Shannon News TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1922.

Shannon News, 19 December 1922, Page 2

Shannon News TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1922.

Ratepayers are reminded of the meeting to be held in the Maoriland Theatre this evening at 8 p.m., when the question of raising a loan for a water supply for the borough will be submitted to them. The matron of the Palmerston North Hospital desires to acknowledge thanks for the following donations to help cheer tip the children and patients at Christinas time: Mrs Park (Levin) £lO 10/. Brother Bill 10/, Mrs Mulrooney £2 2/, Anonymous £l, Father McManus £2 2/, Mrs IT. Wilson £1 1/. On Friday some excitement, was caused in Ballam-e Sued by a (horse a'lnched to a gig boiling. The hmse, which became startled in Vogel Sired, was in charge of a youth named Robinson, and in turning the cornar into Ballance Street one of the wheels came off, ihe driver being thrown out. The horse with the gig minus one wheel then' careered down the street, being eventually pulled up by Mr ITesford before reaching the main street. The driver fortunately escaped with a shaking.

rrir* The Druids’ Lodge will hold'"their monthly meeling- in the Druids’ Hall on Thursday evening next. At me Borougn Council meeting last week the Mayor stated it had been reported to him that particulars ul a matter winch had been discussed in committee hy the Council had neen carried to outsiders hy a councillor. He pointed out that such an action was a very serious matter, and il allowed to he continued would mean that councillors would be afraid to express an opinion on matters before them in committee and refuse to sit at the Council table, -lie impressed on councillors that matters taken in committee were always to be treated confidentially, and hoped such a thing will not occur again.

Mr J. Linklater has received a telegram from the Prime Minister in which he desires to express to the Reform committee his sincere thanks for the splendid work done in the interests of the Party in returning Mr Linklater for Manawatu.

. An area of about 18 acres, containing several thousands of bluegum trees, 40 years old, has been offered lo the Wanganui-Rarigitikei Power Board at a price to be arranged. The trees are the property of Mr Howard, of Westoe.

Since the establishment of constitutional government in New Zealand only eight men have held the office of Speaker. These were: Sir Charles Clifford, Sir David Munro, 1861,70; Sir Francis Dillon Bell 187175; Sir Win. Fitzherbert, 1876 : 79; Sir G. Maurice O’Rorke, 1879-1890, and 1894-1902; Sir Win. Stewart, 1891-93; Sir Arthur Guinness, 1903-13; and Sir .Frederic Lang, 1913-1923. An interesting find in the shape of a fairly complete skeleton of a moa was made last week by Mr J. H. Sorenson while working his goldmining claim at Falls Creek, Orepuki (Otago). The bones were unearthed at a point some 20 feet below the surface, pointing to the conclusion that hundreds of years must have elapsed since that gigantic biped roamed.

“He's a great trier,” remarked a member oi the Patriotic Association at Wanganui, when assistance was sought on behail of a wounded" soldier with a paralysed arm and side, whose wife helps him on the little farm. Yet another case before the Association was that of a soldier with 80 per cent permanent disabilityright arm useless and wounded in other parts of the body—the wife milking 10 cows night and morning.' Help was asked for. a sick child. The Association has' never lurried a deaf ear to a sick case. An ailer-the-election joke is told at the expense of'a well known Dunedin prohibitionist whose business includes the selling of umbrellas. He was rung up on the telephone by a person who imiqired the price of these useful articles—something good, silvermounied handle, etc. The matter was discussed lor .several minutes, and then the “customer” said: “Oh, well, I’H come round and see. I must have something good and strong, because 1 understand it is going to he wet for the next three years.” Inarticulate noises were heard at the other end of the wire, and the joker was quickly rung off. The late Professor Williams hi his “Principles and Practice of Veterinary 'Surgery,” says: With reference to the clipping of horses, I am of the opinion that- it is a great advantage; they work better after being clipped; thrive on less food; are less liable to disease; are stronger, healthier, and more cheerful; and, when sick, recover in a much shorter time.” Youatt (says London Live Stock Journal) refers to clipping as a powerful tonic to the animal suffering from debility, depression of- spirits, and temporary loss of appetite associated with growing the winter coat, adding: “We may not perhaps be able satisfactorily to explain the apparently magical effects of clipping and singeing on the general constitution, and particularly on the wind of the horse or the respiratory functions generally, but there is no doubt of their existence.”

'The gaoler at Wanganui was asked by the Magistrate at the Court one morning last week what his opinion was ol a prisoner who was under sentence lor failing to maintain his wife and family (states the .Herald). The gaoler replied that-in his opinion the man was “a twister,” and he was the sort of fellow very hard ;to fathom. This prisoner had a £SO note in his stocking and when he knew he was to he searched he handed over the money to he given to his wife as a Christmas box. The Magistrate said it was like Ihe case of a train robbery in America, when one person handed over the ten dollars to another' travellei in the presence of the robbers and said: “Mere is the ten dollars I owe you.” The Magistrate said the deception of prisoner had lelt him without a lemedy and lie wonl to gaol. He assured the Court at the- time that he had no money. Had he told the Court he had the 'money, it would have been possible to have admitted him to probation.

“It is much jo the credit of the young' people i-iiut, as soon as they find that their attraction for each other is waning, they mutually agree to dissolve the contract existing between them,” said Mr Justice Chapman at the Supreme Court at New Plymouth during a breach, of promise action, when referring to the behaviour of engaged couples. “There is a man in Eketahuna who deliberately puts a saddle and bridle on his horse and then turns it out on the road for grazing. The idea is to give the ranger the impression that he has just left the horse to go into the house,” was a statement- made at the County Council meeting there on Saturday. “They’ll be putting harness on cows yet and turning them on the roads,” was the remark of a Councillor.

