THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 1919. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Otaki Mail, Volume 26, 2 April 1919, Page 2

THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 1919. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

No less than eight degrees of frost were registered in Wairarapa on Sunda v.

For disturbing a prohibition meeting conducted by Father Cronin and Mr Todd at Nelson several young men were each fined £5 and costs.

The sawmilling industry in the Gatlins appears to be booming now (says the “ Clutlia Leader”) despite a shortage .of labour. In some cases men are being paid as much as SO per cent above award rate, sawyers receiving up to £3OO a year with free house and firewood.

■ Chinamen, as a rule, are very abstemious, and when one was brought before Mr .1. W. Poyntou, SOI., in the Hamilton Police Court, on a charge of drunkenness, the Magistrate remarked that it was most unusual. Senior Sergeant Cassells said the offender was prohibited, -but. was always drinking, and made' up fur the rest of the Chinamen in the town.

A gentleman who has just returned from Sydney states that Australia is already a bit worried about, the results of the soldier marriages in England and the brides who are coming out. There are, he* says, 400 cases awaiting settlement at the next sitting of the Divorce Court there, and a demand has been made for the appointment of an additional Divorce Court judge to overtake the arrears, of work.

Discussing (he question of wooden houses, a Wanganui builder expressed the opinion that it would be an economic gain to the country if some of the ordinary building timber were burned where it stands rather than that the great expense should be incurred in milling such material, which lasts but a few years and thin speedily goes into decay. The builder added that for cottage work brick was superior to concrete.

Questions have been raised as to the day on which shopkeepers and their : employees should observe half-holiday in the week in which the licensing poll .is to betaken. The day fixed for the "poll, April Ktlh, is a Thursday, and Thursday is not day on which the weekly half-holiday is observed here. However, section 7 or the Liccn-ing Amendment Act. lulb, says that the provision applying to an ordinary' election day shall apply to this particular polling day. The provision is.‘‘where the polling day is other than the day appointed as the weekly half-holiday the provisions of the .Shops and Offices Act in relation to the weekly half-holi-day shall be deemed to refer to the polling day in lieu of the day so appointed.” Another question is whether the shops shall close at Id o ‘clock or 1 o ’clock. The Labour Department is of the opinion that the premises must be closed bv 1 o’clock. So far as factory keepers are concerned, they must afford every employee reasonable opportunity of recording his or her vote. It was only on Saturday (writes the Akaroa correspondent of the Christchurch ‘‘Press”) that many people heard of a unique experience that had befallen some Wainui folk some ten | days before. It happened on the afternoon. when the heavy thunderstorm struck the end of Banks Peninsula. Sortie men were on the mountain side, towards Bossu, when there came hurtling through the air above them what one described as ‘‘a lurid shell, about the size of an oil-drum, with a kind of triangular, fiery tail behind it.” This aerial visitant shot above Mr Hooker’s woolshed, missc-d Mr Dave Wright’s house by, apparently, a few feet, and then disappeared from view into the bush below, whence came the sound of a tremendous concussion. Subsequent investigation showed that it had struck a sturdy manuka tree a mighty glancing blow, ploughed a furrow over a foot deep along a clay path, hit another tree, cannoned off on to a third, left another farrow lower down, ml then had gone over the edge of a low c-llti into the sett. All the windows in Mr ’Wright ’s house were .cracked or broken by the passing of the meteorite, which, by the way, left two fragments near ; the tree it fits? struck. These pieces. now in the possession of the Rev. A.Julins, Akaroa. will be forwarded to Mr Robert Speight for examination.

Woods' Great Peppermint Cure, Fox Coughs tend Colds, never fail?-

...The Rev. Father Cronin is evidently jiven to ‘‘blarney.” At Otaki he considered the “audience an exception*! j me, and now at Masterton he says the ‘ audience was ‘‘the most respectable he had addressed.” Mr F. W. Jones, the leading stationer of Levin, has to hand a number of useful lines of stationery, books, toys, and a hundred nnd one things that please. The quality of his goods is high, while all prices are tempting. Bootmaking.—F. Barrett wkhas to notify the public of Otalti and district that he has resumed business as boot and shoemaker. Oli and new customers please take notice.- Address: Dunstan Street, Otaki.—Adut. Speaking at Palmerston North the other night, Mr J. H. Stevens said that the Palmerston North Efficiency League had the practical support of every business man and farmer worth while. As a matter of fact, he added, he was receiving from them voluntary subscriptions at tho rate of more than £IOO per day.

