Shannon News TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 1923.

Shannon News, 28 August 1923, Page 2

Shannon News TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 1923.

Mr p. Thompson, of Ballance street, who underwent a serious operation some weeks ago at the Palmerston North Hospital, has returned home a&ain. Although still very weak, he is recovering rapidly. On Monday evening next, in the sample room of. the Maoriland Theatre, Mr T. Buxtoj}, organiser of the N.Z. Farmers’. Union, Avail address all lanners on matters of vital importance to them. All farmers are invited to attend. Mr c. G. Roibertson, of the local post office staff, has received notice' of his appointment os telegraphist on the H.M.S. Chatham, which is about to sail on a three months’ cruise of the Pacific Islands. 'Leave of absence has been granted him by the Pb s t and Telegraph Department and he leaves for Auckland to-day to join the ship. Mr S. J. Henry, of Eltham; sujcceeds Mr Robertson on the local staff.

A big liner got off the Azores. Divers went down. But . one aged: warrior of the undersea contrived frequently to achieve the inexplicable—go down sober as a judge, and come up drunk. Curiosity got to such a pitch that Diver Lambert became the diver deputation t,o ascertain, if possible, this submarine mixing of wine and water. What happened was quite simple, if dangerous. The, old man would get into an air-lock in the hold, raise his head into it,

unscrew hits head helmet, and—take a' generous draught from a bottle of snirits. Then he would resu|me his helmet, and enter' the briny once more! This' business was stopped, i the old., man ;being warned that while he could haye ; a case ashore,' he mtijst' not have even a bottle afloat!

A man named Edward Sullivan was arrested at Miranui yesterday morning charged with being an idle and disorderly person. Iht: number of cattle slaughtered for food purposes within the Dominion during the four years mentioned -was as follows: (1917) 285,129, (1918) 341,309, (1919) 355,357, (1920) 413,206, and (1921) 366,565. It would be interesting to learn the latest 1922-23 returns, as to how far the “eat more beef” campaign had been effective.

By a slip of the tongjue Mr Wilford, in tbe House of Parliament, described a Crown tenant as. a Grown prisoner, when discussing the Discharged Soldiers’ Settlement Bill. When the titter of laughter , subsided, Mr Wilfcrd said that unconsciously , he had given a very accurate description of a tenant who carried a liability to the tii'wn of thousands of pounds. iV-r Ilawken: He is the second mortgagee's prisoner. There are no car speeders in North Adrm , Massachusetts. A policeman stands at the roadside with a red i> nttrn or flag. Speeders are hailed trd cautioned to use discretion. If the driver fails to slow down the roh’,eman blows his whistle; Further down the road a board filled with short spikes is stretched across the highway.

Electric searchlights playing over the surface of the waters in the Norwegian fjords lure the sardmes to the surface, where they can be caught. The sardine canneries along the co.ast, of Norway were recently threatened with a lack of fish owing to the fact that the sardines, remained so deep as to render fishing impossible, ine lights remedied this situation. A quiet wedding was celebrated at the Church of England on Thursday morning when Mr Frederick Vincent Hewitt Of Pahiatua, who had resided in Shannon for ■ some yearst, was united in the holy bonds of matrimony with Miss M. Burdon, of Wadebridge, Cornwall, the nuptial knot being tied by the : Key- Mr Abbott. The bride, who was given away by Mr P. Hemingsen., arrived in the Dominion by the Corinthic last week. Later the happy couple left by motor car for Wellington, where the honeySoon will be spent.. Their future home will be at Pahiatua. The canvass of the Bunnythorpe block of the Manawatu-Oroue power Board’s district for consumers, bl electric current has been practically completed. As in the case of the Whakaronga block there were practically no refusals to connect up, and the results are considered by the board to be eminently satisfactory. The Kairanga block, where it is «.x----eected mucS power will be required —largely for milking plants—wii. next be canvassed. From September 1, a new class of plain language cable message, known as “daily letter telegrams,” will be accepted for the United Kingdom, -by both Eastern and Pacific routes, and for Canada via “Pacific” only. The service is not available to other countries. The messages will be accepted on any day except Sundays, and will be subject to 48 hours’ delay during transmission. The minimum charge is 13/6 for twenty words and 8d per word thereafter, to the United Kingdom, and 10/2 for twenty words and sixpence per \Vord thereafter, to Canada. From the same date the rates via Pacific for week-end caible s to the United Kingdom will be reduced: to a minimum of 11s 10d (including tax) for twenty words, and sevenpence per

