THE Shannon News TUESDAY, JULY 12, 1921.

Shannon News, 12 July 1921, Page 2

THE Shannon News TUESDAY, JULY 12, 1921.

Mr Robinson, who has been on the staff of the local Post- Office for some time, has been transferred to Samoa. Mrs Shannon is at present wishing Mrs W. G. Gunning. Her many friends will be glad to know that Mrs T. Logan, who recently underwent an operation in the Palmerston Hospital, is progressing favourably. Miss Easton is on a visit to Mrs W. Kirkland, of Foxton. Mr Kernher has completed the work of auditing the books of the Shannon Dairy Co., and it is understood ■ that a pleasant surprise awaits suppliers, for, with the bonus to come, a record price for butter wil Ibe paid this season.

Two bankruptcies are reported in Shannon, S. Walters, butcher; and John Thomas Taylor, farmer. Thirty persons over the age of 70 died in*' Auckland durin gthe month of June. Mr R. W. Taylor has returned from Wellington where he has been attending the Anglican Synod. The death of Mrs Roberts occurred on Sunday morning. The funeral will leave her late residence for the Shannon Cemetery -.at ‘i P-nn to-day. Miss Orsman, of the local school staff, has again commenced duties, after being absent lor some weeks through illness. The manager of the Shannon Dairy Factory, Mr J. Aim, % is to be congratulated on his success at the Hawera Show. Shannon butter has won the points prize for the North Island this ’season, and three silver cups and a gold medal as well. Many residents are complaining of having their gates opened at night and their stock turned on to the roads. It appears as though someone is desirous of having every owner of stock in the borough summoned, and if this is so, the perpetrator has nearly accomplished his object.

There are many complains by settlers about straying stock on the county roads. The roads in many places are becoming bogs, and their maintenance will be greatly increased in cost during the wet weather is the trouble is not remedied.

Mr J. Bowler, of Buckley, is at present on a visit to the Auckland district. '

Dairy cows about Shannon are causing a good deal of . anxiety to their owners this year. One farmer, in conversation with a News reporter .yesterday, said fifteen of his cows had calved, and in every instance the calves had been dead. 'He estimated that each cow would produce about 1001 b less butterfat in consequence this season.

After a long debate, the Wellington Anglicah Synod adopted the following' motion on the work of Ratana, the Maori Christian healer: That* this Synod sends greetings to Ratana, and expresses its thankfulness for the great moral and spiritual revival resulting from his work among the Maoris, and prays for Godts continued blessing upon his work for the .future.

The cost of living figures for March issued in Australia show a remarkable fall. Compared with the highest point reached last year, Melbourne* shows a decline equivalent to over 25 per cent, and Sydney a decline equivalent. to 19 per cent.

Poland is the sixth largest State in Europe, and its population of 30-000,-000 makes it one .of the most densely inhabited regions in Europe. While the country is predominantly agricultural, it possesses a highly -developed textile industry, in addition to such natural resources as timber, coal and petroleum.

In answer to a query at the meeting at the Central Development Farm yesterday as to why he spent so much time in the. Wairarapa, Mr F. W. Greenwood, 'agricultural instructor, stated that the Department received a very large number of inquiries from farmers in that district on agricultural and other matters, and it was necessary for him to attend to them. On the other-hand, very few came from the Manawatu farmers. Hence he went where there was most call for-his services.

The question cropped up during the meeting at the Central Development Farm yesterday to consider the swedegrowing competition, as to what was the right quantity of seed to. use per acre, Mr F. W. Greenwood, agricultural instructor, said more seed was required in wet than in dry ground, but 9 ounces per acre was about the average thing, though some farmers used 12 and others up to 16 ounces. It was stated by another speaker that a grower of many years’ experience sowed the seed very thick and then thinned out- the crop. He found this method gave better results than any other. *

Spurious half-sovereigns, recently coined in Canton, have made their appearance in Australia, and the Treasury recently issued a warning to the public to examine carefully any half-sovereigns offered. The spurious coins are an excellent imitation of the genuine article. They are dated 1887, with the Queen’s head and reverse shield design, and are new in appearance. Te lettering on the shield side in the word “Regina” is defective, the letter “R” being out of alignment. At the foot of the shield is the small letter “S,” denoting that the coins, if they were genuine, had been minted at Sydney. It is estimated - that these coins contain 8s worth of gold. The coins have been ma-. chine stamped, and it is stated that very .expensive machinery must have been used for this purpose.

