Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1928. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3853, 4 October 1928, Page 2

Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1928. LOCAL AND GENERAL

In what is believed to have been a temporary tit of insanity, a trimmer named Edmiston, leaped from the steamer Wjpikawa on the voyage from New Plymouth to Vancouver in July. A search failed to reveal any trace of the man.

A girl named Iris Iringa, aged (j years, a daughter of Mr. C. H. Hayward, of Rotorua, fell backwards into a hot pool on Tuesday morning after jumping across it. She was pulled out by her mother immediately, and taken to the King George V. Hospital, but died from shock at 10.15 yesterday.

A witness 97 years of age gave evidence in the Native Land Court at Wiiangarei in a case in which the ownership of the Poor Knights Islands was the question at issue. Witness was a woman, and in spite of her great age she told with mariked clarity the story of a massacre .which she had heard when she was a girl. The annual ball under the auspices of the Oroua Downs Football Club will be held in the Oroua Downs Hall to-night. Devotees of dancing can attend this function with the assurance of enjoying themselves thoroughly. The avrangements include music by Larkin's orchestra, and the supper provided will be particularly at•traetive. There will also be the presentation of the shield and medals won during the past season. The prices of admission are gents 4s, ladies 2s fid, double 6s. A free cliar-a-bane will leave Foxton Post Office.

“And you are a J.P.?” added counsel in the Christchurch Police Court recently, when reciting the qualifications of a witness who was about to give his evidence in a motor collision case. “Yes,” replied the witness. “What difference does that make?” asked Mr. E. D. Mosley, S.M. “It served to show the credit of the witness,” said a counsel. “No, it doesn’t,” said the magistrate. “A J.P. is no better than anyone else. It cuts no ice with me •whether a witness is a J.P., a magisirate, or a judge!” “I’m just a new one,” said the witness, and the "court smiled broadly.

Among the birds which spend the summer months in England and migrate for the winter to milder climes are the nightingales, stated Dr. Home at the Rotary Club at New Plymouth on Monday. The female birds go. to Morocco, the south of Spain, and that region, while the male birds go eastward to Greece, Turkey, Persia and Arabia. The latter always return to England about a week earlier than their mates and spend the interval in preparing their nests. They are monogamists in their habits, mating for life, and always return to the same nest. The male bird never sings until his mate returns, his first song in the spring being a song of welcome to her. If one of a pair dies the other does not take another mate.

A Gore party picnicking on the beach at Fortrose, Otago, recently had an experience in which interest and surprise were well blended. What looked like a huge piece of lignite (soft coal) was lying on the sand, and when this was casually approached it suddenly, displayed animation and proved to be a huge scalion which had been enjoying a nap in the sunshine. The denizen of (he deep waited for no introductions, but made its flopping way into the breakers with bristles entended to show its indignation against the human disturbers of its rest. Once in the water it turned a defiant look towards the shore and then made for the open sea. Its weight is estimated at half a ton.

A whale was seen off Waikanae beach last week. This is said to be the first seen in the locality for some years.

Provided that the weather is fine, the annual clean-up week in the Levin borough will commence about Wednesday of next week (says the Chronicle). Leon van der Stuyft, the cyclist of Montlhery, motor-paced, on Monday covered 76 miles 504 yards in one hour, beating Braiders’ world record by 224 yards (says a London message). The New Plymouth Borough Council has adopted the report of the electric lighting committee recommending a loan of £76,500 -for extension of the light and water service. As the result of slipping on an apple core, a youth was precipitated through the plate glass window of a shop at Ashburton a few days ago. The pane had been in position 45 years. A large hole was made in one corner, and. the remainder of the glass was badly cracked. a A mad cow charged a young child in a Taranaki district recently, and followed up by attacking the father, who had gone to the rescue, knocking him down and tramping him underfoot. The child’s mother, who went to her husband’s assistance, was also attacked, but she escaped unhurt and the farmer rolled himself clear under the wire fence. A little later the cow dropped dead.

As docile and tame as a kitten, a tiger cub, born at the Auckland Zoo on September 10, was probably the first of the species to be born in the Dominion. The little, striped new-comer was somewhat weak and evidently did not enjoy the af-fectionate-regard of its mother, for it was killed and eaten by the tigress the first day. Another loss to the collection, reported to the City Council, was caused through a case of cage paralysis, which made it necessary to destroy one of the sacred baboons. Three stump-tailed stenks, which arrived at the zoo recently, have also died, chiefly through the rigours of the winter climate.

Te Kooti, founder of the Ringatu religion, predicted in liis time that some day gold would be found, and later Ratana and his followers declared they would unearth untold wealth, states the Poverty Bay Herald’s Te Araroa correspondent. •Some weeks ago an official of the Ratana Church visited the Coast to solicit funds for the exploration of the locality, where the gold was supposed to be lying. The locality announced was near Te Whaiti, in the Urewera Country. A whole family journeyed to ;Te Whaiti to claim a share in the find. They have returned to the Coast much poorer than they were before they left home.

