the hangi.

That weasels should he largely responsible for a man’s bankruptcy seems inireditahle, but at a meeting of creditors in a poultry farmer’s bankrupt estate in Invercargill last week all present agreed that these destructive imported animals were responsible for the insolvency. In bis sworn statement .the bankrupt said that GOO of his pullets had been killed by weasels. Later, in reply to questions, lie said that in three days he had killed 49 weasels on his farm. “I understand weasels migrate,” said bankrupt’s counsel. “You must have struck a migration.” “A ferret can kill 50 fowls in an hour. I don’t know nbout weasels,” said another creditor.