Shannon News TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1923.

Shannon News, 9 January 1923, Page 2

Shannon News TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1923.

Work alter the Christmas holidays was resumed) at Mangahao and the fla.xinills yesterday.

The first meeting ‘of the Borough Council for the New Year will he held this evening at the Council Chambers,

Every train arriving yesterday brougthi a number of men who-were returning to 1 lie hydro works at Maogahao, and the local taxis had a busy lime.

Mr R. (’..'Mason, the well known ong distance runner, of New Plynouth, was a visitor to Shannon Cor be week-end. Mr Mason is a brother >f Mr T. Mason of this town.

Mr Charles Palmer, of Longburn, suffered a severe loss on Saturday when five Jersey heifers died, presumably from the result of lead poisoning. Mr Palmer values-the animals ai over .£3O each,

During the holidays a Wanganui party of four, shooting for four days near Karioi, got 1200 rabbits.

A Hastings telegrant says a series . of heavy tropical showers with thunder, experienced last week, still continue, impeding harvesting operations. Lambs are drafting very badly this year compared with last. Where 80 per cent were accepted,last year, only about half this percentage is being taken this year.—Wairarapa Age. At the Palmerston North High School baths, Arthur Meecham, a onelegged Boy Scout, fourteen years of age, gained, his life-saving swimming badges. The strawberry season, which is now almost at an end, has been a very disappointing one for the growers, says the Auckland Herald. The most unusual weather experienced was the cause of the trouble, the berries being in consequence very low, both in quality and quantity. During her trip to Germany, Mrs J. W. Dimmer, of Levin, attended a race meeting at Cologne. This city is occupied by British troops, and the meeting was a purely British one, the horses engaged being the property of English officers. Totalisators were in use just the same as in New Zealand

Reports I‘rom the country districts indicate that animals had a premonition of an earthquake on Christmas Day (says the Lyttelton Times). One fanner states that nearly half a minute before the shock occurred, he noticed two cows rushing about the paddock in a frantic condition, bellowing loudly. Another saw his horses careering across the fields. Even smaller animals, such as cats, appeared to' apprehend danger, for one resident’s domestic feline was seen clutching the earth some seconds before the oscillation commenced.

While on his recent visit to the United States, Marshal Foch made a witty reply to a man who, when one of the. guests at a dinner party in Denver, given by a party of Americans, took exception to French politeness. “There is nothing in it but wind,'' he said with questionable taste. “Neither is there anything but wind in a pneumatic tyre,” retorted the gallant Marshal, “yet it. eases the jolts along life’s highway wonderfully.” A returned soldier recently congratulated himself on a very acceptable and unexpected Christmas box (states the Marlborough Express). While going through his effects the other day he came across a silver cigarette case, which on being opened was found to contain five sovereigns, each neatly wrapped up in paper. In 1915, while at Shanghai, the returned soldier obtained them from a. hank prior to going on active service, and put them away in"’ his cigarette case lor a “rainy day.” He had forgotten ail about them until he opened his cigarette case.

“I made: the mistake of allowing myself io be persuaded to take a hand in local politics. The twelve years spent on the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, a like term on the Borough Council, and six or seven on the Harbour Board, represent sacrifices which in Justice to myself I should never have made.” This was the confession of a New Plymouth man who died recently, it is too often the case that when a capable man takes up public work he is kept at. it continuously, to the. detriment of his own business interests. Everything is expected of the willing horse.

The House of Lords was treated to aii oteresting spectacle the other day, when the Prince of Wales, who outranks all the lords, smilingly dis-

regarded precedent by waiving the rights to which he is entitled as heir to the throne. When the Prince arrived to take the oath as member of the new Parliament, he found a queue of some 51) noble lords lined up ahead of him. The clerk of the House immediately hurried to the Prince to conduct him to the head of the line,

but the scion of royalty, shook his head irid retained his place at the end of the line. There was near-consterna-tion on the faces of several of the lords, and several offered the Prince their places in the line, but be smilingly declined and wailed bis turn, which was tong in coming.

We have received a booklet dealing with the great work that is being done by Dr. Barnardo’s Home, accompanied by an appeal for help. Since Dr. Barnardo commenced his | work f>G years ago no Jess Ilian 94.0(H) children have been rescued from wretched surroundings and have been given every opportunity to become good citizens and live happy, useful lives. Not only is a great philanthropic work being done, but a work which is of great value to the nation, which is assisted in building up its greatest asset. To keep such vast institutions in existence reliance has to be placed very largely on the voluntary gifts of thei public. The need for assistance was never more urgent than at the present time, and | gifts, whether large- or small, will be j welcomed.

