Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1299. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 40043, 24 December 1929, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1299. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The “Herald” will not be published on Thursday, December 26th, (Boxing Day). On the eve of the greatest, of Christian festivals, we take this opportunity of wishing our readers a happy Christmas. May peace and goodwill predominate" in elvery home.

It is reported, from Tripoli that. Chichester, who is attempting to fly from England to New Zealand has abandoned his flight as the result of damage to his aeroplane.

We clesjre to acknowledge with thanks calendars for 1930 from the following:—E. R-. Booth, Motor Engineer and Garage Proprietor; 11. Osborne, Service Station; G. V. Eraser and Co., Shipping Agents; ,J. A. Aitehison, Grocer.

At the local police court yesterday morning before Mr. J. Iv. lIorn : blow, J.P., Charlie Larson, arrested for drunkenness.on Saturday night and who had spent the week end in the cells, was convicted and discharged. John Massey Gardiner, aged 50, married, with five young children, residing at Te Papapa, was drowned in the upper readies..of Mamukau Harbour on Saturday,' afternoon. Gardiner was lushing from a dinghy with a net when he appeared to overbalance and became entangled in the net. He called for help, and .three men on shore swain out to his assistance, one getting very close to Gardiner before'hc disappeared.

Mr. William Horn Henderson, formerly of Huntly, hut whose address is at. .present unknown, was recently awarded a silver medal by Hie Court of Directors of the Royal Humane Society of New Zealand, for his nation in rescuing Joseph O'Brien and attempting to rescue Samuel Brondbent from being buried by ;a fall of coal find ,slime at the Rotowaro mine on July 26 last. It is hoped that he 1 can he located so that lie can take possession of the silver medal, which lias been fdvwali'ded to Huntly for him.

Immediately the Christinas ami New Year holidays are over the campaign for the raising of a fund of £25,000 for fighting the cancer scourge will be launched in C|anterbury. Already the Otago and Southland division of The British Empire Cancer Campaign lias raised a sum of: over £12)000 by public subscriptions, hut in Canterbury it was deemed advisable not to make any appeal to the public, until after the holidays.

An example of the community spirit is reported from . Marti üborough, an enterprising town in the Wairarapa, where all the employees of the building firms in the town gave their services in erecting a “hangar” on the grounds of the newly-foirmed Aero Club. The concrete piles were placed in'position during the evenings, and on Saturday afternoon the fra.niew.ork of the new hangar was practically completed. The wptk will lie finished off in the men’s own time in the evenings.

The old oonlroverjsy whether it is good to present prizes or not cropped ii)) again this year in many <>C the reports by teachers. Teachers arc divided in opinion. Mr. P. G. Jackson, headmaster of one of the largest primary schools in Wanganui, and late headmaster of tiie Eoxton School considers awarding prizes for intellectual ability most unfair. On the other band, Miss Sampson, headmistress considers that nothing hut good can come of rewarding work honestly and conscientiously done.

“I am a native New Zealander, and therefore 1 say thank goodness you haven’t covered this beautiful timber with paint,” said Mr. 11. M. Campbell at the opening of the new Salvation Army citadel at Hastings. “You have used good New Zealand rimu,” and you have been wise enough to leave it in its natural beautiful colouring. I always think that a 'home of God should he as near Nature as possible. You have followed that idea, and followed it well."

Aucklanders noted the American people aboard tilie Malolo were invariably modest, and sought to impress those they met with the fact that not always is everything, in the United States of America “the greatest in the world.” -Thus, an Auckland big game hunter, discussing with a New York man the subject in which they are both deeply interested, asked him if in his travels he had seen the Zambesi Palls in Africa. The American said: “I’ll say I have! Compared with Hie Zambesi Falls, Niagara is mere perspiration.”

The holidays to he observed by the hanks will he December 25, 26 and 27, and January 1 and 2.

The Hawke’s Bay Electric Bower Board has 2018 consumers, while there are 301 electric ranges in use, with 92 milking plants and 315 hot water systems.