word in excess, and in the case of Canada, the minimum will he reduced: to 8s lid (including tax), and 5Jd for each succeeding word. At the meeting of shareholders of the Shannon Dairy Co. on Saturday the question of feeding rape and turnips to cows and its. effect upon butter came up. One speaker stated there was a great tendency in, this district, for farmers to grow this fodder. He stated several factory managers up North had refused to take milk from cows fed on turnips or rape, also the Government- dairy officers did not- approve of this feeding. He could not see why farmers would not go in. more for growing barley, millet, lucerne, etc., from which good results can be obtained without the likelihood of affecting the quality of the buttter and he certainly thought these crops should. be grown instead, Mr Aim, the manager, on being asked his opinion on the matter, said turnips ' could be fed to a certain point. Most farmers grazed too hard. If the farmer grazed his cows for half an hour after each milking the turnips had little effect. A farewell social was tendered tc the ltev. and Mrs Minifle on Thursday evening, in the Foxton Methodist Sunday schoolroom. Mr J. Blanks, circuit steward, presided, and spoke of tihe faithful manner in which Mr Minifle ha,d discharged his spiritual and pastoral duties. In speaking of his organising ability. Mr Blanks referred to the renovating of the parsonage, and the removal of the Beach church to Foxton, and its conversion into a commodious and well-appoint-ed schoolroom, and the improvement oif the parsonage 'and church grounds. They all regretted Mr Minifle’s retirement on account of ill-health, and

wished' him a speedy recovery and i success. He a.lso' paid a tribute 10 the good work done hv Mrs Minifie. On behalf of the congregation, ho 11esented Mr and Mrs 'Minifie with vn oak case containing * a set of fish • knives and forks, and a suitably inscribed silver serviette ring to their little son.. Brief eulogistic speeches were made by the Revs. McDonald (Presbyterian), W. H. Walton (Anglican),’ Ensign ’ Huston (Salvation Army), and Mr Crystal! (on behalf of the local lay preachers). In responding on behalf or himself and Avife, the Rev. Minifie sincerely thanked the speakers for their expressions of good will, and for the tokens of esteem. Mr Minifie' s-aid the keenest appreciation'of his work' among them Avould be the rallyinjfof their assistance and' hearty co-operatiGn 'to his. successor, and 'the general Avork for the extension of the Kingdom of Christ. Although resigning*'from the' ministry, bo Avovdd continue his sendees as an active layman, as he considered the are,at need' of the Church AVas service endere,’ by its members.

It nvas stated at the meeting of shareholders of the Shannon Dairy Co. on Saturday that possibly very few factories have the record that this company .holds. The business has .been run soundly on purely co-opera-tive lines and has. proved a great success and with the near approach of electricity at their door together with the beautiful rich country surrounding the town, they must look forward to a rapidly increasing business.

The meeting of supporters of the candidature or the Sports Queen for the coming Queen Carnival for the purpose of drawing up a programme was well attended lasi evening, but as the -meeting was not sufficiently informed as to. what queens are available, it wias decided to adjourn the meeting until further information from the Executive, has been received as to the. number of queens coming forward.

Mr Alexander Duckham, Sevenoaks, Kent, wrote to the London Times: Some, years ago I became interested in' the effect of colour on flies and other insects, because I noticed' that in one of my cow-sheds, the interior of which was . painted pale blue; there was no flies, whilst in a neighbouring shed, painted white, there were quite a number and I wondered whether blue was offensive to flies. This, year, whilst in the West Indies, at, Tabaquite, Trinidad, tbe centre of the operations of Trinidad Central Oilfields, Ltd., I noticed that some of the native labourers had painted pale blue the interior of their rooms in the barracks, and, on being questioned, they stated that they thought the room was more free from flies than the other rooms in the barracks. I therefore asked the Labour Superintendent to. have a further experiment made, and I have just received his report- to the effect that m the room so treated .the occupant states that \he| has since the date of painting seen no flies, and he adds that the number of mosquitoes is much less than: formerly. If there be as I hope, something* in the use of pale blue for scaring flies and mosquitoes, it would indeed be a godsend to everyone, but more especially to those living in the tropics, and that i 9 why I venture to ask you to insert this letter in your paper.” A consignment of sixty tons of pressed hay is being sent to Wellington from the Central Development