Stratford raised £I4OO for its band by means of a Mardi Gras, and Opunake over £IOOO for beach improvements by its carnival.

Within the past twelve months seven urownnig laluliti.es hate benn itcurdeu m Foxtuii, including two in the lake on Messrs. Robinson’s properly, and the finding of an unidentified male body on the river bank Herald.

Mr A. E. Fear, organiser for the Dairy Farmers’ Union, met with an accident on the Hukuni Road, on Monday. Mr Fear was driving along a slippery portion of road when his car skidded and turned a somersault, into a ditch. Mr Fear’s only injury was a badly mutilated ear, which necessitated his removal to the hospital. A shearing tally considerably above fbe average was put up at- the Glenallan woolshed, Waikari, Canterbury, the other day by three local shearers —M. Carr, P. PhilshaW, and D. Smith. The three turned out (317 full-wool Corriedale sheep within shearing hours, each breaking 200 per man. Two oi the. men are returned soldiers.

Four stowaways were discovered aboard tiie steamer Atarama which arrived in Auckland from Liverpool on Sunday. They were: all boys about 19 years old, and, being unable to obtain work in England, had decided to try their iortunes in a new country. They- worked excellently on the voyage, two serving in the stokehold, and the others as stewards. In view of their conduct, on board, the ship’s authorities decided to take no action against them.

During the Indian riots in Fiji the' lack of mounted troops was sadly felt by the officer commanding. It has now been decided by the O.C. (Colonel Golding) that the nucleus of a mounted force: be formed, and nearly 40 men have handed in their names as members of the corps. The Government will pay .each selected man an annual allowance of some £7 for horse allowance, with uniform and rifle. Such a force, small as it may appear, would be of very great value in the event oi any civil commotion, as the Indians are very timid of horsemen.

Armed men, who wrecked a- train on the Great Southern and Western Railway between Cahir and Clonmel, County ’Tipperary, adopted unusual methods. Detonators were placed on the line, mid as a U’ain from Carrick-on-Suir approached the-raiders waved a red 'light and the train came to a standstill. Officials and passengers were forced to alight, and then the rails behind, the coaches were cut. The engine was detached and driven into the staitciing coacheS, which were telescoped. The operation was repeated three times untiL the train was completely wi'ecked. Some little, commotion was caused at Castleclifi Beach recently, says the Wanganui Herald, when a lady bather discovered that her pair of silk knickers costing oyer £2, had been substituted with a plain calico pair, as she termed them, “worth about half a crown.” The bespoiled owner made a considerable fuss and complained to a policeman- The representative of law and order blushed considerably when the case was explained to him, and suggested tactfully that anything in the way. -of assisting in the work of

restoration was quite beyond him. A dispa,tcAx from Vienna states that the slogan of the newly-appointed commission to relieve the housing crisis is “njiarry or move.” All bache-

lors with apartments have been informed by agents of the commission that there are only enough apartments for married people. One bachelor appealed to the Supreme Court, which upheld tire decision of the commission, and ordered the man to move in ;J5 days if he was not married I lien. “You give me 15 days in which to find and many a woman with whom I have to live, lor the rest of my life?”

asked, the bachelor. The Court, answered affirmatively.

While working' on the Clyde, Quay Wharf recently, the Wellington Harbour Board dredge struck an object

upon which it could make no impression. A diver was sent down to investigate, and he discovered a huge tree .stump, standing .upright, Ihe top of tine slump being about five feet be-

low 'the harbour bed. Tims is material provided for an interesting study. The harbour at' the spot where the tree was found had already been

dredged five feet, .so the obstacle was originally at least 10 feet, below the snrface. Flow did 'JJ~ get there: 1 One theory advanced is .that hundreds of years ago the tree v.vas washed down ihe Hutt River and floated right way up unlil it finally settled on the» bot-

tom, and commenced -.V> sink. Again it may lie that in the .-dim and distant past there: was a foYest where Clyde Quay wharf now .stands. This point may; be the starting point, of an interesting controversy. The stump has since been destroyed jby a charge of dynamite, and the Hapbour Board will probably supply a sanUple of the wood to any person who desires to investigate} further. *