LOCAL AND GENERAL

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3903, 5 February 1929, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The road to the seaside is in great need of attention. The summer traffic has worn the surface into pot holes and large boulders have been brought to the surface which necessitates careful driving.

The infectious diseases in the Wanganui-Horowhenua area for last week are as follows: Wan-ganui-Horowhenua. —'Scarlet fever, 5 (7); diphtheria, 2 (3); pneumonia, 2(6); enteric fever, 3 (0); total, 12 (10). The Woodville Boys’ Band, which visited the local seaside on Sunday, played several selections in Main Street prior to their departure. The Band was accorded a welcome at the seaside by the Mayor (Mr. Perreau) who complimented the conductor and boys on their efficiency.

“Unlucky” ships and houses have been joined by “unlucky” motorcars (says an exchange). An owner of one ear, who was involved in three costly accidents within the space of nine months, decided to get rid of i't. On its passing into the possession of the new o'wner, only live days went by before it evinced signs of persisting in being “unlucky,” for it ran over and seriously injured a woman —the wife of the car’s old owner ! The owner of a Baby Austin, an insurance agent well known locally, came to grief on the stretch of highway between Tiakitahuna and Rangitane, just after turning Alve’s corner yesterday. His par evidently got out of control in the loose metal and took a nose dive into the drain on the side of the road. The skid took a rear tyre off but scarcely any other damage was done. The owner bad no difficulty in getting the car out of the ditch with the assistance of a passing lorry.. There is at present on exhibition in Mr. Hyde’s shop window in Shannon, an interesting display of New Zealand-made goods prominent among which is a fine sample of white rope manufactured in Shannon. An interesting fact about this exhibition is that it took only seven hours to manufacture from the green leaf. Other interesting exhibitions are samples of high grade fibre converted from the green leaf to its present condition in three hours by Mr. G. 0. Thwaites’ process. '

When gathering pipis yesterday morning in the Taruheru river at Gisborne some Maoris found the body of Mi-s. Emily Frank, who was missed from her home on the river bank in the early hours of the morning, after a bad night. The deceased was subject to delusions and had been under treatment.

At the Bluff police court yesterday morning, Robert Leonard Bartin (Dunedin) and George Bedford (Melbourne) appeared to give an account of their presence on board the Manuka during her passage from Melbourne to Bluff. The stowaways were convicted and fined £6 10s each, in default seven days imprisonment. The strained relations between Bishop iQherrington and Dean Barnett, of Hamilton, entered a new phase at an eleventh hour on Saturday when the Dean secured an injunction from His Honour Mr. Justice Blair which will prevent proceeding •with the Commission, which was to sit this Week to consider allegations by the Bishop of Dean Barnett’s unfitness and disloyalty. The Prime Minister (Sir. Joseph Ward) was in humorous mood when welcoming the visiting swimmers to Wellington on Saturday. “It is a wonderful thing to be a good swimmer,” said the Prime Minister. “I was overboard when I was six yeai’s of age, in Foveaux Strait. I managed to swim half a boat length — else you might have had someone else here to-day, representing New Zealand. (Laughter).

While searching through a box containing old papers recently a Brunswick (Wanganui) settler came across an early New Zealand stamp of considerable value. As a member of the Wanganui Philatelic Society and a collector of many years’ standing, he was able to appreciate immediately the value of his discovery. He has been offered a three-figure sum for the stamp by a 'Christchurch enthusiast. The inquest on the bodies of the two infants found in a stormwater drain at Anderson’s Bay, Dunedin, on February 1 was opened and adjourned yesterday. Detective Jenvey gave evidence that both the bodies were tied together with string, with a windows ash weight attached, and partly wrapped in brown, paper. The bodies were tied head to feet. The medical evidence was that the infants were stillborn.

Not knowing Palmerston North, a Wellington resident, Mr. B. B. Boyd, a tramway employee, was told to drive straight through on his return from Marion. His car came down Rangitikei 'Street, but ran into the footpath ill front of the Soldiers’ Memorial which stands in the Square in line with the street. The driver’s foot struck the accelerator, and the car bounded forward, the front bumper damaging the low Avail around the memorial. The ear Avas driven away, the bumper having taken most of the damage, but a few bricks Avere smashed from: the wall. Mr. Boyd return to Wellington yesterday. There was a pathetic scene at Sydney on Saturday at ‘the 'Coroner’s inquiry into the deaths of tAVO baby sisters avlio rushed across a road in North Sydney in front of a motor-car and Avere killed on January 23. The Coroner found that it was purely an accident. Gordon McDonald, a Avarehouseman, the driver of the ear, Avas visibly affected at the finis!} of his evidence. So also was the children’s father, Charles Williams, a labourer. McDonald, with, his head bowed, /walked across to the father, and shook hands. Both, spellbound, stood silent for several seconds. Then they left by opposite doors, anguish written on each countenance.

