Shannon News TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1923.

Shannon News, 27 November 1923, Page 2

Shannon News TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1923.

The large candle,' on .which the Fibre Queen Committee are holding a guessing competition as to how long it will take to burn itself out, was yesterday morning placed' in Mr E. A. H. George's window and lighted at 10.10 a.m. Quit© a lot of interest is being taken in it., the calculations varying from one to seven days./ At the hearing of a charge of theft whilst on a drinking toout preferred against a young ffflan at the police court yesterday morning, Mr Howard Andrew (whose goods had .been talcen) said he regretted the position the accused had placed himself in and trusted it would be a lesson to him and if accused chose to go straight in the future he would be prepared to help him all he could. A motor car belonging to Mr Verity, of Moutoia, was regaioyed from the Druids'; Hall on Saturday evening during the iboxing tourney. It was found on Sunday morning at the second ford on the road to Arapeti. Thje joy-riders,, apparently got this far when the 'benzine ran out. The can had not fteen damaged in any way.

At the local police court yesterday morning, before Messrs Murdoch and Waring Taylor, a young man named Harry Smith, Who is. employed at Arapeti, appeared to • answer a'Series of tsharges committed whilst he was on a drinking bout in Shannon on Saturday. While in a drunken state he .visited Mr Howard Andrew's drar pery establishment and calmly helped himself to a brief bag, which he refused to put back when requested to. He also visited Mr J. V. Burns' stationer's shop and tried to get away with $, wickter chair, butf ivvas stopped. Nevertheless, still determined to get something, he got; out unobserved with « child's tricycle from thje shop. He was charged with these two -offences, also with drunkenness and using obscene language. In pleading guilty to all the charges, accused said he remembered nothing, and that, drink was thje cause of his trouble. He asked that a prohibition order be taken out against him. After receiving a severe admonishment from the Btenchi accused! (was convicted Jfor drunkenness, 1 on the two charges of theft hfc was fined £1 or 48 hours' imprisonment on each charge, and for using obscene language (he was fined £4, in default 14 days' imprisonmenj), the' sentences to be cumulative, A prohibition order was also takes out at accused's own request. Time was allowed in which to pay the fines. /

Howard Andrew, Ltd., have a very interesting, advt. on page 2 of fashionable, *e'a&ojjjable &s(s (reasonable good*

There" is a decidedhardening; in the butter and cheese market «t Home, and! the indications point. ot • stall ■ raxther improvementv, To eliminate, the trouble and in con* venience caused by having to compry with the registration of firearms the Wairarapa Amateur Athletic sub-cen-tre has purchased a starting gum to loan out toj clubs. As evidence .of the splendid growth in Waipukurau, a well-known gardener was observed cutting down his' cabbages with an axe. The cabbages were of great size and in splendid condition.

The abolition of the spotlight is a reform with the Wanganui Automobile Association is out to. secure. The spotlight has decided uses, but free play with it in busy streets of the borough is quite unnecessary. The matter is ©he, however, that can be controlled by a borough by-law. A mouse crept Jbetwieen. two cables at Aberdeen's power station a few weeks ago, with the following consequences : Doors weire blown out and machinery wrecked, the tram-cars were stopped, and shipping was held up because the swingbridge could not bie operated.

v A motorist who, it is stated,'deliberately ran-over a dog on the Lincoln road, Christchurch,, the other evening, was' hooted by witnesses of * his cruel -action. The dog was killed. Spectators say that the motorist deliberately made a detour in order to 'bag" the dog. ! A resident of New Plymouth recently was haying trouble in keeping separated somie strawberries which grew in his garden and some birds which coveted.the strawberries. His small son was asked to help and he entered upon the task in all seriousness. Next evening not only the fruit but also the plants were missing. "All the strawberries are gone, 8i11y,," the perturbed parent told his son. "Yes,' I put them in the shed so as the birds couldn't get them," replied Billy.

Afforestation work at Orouia Downs is greatly hindered by the depredations of rabbits, and when young trees are planted the State Forest Service officers protect themi by miniature palisades of flax, sticks and stakes. The Forestry Department men spread poison on a 'fairly extensive scale, but the furred pests still come in in thousands from adjacent properties and find ideal cover in the loose sand dunes. A noticeable feature is the great proportion of 'black rabits. Two Maori women (Mrs, Daniels and her daughter Lucy) vho rescued Mrs and Miss B&rgess froiC drowning in the Waikato River at a fortnight ago were given a presentation on Saturday in the social hall at the Horohoro* power works. Nearly all the staff of the works' were present, also a number of the surrounding residents. Mr I. H. Hamilton, the superintendent, made, the presentation in a neat speech, in which he spoke of the resource and pluck shown by Mrs and Miss Daniels. Mr S. O. James, Public Works Inspector, also spoke. The presentation took, the form of inscribed gold bangles. ' A positive disadvantage in the almost universal possession of motor cars was notedj by Mr S.-.W. Fitzherbert, wno recently , returned from California. In that State of about 3,500,000 people, Mr Fitzherbert saiu there were over 1,000,000 cars. The result was that the main highways were congested with pleasure traffic on Sundays and holidays. Returning one day from a. jaunt outside San Francisco, Mr Fitzherbert said that his car had to join the regular funeral procession of motor cars driving two abreast, and two hours were occupied covering 18 miles. Another aspect of the same problem was seen in the congestion at San Francisco's vehicular ferries. It was after the early hours of morning before, owners were able to get their cars across to Oakland ox other; such places.