That there is a small element in the local community utterly devoid of any civic spirit, has been too frequently manifested in the past and the Borough Gardener had another irritating illustration of it this morning, when he arrived at the Public Gardens (says the Levin Chronicle). During the night nineteen of the posts composing the punga pergola had been uprooted, a choice clematis vine that had just reached the flowering stage wa3 severed abov.e the ground, and the Gardens were bestrewn with flowers that had been wantonly picked from the beds. Some weeks ago a raid was made upon the newly-planted rockery round the Soldiers’ Memorial and a great many plants stolen. It is really surprising, in view of this frequently recurring mischief that the Public Gardens present such a creditable appearance as they do.

An instance of the length to which Government departmental red tape goes is reported in Ashburton (states the Guardian). A business man recently received a draft for 2d from the Treasury Department as the final payment of dividends in a bankrupt estate. So small was the amount that the matter of collecting it escaped his memory until he received a further notice from the Treasury, notifying that the date up to which the amount could be paid at the Post Office had expired, and the draf t was now void. An extension of time, however, could be made on application to the Department. Some two days later, his secretary asked him whether he wished to reply to the letter, and he replied “Yes,” thinking it ivas part of the ordinary correspondence. Three days later came the reply that an extension of time had been granted. The payee must collect the 2d in order to recoup the cost of the letter asking for extension of time. “I have never heard of an instance of a Maori contracting diphtheria,” said Dr. E. P. Ellision, director of Maori hygiene, in a lecture : n Auckland recently. “Several doctors have commented on that fact, but no explanation appears to be forthcoming. Perhaps the Maori has a special immunity; perhaps diet has something to do with it.” Dr. Ellison said that among the oldtime Maoris, cases of infectious disease such as scarlet fever or measles were virtually unknown. Very seldom did the Maori of earlier days contract colds. Generally speaking, the doctor believed that the Polynesian races were stronger abdominally than the European, but nowadays their respiratory system was more easily affected in such forms as influenza and tuberculosis than was the case with Europeans, j The half-caste, particularly in the second generation, had to take special care to avoid complications following a respiratory complaint.

One bankruptcy was recorded in Oamaru last month, making six for the nine months of the year. Shining cuckoos have made their appearance in Wanganui within the past few days.

Motor tyres valued at £584,366 were imported into New Zealand during the first seven months of this year.

A total of 5.6 inches of rain was recorded at Hastings during September.

About £4OO will go to' the Christchurch unemployment fund as the result of the gate takings when the Southern Cross arrived at Sockburn.

In the Wellington Post Office, employed as a casual clerk, is General Boris Merlin, at one time Governor of Eastern Siberia. He is a victim of Bolshevik misrule. The tender of a German firm for cables and boxes for tke'Matamata sub-station has been accepted by the Thames Velley Power Board. The next lowest tender was that of a British firm, whose price was 80 per cent, higher. One member dissented. A good deal of petty thieving is going on in Masterton. The latest victim is one of the hotels. The meat safe was raided, and the whole of the supply of meat, including a leg of pork, roast beef, chops, etc., was stolen. In a recent issue it was reported in our personal column that Mrs. E. Healey, of Sydney, had recently suffered a serious indisposition. This is incorrect. Mrs. Healey is at present enjoying excellent health, but Miss Phillips, who is staying with her has been seriously indisposed.

Quite a good “run” of whitebait was experienced during the early part of the week in the Manawatu river, and some good hauls were recorded. The market has not been very good, however, owing to the fact that large quantities of ’bait have been sent to Wellington re-' cently from the West Coast, which has, unlike Foxton, experienced a good season this year.

While digging in his garden recently Mr. J. Walker,' of Russell Street, unearthed a coin of some antiquity. It is about the size of a farthing and is of copper, but very thin. On one side is aV. the left arm of which passes through a small “c” and the right through an “o.” On the reverse side is a crown suspended above a harp, the date stamped inderneath being 1755. It is thought that the coin is of Irish •origin.

Mr. A. Warbrick, chief Government guide at Rotorua, has completed arrangements to take Lady Alice Fergusson and a party through the Urewera Country early next month. Her Excellency will leave Rotorua on October 2nd for Ruatahuna, where she proposes to spend two or three days before going on to Wlaikaremoana. Cars will convey the party a portion of the journey, and horses will be utilised beyond Ruatahuna. The trip is expected to extend over 10 days, Napier being reached by car from Lake House about October 12. Many years ago Her Excellency’s father, Lord Glasgow, attempted this journey, but was unable to get beyond Ruatahuna. Lady Alice Fergusson hopes to complete it, and with a little good fortune in the weather should have a very interesting trip.