A reminder is given that Mrs Atkinson and Mr R. J. Denton, of Wellington, workers in the Prohibition cause, will give an address at Brights’ Theatre to-night at 8 o’clock, When they will deal with the economical aspect. of Prohibition. There will bo no charge for admission.

Mr Wong You Guy, the well-known Otaki fruiterer (next door to Anderson’s), announces that he has in stock’ the choicest of fruits, the best brands of tobacco and eigarettos, a fine assortment of confectionery, _co*dials, etc., and the best makes of Chinese silks at prices that defy competition.

We remind our readers of the public mooting, to be held at the meetingroom, Brights’ Theatre, on Friday night, when the matter of peace celebrations and a peace memorial will be discussed. It is hoped tho attendance will be large and the utmost interest displayed.

Now Zealaud is now turning out' coats quite as good as any imported garments. Every woman who has the Dominion’s welfare at heart should encourage this home industry. These coat styles will please purchasers, and the moderate prices will surprise them. Read about them in Stiles and Mathcaon’s advertisement in this paper.

For some time past Mr W. H. Field, M.P., has been trying to secure the remission of the stamp duty of £1 per £IOO on transfers of real estato in the case of soldiers who have sold their properties on enlisting, and, having now returned or been rejected after some time in camp, desire to repurchase their old holdings or buy others to replace them. Cabinet has intimated, however, that no action can be taken to amend the law on the lines requested.

The expenses that returned soldier applicants for land are put to in travelling to Auckland for examination was a subject for consideration at an adjourned meeting of the Auckland Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union recently. With a view to saving applicants ‘‘this unnecessary expense” it was resolved that the Lands Department should bo asked to accept the decisions of the Farmers’ Union branches on tho suitability of the applicants.

During the hearing of a case at the Palmerston North Magistrate’s Court, s defendant stated that he had not sprayed his orchard because he was afraid that hi 3 children might be poisoned l>y eating fruit contaminated by the spraying fluids. The inspector of orchards pointed out that from experiments carried out one ton of sprayed appdes would have to bo consumed before any poisoning effects would result. and therefore defendant’s excuse could not be accepted.

‘‘ln holding rifle meetings,” said Sir ■james Allen, ‘‘it is not desired to in-

culcate the military spirit, but to foster the spirit that would lead a man, in case the necessity arose, to be able to defend his country, as he ought to do.” It was a man’s privilege to take up arms in defence of his country, and he knew of no sport more exhilarating and none that produced better results than rifle shooting. Iu order to be a good rifle shot a iflaa had to refrain from drinking too much and from smoking too much, because he needed steady nerves and clear sight. »

Mr J. T. M. Hornsby writes as follows:—”Ir is impossible to understand the attitude of the Minister for Supplies, or any other man in the community, when he or they set out to impress up,on the people the notion that there is a. scarcity of coal for domestic or industrial use. If proper efforts were made to bring the coal available into the markets, we could, with oat getting one ounce of coal from Austra-

lia, have plenty and to spare for either steam purposes or domestic use. There are millions of tons of coal available on the West Coast of the other island, and it is utterly discreditable to the authorities that any shortage should be permitted to exist.”

At the Palmerston Magistrate’s Cosrt on Monday, before Mr B. Page, S-M., three juveniles were charged with the theft at Shannon of various articles of a total value of £2 11s sd,,ths property of Harold Ed. Hook. According to the evidence of Dereeiive-Sergt. Ouirke, the three lads escaped from Weraroa on 2.3 rd inst., and some time during the night -they arrived in Shan-, non. There they broke a window with a hammer, and stole a number of articles, including 'three metal watches, a razor- and an electric torch, besides entering several dwellings to obtain food. There were previous convictions against the lads, one of ihem .having • been before the court.; oh. three other occasions. His Worship ordered that the youngest Hy fag returned to Weraroa, while the others were each *eceed to one year’s reformative treatment. the boys to be returned to Werkroa after the crrpirv t£ rthSk -jWjjft

The price of gas in Feilding has been increased by lOd per" 1000 feet. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Otaki Town Board will be held tomorrow evening. ‘ j Information has been received from j Foxton that a mine has been washed up on tho beach. j A number of farmers from Rangiofu ( and Bainesse motored to Levin last week to inspect the Government Ex- ! perimcntal Farm. A meeting of member of the Manakau brUnch of tho N.Z. Farmers’ Union will bo held at the Parish Hall on Friday night next at S_o’clock. At the Palmerston North Opera House, on Saturday night last, Father Cronin addressed what tho “Standard” declares was ono of the biggest meetings in tho history of Palmerston North. 1 At a special meeting of the committee of the Otaki Public Library, held yesterday afternoon, Mr G. W. Kirk was clectod to tho committee, to fill tho vacancy caused through the death of tho late Mr R. Booth. Messrs Wylie and Camoron, of Kuku, are reported to have harvested crops of onions averaging 22 tons per acre. As the onions wre sold at from £7 to £8 per ton, tho .crop proved a payable ono.

