Shannon News FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1922.

Shannon News, 15 December 1922, Page 2

Shannon News FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1922.

Tile local school breaks up to-day lor the Christinas holidays, opening again on February 1.

The Shannon Cricket Club are trying to arrange for a first-class cricket team from, Wellington to play a combined team here on January 1 and 2.

To-day the annua! picnic and prizegiving of the Makerua School is to take place on the school ground, and if the weather behaves itself there should be a very large gathering.

It was decided at the Council meeting on Tuesday night that a meeting of ratepayers be held in the Maoriland Theatre on Tuesday evening next at. 8 p.m.,,when .the proposed waterworks scheme will be placed before them.

In order to secure as far as possible the distribution of the Christmas messages over a number of days, the public are requested to assist the Department by posting correspondence and printed matter, and by sending telegraphic greetings, as many days before Christmas Day as possible. This will be of advantage in ensuring delivery before Christmas Day.

The Postmaster at Shannon advises us that pensions Visually payable on the 23rd will, during the month of December,, be paid from the 22nd, one day earlier than usual.

The constant wet weather is beginning to set the farmers thinking, as in quite a number of cases the hay crops are ready to harvest, which means if they have to be left any length of time they lose a lot of their feeding value. The potato crops are also suffering from the blight, and in some cases commencing to shoot again.

Annough there is an abundance of grass in the district around Shannon, dairy farmers state that owing to its watery condition they are not getting as much milk now as they did towards the end of October. In fact, the average herd of 40 cows is down as much as 1601 bof milk per day compared with that period. A local business man a few nights ago found it necessary to return to his office to do some work which kept him until midnight. Whilst busily engaged he was surprised to find he was not alone in the building. It appears the local police, in doing their rounds to see if all was safe, noticed a light in the building, so decided to investifiate. They went to the rear 0 f the premises, and on trying the door found it was unlocked, and entering very quietly reached the office only to find it was the proprietor working. It is satisfactory to know the police are keeping ai watchful eye ovier the business premises, in the town.

There is a serious difference of opinion on the Foxton Fire Board. The majority of the members, including Messrs. Cray, Bews and Rowe (insurance representatives), and Messrs. Hornblow' and. Smith, favour one plan of fire station, and the Mayor (Mr Chrystail and Gr. Bryant) stand for a narrower building at a smaller cost of £2OO. At last meeting of the Council the Mayor said he was never so sick of public work as in connection with the Fire Board. The following motion was carried: “That this Council, as a contributing authority to the Foxton Fire Board, enters an emphatic protest to the suggested addition in width of the proposed fire station, thereby necessitating a large amount of unwarranted extra capital expenditure, and recommends that Inspector Hugo’s plans be adopted with a slight addition at rear of building in order that the work may be completed for the sum allocated for the building, viz., £700.”

The Waipa County Council should not complain about lack of attention by the' Government, seeing that the county forms part of no less than four electorates, viz., Waikato, Raglan, Rotorua and Hamilton. Thus there lour local representatives to watch the county interests.

Th& luck of Mr J. R. Corrigan, the newly elected member for Patea, is apparently in. At the Waikato trotting Club’s meeting at Hamilton on Saturday Mr Corrigan’s horses won two races.

Forty employees are reported to be leaving the Matamata Glaxo factory, on account of the directorate having decided to make casein instead of Glaxo.

Mr W. E. (“Pussyfoot”) Johnson left Wellington on a visit to Rotorua on Friday. He iiitends to return to Wellington next week, and will leave fo T ‘ America at an early date.

At the Taumarunui Police Court, '.I. Mackenzie was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment for keeping liquor for sale in a, proclaimed area. Mary Mackenzie, his wife, was fined £25 lor taking the liquor into a proclaimed area,, and £SO- for keeping liquor for sale.

Fed on wholesame fare at the Patea Hospital, two pigs have now reached the- condition known as prime, and for that reason they figured prominently in a discussion at the Hospital Board meeting. One suggestion was to sell 1 them, but a country member of the Board pointed out there was no sense in selling pork at 4Jd a lb and having to pay 1/2 per lb for the bacon used at the hospital. The member’s advice was taken, and the pigs will shortly be converted into hams and rashers.

A prominent pastoraltst in Central Hawke’s Bay informed an exchange that the shearing results were most satisfactory. The fleeces were heavier and of better texture than for many years past, whilst the sheep were coining out of the wool in good condition. “The farmers,” said the settler, “are in far a good season in Hawke’s Bay, and that means good times for everybody else.”