Farm next week. Owing to the lateness of the . present spring- there is a good local demand for hay, but unfortunately inquiries, from local dairymen did not come to hand until after the surplus from the Farm had been disposed of. Mr W. J: McCullough, manager of the Central Development Farm. Weraioa, has received cabled advice from England of the consignment of a boar and sow of each of the Large Black and Large White .breeds, for the purpose of establishing those breeds at the Farm The accumulation of two years’ marine growth has been removed, from the bull u the steamer Atua, winch is. now in dock, at Auckland, lor cleaning' and painting. This consisted o. a crop of mussels weighing almost it tons and evidenced trie rapid rate at which marine grow.Ui gathers on the hulls of steamers lying at anchor, i was two years on the 17th inst. since the Atua was floated out of dock, after the last painting of her hull. < At a carnival held at Blackpool, a Lancashire seaside resort, a few weeks ago. no less than 32,000 motor cars passed a given point between 8 o’clock in the morning and 10 p.m. They were compelled to keep in order, and were not allowed to thread their way through, in. addition to which they had to pe parked outside the city. It is. hardly surprising thai some owners were unable to find their own cars ; at the end of the day. The Mayor of Blackpool estimated that over two million people visited the city during the week, and on the Saturday over half a million, and that they spent: quite a million pounds during' the carnival. Over .50 special trains ran into the city between 8 a-.m. and 3.30 p.m., and these trains were all got away again by 3 o’clock next morning. Only about 100 excursionists failed to take. the proper train home, and they went back by ordinary train Consider the troubles of an opossum trapper. He catches the wary ’possum, skins him, prepares the product, and brings it to town. He calls on the broker to make registration., but the broker has no registration forms He calls on the Acclimatisation Socio ty and finds no forms there. He is advised to try the Post Office. There he is given a form that he is told “might do.” Faint and weary- he

trudges back to the Acclimatisation Society’s office only to be informed that the form must lie signed before the secretary or the ranger, or the postmaster. ' The secretary is .o.ut. The ranger is over the hills and far away, and .the town , clock shows that the postmaster is entitled to his week-end respite. So the trapper, with a frayetemper, and with boot soles worn much thinner, makes bis way back to the woods of Okoia. He must come to town again to finish the job. Then, doubtless, he will make fur fly with uncouth comment upon the delays of officialdom—Wanganui, Chronicle. Tins is almost too good a story to he 1 rue. nevertheless it can be vouched for- (says the Southland Daily News). There is a certain vicarage in

Invercargill and one day this week a big retriever dog evidenced a desire to become acquainted. Much to his satisfaction, he was given a savoury bone. But next morning he appeared again and brought a friend, and) both were rewarded with something j to eat. On the third morning the retriever was once more prompt in his attendance, but, alas, the cupboard was bare. He was petted and sent rohidantly away. The consternation of the lady of the house can, however, be imagined, when, about, half an hour later (lie returned and proudly deposited on the door step a sirloin of beef, obviously stolen from the butcher nearby, and still bearing a ticket marked 3 s 2d! The lady is now won do ring whether she is to be regarded ns an accessory after the fact, or whether her canine friend j was merely acknowledging past f&v- j urs. ' ’

