Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1929 LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 40029, 28 November 1929, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1929 LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The foundation stone of the Massey Agricultural College is'to he laid by the Governor-General on Wednesday, December 4th. The Marquis of Northampton has offered the Finsbury council a site for housing at half its present valuei.

Miss Hughes was the winner of the points prize in the cut blooms section at the recent local exhibition, .not Mrs. Robinson as previously stated.

An enormous quantity of petrol is imported into and used in New Zealand. The amount used for the twelve months ended June 30th last, totalled 5(1,'609,946 gallons, valued at over £5,000,000.

At the Bulls Summer show on Monday Miss Hughes, of Foxton, competed with the following- success: —Roses, nine: 2nd; do., six, 3rd; do., white or cream, 2nd; do., pink, 3rd and three distinct colours, 3rd.

Shortly after 2.15 p,m. yesterday a. fire totally destroyed the Whakarongo store and adjoining residence, occupied by Mir. Sheppard and family. The shop was occupied by Mr. Aircher, but no one was in either building prior to the outbreak which is a mystery.

After one of the most closely contested wrestling matches of the season, Tom Alley, of U.S.A., last evening defeated George Walker, heavyweight champion of Canada at Palmerston North in a contest which went the full distance and was decided on points >n the last round.

Blenheim was awakened at dawn yesterday by an extraordinary electrical disturbance. The peace of the night was suddenly shattered by booming thuilder, which ended with two sharp detonations of such force as to shake buildings. Twelve seconds after beginnitVg the disturbance had ended.

The heavy downpour experienced yesterday will do incalculable good to gardens and pastures .throughout the district which have been feeling the recent dry spell considerably. In many cases houses relying on tanks for their water supplies have ’been short of water, making yesterday’s downpour welcome in more ways than. one.

Ducks may not exactly lay 'golden eggs but the person who purloins wild duck eggs and sets them under a. lien, is certainly increasing his flock without outley (says an exchange). This was Dixon, a Palmerston ■North labourer, huh in his case, the ducks proved a. costly addition. The eggs duly became ducks, increasing Dixon’s flock register by six. Unfortunately, however, an Acclimatisation ranger noticed the six wild ducks in Dixon’s flodlc and the result. was that he made his appearance recently before Mr. J. L. Stout, S.M., charged with' being illegally in possession of native game. Tie pleaded guilty and was lined £2, with 17/(5 costs. In the presence o£ a largo gathering of people from all over the North Island, the Governor Generali, Sir Ovaries Fergusson, last week officially opened the new Hydro-Electric Power House at Waikaremoana. Some very interesting scenes of the opening ceremony are featured this week in the “New Zealand Free Lance.” In the pictorial section of this issue the double-page feature is devoted to the giant British Airship RlOl, and some very tine views, both interior and exterior, have been reproduced. Among other subjects to which prominence is given are: The Auckland War memorial museum, the “laying-up” of the old colours of the Ist Battalion Wellington regimlent, the annual boat race between Christ’s College and Wanganui College, baud Sunday at Mas ter ton, and the opening of the Oreti Bridge at Invercargill.

Twenty-five additional police are to be appointed in the Dominion, and 150 applications have been received.

The work of dismantling and roll owing the old courthouse is now well in hand and within a few days this old land mark will have disappeared from Main Street.

-The Auckland Automobile Racing Club Ltd., is making application to the Government for permission to instal a totalisator at the Mangore Speedway.

There was a large attendance at the Druid's euchre tournament on Tuesday evening. Prize winners were as follows: —Men: Mr. J. Ne-

ville Ist, Mr. D. -C’lilristie-2nd. Ladies: Mrs. M.' Ross Ist, Mrs. Vertongen 2nd. During a. discussion on an improved water supply - for Lower Hutt yesterday a report, of the Public Health Committee was read v.-hich dealt, with the relation of water supplies to goitre. The report stated that the iodine content of water depended upon the iodine content of the soil oyer which, or through which it passed. The water supply of Foxton stated the lP.port was artesian, and is the richest in iodine of any municipal supply yet analysed in the Dominion.

Recently a challenge was issued hv Tom Alley, the wrestler,' to meet six boxers in a boxing v. wrestling bout in one night. Alley stated that if defeated lie would give £2OO to charity. F’ritz Holland, the wellknown boxer, who is now in Chris tchhreh, staled that he was prepared to take up the challenge. “And,” lie -said, “there is no-need for six boxers. I will ‘have a go myself, and I think I can heat him. I baivo boxed wrestlers before.” Fritz is well-known locally, having spent some time here a few years ago.

Awakened by the balking of her dog early on Friday morning, a resident: ill Clifton road, Takapuna, went into the garden and found that “Darkie” had treed two fullgrown opossums, which were clinging together on the top of the pole which supports the wireless aerial, states the “Auckland Star.” The dog was wildly excited, and had to be shut in the.house before rescue operations could be commenced. ..The ’possums were reluctant to quit their precarious place of refuge, and it was only by shaking- the pole vigorously that they could be induced, to descend. No attempt Avas made to catch them, and they bounded off into the nn(lergTOAvth.

The -prediction of many people a. yealr or two ago, when Dunedin Avas favoured Avith tAvo luxurious houses of entertainment, that sooner or later some of the theatres Avon Id liaA’e to cease operations Avas realised last week, Avhen three theatres, AA'ithout any announcement, closed their doors (states the Dunedin Star). The theatres that luiA-e been affeetedpire Everybody’s, Grand, and Plaza, Avliere silent films only have been the source of entertainment. No official reason has been given for their sudden termination of business, hut it is to be presumed that the attendances have not watt-ranted continuance. With the closing of these theatres, pioturegoers have had their' entertainment limited to four theatres, all of which are equipped .Avith the talkie apparatus, Avhile the King Edward theatre in South Dunedin will continue to s'lioav silent films.