Workmen of the Manchester Ship' Canal Company at Weaste, while sawing a big, old elm tree into baulks, found a brown earthenware jug entirely embedded in the very heart of the tree. It is thought that more than a hundred years ago a forester put the jug in the fork of Hie tree after a meal and forgol if. The jug during many years was grown over and be-

came embedded in the tree.

From December 19 to January 5, greeting messages will be accepted at tiie Shannon Post Office lor Apia at 6d per word, and for Rarotonga.’ and Nukualofa at 9d per word. Messages must not contain reference to any matter other than greetings. An accident which, might have had serious resuts occurred at the tunnel at Mangorei on Wednesday morning. From what we» can learn it appears that a horse attached to a truck became restivei and backed into the bank, crushing a than named Henderson, who escaped with a broken rib and a shaking. Goal briquettes recently sent from Germany to a French merchant were found to be stamped: “Gott Strafe England, 1915.”

The death is reported from Wellington of Mr Edward Saunders, journalist, aged 40, from heart failure following on pneumonia. Mr Saunders was a son of Mr S. Saunders, himself one bl' the best known journalists in the Dominion, and was a member oi the, ‘‘Dominion” staff.

‘‘Fear is one of the deadly trees in our garden. The worst people we have to deal with are those who slavishly follow fashion. Their one object is to be like others; they are afraid of criticism, and sometimes they try and live up to something they have not got. This gives rise to hypocrisy, which is a deadly weed growing round the trees of fear,” said Dr. Elizabeth Platts Mills to the pupils of the Palmerston North Girls’ High School nt the prize-giving ceremony last night. An experienced orchardist stated to a ‘‘News” representative yesterday that the bronze beetle trouble, which was bad in some orchards this summer, was found to be much worse in old . orchards, and those where the owners had not taken the trouble to clear the grass round the trees. He said the beetles rose from the grass and lodged in the trees, but. if the ground'was left clear the trouble would be .greatly reduced. He had noticed that this season. Trees that had the ground cleared and dug round them were not affected, whilst others that had not got this attention were attacked, in some cases very badly. A party of motorists had a rather bad four hours at the Waitohu ford a few nights ago. On arriving at the ford they discovered a car stuck up in mid-stream, the owner of which, realising it was useless to attempt to get assistance before daylight, had made himself as comfortable as possible and gone to sleep! He / was awakened, and it was decided to attempt to get the car out. The second car was worked across on the upper side of the stranded vehicle, and ong of the party stripped off and hooked a wire on to the car Power whs then put on to the rescuing car, and the tug-of-war commenced. It was a long and tedious job, but, starting at 10.30 p.m., both cars were on the road again at 3 o’clock next morning, after a. strenuous time. Motorists state -that one serious effect in negotiating fords such as the Waitohu is the water getting between the rim and tyre. It is found that' the tyres deteriorate ra pidly, and many have had to re-fit as a result.

The question of the liability of clubs and associations of different kinds who provide cloakrooms for their patrons and the property becoming lost or stolen, was mentioned in a circular letter received by the Horowhenua A. and P. Association at Saturday’s meeting. After mentioning the cases in which the Wellington Racing Club had been held responsible and was mulcted in costs, the letter proceeded: “Apparently the only safe course for associations to pursue if they wish to provide accommodationj’or their patrons is to supply a waiting room with the necessary pegs for hanging coats, leaving the patrons to hang up their coats at their own risk. If attendants are provided they should be instructed not to receive or handle any coats, as in one case tried the courteous assistance of the attendant in taking off a coat and hanging it on the peg was declared to constitute him a ‘gratuitous bailee,’ and responsibility at. once rests upon such person.” The Association decided to consider the matter further at its next meeting. Stone fruit appear to have set well in most orchards this season, and the crop promises to' be heavy, whilst ?.p* pies also look like returning a good crop. Stone fruits last season were very light.

j Net and line fishermen have been having a good time at the Hokio beach of late, the catches of mullet,, sclmapper and kawhai being exceptionally good, whilst a few flounder, have also been landed.

Porker pigs experienced a drop at the Levin sale yesterday, but weaners continue to command good prices. | This is accounted for by the fact that-j feed on tbe dairy farms is plentiful } at prosenl, and it is a better proposi- j lion to utilise tbe “skim dick” by ; feeding a few weaners than to throw: l it away. '}

The Awahuri Dairy Company was fined £5 at Palmerston for selling butter with 17.10 per cent of water in it, contrary to the provisions of the Pure Food Act. The Universal Supply Store was also fined £1 f° r retailing the butter.