SECOND EDITION.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9433, 1 May 1909, Page 5

SECOND EDITION.

Two short sharp shocks cf earthquake were felt in Wellington as 8.10 this morning. The premonitory symptoms alarmed many persons.

To-day at Wellington Justice Cooper adjudged W. G. Somerville, solicitor, bankrupt, on a creditor'# petition.

H.M.S. Challenger arrived in Wellington from Sydney to-day with two cases of scarlatina oa board. The patients, who were Bluejackets, have been removed to the hospital.

School attendance in Wellington district during March quarter averaged 15,804. The percentage— of the roll—constitutes a record. At a municipal electioneering meeting in Devouport, Auckland, a speaker is reported to have said:— “I am speaking as truthfully as I can.” There was applause.

John Wilson, who was arrested for burglary at Kaiti and pleaded guilty and was committed to Auckland for sentence, escaped from Gisborne look-up this morning. He has not yet been arrested. The Agricultural Department axe sending out notices to owners of sheep to make the annual return of the number of sheep on their properties on April 30th. The return has to be sent to the office bv May 14th.

The highest rainfall recorded in the North Island fcr the month of March was 28.70 inches at Te Araroa, and the lowest 1.59 at Glen Oroua. In the South Island, the records range from 12,61 inches at Windsor (Otago) to .44 inches at Cromwell. Potato crops are now being dug in the Wairarapa, and the returns Irom certain varieties are entirely satisfactory. Up-to-date and Magnum Bonum varieties have yielded wonderfully well, but the older varieties, such as Derwent, have suffered mcro or less from blight. Good samples of potatoes are being sold privately at eight shillings per sack.|)

A man named John Watkin was committed at Gisborne yesterday to Auckland Mental Hospital on a charge of lunacy. Ha jumped overboard from the steamer Xnatea as the latter was proceeding to Victoria this morning. The constable in attendance grabbed him by the leg as he jumped over the rail, but was unable to hold him and he dropped into the water and was not seen again. The majority of farmers in Maiterton district have decided to turn their breeding ewes on to their turnip crops during the winter mouths, owing to the high prices ruling for store sheep At the present time store wethers are bringing from 11a to l?a each, whilst fat sheep iu the primest condition only command 10s. The store stock market is practically lifeless. Replying to the LawrenceRoxburgh railway deputation at Dunedin Sir Joseph Ward remarked that with regard to the unemployed he would say that during the last twelve months there had never been in this cunntry anything approaching the amount of public works carried out by the Government. There had never been in his time so many people ’ employed by the Government in the shape of Jworkera as at the present time. Experiments made at Carterton District High School in potatogrowing go to Jshow that the seed, obtained from a Government Jexperimental farm—“ Victor Rose” and “Scotia”—with the following manures per acre: Superphosphate 3cwt, honedust ammonia sulphate three-quarter, and potash one owt, gave the best results. Potatoes qf the same seed grown without manure gave one half the result. Throughout all parts of the Wairarapa rabbit-poisoning operations are being systematically carried out, and with most satisfatcory results. Owing to the very favourable season experienced, rabbits have undoubtedly greatly increased, hut the settlers are making strenuous efforts to keep them in check. The rabbit inspectors are working strenuously in assisting the owners of property where the pest has shown an increase, and the output of poison from the Government depot has been unusually large' during the past mouth.

An amusing little incident occurred, says the Hawera Star, in connection with the municipal poll taken in a Taranaki town north of Hawera. One of the candidates for honors received an account from a tradesman. The account was for two shillings, and a footnote was added informing the debtor that until the amonut was paid the writer could not favourably consider the question of assisting the candidate in gaining a seat on the Council. Whether he afterwards relented Is not recorded, bnt the coveted goal was reached by the man who is alleged to be owing the “two boh,” who, however ..disputes the liability* as he says he has a contra account of three shillings and sixpence. A resident in Christchurch had a rather peculiar experience recently. On going into the bathroom he trod on something soft which he imagined to he a child’s indiarubber ball, but on investigation he found that It was a rat, which was in a moribund condition He put the rodent in a hand-basin full of water, and in a few minutes the top of the water was covered with fleas. The rat was neither old nor big. The necessity for exterminating rodents was, of course, forcibly brought‘homo to him, because if .the rat had happened to be diseased the large colony cf fleas on it would have proved a very thorough means of communicating the disease to the human beings in the house.

“No nation has been saved byguerilla warfare, ’’ said Sir Harry Rawßon in a farewell speech at Sydney. “ Ton may be told that you have the men—you have good men, good shots, and good riders—but unless they ate drilled together and able to be formed into what may be termed ‘an army,’ then any real disciplined army would be a great deal too much for them. ” Don t b ' led away with what took place in South Africa Your men did magnificent work there; bat yon mast remember that yon were fighting a;very brave enemy, bat not an enemy that moved about In thousands under real discipline. They were excellent scouts and -magnificent guerilla fighters. But if you have to ficht a nation that means business, yo.= wiii find it a very different thing You must therefore give yourselves ■ p to drilling together to become not » mob, but a roach*that will work without friction. ”