At the conclusion of the Piunket Baby Shop in the Ashburton Domain a mother with four children, whom she had entered in the contest, missed the last train to Dromore, and without hesitation set out to walk the distance, some six miles. The children she packed in the perambulator in all styles, but had not progressed far before being overtaken by a lady interested in Piunket work, who had heard of her misfortune. The much-relieved mother and her young family were motored to their home. An accident of a serious nature occurred on the Makura during the voyage from Sydney to Auckland, tne victim being Mr J. H. Douglas, father of the famous English cricketer, Mr J. W. H. T. Douglas. While walking in the luggage room Mr Douglas slipped and fell through the hatch six feet into No. Si hatch. His thigh was broken and he also sustained a contused eye, but in spite of the fact that he is 70 years old, he had recovered in a wonderful manner up to the time of the vessel’s arrival. An ambulance conveyed him to a private hospital, where he was reported to be making satisfactory progress.

Public wonderment has often neen aroused at the .singular manner in which, year alter year, movements of the Australian fleet synchronise with important happenings on the turf, says the Melbourne. Age, of November 14. By some strange coincidence the cruisers and destroyers with their crews, all of which and of whom Australia is so justly proud, came to Melbourne just In time to see the Melbourne Cup race run. And now unit the spring carnival has ended, the fleet lias begun to move again. Yesterday the destroyers Stalwart, Anzac and Tasmania left Victoria Dock to Williamstown—another coincidence, for the Williamstown Cup was run yesterday—-and will sail again to-day on an etxended cruise. But, as the song says, this is “Au re voir, not good bye,” for all past experience has shown that the whole fleet will find it imperatively necessary to go into dry dock about the first Tuesday of next November.

As one result of the elections, the name Seddon no longer appears amongst the list ol’ the members of the New Zealand Parliament. Students of poJities will have to go back over 40 years to find a New Zealand Parliamentary list without the name of Seddon. Tom Seddon was amongst the politically slain in the recent contest, hence the disappearance of the name from our Parliamentary list. Richard John Seddon was as true and ardent a supporter of the British Empire as ever stepped the soil of New Zealand. His sons were' loyal to the memory of their father. They noth fought for Empire, and one of them found a soldier’s grave. Tom Seddon, whilst still a member of Parliament, heard the call of Empire, donned the khaki, and played his part as a soldier. ’ Now comes the strange sequel. Tom has been defeated by a candidate who (says the Wanganui Chronicle) served term of imprisonment in Lyttelton- Gaol owing to his attitude towards conscription during the war.

The fact that deer are becoming a nuisance to agriculturists in certain parts of the Dominion, and are causing a great deal of damage to crops, has been before the Department of Internal Affairs lor some time. The decision of the department that it is possible the protection on deer will have to be removed in, the more settled parts of the Dominion was communicated to the council of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society last evening. Mr H. I-I. Ostler presided.. The department stated that it might be necessary at a later stage to bold a conference of acclimatisation societies and others interested. A final decision had not. yet been reached, but meanwhile owners or occupiers of land where damage was being caused by deer were authorised to destroy animals found there. Such persons were permitted to sell or otherwise dispose of the venison and skins, but no one would be permitted to dispose of or sell or even relain the head or antlers of any stag without the consent of tlm local acclimatisation society. This communication was approved.

‘A special attraction at the Maoriland Theatre on Friday evening next will be the film “Wild Honey,” starring Priscilla Dean. Box plan notf/; open at Aldersey’s. No extra charge for booking.

At the Shannon School on Friday last, on the occasion of the breakingup for the Christmas holidays, some of the members of the staff .were the recipients of a presentation. Mr Voysey, headmaster, was presented by the boys of Standard V. with a perpetual desk calendar, and by the: girls with a black morocco leather writing case, with his initials engraved upon a silver shield attached. Mr A. H. gan received from his class, Standard VI., gold-plated self-sharpening pencil, and he! was also- asked to> accept on behalf of Mrs Morgan a pair of silver vases. Miss Otiaway, a relieving teacher, also received a suitable present. The gifts were much appreciated by the recipients. At the Police Court at Palmerston yesterday, Walter Webb, storekeeper and carrier, of Tokomaru, was charged with illegally selling liquor. The allegation was that accused had been buying liquor at a brewery at Palmerston North at 3/ a gallon and selling it from his store at Tokomaru at 4/3. Algernon Williams, a witness, said ihe practice had, been going on for years. The question arose during the hearing as to. whether a certain witness named George for whom liquor was allegedly procured by accused was a full-blooded Maori, as the district in which the offence is alleged to have been committed is a “dry” one as far as natives are concerned. The contention for the defence was that accused did not actually conduct a sale of the liquor, but was merely the agent of the persons who came to him and asked them to get it for him. Defendant had, Mr Cooper stated, placed in the hands of the brewery a list of those for whom he required the liquor and they had supplied it in orie-gal-" lon jars. The Magistrate reserved his decision, remarking that evidence would have to be procured as to whether the witness George was a Maori or not..

A number oi men sitting in a room m a public building in tbe city last week (says the Auckland Star) were discussing the value oi land in the vicinity of where they were. “I wa& born a hundred yards from here 60 years ago,” said one, “and my father did not think it worth while to buy the allotment where our house was. He put up another house on a section he bought further out a.t one-twenti-eth the, price asked for the land where we ate sitting.” “My father also had a section near here long ago,” said another, “but he sold it to go o-ut to Oneliunga, where land did not go up very much.” “Anyway, I’m still earning eight quid a week,” said the tim man. “And I’m able to knock out nine quid,” said the second man, “and perhaps we are as happy as our fathers had left us great sums oi money through sticking to their Auckland properties.” Both agreed they were not worried with having to look for investments for their surplus cash, and faced the world every morning free from care and worry.