NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3933, 20 April 1929, Page 4

NEWS AND NOTES.

The Word “sincere” originated from two Latin words, “sine cera,” which means without wax. In the days of ancient Rome, cracked and c'hipfped vases were made as good as new by filling up the cracks with wax. A “sincere” vase ,was a genuine one, which had no wax introduced to make it look better than it was. At Auckland Mr Justice Kennedy gave judgment in the Supreme Court against two Dalmatians who clailmled £1,450 on a fire insurance policy, which was contested 'by the Australian Provincial Assurance Assocattion on the ground that the policy had been rendered void because the plaintiffs, when making the proposal for insurance, had not disclosed that the risk had already been declined iby another company. The term “commonwealth” is generally Regarded as synonytmious with “commonweal”:—a government iu Which the public has a direct voice. -It was used in a special sense to denote the period in English history between the close of Charles Us reign in 1649 and the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660. The federation of -the Australian colonies in 1900 took the title “Commonwealth of Australia.” 'There are more than 166,009 aliens in London. Mrs George Moir, of Eltham, who has been visiting North Auckland, and is now in the city on her way home, claims to be the oldest resident of her town (says the Auckland Star). In 1880 with her husband, who died 16 years ago, they took their (belongings in a (bullock dray into the heart of the bush, where the section was, and the town of Eltham now stands, and that night reached the whare, which had been built to house them, and with their young family, spent the night on improvised bush beds. There was not another settler within miles of their dwelling, which was built beside the stream which runs through Eltham; Mrs Moir was delighted rnith mhafe.she saw in the north and says that the spirit of the pioneers still- exists there. The .young settlers seemed very optimistic about the f uture, and she had great hope for the success of many of their ventures, which were just as courageous : as in days of long ago. The Christchurch .Star reprints the following paragraph from its

columns of sixty years ago (1869) : Some three years ago Mr Long Wrey induced the Government of Marlborough to advance him £I,OOO with which to proceed to England where he undertook to get parties within a year of his arrival to undertake to construct a railway between Picton and Blenheim. The term of the arrangements were that should Mr Wrey succeed, the £IOOO was to be considered as a bonus to him for his labour, while if lie failed, the money was to be returned, the Marlborough authorities taking a niortgage over sundry property of Mr Wrey to secure itself against loss. Mr Wi’ey having from various causes failed in what he undertook to get done, and not having reimbursed the Marlborough Government, which stands greatly in need of funds, the latter foreclosed its mortgage, and the various properties were disposed of by auction on Thursday when 'the whole netted only £135 15/-.