Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1928. LOCAL AND GENERAL

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3868, 8 November 1928, Page 2

Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1928. LOCAL AND GENERAL

“Some of my own people,” said the Prime Minister as he noticed some Maori children among the scholars assembled in front of the school yesterday and with a smile he extended a greeting in Maori. The two beautiful bouquets presented respectively to Mrs. Coates end Mrs. Liriklater by Miss Gower at the Town Hall yesterday, were the work of Mrs. Percy Easton. The colour scheme was a tribute to the artistic skill of Mrs. Easton.

Mr. B. Hinds had the misfortune to sustain a badly strained hand as the result of a large “banger” exploding on Guy Fawke’s night. The firework was sold as a “fountain” and after being lit fell over. Mr. Hinds, thinking that it was harmless picked it up in his right hand to right it when it exploded. A similar “fountain” stood on a post of an iron fence blew a sheet of iron off.

The names of the four charming little girls who held up the Prime Minister’s ear with blue and white 'streamers ' stretched across the highway fronting the D.H. School yesterday were: Trixe Nockels, June Austin, Gwen ' Timmins asd Joan Robinson. Mr. and Mrs. Coates were not asked to pay toll to the little “bandits” but they were much impressed with the unconventional hold up. “What is your name?” said Mr. Coates to each child as he shook hands and when one child mentioned her Christian name the Prime Minister said: “I’ve a little-girl by that name, too!’’ At a later period, after his address at the hall, one of the mothers was introduced to Mr. Coates, and he said “are you the mother of one of the little girls (mentioning the child’s Christian name) who stopped my car on the roadway?” and was answered in the affirmative. The Prime Minister possesses a wonderful memory for faces and names.

“I wish I had a rifle; I should like to have a pop at them!” exclaimed the Prime Minister when on the herbage and young trees in Egmont on Sunday. He was coming down the new Waiwakaiho ridge trade, and every now and then goats could be seen, even up to the 4000 ft. level, quietly feeding on the herbage any young trees in the open spaces. 'They were about 1000 yards distant, and formed good targets in the clear atmosphere even at that distance. The ranger (Mr. R. W|. Larsen) told Mr. Coates of the great damage that was being done to the' forest and fern life of the reserves by the goats, which were multiplying at a great rate. Six years ago, he said, a herd of 600 had got into the reserve, and from a rough calculation he estimated! that they had increased to ..between 13,000 and 15,000 in that period. Besides that, hundreds of other goafs had igot into the reserve from neighbouring farms, and were gradually working their way all round the mountain.