THE OTAKI MAIL. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1923. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Otaki Mail, 2 November 1923, Page 2

THE OTAKI MAIL. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1923. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The latesi schoolboy “howler'' is from Taihape. When asked the meaning of “tomahawk,’’ one bright youngster wrote: “Tomahawk is the male hawk, not the one that lay the eggs.'' “Too big for knickers, but not enough for ‘pants.’ ” was how one member of the Wanganui Ratepayers' Association described the suburb of GonviUe. “But big enough to borrow

money," added another member amid laughter. At the long-wool ram sale at Lincoln the best ram in the show was sold for 65 guineas, though a few years ago a similar winner would have made 1000 guineas. Fewer than a third of the rams exhibited were sold.

The importation of German potatoes, labelled "Dutch,’ 1 is causing serious concern to English growers, who declare that unless this dumping of surplus stocks is restricted by legislation their industry is threatened with extinction.

it is reported that the speculative wool buyer is operating in the Wanganui district with a view to getting any clips that are under offer. There is as yet no indication that any purchases have been made as farmers are disinclined to sell owing t.o the upwand tendency of the market.—Chronicle'.

The new season’s wool clip has already commenced to arrive in Wanganui brokers’ stores, and motor lorries are busy collecting the bales of golden fleece from the various farms in the district. The inference to be drawn from the London wool sale held last week is that prices ate making growers more optimistic owing to the increase in crossbred qualities. -‘I visited Pipiriki 25 years ago,” remarked a member of the Wanganui Borough Council, ‘‘and at that time, on trie opposite side of the river, there wa= a couple of hundred of acres of beautiful, clear country, in fact the historic site of an old battle ground. I was in Pipiriki again recently. The same land is now smothered with fern, j and noxious weeds, with gorse run riot ten feet high.”

A canvass is being made in Wanganui for investors to take shares in a goldmine, said to located in the Auckland province, with dazzling possibilities of immediate wealth. One of the reasons given for presenting the opportunity to the local public is that they have been so badly stung in the past, with mining ventures that they now deserve the opportunity to make good.—Wanganui Chronicle. j TVc arc fitting rubber heels free till T.rrr.'r- on ladies' shoes from £1 upwards. Cell and see our white shoes —ladies’ and children’s are cheap this rear. Bestock shoes to clean -"4s 6d. Polish 4 tins Is. We are agents for | metal shoe laces.—lrvine’s, shoe store. Otaki.—Adyt.

Tlie vital statistics for October for Otaki were:—Births S, deaths 6, marriages 1.

About sixty persons will leave Otaki 011 Monday for the healing mission service Gw Wellington. A number of patients will be treated at the “San." by Mr. Hickson to-morrow afternoon. The total rainfall in Otaki for October, was 3.9 S inches. Rain fell on IS days. In October, 1933, 3.33 inches fell, while the average October rainfall for the past 19 years is 4.11 inches. A man, under the influence of liquor, made himself a nuisance on Wednesday night by visiting the Girls’ Club. In consequence there were many who declined to return to their homes without escorts. Shearing operations are now in progress ali over the Wanganui district. Vie ‘biddy bid." or utuwai, will soon be seeding, and woolgrowers are timing their' shearing so as to prevent, the wool irom being infected with the pest. "It is tile question of quality and not tire prioei that the panes firsti i think ol when marketing their pro- ; duce,” said. Mr Allison, at a meeting ; of the daily factory directors in , Southland. To this fact thc speaker j attributed Denmark’s success on the British markets.—(Southland Times), i ! "That is quite a good exhibit for an : agricultural show,' commented Mr. J. , O, L. newilt, fe.Ai. (president ot the Assessment Court) at okato, when one oi the objectors to the recent Govern- ■ luent valuations produced a. trailing | blacKberrv vine, about la tcet in j length, wnicli. he said, represented six | months’ growth. "If the grass would grow as long as this, 1 wouldn't be here to-day. So tar six electric cooking ranges have been arranged lor within lne Shannon Borough, in connection with the lioruwhemia Power Board's I ffoupittg system, which is now being > completed, whilst- the general interest I taken in this mode ol' cooking argues ' a large increase in the number in tlie near future. A considerable number oi residents are also having their hot water systems transformed to allow ol the water being electrically heated, tiiis being an inexpensive process and insuring a ready mid regular supply of hot. water at all limes and at a verv low cost.