Information (has been received by tbs Palmerston Borough Council from Sir Joseph Ward that arrangements havo been made for H.M.S. New Zealand to visit Now Zealand in charge of Lord Jellicoe.

During the week ending at noon yesterday, five cases of influenza were reported throughout tho Wellington Public Health district. Ono caSe was severe, and four were mild cases. These wero located: Tvro at Wellington, two at Wanganui, and one in Waiapu. Unnecessary delays in supplying returned men with artificial limbs, and other grievances connected therewith, were tho subject of a heated discussion at a meeting of the Wellington B.S.A. held last Friday. Ultimately a committee of limbless men was set up to make full inquiries and report. The local milk supply is likely to be somewhat affected during the coming winter months by the fact that the Wellington City Council is buying all tho available supply at a high price, leaving local milk vendors short. Steps, however, are to be taken in the matter, and an effort made to secure enough milk for local consumption. While William Ernest Hodge, aged 13 years, residing at Wallaco Street, and Ernest Olsen, 13 years, residing at Canuongate Street, Dunedin, were rid-ing'double-banked on a bicycle, they collided with a motor-car driven by 'James Gordon Dick, at the corner of George and Frederick Streets. Doth boys were removed to tho hospital in a somewhat critical condition. The fiancee of a soldier who landed recently received a rude shock when she saw him descending the gangway with a baby in hie arms. Her first thought was that ho hud brought home a war bride, but his beaming smile reassured her somewhat, and her dismay vanished when she saw him hand tho baby over to tho wife of another soldier.

The danger of using a rifle as a fowling piece was once more illustrated at I’atca (says tho “Press”), when Mr C. McQueen, manager of tho Whcnunkura ■dairy factory, received a bullet through the wrist and hip from a rifle which had been fired by Mr €'. Hunger at a hare. The bullet, after hitting Mr McQueen, was found in his boot, where it had dropped.

“The whole trouble is that wo returned soldiers are takings things too quietly,” said a newly returned man at Friday’s meeting of the Wellington B.S.A. ‘‘ We will have to do what they have done in Russia and form soldi, ers’ councils. It makes my blood boil to see tho way returned soldiers are compelled to go on tkeir hands and knees for their rights.”

Messrs H. L. Beauchamp, A. Knox, and W. F. Hassling, three-enthusiastie members of the Tararua Mountain Track Committee, made a trip to Table Top yesterday, with the object of ascertaining what was needed in the way of improving the track, and reporting as to tho best site for the erection of the proposed mountain hut. These gentlemen will submit a report to a special meeting of the coramitt op, to be held at an early date.*

Dr. Colquhoun, in giving evidence before the Epidemic*Commission et Dunedin, condemned public inhalation and the use of masks. The former congregated a large number of uninfected and possibly infected people together. The latter, if they permitted the passage of air also permitted the passage of minute micro-organisations of influenza, and had the disadvantage of restricting the supply of fresh air to the wearer.

Newspaper despatches from London say that Signor Marconi, interviewed, declared that within three months three-minute wireless telephone conversations between London and New York would be possible at a cost of five dollars. Montreal reports that wireless telephone instruments, for commercial use are being installed by the Board of Trade there. Members will be able te talk -with Quebec, Ottawa, and other towns.

Those who are ohieiaiiy interned in the solution of -tie housing problem receive continual proof of its acuteness in Wellington. A gentleman related to a “Dominion” representative the com- j plaint of the young wife of a Kerr Zealand soldier. She came from England, vrhere, she said, she had lived comfort- ] ably along rrith tie other members of 1 a _*?kly large family'in a house, for 1 Tvineh a rent of Gs 6d per week-wssj '.large,!. Os arrive;] in "Wellington she I had to pay £i i« pe r week for one-room ’ — a fooei so small that in going frbm’j one end to"the other .the had :o step over a box-fulT'of-clothing. For Chronis Chest Complaint;, "Woods 5 Great Peppermint C-rre.

Frosts have been experienced in the Auckland province during the past feudays, an unusual occurrence for this timo of the year. A Press Association message from Christchurch states that Mr E. J. Howard has been selected as tho Labour Party’s candidate for tho Christchurch South seat at the general election.