A b'oy with an airgiui may do much damage. This Avas shown in the Children’s Court in Christchurch last week, Avhen evidence was given that a boy in the city fired out >of a windoAv at a target on a fence. A little girl avlio bad climbed on to a fence three houses away was hit by the pellet in the eye. As nirguns are classed as firearms for the law’s purpose, the boy was 'charged Avith using an airgun unlawfully. A man, charged with selling the airgun to a boy under 16 years of age, said that he had been told that there was no restriction on the sale of airguns. He ahvays Avarned boys Avho bought them to be careful. Mr. H. P. La wry, S.M., said that the boy should not be trusted with a gun. He adjourned the case for five Aveeks, to alloAV the boy’s mother to ascertain the amount of expenses in connection Avith the girl’s injury, and come to an arrangement Avith the girl’s mother. The charge against the man was dismissed. The road .between Levin and Shannon has been the scene of several motor accidents this year, uos't of them having occurred on the hill oil the south side of Buckley, known as Law’s hill. The latest mishap (says the Levin Chronicle) occurred on .Sunday morning at 11.30, Avlien a sedan ear driven by Mr. A. Taylor, of Palmerston N., ■who Avasi on his Avay to Levin, Avent over the bank. At a bend in tbe road —on the opposite side and not far away from the scene of the recent fatal accident —the outside surface of the road gave way, evidently through having been undermined by the heavy rain of the previous night, and the ear, which was travelling at about 25 miles an hour, tumbled over, somersaulted tAVo or three times, and came at rest on its Avheels some 25 feet below the road. The occupant had a marvellous escape, being able to Avalk out uninjured; but if he had been driving an open car he would in all probability, have been crushed.

The High School Committee cle* sire to acknowledge, with thanks, a donation of five guineas from Mr. F. S. Easton, one guinea from Messrs Ross, Rough and Co., 10s 6d (from Messrs Levin and 'Co., and 10s from an anonymous donor, towards the school picnic fund.

A collision 'between a motorcycle and a motor-ear on Sunday evening resulted in Adrien Poynter, aged l'di, receiving head injuries, which caused his death in the hospital two hours later, states a Christchurch message, Oliver Godfrey, driver of the motor-cycle, sustained injuries to the head and body. Poynter was an engineer’s apprentice.

The usual peace and quiet of a cricket match was broken at Hagley Park, Christchurch, on Saturday afternoon when a swarm of bees invaded the northern part of the cricket ground. The intruders were in large numbers, and their appearance caused consternation and disorder. The players on one wicket tied and the occupants of the pavilion showed a sudden preference for the wide open spaces. The bees, evidently satisfied with their easy conquest, changed their course, disappearing among the trees. Their retreat was the signal for the return of onlookers and players.

Replying to a deputation from the New Zealand educational Institute at Wellington last week, the Minister for Education (Hon. 11. Atrnore) said he was inclining'very strongly towards the Junior High School system. He hoped to he able to give a definite statement on the matter within the next month. Financial considerations must, of course, govern most of these questions at present. With regard to unemployment of teachers, the Minister stated that something had already ‘been done in this respect. Last year 200 extra teachers were appointed, and this showed that the Department was sympathetic. The question of smaller classes was governed by the question of finance. He would like to see classes come down to 30, and if this was not immediately possible it would be an objective towards which they could gradually work.

■Curiosity is frequently expressed by smokers when told that New Zealand tobacco is toasted in the process .of manufacture. “Why toasted?” they twill ask. The explanation is simple. 'Toasting serves two purposes: (1) It helps materially to eliminate the nicotine in the leaf; (2) It develops flavour and bouquet. Imported tobaccos contain fax' too much nicotine to render their habitual use safe. The New Zealand tobaccos, on the other hand, are so purified by toasting that most of their nicotine content is destroyed. Hence it is that they may be freely indulged in without fear of consequences. As for flavour and aroma toasting brings out both in the most marked way. There are, indeed, no purer or sweeter tobaccos, and no tobaccos less innocuous than those produced in New Zealand. They are not only superior to the imported, but also cheaper. There are various brands, special favourites being “Riverhead Gold,” a 'beautiful mild aromatic; “Navy Cut No. 3,” a choice 'medium; “Cavendish” (the sportsman’s smoke), another tine medium, and “Cut Plug No. 10,” a rich mellow full-flavoured ’baccy of rare excellence.