THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 1919. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Otaki Mail, 13 January 1919, Page 2

THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 1919. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A number of cases rf influenza arc reverted in Otaki and various parts of the district. Wo are pleaded to' say all arc e l ' a. mild ;ype, qui+c different to -the pneumonic outbreak that caused such mortality recently.

Messrs Bills and .Moore advertise some very special lines of washing fabric?, of which they have u wide range. These are something worthy of special inspection, and ladies would do well to call and seo for themselves

The Palmers.ton North Hospital and Charitable Aid Board invites tenders for charitable aid rations at ©taki. Particulars and conditions «'f contract ean be. obtained from the secretary, with whom tenders-'close on "Wednesday next, 15th insl.

The question of riva- erosion at Otaki is a serious one, ant' steps are bow being taken by various owners of properties to Keep the river in its proper eiursc. Of .'ate yea \; several acres of very fine land have :;een damaged, and a quantity washed away.

The.Mini'jte'r of li-mds, accompanied ly Mr W. H. Field, M.P. for Otaki, ■ptid-a visit to this district on Friday for the purpose of inspecting properties siitablo for the sethment of returned tiidicrs. A '-ne bloei: of land was viewc '.' at ltuki', and 't -is will be rccomt. ended to a committee for further investigation.

\. Mr Tancred Cooper, organiser of the sub-provincial brahc*J,*of the Manawatu larmors' Union, al-ressert a meeting of farmers at Levin rn Saturday afternoon. Mr-Field was also present and rcoke on th? value oJ ",6-operatioH. The Meeting was a- satisf•ictbry one from all joints of i'ie'w.' M» Cooper speaks at (J taki to-nigi.V.

Now that the fruit preserving season is Touud' again, housewives will be interested to know that Mr Howard Andrew, s of Manakau, can supplv Mason's jars,'Golden State jars, preserving pans, brewers' crystals, and all ,iuin-mnking requisites. Mr Andrew also, in a new advertisement elsewhere, makes mention of haymakers' forks, rakes, »-hcep shears, etc.

- Fanners ot Utaki and distriet are specially reminded of the meeting to be held at the Druids' Hall to-night (Monday), when Mr Tancred Cooper (organiser of' the Manawatu sub-provincial distriet) will deliver an address. This matter is one of extreme importance to farmers. Mr Cooper having a far-reach-ing scheme to submit to then), and farmers are urged to make an effort to attend to-night's meeting.

A good joke, whicH one of Oamaru's leading doctors gleefully tells against himself, states the "North Gtago "Times," was recently played upon him by a canny Scotchman, who, accosting the doctor, asked him what lm fee would lie to visit a sick man living in n certain country district. 'Four guineas," was the reply. Agreeing, the pair motored out, and on arrival tindoctor was informed that, the patient was his passenger-inquirer. "Mon," said he, "they taximen he fuirr robbers. they' askct me and I thoet maybe ye wad come cheaper."

"There are more lies, told about farming profits than in any other business,*' said nu ex-fanner the other day, and he went on to esp.Jji.in'. the farmers factory in the morning," he said, "They will talk of the big cheque they've got. and mention the number of cows milked, quite omitting to si ate, however, that the herd includes several heifers in additionl Heifers are not cows, so they don't count, though a good heifer will often give as much milk as a poor cow. Then, again, a farmer buys some stock, puts it on some fattening fodder crop, and sells it again later at an increased price of a few shillings per head. 'Yes,' he will say. ; I did jolly well out of those ewes. I made three bob a head on them.' But he never reckons the cost of the crop or the rent of the land that fattened them. Yes," with a sad shake of his head, "there's a deal of lies told by farmers! "

With reference to the donation by the Hon. A. M Myers. Minister of Customs, of a sum of £IOO as the nucleus of a prize for a flight by seaplane from Auckland to Wellington, Mr L. Welsh, managing-director of the New Zealand Flying School. Nohimarama, informed

a "N.Z. Herald" reporter that such a flight, had been projected for some time, but nothing could he done untiks suitable machine had- been built.*- Such a machine was now nearing. completion at the school, and it was hoped to have it in readiness in time.to take advantage of Mr Myers' offer. This machine. would lie equipped with a 325-h.p. engine, and. it was hoped, would-be capable of undertaking the journey. No definite route had Iteen mapped out, yet. but it was certain that the trip would be made by way of the West. Coast. That would mean an aggregate flight of approximately 40'1 miles.