There is a great deal of disappointment- and even indignation amongst those engaged in the poultry industry at the -failure of the .Parliamentary Committee Avliich investigated the Avhea-t question to give relief to the poultry farmers. The Committee recommended that wheat duties remain on a sliding scale, hut that bran and pollard he admitted duty free. -It is pointed out, however, that there has been a rise in the price of Australian bran and pollard and that even Avith the concession, it Avill he no cheaper than southern by-products, nor will the poultry industry get the smallest relief from the present prohibitive feed charges. Feeling is so strong 'about the matter that meetings of plrotes't Avill probably be

hold in the various centres thro ughout the Wellington district, Avitl a A'ioAv to making- more emphatic re presentations to the Government A meeting Avill take place in Levii ai- an early date to consider all aspects of the matter, and it is pro posed to invite all interested to at tend, Avhether engaged in poultry farming or not. —‘Chronicle.

iSmolker’s heart is principally due tc a poisonous alkaloid, found in tobacco leaf called nicotine. Strong tobaccos containing a high percentage of nicotine should therefore be avoided. Smokers should not judge by appearances alone Avhen buying- tobacco. Even a seemingly mild cigarette kind, of a bright le-

mon colour often contains an excess of -nicotine. It is by the way a peculiarity of certain NieAV Zealand soils that they will grow .leaf with comparatively little nicotine in it. Take, for<*instance, the wellknoAvn “River-head Gold,” “Cavendish,” FNavy Cut” and “Cut Plug No. 10,” 'birands. All may be smoked Avithout fear of consequences. This is largely owing to their being toasted. 'No other 'tobaccos are. The toasting it is that eliminates the nicotine and gives these lines their delicious flavour and aroma. They burn do the last shred and leave the mou’th svyeet and clean. -They are manufactured exclusively by the National Tobacco Co., Ltd., (pioneers of the NeAV Zealand tobacco industry), and are obtainable at all tobacconists as avcll as at many grocers and general stores. — AdA r .t. 66.

Mr. Wilford is the 21st ICC. to be appointed in NeAV Zealand, the first such appoinment being made in 1907.

Ah*. Joseph Metzger, an old identity of Bluff, 81 years of age, has recently returned ffi-om his ninth trip to England and the Continent.

During daylight hours the best Avay to let a truck driver knoAV that an attempt Avill be made to pass his

truck is by 'turning on and off the headlights. This Avill reflect with a glare in the mirror and he quickly noticed by the driver.

A Dunedin citizen AA’iho has in solemn form renounced “Tatts” as a speculation, confided to his friends that he had taken a ticket ‘every Aveck foil- a period of twentyfive years, and never Avon a shilling. At five shillings a ticket even (it costs more than that) the man spent £525. But what a wealth of enjoyment he had in hunting up his

numbers in the consultation results.

The approximate ratios of membership of automobile associations to car registrations of the various associations in the North Island

were given n't a meeting held in ITaweva as folio avs: South Taranaki Automobile Association, 55 percent.; North Taranaki, 40 per cent.; Auckland, 26 per cen't.; Wanganui, 22 per cent.; Wairarapa,_ 22 per -cent.; Wellington Automobile Club, 20 per cent.; and HaAvke’s Bay Association, 19 per cent.

Tim Canadian boAvlers will at-

vive in Noav Zealand 'towards tin end of the year and Whangarei wil be the first, town visited by them. Often’ aluminium saucepans Avil have small holes at the button while (he rest of the pan is as goo as uoav. These can easily he re

paired by taking dress snaps of the proper length to go through the holes and snap. After they are securely fastened, they must be hammered-flat on each side of the pan. Several curious discoveries of objects preserved in kauri gum and lime sinter have been made by Mr. George Henry, of Tangawahine, in bush country about twenty miles inland from Kerifceri, Bay of Islands (says the “New Zealand Herald”). The most remarkable of Ibe specimens is a bird’s nest con-

taining nine eggs and completely enclosed in a layer of kauri gum. The eggs, with a few leaves, are plainly visible in the bottom of the* nest. Above them the gum has formed a neat covering, and it has nm over the outer part of the nest congealing on to the leaves and twigs used in its construction. When found the whole was resting on a limy deposit, and in order to remove it (Mr. Henry bad to chip the base away. A strange feature is that the gum has a blazed appearance, somewhat inconsistent with gum deposits in their raw plate. Fragments of leaves, miniature kauri cones, stems, and other plant forms have been replaced by

calcareous sinter in another ease. The small tangled mass is entirely covered'by a coating of shining gnm, the. outlines of the leaves, and other things being retained clearly. Professor J. A. Bartrum, professor of geology at Auckland University IC'ollege, who examined this particular specimen, said the sinter had probably been formed from some lime spring, as these were known to exist in the district. Much interest attached to the complete covering of gum. It. was not fossilised, and for that reason it was difficult to conceive how it could have dropped from trees and covered the lump of sinter without attaching 'surrounding objects to the mass. It seemied as though the specimen had been coated with gum by an earlier discoverer and then left to be found again. This conclusion was not definite, but the shininess of the gum coating was a strange feature not usually found in gum droppings.