A party of three, all of cue family operating at Wairekiki ibuur.hiond), secured 950 opossum skins for a month. Their earnings may be roughly estimated at £4OO. “They are. going't 0 train boys in Britain for farm work in New Zealand,” says a northern exchange. “One of the most eminent lawyers is to be engaged to teach them what a mortgage is.” Several men wheeled heavy barrow loads up to Dr. Barnardo’s Homes in London recently. A friend ban sent 16,000 half-crowns to start a halfcrown campaign with. Over 270 applications were received for the position of secretary of the combined Dalefield, Parkvale, Taranaki, Belvedere and Carrington Dairy Companies. A special committee has been set up to deal with them. Lady Jellicoe is Shortly to pay a visit to Japan. It is the intent!ju of Her Excellency, who will be .if. *mpanied by the Hon. Lucy Jellicoe, to leave Wellington for Sydney on September 14, and they will then emn-.uk for Japan. A wife’s mania for life insurance was described at the North London Court when the husband sought an action against file insurance company' lor the recovery of the premiums. The husband* said his wife had taken out •23 policies all of which she paid from the housekeeping money. As a result of her folly he and the family had to live in a very frugal way. Four of the policies, he added, were on the life of a child of two. In order to advertise New Zealand lamb, arrangements have been made by the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board, through its London Office, to deliver single carcases of prime New Zealand lamb to any address in Great Britain for the sum of £ll3s per carcase. All that is necessary is to send the sum named to the secretary of the N.Z. Meat Producers’ Board, P.O. Box 121, Wellington, together wit' the recipients’ full address, plainly written, and the necessary arrangements will be promptly attended to. -When a herd-testing association was in progress in the Carterton district some years back members took samples and did their weighing, with tbe result that- some phenomenal records were established/the object of enterprising dairymen being to outclass their neighbours at the sacrifice of a true test. The officers of the Dairy Division were keeping an" eye on the records, and so impressed were they with two cows of one dairyman that a letter was dispatched warning that unless he was very careful the cows Would turn into butterfatl The question was asked of Mr A. C. Ross, a Government dairy instructor what is to become of the scrub cows Mr Ross replied that when they strengthened their herds with purebred bulls, there would be no scrub cows. The problem of how to dispose of the culls has been solved by the settlers of Herbert (North. Otago). At least 50 of these cows have. been sold to poultry raisers, who take the hides off, boil down the carcases, and fed the flesh to their fowls with wheat. Some of the settlers in the neighbourhood of Oama.ru are fattening their scrub cows off, slaughtering on the farm, and using them for home consumption. .

The reports of recent Roman Catholic ordinations in Ireland contain

the names of several priests and prospective priests who have been allotted work in the Auckland diocese. At All Hallows’ College, Dublin, on June 10, Dr. Morris Roe, Bishop of Achonry, .ordained the following: Order of the tonsure. Messrs Michael O’Carroll land Dennis Leen; order of exorcist and acolyte, Mr Michael Kennedy; order of priesthood, Rev. John Doherty. At S. Mary’s Cathedral, Kilkenny,. on the same date, the Rev. James' Downey, C.M., Coadjutor-Bis-hop of Ossory, raised to the priesthood the. Rev. John Downey. All these priests have been appointed to Auckland.

Robert Murray, a boy soprano, with a voice reaching to the D which falls on the sixth leger line above the treble clef, said to be the highest voice on record,, has been astonishing New York city-. His imitations of bird calls a|t a concert -given at the Hippodrome are said to have been remarkable. The highest note ever sung, (however, has a new claimant, a friend of Miss Bessie Greenwood stating that she sings the G on the eighth line above the treble clef, to which Master Robert Murray blandly retorts that in the bird cadenzas of his songs he carries his voice to the D five degrees above the G just mentioned.

A correspondent of the Feilding Star writes: “The makers of a wellknown and muich-used breakfast food have adopted the method of stapling the top of the bags with .wire instead of using the old style of sewing. This may be a labour-saving method for tire makers, but it is extremely dangerous, as was rnadie evident to me one day recently. My wife served, the usual dish of; porridge for the children’s breakfast. The youngest child, three years old, commenced choking, and alter great exhaustion managed to expel one of the fasteners which had caught in his throat, and which had evidently been dropped into the bag in the factory. I think the Government should prohibit the use of these wires, as .somef child may not be so fortunate as mine.”

I Mr Arthur Ingham had a very narrow escape from serious injury in [ Cambridge on Saturday at mid-day. He was examining the tank of his motor-cycle at the rear of Mr Hastie’s cycle shop. The machine was being put into running order and had not had benzine in the tank for a few days, hut. apparently fumes remained, for whilst bending over the tank it exploded, the fumes presumably igniting from a. burning cigarette. Mr Ingham received practically tihe whole explosion in his face, and was severely scorched with the flame about the eyes and forehead, sustaining several nasty burns. Fortunately his sight was not. injured. After, receiving medical attention he was able to get about again.—-Independent..