Wool is still coming freely into the Waipukurau railway' station from the hack country for railing to Napier. Already over 8000 bales have been railed this season from Waipukurau.

After a rough night during which it turned very cold, the southern Tararuas were covered with a manile of snow this morning, which is, most unusual for this time of the year. .The estate of the late Mrs. Helen Baird, of Otahuhu, who died on December 2, leaving a number" of bequests to Presbyterian Church organisations, lias been sworn for probate at £700,005.

The uncommon sight of a white pheasant was witnessed by a party of New Plymouth motorists in the vicinity of Oaonui. The bird, which had not a coloured feathefr in its plumage, Hew across the road amT settled ip a paddock.

A (Hawke’s Bay squatter who owns a moth aeroplane, lias stated that the character of much of his cstale had made top-dressing a tedious and costly matter and he proposes to employ his aeroplane for ispreading the manure in the wildelr country where the machine could deposit the grass tonic from the smooth skyline above.

A man and his wife called at a •house in an Auckland suburb recently, both in search of work. The woman said they ; had not tasted meat fo|r the past three weeks She was willing to wash, iron, darn or clean the house, and the man ottered to do any work in the garden. He* said it. was better to go out and hunt for work than wait for a job at the Labour Bureau. Eortunatelf three- lawns wanted cutting, so the man got a few lioulrs’ work to help him along.

The whole of the area of the Kaituna tlax plantation, comprising 1350 acres, has now been planted and the work of replanting the misses, which are few, is now beingcarried out. The oldest of the ■plantations, now three years’ old, is looking exceptionally well. On these first planted areas another year’s growth should provide the first side leaf cut for the mill, which is to be erected during the coming year. The milling operations should provide work for quite a. number of people and be of considerable . value to the district. — Te Puke Times.

A> Christchurch man who owns and runs a motor car told ! a “Times” reporter that the statements on the (placards displayed on tram cars, giving the cost of running-a motor enlr as one shilling a mile, was far from accurate. If the cost were as great as stated, comparatively few would be able to run motor cars. His own car was nine years old, and lie bought it two years ago for £75. He considered that it had depreciated so much that no further depreciation was possible. If it had cost him a shilling a mile to run lie would have paid £915 for the mileage run since lie got it. Actual cost of running during the period lyas under £IOO, and in the two years ‘repairs had cost him on a yearly basis a little over £2O. Another motorist estimated that it cost 3d to 4d per mile to run a light car, and about 7d a mile for a large one. A hook that lie won 76 years ago in Sydney, as a Sunday school prize, when he was 14 years of age, was shown to the children at the Levin District High School break-ing-lip ceremony, on Friday, by Mr. W. C. Nation, in the course pf his speech when "presenting to May Will the girl’s dux medal given hv his daughter, Mrs. Pliminer. The book was “Calmct’s Dictionary of the Bible,” a mine of Scriptural information, which had been treasured by Mr. Nation and kept in a state of perfect preservation. He told the young folks that he had received it for reciting the four chapters of Jonah; lie had halted in one place, hut while lie hesitated the next words came to him, and lie gave (lie whole recital without a single mistake. The narration of such an accomplishment, which would be a rarity nowadays, greatly’interested both young and old, and they showed their appreciation by hearty applause (says the Chronicle).

Barmnn, the famous American showman, was once asked ivhat invention or discovery had, in his opinion, contributed most to the sum* of human happiness and enjoyment. Without hesitation lie replied: “The invention or disefivery of smoking.” He wasn’t far wrong. Tobacco is life a good wife —it halves our sorrows and doubles our joys. But it must he good. Tf full of nicotine, like tlie imported brands, habitual indulgence in it must, sooner or later, end in heart or nerve trouble. It’s not so with our New Zealand grown brands, manufactured by the National Tobacco Co., Ltd., (pioneers of the Dominion tobacco industry). These are the only toasted tobaccos procurable, and the toasting kills the nicotine, in them and renders them quite harmless. The flavour is .delightful, and the bouquet peculiarly fine. No wonder they are capturing the market! There are various brands, those most in request being “R.iverhead Gold,” a delicious aromatic; “Cavendish,” famous sporting mixture; “Navy Cut,” a choice blend, medium; and “Cut Plug No. 10,” the old smoker’s favourite. —Advt. 74.