V Palmerston North shool teacher ; u conversation with a Standard reporter, referred to two ‘‘bowlers which had occurred in essay writing by the younger pupils at "tie of the local schools recently. The subject of the essays concerned impressions gained on the first, visit to the ZO P mid one child wrote; “The first animals i saw were the. bears and the lions and my aunt and cousins were also there." Another pupil displayed a prettv though unconscious wit when lie wrote; '•Tlie first thing 1 saw was the keeper feeding the hurts with roar’ (raw) meat."

The Cape daisy, which is included in the noxious weed category, is at ihe present time -a. bright feature ot tlie local landscape. The yellow borders of various roads outside the town suggest that- the daisy lias been spread bv travelling stock, although, on the other hand, it is plentiful in the town a .nd suburbs. Efforts to eradicate n I lf ,vo not, been particularly successful, and like some of the other hardy rrruwtlis. it appears to have come to slav The seed of Cape daisy is supposed to have been brought, to New Zealand mqpv years ago in a sailing vessel’s baDast.— Wanganui Chronicle.

A cable repair ship in the Smitnein •Vtiantic reports an interesting dtstoierv. When the Eastern lelegtap h Company laid the Cape cable m 1899 the route between .St. Helena-and Cape town was surveyed, soundings being in ken everv flity miles, ims cable lias parted and the repair ship, which is now on a spot where the chait shows a depth oi little more titan three miles, has found that the ocean i,.-.,i pas risen to within threequaxters of a mile of the surface. It- is suggested that this Change is due a recent submarine convulsion. /. strong protest was made at- the meiung oi the Farmers' Union at Inv>.icargill in connection with dm m„h puce at present being chaiged mi cement (says the “News. ) Mr Smith said the mutter was a h ) serious one and explained that Hie high price was brought about through one company paying another cement firm to close down. He thought i was scandalous that they should be cltarged 8s lid per bag seeing that thev were able to get it cheaper durincr" the war. The meeting decided to Ijiuig the matter btlore the Dominion Executive of the Farmers Union and the Board of Trade. It is well known that diiierent magistrates regard breeding rabbits as a serions offence, but in the Court precincts ot a~ lefost one Courthouse in Otago not a hundred miles from Oamaru (says the Mail; there exists a small and healty family of rabbits The mother and her descendants me in the large cellar under the building and periodically take tlie sun in the Court, (ground. It is said that a Supreme" Court official passing through the grounds was nearly upset bv the chasing of a member of the rabbit family by a watcfdul ioxterrier intent, on his quarry. A cynic • rives it as his opinion that the rabbits haunt the cellar to take note oi the comments of the Court in rabbit cases.

•‘Givis” in the Otago Daily Tim=, tells the following story: An old ladj was verv much impressed by a s.rmnn on "charily that she iiad read in the Church Magazine. She went upstairs. took two. pound notes, went out into the street, and handed hem to an honest but seedv-lookmg young man, who was leaning against a verandah post. “What are these for he asked. "Charity,- she replied. “Righto missus,'' he said, arid di=,ap peered without a word of tnanks. Next day he called at ner house and handed her £2O in notes. are these for?” she gasped. Chant) missus. Gee! you were lucky : he on.) “in bv a neck." "Charity” was a horse and the "seedy-lookmg young man” was a bookmaker’s tout. A house is advertised for. Two 400-galion tanks are advertised for. Two gigs and two rustic traps arc advertised for sale. Mr. H. Cockrell advertises men’s an- . wool tweed trousers at Ks 6d per pa-r. A meeting of the Otaki State School Committes will take place on Monaay night. A replace from Messrs Askew Bros, appears in this issue and shonld be perused. The Otaki Fire Brigade will hold a euchre tournament on Tuesday, November 6th. Mr. H. B. Edhou?e (late of the D 1.C.l will onen in business as a draper, etc., in Otaki on Monday next. Particulars are advertised. The races are over and the 1 ‘ old grew” had a tots! win. He- is passing his profits on to his customers, so cad. and "get the best leather for repairs. Boots now stocked —F. Barrett. —A-vt. Tor Children’s Hacking Cough, Woods’ Great Peppermint Core.