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Shannon News, 29 December 1922, Page 3

The culling of the deer herds at Paraparaiimu, Eketahuna, Mangahao and Tauherenikau has been completed. These are all comparatively small herds, the largest in the province being located at Martinborough. This herd will be culled after the New Year.

During the last seven ypars a Wanganui lady has been drawing a widow’s pension to supplement her second husband’s wages. She probably would have gone on drawing ii had not something happened to upset the even tenor of the- way. In all, she helped to increase New Zealand’s debt by £lB4, and yesterday she was called upon to account for it, Justices committed her to the Supreme Court for sentence.

A prominent pastoralist in Central Hawke’s Bay informed an exchange that the shearing results were most satisfactory. The fleeces were heavi?r and of better texture than for many

years past, whilst the sheep were coming the wool in good condition. “The farmers,” said the settler, “are in tor a good season in 1 Hawke’s Bay, and that means good times for everybody else.” To be killed through' the agency of a sparrow was the fate of a returned soldier named Frank Webb, aged f.'i, at Te Aroha on Sunday last, At tie inquest on Monday evidence was given showing that Webb examined the transformer at the local electric power-station, and isolated all the switches on the platform. He also examined the oil switch, and called out to (his companion, “all safe.” Webb then went on the platform and found the 3000-volt switch all right. He was opening the centre fuse box when his companion, Lockyer, noticed an electric flash strike his forehead, Webb , immediately falling to the platform. Lockyer climbed up and found Webb apparently dead. He also found a dead sparrow beside H>e body. All the switches had been turned off, and there should have

been no current passing through any

of the wires. Alfred Waters, the board's electrical inspector, said be saw the sparrow, which had its beak and one leg partly burned off. On inspection he found an arc on a wire connecting the knife of the air switch and the oil switch; also an arc on the .Mr switch clip which the knife worfld lit into if closed. He was of opinion that the sparrow got across between the knife and the clip, thus inducting 11,000 volts into the wires where Webb’s shoulders . would be. The Coroner returned a, verdict that Webb met his death by electrocution, no blame being attachable to anyone.

Westland is one of the “wettest” electorates in New Zealand, in more ways than one. The official figures for the recent licensing poll in thqit district are: Continuance, 4758; State control, 329; Prohibition, 2731. A record was established at the Waharoa butter factory on December 4, when 812 boxes of butter, representing a total of 20 tons 6cwt, were manufactured. This is a Dominion record. The time taken was 12 hours.

Commenting on the vagaries of New Zealand Acts, the Wanganui Herald observes that to kill an opossum without having a license the offender is liable to a penalty of £SO. On ihe other hand if a person suffering from an infectious disease travels hi a train or public conveyance the maximum penalty is £lO. The 1 coastal rivers have not provided very goocf'angling so far this season. The Otaki River has been the best, and the fish landed, though not numerous, have been good. One of the best fish taken in the Wellingl on Province this season was secured in the Hutt River and scaled 141 b.