THE OTAKI MAIL. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1923. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Otaki Mail, 21 November 1923, Page 2

THE OTAKI MAIL. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1923. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A new railway by-law issued last week makes it a punishable offence for passengers to place their feet on the seat of a railway carriage;

A Gisborne engineer is introducing.«« English process for water-proofing roads at a cost of a farthing a square yard by a spray of bituminous and other oils.

At the rose show Mr. Frank I'enri was firhonD .the xafisp successful exhibitors, and stage'! the champion bloom (J. 'J. Glassforcl). He also secured firsts for ±2, 3, and 3 varieties, 3 varieties (red), 2 varieties (pink), rambler, and three deeos&ijro roses, and second for three full blows, roses.

"The Railway Department is not usijug our electricity in its stations." said Mr Wiiley at the Thames Valley Electric Power 'Board's meeting. He suggested informing- the department that there was such -a' body as the Thames Valley Electric Power Board., The railway people, ill appeared, i would rather use American oil than New Zealand electricity. It was stated that in several stations the electric light was now being installed. A meeting of the committee of the Mark Ayre benefit was held on Monday when it" was reported that £BO was in sight, independent.of donations still to come. It was agreed to adopt Mrs. Stahle's suggestion and have Wellington talent for the concert on the 27th, -while it was agreed that members of the committee -endeavour to push the <;ale of the concert tickets. It was decided to rnec-t on the 29fch and make final arrangements fOT the disposal of the 'monev." trhiie the chairman. (Mrl Atmore) and secretary (Mr. Davies) were appointed to draft a letter to .tae guarantors asking them what amount they were willing to give. Mr. G. H. (Copper) Fisher, at one time a resident of Otaki, is doing splen ; didlv in athletic circle?. Ar Hawera ife won the 100yds maiden in great ,'gtjde -and in the* I'JJyds handicap was -first in his lieat and first in the final, ,Uis rimes-beiijg ,1P S-s'e« in each case. •In the 220vds-ii-iadii::ip lie was awatded 1 j...'-<;iid. but .many.bsliev<ii4>ini to have "wt.n. and in eonseijueuce a .protest has ],...'h lodged. He. however, secured .two ..old medals and .one silver medal. 1 ? -> K -e the Hawera meeting •"Copper'-' i-'rv-o" 3fe 100yds at Wangtvnni.- was *«c-; ond in the 220yds and thirl in ic* i 440vds, therefore out of six start., he 1 ,ias* secured three first*, two seconds a third. i' ' i'f--i now stocking line? of-boots and ■ shoes at .prices that d«zy competition. -The "nid'"grev" still guarantees repairs—his leather ' and workmanship

It is difficult to kill a hippo with a bullet, but a. tennis ball may do it. Zeekoe, lately the biggest hippopotamus in America, has died from swallowing a tennis ball tossed into his cage by a thoughtless visitor. In Zeekoe's stomach were also found a number of pennies. "It is a shame'that horticulture in the schools lias been sacrificed in faivour of rural crops,"' staled Mr W. Kemp at a meeting of the Alasterton A. and P. Association. "At one of the schools they are throwing aboutone turnip to the square yard and fertilised with nitrates, phosphates, and goodness Knows what—lor the children don't."

An exceptionally large mail was despatched lor America and Europe by the iioyal mail. steamer Niagara, which leJt Auckland for Vancouver on Tuesday. The mail, which is due at London about December 15th, will be the'list mail from N'ew Zealand that will reach the United Kingdom before Christmas.

Apart from Drury Lane, which is strictly speaking ten years older, but altered almost of recognition since 1312, the Haymarket. Theatre may be .said to be the oldest theatre in Central London. It was opened in 1822, and its beautiful portico was built from the drawings of the great John Nash.

So keen is the interest taken by New Zeataaiders i'i the opening ui the British Empire Exhibition next year thai it would appear as though the stream of Homeward bound traffic would partake something of tin.) nature ol a general migration. Accommodation on all vessels leaving Auckland for England in the early months of 1924 bitis fair to be at a premium, i.'l'spitC! the fact that the shipping companies have not. announced any lowering of fares.

A few weeks ago the orchardists of llawkes Bay were congratulating themselves on the prospects of an enormous fruit crop this year; to-day they are certain the crop is going to he 'much lighter than usual. This is attributed to the excessive amount of rain experienced in the district during the spring. The fruit has not set on the apple trees and the crop will not he so large as anticipated. Stone fruits were adversely affected by the succession of easterly storms a' month back.