Saturday, St. Thomas’s Day, was the fiftieth anniversary of the consecration of St. Peter’s Church, Willis Street, Wellington.

At the Presbyterian Church service on Sunday night, the Rev. W. H. Nicholas, prior to commencing the sermon, took the opportunity of wishing- members and adherents the compliments of the season and all good wishes for the New Year. The Manawatu River is at present running fairly high which is very unusual at this time of the year. The fresh was responsible for work , being stopped in the swamps last week and the cutters will not resume again until after the holidays. Messrs Ross, Rough and Co’s, mill closed down for the Christmas holidays on Saturday. Pay, however, was deferred until yesterday morning when the men were entertained at the mill by their employers. The health of the employees was proposed by Mr. E. Sutton (manager) and Mr. C. Rand spoke on behalf of the men and thanked the employers for the hospitality •extended to them.

Advice lias been received in Mas-tei-ton to the, effect that the Department of Education lias made a grant of £259, together with hospital expenses, in connection with the case of Alice Colder, a pupil at the-' Wairairapa High School, who received an injury to her eye when engaged in experiments at the High School laboratory some months ago.

The children of a. standard in an Auckland school have a canary. As they tile past-the bird in the morning the children will say, “Good morning, Percy,” and Percy will chirp merrily in reply. An inspector, a tall, portly gentleman, visited the school recently. To the class possessing Hie canary lie said: “I see you have a canary. Now, what can the canary do that I cannot do?” “Please, sir.” “Well?” “Please, sijr, you can’t have a hath in a,saucer!” /

The recent police raid on Communist quarters in Wellington has caused the Christchurch Operative Bootmakers’ Society to pass the following resolution, which was carried at the last meeting: “That we express in (resolution our protest against the action of the police in raiding the premises of tins Communist Party, and the prosecution which followed of four members who received the tyrannical sentence of a fine of £SO each, with the al,fernati(ve of three months’ imprisonment. We therefore apply for the release of the imprisoned imm, and further ask for the repeal of the War Regulations that made these prosecutions possible.”

A story illustrating some of the qualities (which won for the late Dr. Cleary the esteem of soldiers. Begrimed and nerve-wracked New Zealand troops from the front-line trenches arrived at the cookhouse desperately hungry. “Have you got any potatoes, cook?”

uueried one Digger, as lie slung his helmet down. “No;” came the soft reply. “I managed to keep the bipod off them.. You’ll find them very good all the same.” A hearty laugh went roujid and a discreet comrade went forward to the questioner, whispering, “Hey, Digger, don’t you know who the new cook is? That’s the ipadre, Bishop Cleary.” There were 'no further requests for coloured potatoes, and the bishop continued cheerily with his task, —one of the most important offices to the soldier.

“In most cases a hov over the age of 17 is wasting his time at a secondary school,” was the opinion expressed .by Mr. J. 11. Murdock, principal of Scots College,- Wellington, at the annual distribution of prizes this week. There were, of course, lie said, exceptions. First-" ly, there was the hoy who,'intending- to eiitelr professional life, wish - ed to gain-some higher leaving qualification,) and the hoy who was late in going to school. ..Then there was (he boy who returned to school to tit bi'iulself for the responsibility that would fall upon him later. Tt, was signifiennt, though, that when business men sought to fill a vacancy through the college the usual formula was: “Under 17 and matriculated if possible.” Mr. Murdoch said lie was not suggesting for a moment, however, that hoys over the age of 17 should lie driven liAvav from the schools.