Manawatu Herald SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 1928. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3809, 23 June 1928, Page 2

Manawatu Herald SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 1928. LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Auckland Aero Club has requested the Mayor to cable to Squadron-Leader Kings ford Smith inviting him to fly to Auckland after his arrival in New Zealand from Australia.

There are some tongue-twisters in the Welsh language, that take some mastering hut: some of the Maori place names are just as puzzling’. Here are two Wanganui place names: Putikiwharanuialamateapokaiwlienua and Taumatawh a k a t a ng i h a n ga k o a u a u. “It would avoid misunderstanding,” said Superintendent Stevenson at yesterday’s meeting of the local Hire Board, “if the notice hoard at the station indicating ‘no admission except on business' was repainted." The Board decided to have this allepded to.

A resolution passed by the f.'oimlies’ Conference nt Hamilton was tlml ns 1 lie present method of providing- for hospitals and ehavilablc aid by means of a rate on land was obsolete and inequitable a system should be adopted eon forming with the principles of raising revenue tor general purposes. Also it was resolved that the cost of charitable aid and unemployment relief should be met wholly by the tiiovernment, but the funds he distributed by hospital boards as at present.

We are informed that a vigilance committee has been set up in Foxton with the object of endeavouring to improve the moral lone of the community. Pictures and library books are to be censored and betting and illicit drinking- are to be looked into. W'e are not able to verify Ihe accuracy of the informalion supplied to us but we can say Ibis: that (he moral tone of Foxton compares favourably with any other town in the Dominion and willi the present efficient police officials I Imre will be little for the vigilance committee to do except lo keep (heir own doorstep clean.

‘•What’s that?” exclaimed n .Mount Albert (Auckland), resident .Minrlly before 5 a.in. the other morning, when she awoke her husband with a start. “Oil, il's .nothing—somebody's old tomcat, 1 suppose, walking on (he verandah.” The noise continued for some time, however, and presently it awakened the child which was sleeping on the verandah. Then father had to get u]i. When tie got outside lie miw a full-sized, kiwi walking along Ibe floor. It took- no notice of him, nor did il run away when the child was brought. Ji stumped along the verandah in the pale moonlight^and continued .to do so after the inhabitants of the house hud gone to bed again. The lime of year Ims arrived when the usual confusion is brought about by the expected arrival of the “shortest day,” a. period which, as the official calculations show, lias no separate existence, because there are a number of days of equal length. This year the period of shortest days extends from June 19th to 25th, so there are seven of them, each having a length of S hours 5(5 minutes. For the first four days sunrise is at 7.33 and sunset at 4.29, and for the remaining three sunrise and sunset are a minute later. After that the days lengthen by the later setting of the sun, which continues to rise at 7.34 until July sth inclusive, sunset meanwhile having extended to 4.36. Last year the shortest days Avere the 22nd and 23rd and the 26th and 27th, their length being 8 hours 51 minutes. Tht two intervening days were a minute longer. The latest hour of sunrise was 7.37, over a period extending from June 26th to July 3rd.

At five minutes to eleven this morning Captain Larsen reported that an aeroplane, flying fairly low, passed over Manawatu Heads travelling in the direction of Wellington.

The lock of Wiri Post Office was blown off on Wednesday night and embedded in a wall twelve feet, awav. The intruders overhauled letters and scattered papers around the room, but nothing is reported missing. Although people were living very close, no disturbance was heard.

To taste fruit in the Isle of Wight grown by himself in New Zealand was the pleasant experience of a member of the New Zealand bowling team at present louring England. Mr T. Horton, of New Plymouth, was able to purchase in the shops Cox's Orange Pippins from his own orchard at Is per lb.

Wjhilc bathing some months ago at Opotiki a Tnuranga boy found a green glass globe similar to the globe reported to be found on a. beach at Stewart Island. The globe has a circumference of 17-A inches, and is held in a well preserved net of thick twine. If has a shamrock blown on the surface. Although the globe float has been inspected bv a number of people they are unable to state its use.