The provision of sanitary and cheap pig-tro'ighs is a matter ol interest to those lannei's who have the health and cleanliness of their stocks at luar:. and in this connection an experiment is being made at the Central Development Farm with a preparation to render concrete immune to the corrosion of the lactic acid in 'he milk. This preparation is mixed witli the concrete facing of the troughs rendering them, it is claimed, equal to porcelain in their resisting quality. The material is infcxpensivu and! if successful should be of great use to pig farmers and dairymen where sour milk has to be held. Tiie Hailway Department is not going out of its- way'to encourage breeders of stud slock to exhibit at agricultural shows. This was the general opinion of breeders in the vicinity of the pig pens at the Haweia Show on Wednesdav when it became known that- ii had cost £5 Is 9d to rail'six crates of Berkshires from Bell Block. The fact that the pigs were forwarded in crates has some bearing on the freight apparently, but. recognising the education values of shows the department should be prepared to grant, this concession to stud breeders when pigs ;tf'.e being forwarded for exhibition without increasing the ordinary freight charges. • All ministers know the importance of selecting hymns appropriate to the occasion, but sometimes it happens, states a Duuedin exchange, that 'he choice falls upon one that can only be described as too appropriate. This WW* th" experience of a suburban congregation wne-u a sudden heavy hailstorm made such a noise'unon the roof that the preacher could scarcely T>nke himself heard. He decided to give wav to the storm for a few minutes and to occupy the interval with the' singing of a hymn. The number oVth o "'hvmri was duly 'announced. but n-fajiv of tlie congregation quite failed to conceal their 'amusement vheh thev found that tne hymn they were being asked to sing was "Lord l Hear of Showers of Blessing.''

"This niori only earns 30s a- week and Iris keep," was the explanation given by counsel at; tl*P Auckland Magistrate's Court, for a husband not ),a./intr maintenance to litis wile (says tau'Star'i, U" Huat; S.M., remarked: ••That's what tjiese in...'! do, when thev have to support a wile and children. Thev' take on jobs that will not mor-e than keep themselves. He won.'i) «oon©r go out camping with friend"= ra&biting, than stay at iome with bis wife -ana children. Some nien only work three (Jays a .\vgff on purpose not to have enough to.supcoi't their wives. People are eying 'out all over -the country for the court to imprison men 'who will not nain•;iiti their srfvg? «nd cnjldxeii

Mam- farmers will be wondcing whether it is better to take the pice offerin<* 1 "or fat lambs—which:" i? ,m----do'rstood to be 9d per lb.—or wrtther 'it wiii be better policy to ship on owner's account. Evidently thefreezing companies art not out to t#e any great risks this' season, .ad a fadrlv sever? lesson and consei ueni losses 'law vear. .When the nef"season's lamb gets on .the .Home rf<r<<ex there is generally a rise s'n PQ that if the companies base ftiej w«f on the prices being offered * r ] ast season's lamb, there should b/a fca ' e margin for trie man who rViiaed to ship on his own account, /erv lew. "dipped on owner's account- 21 ' jyear, the offer of Md per lb. P™w>g too tempting to pass by. The pncSonered bv the companies this year ls W pareritlv lower than was ejected and sheen have been hard to »' except at. slijrhtly lower values i «rasequence.—Wangamii Chroniclfl References to the conferencj 'neld at Shannon.las*, week to considr «» engineers' report on ineasuresf 0 De taken for the safety of the SiP n ° p : bridge was made at last pieepg <» the Manawatu-Oroua River WTO. when an invitation was receive*!™™ ■tlie Horowhenua County Con»i-«» ! representatives of the board tqj«nn. , Tne chairman 'Mr R. T. Berfcgm., mented that trie matter of «*"»?§ had apparently been <£" , that the decision of the congee showed ttrat the board was ' . -| , made the door-mat of the ™<imn* , The local bodies were tin /X e r the board's poll was I f k ™- pA C' ,l', member remarked a V£? certain amount of good to th/™er board in Sat coupe beln P take,"£ seems to me that it was a f ie "; ! time to hold that conference i all. ; said the chairman, who wenfn to lav that nothing had been dot lTndonbtedly. if the local imtil the board had taken its fj&g would be considerably aided I™^'-j ing a decision. "I don't thk vj ,z , aTiv.t,hing by not L-injreP re -| =ei*tee '-' £e concluded.—S'ajf r ' a ; " i

We ar* fitting xatibkr heels M - ladies' shoes from £1 f^:' 1 :; Call and tec- our white and ehiiaren's are cheap %*??£» Gent's BestocE shr.es to clejMs £■ PoUsh 4 tins Is. VTe ore *>w - - metal slvoa laces-—lrvmc 's, =>., s^L Otaii-— 'A&rff - . m m i ; r m<

A public meeting held in Foxton decided in favour of a swimming bath being constructed in Easton Park. A shooting party of four guns from Mangatairioka secured 130 rabbits in three hours in the vicinity of Ashhurst. Two American black bears from the Philadelphia Zoological Gardens arrived by the Maungtanui last week for the Wellington Zoo.

