Shannon News FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 1922.

Shannon News, 7 April 1922, Page 2

Shannon News FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 1922.

The local Tennis Club have finished their matches lor this season.

Mrs 11. C. Easton and family, of Buckley, left on Tuesday lor a few weeks at Plimmerton beach.

Mr George Pickard'has disposed of his smithy business to Mr Diekoff, who solicits a continuance of his custom. The eighteen-months-old son of Mrs Sinclair, of Vance Street, was bitten on the face rather badly on Monday while playing with a dog. The.child is under the care of the local doctor, and is doing well. Mr C. C. Franks met with a painful accident while unloading heavy timber at the railway station on Tuesday last. A pile of heavy planks fell over in the truck, striking a smaller piece and causing it to fly. it struck Mr Franks ni the face, rendering him unconscious. He was taken to his home and was medically attended. Although badly bruised and cut, no serious consequences are expected, and he is now making a good recovery.

This year nominations for the Shannon School Committee will close on April 17, at 7.30 p.m., and the election will take place on April 24. Nominations will be received at the meeting. Forms of nomination can be had from the chairman of the Committee or from the head teacher. Those who intend standing—and it ig to be hoped that there will be keen interest taken and a good number come forward—should keep the date in mind, and not be late with their nominations.

The Taumarunui police on Wednesday nigld made a haul of eightyeight hollies of whisky, which were alleged lo have been illicitly brought in by train.

A well known artiste was subjected to some discomfiture in Feilding recently by a remark from the rear of the hall, causing her retirement. This recalled to the mind of one business man here a similar result owing lo an habitue of the pit relieving the tension caused by the entrance in very stately and dignified fashion of Jean Gerady, the eminent ’cellist, on to the stage in a Dunedin .Theatre many years ago. There was complete silence as the star gazed beneficently on the vast and breathless audience, when the wag called out: “Tenakoe!” This brought down die house, and the musican had to walk off till the audience recovered itself.

This is assuredly the winter of the farmer’s discontent, especially those , with heel' cattle on their hands. The depressing spectacle was seen again yesterday at the Levdn sale of big prime bullocks being passed in a long way beneath a modest reserve, and it moved one of the spectators to talk of the days when . Well, everyone knows what they were, but one of this man’s experiences may be worth noting. Before the war he had a team of working bullocks, and those patient animals, purchased for £5 apiece, worked early and late for hi long years. Then came ilie war and the piping days of high prices. The owner received £ls each for his bullocks, and they, loyal to the end, went to the front incased in the armour of preserved meat tins. Continual disregard of warnings regarding the spraying of fruit trees leads to drastic action at times on the part of the authorities. All the tree.-; in an unoccupied orchard in the Auckland district, some two acres in extent, were cut down recently and burned, a ft or repeated notices to the parties concerned had failed h> get them to observe the regulations.

A Carterton building contractor has announced (states the Age) that he is prepared to build a modern bungalow of three bedrooms, living room, hall, sculPry, washhouse, and provide all modern conveniences for the modest sum of £650.

Asses and mules are net popular in New Zealand, as figures recently compiled by the Government Statistician go to prove. The total for the Dominion is 245, and they are principally used in the North Auckland and Hawke’s Bay district, and respective figures being 74 and 73. There are also over 80 in the far south. Things are much brighter, judging by a well known Dargaville land agent’s remarks to a North Auckland Times representative last week. During the month of February he had three inquiries for farms, while for March he has already had twentyone inquiries. This should be a good barometer to judge the present depression by. The Mangorei Dairy Company has disposed of 65 tons of butter at l/4£, a record sale so far this season. A representative of a Taranaki dairy company states that his factory had sold all its surplus butter over what was required for local trade at l/6£ per lb in bulk, the contract, extending over the next few months.

In these days of bankruptcies and slump, and the more threatening talk of other supposed bankruptcies, it is rather surprising to find that during March the Flawke’s Bay County Council registered no less than ?5 motor-cars. No- motor-cycles, however, were registered during that period (says the Napeir Telegraph). A painter, whose tender was accepted for the painting of a new house at Petone, collected the necessary paint and materials for carrying out the job in a shed' close to the job. When the men arrived on the scene to commence operations the folowing morning, it was discovered that the paint and other mater' ■- had been stolen during the night.

“The railways are not much good to Gisborne (says the Poverty Bay Herald) They are reported to be losing £4OOO per day. Gisborne is' paying its share of that loss. I would like to see an effort made to get our portion of that amount spent upon our roading communications,” said Mr G. E. Ashton at the Chamber of Commerce.