’Constable Shannon has gone on a visit to the South -Island for six weeks* Mr Mackley, auditor for the Imperial Government. Supplies, is at present visiting Shannon. The Shannon Girls’ Club are at present holding their meeting at the residence of Mrs Jones in Vance Street. Mr Huston is- visiting Mr G. W. Wilson at Mangaori. The Golf Club will have the full course of nine holes ready for play on Saturday. Players- are putting in a lot of practice in preparation for the match with Levin on August 13. On paying a visit to the Druids’ Hall this morning, a News reporter -was quite surprised to notice such luxurious decorations in connection with the Tennis Club ball. This function promises to be quite the success of the season. In connection with the recent prosecution of a number of men for playing “two-up” at Shannon, Mr Cooper, at the Palmerston Court yesterday, said that he had been instructed not to proceed Avith the. appeal entered on behalf of the accused, who therefore came up. for sentence. The Magistrate consequently inflicted a fine of £5, in default imprisonment for one month, on H. *E. Perkins, E. H. Ashton, J- Feetham, G. Hunt, E. G. Cookley, E. Gv Tremewan, W. E. Alloway, A. Blair, A. Ropoama and W. H. Maitland. The charge against C. Johns was. withdrawn. ’Accused were allowed a month in which to find the money.

“After years of experience and experimenting,” stated Mr Will Appleton in an address on “Advertising afitl Commerce,” at Christchurch, “I have found that a newspaper can take the place of a hoarding for advertising purposes, but a hoarding- cannot take the place of .a newspaper.. Mr Appleton was asked if hoardings could compete with newspapers. He said newspapers presented a superior medium because they penetrated into the homes of hundreds of thousands, and cost was much less than for hoarding advertising. Newspaper advertising was the most economical agency.”

An auction sale of fruit stands was held at Wellington last week! all the bidders being Hindus, who paid cash for their stands—rant- in advance. Many of them still had a roll of notes when they left the room. In the aggregate they paid out £379 12s 6d in a little over half an hour*.. Three months ago the aggregate was £323 12s 6dt Once- upon a time the letting of the stands to Europeans realised' £l4 of £ls per year. Under the present system the fees total £ISOO per annum. One hawker who successfully hid for a stand is reported to be a qualified L chemist in Bombay. ■ -

One of those amusing incidents which sometimes relieve the tedium of Court proceedings occurred at the 'Lyttelton Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. A French seaman appeared on a charge of drunkenness. As the man apparently • knew no English, and there was no interpreter available!, the Court officials were in a quandary. After some delay a Court official ventured a little French. “Vous avez buvais yesterday?’’ he enquired tentatively. The prisoner was plainly puzzled. The official tried again: “Ils dit vous avez buvais yesterday?” ' he said. The Frenchman was still puzzled. Thereupon a police constable, with a suspicion of an Hibernian brogue, interjected with “Hey! Henri, was you drunk yesterday?” “Oui, yes,” he exclaimed, smiling. “Ver, droonk.” Amid the laughter which followed he was convicted and discharged. -

Although the Government has made many good bargains in its purchase of land for soldiers settlement, it has also made numerous mistakes, which will be costly to the Dominion. The Tiraumea estate, in the Eketahuna district, will involve a heavy loss to the Dominion, simply because sufficient enquiry was not made concerning its adaptability for soldier settlement. Now we ■‘•have the case of “The, Meadows 1 * estate, near Kelso, in the Otago district. The Tapanui “ Courier * } dealing with this purchase, says:—“lt was a general surprise locally when the announcement was made that The Meadows had been acquired for subdivision, as the property was regarded as a high-priced one, that would mean a heavy rental for selectors. Immediately the sections were advertised as open for selection, and the rentals made known, the opinion was freely expressed that as a soldier settlement it was a poor proposition for men without capital, and probably in some cases minus experience.

. . . We maintain that Government by Commission has been a dismal failure, and its unpalatable fruit is now in evidence. Those who are responsible for.acquiring land that cannot find settlors should now be compelled to justify their commitments by evolving a scheme that will make the land an asset instead of a burden to the State and local bodies.”