China with Tibet, is said to possess 70,000,000 sheep, and . the output of wool from these is about 2,000,000,000 lb in weight, or something like a twelfth of the world's output. '1 hough the Waipukuraii electric lighting system has only been in use for less than five months almost every house in the borough is now connected with it.

The directors ol tin; Tai'anaki Fanners' Meal Company are busy everything in order with a view t.-* re-opening the woiks at Sinai" Bonn next mouth.

Monday was the 63rd anniversary ol the arrival at Auckland oi the ship William Miles, which biought over 4uo immigrants.

There is an abundance of whitebait in the Waiiganui River just now, and Maoris ascribe it to the absence ol floods. Some particularly heavy, shoals have gone up the river. Mr H. I. Bennett, superintendent ol Telegraphs at Christchurch, is .voluntarily retiring at the end of the year. completing his forty years' service. He is the service member of the Board of Appeal. T'ue New Plymouth Bowling Club iias purchased a motor mower, the machine being delivered earlier in the week. It is fitted with a en-

jfims, and iQMnchi cut'.tiiiy' 'Wades, ike total weight being about 2 cwt. The machine is very simple to manipulate. Two larks belonging to Mr .1. Cranshaw, water inspector ol Da-rU'ord, Kent, are enthusiastic listeners-in. Their cage is near the loud speaker, and before the human ear picks up the first note they rush to a position under the receiver. A proposal is on foot in Gpunake to erect a modern two-storey structure in the nature of a municipal building. The idea is to utilise the building lor housing the offices of the Town Board, Power Board and Harbour Board, also the- public library and ladies' rest room, leaving the upper storey for a gentlemen's club.

The Associated Board, R.A.M., and R.C.M., London, recently held practical musical examinations in Wellington. AnTMig the passes appears the name of Master James Rikihana, of Otaki, who secured 120 marks for violin, out of a possible 150.

Mr. Brandon (Mayor) yesterday received a telegram from Mr. Field. M.P., regretting that he could not attend the radium meeting at Otaki and stating he had every sympathy with the project. Mr. Field also forwarded £lO 10s as a donation.

At the Wellington Rose Show yesterday line displays weir made by Messrs Evans and Sawyer, and Mr. .1. O. Duncan, while Mrs. Witehell secured first for her bowl of red roses in the decorative section. Mr. Wilt-hell -was awarded firsts for six roses (van). three roses_fvar.) and champion bloom. At (iie quarterly meeting of the Otaki Lodge of Druids'on Tuesday night the large attendance took great interest in the proceedings. A committee was appointed to select a team for the Ritual competition to be held in Otaki in March next. The nominations for the various offices resulted in an unusually large number being proposed for each office, except for that of secretary and treasurer.

Referring In house rents, the chairman of the Horowhenua Power Board, Mr. G. A. Monk. remarked .at the Board's meeting, that he found on investigation that they were just as high in Levin ;i.s anywhere else. Foe a house which the Board had been offered for its Installation Officer—just an ordinary wooden one some distance Oul of town —33* per week was asked.

Mr. I'. •'. Ramsey. Town Clerk of Levin, was appointed accountant to the Hoiouliciiiia Power Board at the b'u'ard-'s meeting, .after wousiderat/ion by the full Board of the i'inum.e Comniittee's recomme'ndations. There were 41 applications for the position, which carrier, with it a salary of £7 per week. Mr. Ramsey i* at present ia the South Isdtmd on it month's leave of absence. A liriu-n is wanted. A Ford car is advertised for. A bicycle saddle is advertised for. A Jersej bull is advevtised for sale. Preserving bottles', bath. ..i.d hens are advertised for sale. ' "K" jams at cut price.- may be sccured'at Mr. H. Coekrell'-. A man and a boy for garden work are advertised for. Mr. L. G. Lowry advertises, fountain pens and booklets of modern homes for sale. , Mr. P. Fraser, M.P., will give an address at the Otaki theatre to-morrow night. Messrs G. Bird and Co. (late Howard Andrew Ltd.) of Manaliau are holding a special clearing sale of summer dress goods, etc. See advertisement on the front page. Mrs. Moffatc hj.s taken over the retreshiieG 1 rqom ■■ <u Oj'tk! Kasluav-ana the, bustnesc will be lun'ciii'up-to-date lines, Besides morning and afternoon teas, cordials, confectionery, fruit. <:tr.. will be supplied.