LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3929, 11 April 1929, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

-“My liolWby in the next world is going to be gardening and farming,” said Sir Trulby King at .Takapau. “My 1 real interest is in plants. Babies are only a second consideration.”

The performance of Miss E. Mariya, of Canterbury, in running 100 yards in 11 1-5 sec. has Ibeeji recognised as a New Zealand record by the N.Z. Amateur Athletic Association. “The past year has been one of the best in the history of the Palmerston municipality, and as far as I can see at present there will be nojieeessity for any increase in rates next year,” said the Mayor, Mr A. J. Graham. There were 2,757 factory accidents in New Zealand during 1927. Accidents to employees of the Public W|oi 4 ks Department numbered 960, /workers on scaffolding 345, Railway Department 1,502 and Post and Telegraph 284. Only 36 ended fatally. An ex-politician of the Wairarapa received a surprise packet the other day. A friend intimated that he iwas going to fish at Russell so the ex-politician requested him to send along a fish. A few days later he received a collect telegram staL ing that the fish, packed in ice, had been consigned to the Wairarapa. Imagine his surprise on taking delivery to find that it was of the large variety, considerably over 200 lbs. and, in addition, there was a nice .little freight account to meet. Sir Harry Lauder, accompanied by his niece,,Miss Gerta Lauder, arrived at Wellington yesterday and left for Auckland by the Limited last evening. Sir Harry when in the South was the guest of Mr Donald M'Donald, and spent some time in fishing Lake Wainui with satisfactory results. Sir Harry is to make a farewell tour of New Zealand, and will continence his Auckland season on the 17th instant. “We should not make the jobs for unemployed too enticing or we will have these men on our hands for ever. We pay them a dc'cenit wage, 8d to 1/- a day below the award rate, and that is not treating them unduly harshly,” said Or. W. H. Bennett at Sea’touu, Wellington, recently. He .deplored the attempt to introduce animosity into the elections on the subject of capital and laoi'bur and condelmned a manifesto which, Re said, had .been issued by a member of the Council. Men who were elected to the City Council should serve the city irrespective of rank, whether labourers or merchants, artisans or gentlemen at large.

There was still no news of the Southern Cross and the missing airmen up to the time of going to press. The Shannon Dairy Co.’s pay-out for the month of March will be 1/5 per lib .butterfat. At the Masterton Supreme Court yesterday Owen Udy, 18 years of age, charged with stabbing his father, Was found not guilty by the jury.

The Minister of Public Works (Hon. E. A- Ransom) will lrialke an inspection of the Mouto'a on Saturday morning in connection with the Man aw atil -Oro ua River Board’s proposed river protection scheme.

It is estimated that it will take 50 men three months to clear the road over Arthur’s Pass damaged by the recent earthquake. A large portion of the Toad will have to he entirely reconstructed. The sneak thieves who from time to time rob the graves in the Masterton edmetery stop at nothing. 'The other day one of these individuals' stole all the white pebbles which liad been placed upon a grave which had been concreted.

Dysentery is still prevalent among the Maoris in South Auckland and especially in the Rangiri district. The number of eases has been large and the mortality fairly serious. In the past fortnight ten deaths have ocCurre'l, several being those of children.

It was mentioned at Monday night’s Borough Council meeting .that the firewood belonging to the Council in the Cemetery was steadily disappearing. One anan had been seen removing a load unauthorised the other day. It was decided to endeavour to quit the whole of the timber at a reduced price.

Bishop Benefit -will be visiting the Matakarapa Pah on April 22nd and the Native's of this diocese are making all preparations for- the occasion, and they, in common with the other tribes who have m'ade substantial contributions to the bishopric, are sparing no efforts to raise .their share of offerings according to and in strict compliance with Native custom.

For 15 years Albert Faulkner, 70, a little white-bearded man, lived in a room at Clapham (London). For ten .years he never went out, barring his door to all. When his landlady, alarmed at hearing no movement, had the door forced, Faulkner was found dead, with two-year-old letters unopened, and the Bible and religious novels, bis only reading .matter lying about the room. The suggestion that French should he taught in the primary schools was not endorsed by Mr F. L. Coimbs in his talk to the Wellington School Committees’ Association. “I defy anyone,” he said, “to show in regard to the children or students at the .University that French is of use afterwards ito even one per cent, of all those who learn it. I would sooner teach M a °ri in the primary schools than teach French.”

The work put in hand by the General Manager of the N.Z. Railways (Mr H. H. Sterling) is the revision and rearrangement of all the rule books, instructions, code books and /supplementary advices to the staff . nolw in existence. This work is expected to occupy AH' G. T. Wilson, late chief clerk of the commercial branch, many months. It will be the first general revision for the kind for 20 years.

Strong disapproval of the use of art unions for raising money for schools was expressed by Mr A. L. Bayliss, chairman of the I N° rm, ri School Parents’ Association, when a deputation from the association approached the Auckland Education Board last week asking for help in providing swimming baths at the Training College grounds. When a member suggested an art union as a means of furnishing funds, Mr Bayliss said he opposed art unions or queen carnivals which exploited the children. Member’s heartily agreed with this.view. The Levin District High School now has a staff of five assistants, making it the largest district high school in the Dominion. The roll number is 126 and the average attendance 119. An average of 121 entitles the school to a fifth, assistant permanently. In the meantime, the Board has granted an over-scale addition to the staff. A temporary teacher has taken up her duties, and applications are being invited for an assistant for at least four months, alt the end of which time, it is hoped the attendance 17111 warrant the appointment being made a permanent one.