THE Shannon News FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1921.

Shannon News, 11 November 1921, Page 2

THE Shannon News FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1921.

Mr I> 11. Ashton is resuming work at Mangahao on Monday after being ill for some time with septic poisoning caused through a burn from a drill. Mr Ashton was taken very ill oil the SMtli of last month, and the gale haying blown down the wires, could not get in touch with Shannon. He had the unenviable experience of having to walk to Shannon on that night from the top camp. He said he felt so ill at times that- he was doubtful of reaching his destination. He avoided short cuts, so that in event' of falling he would he found oil ihe road, but fortunately .he. reached the doctor safely and has made good progress sine*.

Good progress is being made with the footway in Plimmer Terrace. The work is in charge of Mr Edwards, jun. A good deaJ of filling has been already completed, and a start made with ihe kerbing. It is expected that the work *vill be completed within a fortnight.

On Friday last Mr 3. C. rsaxon had a m.slortune with his milking plaift. Mr Saxon intended going to the Pal-, merston Show, and was evidently getting a hustle on. He was putting the belt on the vacuum pump when the engine was running at a high speed, and something evidently caught the belt, with the result that the pump was tom from its bed* the pipes being twisted and the vacuum tank pulled down. The damage altogether was considerable.

Mr IT. Hook has had some '-ery tine catches of salmon, trout Mom 1 the Manawatu River lately, the fish being of a fine quality.

Tile friends of Mrs 15. Buti wilT be soriy to learn that, owing to a serious illness, site has been removed to Palmerston North Hospital to undergo an operation. We hope that die may have a speedy and complete recovery.

“Tt is regretted that no definite reply to this question can be' given at the present time,” said the Minister of Public Works (Hon. 3. G. Coates) when asked by Mr W. H. Field (Otaki) when the Paekakariki railway deviation would probably be constructed.

“The tariff is .frankly a revenue tariff,” said the .Minister for Customs in the 'House. “It. will not suit the gentlemen who want high protection in l this country. It has not attempted to suit them. It hits the luxuries, or the non-necessaries, in the attempt m get revenue. But it does not affect the cost of living. The breakfast table is left as it was. Dr. Thacker (Christchurch East): Do you call bananas and oranges luxuries? Mr Massey: They are free of duty if they come from Fiji and the Islands.

A line of. lambs fed on lucerne field the attention of the whole Addington market on a sale ■ day last year, said Mr A. McPherson at Ashburton. The lambs were so full of life and vim, so happy, their wool so lustrous ’hat they were leaping about their pen like racehorses. (Laughter.) Finally some auctioneers inquired vhat those were (indicating the lambs). Just lambs —fed on lucerne” was the leplv. All the other lambs in the market that day, continued Mr McPherson, were too miserable .to stand up; fhev lav. down—coughing. (More laughter.) When the lucerne iambs were put up at auction although tl ey were not fat, they made as .wish : -nd more than “prime Canterbury” solely on account of theitf lustrous tvool, wonderful vitality, and general good condition.

Rats are known the world over for their cunning when in tight, corners. An example of this was shown in Dunedin recently, when a, large rodent defied the preparations made for his capture in the Harbour Board’s workshop (says the Dunedin Star). A hoard about. 14 inches; square, containing a thick coating of lithographic -varnish, was placed on the floor of the workshop. A tempting bait was fixed in the centre of the board, but the rat overcame the obstacle by making a track of ashes over 'he varnish, over which he walked without any chance of getting caught in the ,sticky substance, and made off with the bait. The ashes were scattered about the workshop, and these, would no doubt have been cleared away had anyone thought that the rat was going to show such sagacity. One of the Harbour Board’s employees attends to the preparation of the boards. They vary in size, and the varnish is a splendid trap, once Mr Bal gets his feet planted in it. One morning recently rats were found trapped on a board m. X shed,, while four w T ere caught, in E shed; and two in B shed by the varnish process.

When the Fourth Battalion Band, of New Plymouth, was at Thames for the band contest, some of the members were greatly interested in seeting the fishing boats come in laden with fish. To their astonishment, however, they found that out of about 400 dozen of fish, beautiful young schnapper and other varieties, somewhere about one fourth only was landed for consumption and the remaining threefourths thrown overboard. At a public gathering at the conclusion of the contest, Archdeacon Evans,, who accompanied tlie band, took an opportunity of referring to this shocking waste—-as it appeared to him and others—of good food, and was astonished to learn afterwards that it was not an unusual occurrence. He remarked that Taranaki people would be very glad of the fish and if the Thames handlers of it had not ihe enterprise to cure it or freeze it no doubt there were those in this district who would willingly engage in the enterprise-—Herald.