THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1922. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Otaki Mail, 20 February 1922, Page 2

THE OTAKI MAIL. Published on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1922. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

McDougall Bros. ’ summer sale ends on Wednesday next. A young girl wants a position as companion or lady’s help. Mrs Muir, Te Horo, has lor sale several line lines of drapery, etc., ail at reduced prices. A missing rug is advertised for. McssrsTSisson (Te Horoj and Bowler (Shannon) intend to cross the ranges via Mt. Hector during the week.

A public farewell social and dauct is to be tendered Mr and Mrs Hone McMillan by the citisfens of Otaki ou Tues day, February 2Sth.

Tlie A grade championship at the Wellington baud contest was won by the Wellington Wntersiders, the B grade by Palmerston North, and the quickstep by the Invercargill, Hiberni-

The opinion is being expressed that fat stock prices will not be maintained. A buyer for a well-known. company wlm operates on this coast has ventured the opinion that the lamb market would decline considerably te Ow fioar future. Boots and shoes will be much cheaper in Otaki this year at Irvine V, We 1 will be able to give you a better selection. many lines at less than town pj-jcfTry our sandal?, cheapest and best. Polish, two l§rg!= rims is, Jjvine’s- Shoe Store. Advr. As showing the danger of dropping lighted matches at'present When vegetjrrioh .hi SO dry, an Otaki resident got 1 surprise from his , . 'r vejjterday to lin'd gr,3ss : front gate . - r - • , • ... --3 i» r-p, Ihe outalong his renee in -T"-* -‘ _ Streak was probably caused by sJ T:l< -0P dropping a match. Luckily it was discovered before much damage was done.

A special meeting of the Borough Council was held on frrid'iy evening to consider .the question of by-laws for the borough- s£■? Alinore was present and submitted a draft copy xvLLcK was exhaustively gone into ,_&»d an:e=dni<tc.e wiiere iieec-ssary • vrili be included in & rixiai diafr to be submitted at a dat€>.

The Borough Council has appointed Mr A. E. Wallingtoii registrar of dogs for the borough.

A bank manager was charged at Morrinsville with having in his possession an unregistered automatic pistol. It was shown in evidence that the defendant, had endeavoured to register the pistol, but the police were short of the necessaiy forms. The information was dismissed. “No nation has a right to liberty unless they earn it. Then the duty remains of looking after and preserving it. We are in danger of losing this liberty if wo do not look after it.” said General Sir Andrew Russell in a speech at Nelson. A new arrangement re hours of banking comes into force on March 11. Instead of opening at 10 n.m. and closing at noon on Saturdays, the hours will lie from 9.30 to 11.110 a.m. This alteration will operate throughout the Dominion. The pole jump at the Paraparaunui sports was won by IV. Howell (18ft. 7Jin.), with IV. Fairley (17ft. Sin,), second, and H. tidy third, while the hop, step, and jump was won by H. Udy, IV. Fairley being second. These- events were omitted from our report.

The IVaimairi County Council lias an official rat-catcher. The position (says the Christchurch Sun) is an honorary one. If he is still in action, his patience must be like unto Job’s, or the Arab who went fishing in the Dead Sea. The report of the county clerk, read at a meeting this week, contained the following clause: “The rat-catch-er reports having laid 2(50 baits, 110 of which had been taken. He has not caught any ruts, nor has lie seen any dead ones.”

.Why did the grasshopper hop? An unusual goll incident- was recorded recently on (lie course at Kirklield, Ontario when a match was decided on the last green in a totally unexpected manner. I’. McGregor and 11. Duwte were all square going to the home hole in the final round, McGregor needing

to sink a long putt to win the match. I-Ie played the hall cleverly, hut it rolled around the lip of the cup and apparently missed. At the same instant a large grasshopper landed squarely on the ball from a distance, and the impetus of its Might caused the rubber core to drop into the hole and decide the match in favour of McGregor.

A Press correspondent calls attention to a quotation from a Wanganui paper to the effect that Engiish crockery prices have been reduced 25 per cent. The correspondent points out that a reduction in prices was notified J>y manufacturers to operate as from 19th December, and amounts to per cent on china and 15 per cent on earthenware. "Tills was made possible only through the employees agreeing to accept a reduction ol :'ti per cent- in wages, which, together with selling prices are now stabilised until March, 1929. To illustrate the extent ol the reduction, the ordinary while, and gold breaklast cup will cost the importer ljd less at the works and the New Zealand housewife perhaps 3d less." The obstacles which adult trout and salmon can clear at a jump have, been objects ol wonder on many occasions, but that the young idea could emulate their parents is not so well known. The little lish in the holding pond at Ashburton Domain lurnish an example.' They were put in as fry in the spring' of the year, and now average from kn to (jin in length, necenily they have shown that they can leap clean out ol their pond into 'he water-race that leeds it, a height ol JOin from water to water. The curator says the little fish appear most active at this form ol sport towards evening, and he has watched their repeated leaps, one being successful every now and then in reaching the running water above.

A remarkable incident during u grouse shooting expedition is reported 7>y u Highland gamekeeper, writes the Liverpool Daily Post correspondent at Aberdeen.'-The gamekeeper had used uii lus cartridges, and was walking home, when a hare started from ns bed and made oil at lull speed. When about 30 yards irom the man the lailer levelled his empty weapon at the hare in order to take an imaginary shot. To his astonishment the hare went heels over head. The gamekeeper walked to the hare and found ’t dead, but without a mark upon it. Mr John Macpherson of Inverness, who received the animal for preservation, says when it was skinned no mark was lound on the carcase. What was tiie cause ol death?

Mr H. E. Lucas, ol Levm, who has just returned irom Australia, spent part of his holiday m Sydney and part ofTtiis brother’s station-, 505 miles west of the capital. The railway runs most of the distance, but a short motor trip was necessary from the railhead. This line is being pushed westward to link up with Broken Hill, whose * outlet is at present to tne southward. It was rather a surprising thing to the visitor to find ure whole of his brother’s at,ooo-acre property accessible by motor-car. lhe vast plaigs were most impressive and with a plentiful raiitfali - there would he no country in the world like it A 3 it was. however, the run carried only P2.00U sheep. When the rare t aim an l did occur the grass freshened and

grew with great rapidity until it *as again dried up'by rite mazing sun. Abe The average temperature in me day during ins last tew weeks had. been 93 degrees anu yet people were in me habit of remarking: -\\ hat a lovely coo’- summer we are having!" it was uo 'uhusum riling for twelve months, i& pass witheui ait aj'prepi&bie latn- , „ -‘.hen tihh *Md come it was fall, dui . r-.i-ennafl. Extensive very intense and to. “ -- dams were scooped out to stor? -a* surplus anewhe surprising Hung was that this water kept wm.-seome it years.

B'"*a f t’s for everything In the boot line!" Only the belt leather and best workmanship. no dcsiay, lowest -prices. i Once tried, always tried.— T. Banattj Ptnwtoa Street, Otaki Hallway— Ad vt.