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Shannon News, 3 January 1923, Page 3

Indignation often impels a man to do strange things (says the Southland Times), but it- is seldom that it is the cause of a generous action. At Ihe Wallacetown sale a well known grazier, who offered a pen of vealers, became so indignant at the languid bid- ) ding that he impetuously informed the auctioneer to give the vealers to those butchers who had put in bids. Two butchers benefited by the generosity inspired by the grazier’s indignation, while the auctioneer readily assented to forego his commission.

A district resident who was at the Dunedin wool sales the other day told a little anecdote at the Owaka Show that was illustrative of the unexpectedly high values realised at the sales in question. A runholder from the Lakes District, who had sent forward a. large parcel of wool in the expectation of getting 12d a lb, was astonished and delighted to secure 22d a lb. The recent reduction of the exchange rate between England and the Dominion, due to tihe accumulation of New Zealand funds in the Old Coun/try, means that a farthing a pound more can be paid for butter-fat, than under the old rate. The difference in favour of the Dominion when the output for the rest of the season is taken into account will be a considerableme.

On Christmas Eve several business firms in Masterton were visited by an individual who presented cheques allegedly signed by “E. Riddiford.” His story was that he was a station hand employed by Mr Hiddiford and had just receiveS his cheque for a month’s pay. When presented at the bank the cheques, which were all drawn for £l4 10/, were considered to be forgeries and were refused by the bank.

The last season of Oberammergau Passion Play performances were witnessed by 317,000 Visitors, with nearly 2T,LUTO,ODt) marks receipts. An American company has offered several milliard marks f6r a film of the performance. The 1 ■‘teilipTStldTi was exceedingly great, and some members of the community Wei'S wavering; so the strong-minded manager, George Lang, insisted on the Apostles and Saints going straight to the barber at the end of the last performance and cutting off their long Bair' and shaving their beards. So the temptation was evadeTT and tradfllCh saved.

• Captain J. Vellenoweth, of the Union Steam Ship Company’s steamer Kaitaugata, underwent a strange experience on Christmas Day. When the steamer was six miles off Lyttelton Heads a sensation was felt similar 4o that, of the vessel being changed from full speed ahead to full speed astern. There was a bumping as. though the stem lmd grazed a sandbank, the whole ship being shaken and the masts quivering. It was at first thought that a serious mishap had occurred in the engine-room, but* it soon became apparent that all the ship was experiencing was the strange phenomenon of an earthquake at sea.