Very few growers get the very best results from either the dwarf or climbing varieties of kidney beans, the rule being to allow these to ripen seed for next season’s planting. The folly of this is obvious when we remember that the cost of seed is but a few pence, while the tax of ripening seed is so great upon the plant, that as soon as it starts production ceases. Gal her all the pods as soon as fit, and rely on a good firm for a start next season.

A country minister who was a guest at a Waikato wedding recently presented the bride with a. large-type Bible, and later on, when proposing a toast at the breakfast, explained his reason for .selecting this present by saying that in so many houses where he was called upon to perform christening ceremonies he was given bibles with such small print, to read from that it tired his eyes badly.”

Mr W. J. Close whose lorry went through the Mangatainoka bridge, says the statements made regarding the weight and speed of the lorry are incorrect. The weight of the lorry alone (empty) is 3 tons 16cwt; and according to the Government weight of logs, the load on the lorry, was 3 tons 6cwt; so that even giving a fair margin and allowing a little extra, the total weight would not exceed 7 tons. The speed per hour when crossing the bridge was four miles. He was going slowly, as previously on crossing the bridge he found it very shaky. Yet another requirement in political candidates has been Several farmers in Te Awamutu were discussing the various '■andidates for the Waikato seat at the next general election. After a review of policies none of the farmers concerned seemed 'to find any particular fancy for any one of the candidates. Finally one of the speakers made a decisive discovery. “So-and-so is-- a Jersey supporter—he will do me!” And they were all evidently of the same opinion.

The roll of notes to ' he value of about £l5O. which Mr J. M. Cameron, the well known horse ‘miner, 10-1 while asleep at the Albert Hotel, Hastings, has been found hi Vne room which he occupied. Mr Cameron stated when reporting the uniter to the police before leaving (he is now in Sydney) that he placed the roll of notes between the mattresses of his bed. The notes were found duimg the day in a cabinet in his room, and as tlie cabinet had been previously searched it. seems strange that tliev should eventually have been feund there.

Mr Moses Ayrton will open the political campaign in Shannon tofnight with a public addr.ess on “Labour in Politics.”

An advertisement in this issue relates .to the opening of an academy of dancing by Mrs Parkhouse. Mrs Parkhouse’s ability' as a teacher is already recognised here. The demy will be run on the approved modern lines. Calisthenics include • half-hour tuition in dumb-bell and club swinging, and Russian and Greek exercises. Dancing includes all classes of modern and classical dancing.

“A lowering of charges has been the almost, universal commercial remedy for bad business, and it is impossible to doubt that if the railways and Post Office were in private hands there would have been a general lowering of rates before now,” comments the Auckland Herald. It is chiefly by this means the British companies have sought, to revive their fortunes, the compulsion in their case being the competition of the road transport agencies, which are estimated to have taken from the railways about 12 per cent of the total short-distance goods traffic, exclusive of coal, and minerals. Though less severe in this country,- the competition of the roads has been a factor adversely affecting the New Zealand railways, and the logical reply is a lowering of railway charges.

Dr. Thomas McKibbin, -whom the Public Sendee Commissioner has just reduced and mulcted in a considerable financial penalty for criticising the Minister for Health, has been about two years in the service of the State, most of the time being spent in Dunedin, remarks the Dunedin Star; If he comes here agais as medical officer of health he will be sincerely welcomed. Already a movement is on foot amongst the local men to tender Mr. McKibbin a dinner on his reaching Dunedin to take up the duties of health officer of Otago. The difference in salary frprn Auckland to Otago is approximately £l5O a year. A man of less .spirit than Dr. McKibbin would have submitted meekly to an interference with his performance of his duties and even to a Ministerial castigation of himself, publicly administered. But it was a clear case of lese majeste when, publicly attacked, he publicly defended himself, and as a consequence he is now subjected to a public disciplining. That was to he expected. Dr. McKibbin himself will hardly have looked for any other result. He certainly exceeded the limits of discretion when he criticised the Minister in the way he did. His case will doubtless serve as a warning. An example pointing in a different direction may be found in the case of other Government officials, who publicly flatter their Ministers. The flatterers, however, sit secure in their positions and reap their rewards when the estimates are framed.

Numbers of intimations were received from other societies by the County, Patriotic Society at its meetnig last night of assistance having been given to ex-imperial soldiers on behalf of the National War Funds Council. “There seems to be a lot cf these people wanting assistance,” remarked Mr Plaster. “Yes,” returned Mr Keedwell. “There is far too many of that kind being brought into the country.”

A narrow escape from serious mishap wa!§ witnessed at Paekakariki yesterday morning. A passenger who joined the early train at Levin noticed a friend approaching by car while the train was stationary at the Paekakariki platform. He left the carriage, and was dashing across the station yard when he was struck by an engine that was shunting at the time. Fortunately he was thrown clear, though badly shaken.