"I have rejnoved the human .Tung from, the chest cavity with forceps, tied its bleeding blood vessels, cleansed its outer surface, and, while still holding it in my hands and manipulating it as you would a hanukerchief, I have run ihin pieces-of gauze up its tracts. Feeling my'wjty carefully along its walls I have removed a bullet or shell fragment. Then, after suturing the aperture," Ihavc placed the respiratory organ bach into the cavity, of the "chest In,twothirds of tfie'eases upon which I have. so vperated the '.patient lived.'-' This ..Trau.'ose oi Eiaaj scaring ststejzc-^t;. ria.de io-i2(W raedlcsl officers of the-. American Array at.Cajpp-Greeiiltraf, by Colonel Pierre-Duvalj-of the French Seserve Medical Cofpj,- early in'-Noyesi-ber. Colonel Dnval -3-as on a visit to America wiiii ten of the f orevsoal snr-_" geoiis -of England, France,''aS2- : lfaly," to attend th«JjiteX-&&e&W&GSXi^r: .eac6.tf'f!mgJH9s ■■■'.-'>.-.'v^j-.g^»l^y>^

: A parade of the cadets and territor ials will take place at Otaki this even ing. - .

The City Council i J . now actively en- I gaged in tic manufacture of cheese at J its newly-acquired Otaki factory. What 1 will happen to that clieese'J That question was put to Cr. Norwood, chairman cf the Special Milk Committee, and he replied: "The Minister of Public Health was good enough to state that he could arrange for the productions of the factory to be taken over by the various public institutions, but so far as our inquiries show there will be no need for this. The markets are fully epen to the Council, and in "the mean-* time the products of the Council's factory will be sold in.the open market." The Chief Justice, in the Supreme Court. Wellington, on Saturday, sen-_-tenccd'four prisoners who had pleaded guilty to the charges brought against , them. Mr P. S. IC Macassey appeared for iko Crown. William Burncll, alias William Guiles, and Robert Cecil Cony, two youths- who had escaped from the Wcraroa Training Farm, were brought up for the joint offence of theft from a dwelling at Otaki. Burncll admitted a second charge of a similar nature.Nßoth had previous convictions against them. His. Honor told the lads that if-they continued on their career of crime they might be declared habitual criminals. He sentenced both to three years' reformative detention at luvercafgill. An item regarding the work of sanddune reclamation contained in a report presented by the superintendent to the Selwyu Plantation Board at its recent meeting wi'l be of interest to those owning property which suffers from the encroachment of sand. The report; stated: "Already we arc in possession of the exact knowledge of how to proceed on sand-dunes and of what varieties of trees to rilant. On the seaward side the using of the pioneers, •pinus pinaster and P. muricata, paves the way for the intensive interior planting of P. ifisignis at about Oft 6in apart, arid P. ponderosa at about sft (pure.). The necessity of devoting energy to the afforesting of certain reserves bearing a sandy surface, whilst at the same time defeating the encroachment of dunes over arable, areas, is apparent. Perhaps the greatest drawback in tjiis connexion is the presence of rabbits in the dune localities; but should systematic simulJaneous poisoning be undertaken by the Board ami adjoining property holders, and TIN; trees be sprayed before planting with a solution distasteful to the rodents, it will in all probability be possible to dispense with wire netting. !!

The convoy to which the transport taking the 41st Reinforcements to England was at racked to Jess than three times by submarines when a day's steam from its destination. The first warning came about 10.30 u.iu., when the signal indicating that a submarine had been sighted was hoisted. Destroyers came into action immediately, ami gunfire and depth charges prevented the enemy doing any damage. One torpedo boat destroyer steamed at right, angles across the wake of the convoy, and CDiittcd great volumes of dense black smoke, which, settling on the wafer, formed an effective screen. Another attack was made soon after midday, and this tiaie a destroyer signalled that she had sunk a submarine —a fact which created the greatest enthusiasm. Later in the afternoon a third attack was beaten off successfully.