Owing, probably, to the scarcity of labour this ' season, there has been an unusually big demand from, ers for boys from the Weraroa Training Farm. Between 50 and 60 have gone to farms'in the Taranaki, Wanganui and Pialmerston districts. The manager, Mr O'Donohue, told & "Chronicle" reporter that tne. present policy of the Department was to put as many boys a,s possible out in farm service under the supervision of the probation officers, rather than keep them in the reformatory institutions. Under this system the population at the farm was naturally much smaller than formerly. 'Great care was taken by the probation officers, to whom boys were committed by the magistrate, that the right sort of employers were chosen,. At present t)he boys of school age are in their .annual camp at Hokio Beach, in charge of the school master, Mr E. J. White.

■' A partv of four students from Victoria College have proved that the resources of the Tararuas as the scene of enjoyable tramps are only now being opened up. L'eaving Wellington by train on Monday morning they started their tramp from Kaitoke, taking the new blazed track to Alpha'Hut, which they reached the same evening. Leaving Alpha next morning they followed the Hector track as far as the Dress Circle, then turning almost due west they followed a leading spur down into the head waters of the Waiotauru branch of the Otaki. The going was hard and they failed'to reach the clearing that night and had some trouble in getting the camp lire going, all the timber being wet. Leaving camp early on Wednesday morning the party reached Te Horo in time to catch the last train for Wellington. The adventurers expressed themselves as very pleased with their trip, and report that the new track from Kaitoke is quite easily found, but, will be much better after a few more parties have used it. 'Traces of cattle were only seen near Mt. Alpha, but goats were seen near the head waters of the Waiotauru and were very' tame. Pigs are also reported as being plentiful. The party are loud in their praises of the-improve-ments recently carried out at Mt. Alpha hut, stating that they are a credit to the contractor and the Tramping (Jlub.

The. Colonial Sugar Refining Company, Ltd., notify an increase of 30s per ton in all grades of sugars as from to-day.

Hospital surgeons Who operated on Mr Jerry Wyaut for cancer in Salem, Oregon, discovered that a suspected malignant internal growth was a surgeon's rubber glove, left inside him at an operation in San Francisco two years previously.

Denmark has more telephones in proportion tq population than any other country in Europe, the ratio at the end of 1922 being one telephone to every 12 inhabitants. Sweden came next with one 'to 16, and Norway third with one to 21.

Five English county cricketers sailed recently lor South Africa to. fulfil coaching engagements: They\.were Kennedy, Ntewman, (Hampshire), R. Tyldesley (Lancasihire), and Bowley (Sussex). ' The 5 per cent, rebate for the prompt payment of rates has proved a successful experiment as far as the Whakatane Borough Council is conr cerned. During the rebate-' period, from October 6 to 19, rates to the amount o £4400 w£?e paid, into the Borough office. Of this amount £4OOO was this year's rates. The record day during the period was Monday last, when £I4OO was received.'

In golf parlance, an unusual "rubber of tine green" occurred/ on the Waihi links on. a recent afternoon (reports the local Telegraph). Mr W. Hi. Johnston, a member of the. President's team, made a well-directed drive for the hole known as Sheol to tie. The ball ran over the green, and after passing the (hole struck a calf, rebounded, and fell nearly into the hole. The unexpected easily won the hole for the president. / , •.

As evidencing the mence of shifting sand .dunes, Mr R. A. Reid, officer in charge of. the. State Forest Service division operating on the reclamation of the sandy wastes of the Oroua Downs; told a "Standard",, reporter that, in the Chatham Islands, miles inland, sand dunes which had swept in frorh the sea coast, had left only the tops, of trees 25 and 30 feet in heigjht, appearing above the sand.

A plentiful supply -V fish was maintained in Auckland last week, schnapper selling at three fox- • a shilling. The Gulf is s,aid to be abounding in fish and in consequence the various trawlers operating have secured splendid catches. The new trawler Gunandaal, wQiiclh returried ,•. during the week from her inaugural trip in Auckland waters, brought'back a remarkably fine haul, including many".varieties. ,■• ■ . \

The matron of a nursing home opened the eyes of an Auckland Star reporter the other day regarding the enterprise of commercialism. . Publication of a birth notice, she states, is followed by bundles of'circulars and letters ' from various firms addressed to the proud mothers, drawing attention to the superlative qualities of numerous "most necessary" articles from patent baby foods to perambulators'.

German' marks were recently being hawked) »about the streets jof New York, London, Manchester, and other places at prices which showed fabulous profits for someone. ; In Manchester; for instance, they were being sold at the rate of 10,000 marks for a penny, while, the price in the money market was'4ooo millions for £l, which works .out at over 16 millions for a penny. Buying at the latter rate and selling at 10,000 for a penny must be good business.

"Four apples mark the four'great epochs of human- history—the apple of Eve (the Biblical epoch); the apple of Paris (the Hellenic epoch); .the apple of Tell (the. mediaeval epoch); the apple of Newton ; (the scientific epoch). The one of the four whose fall I most regret—for. apples, unlike the women of Nicea, have souls —is the one the Swiss bowman, • with* the cock's feathers, transfixed on his son's head. The first of the four, as we all know, was eaten by our first parents, with consequences that 'have made us what we are. ' The- second went as award to the' fairest creature in all mythology, who bit into it, I hope, in honour of the charming herdsman. The last, though somewhat injured in its, fall, gave us the law of universal gravitation, and a great improvement in celestial machnics. But the apple of ,Tell—alas!—gave us the Swiss nation."—Giovanni Papini, the Italian author of "The Story of Christ."

A correspondent writes to a Wellington paper: "On Monday morning I had a ticket for Palmerston, and innocently thought that entitled me to some assistance from the Railway Department in getting there: I know now the Railway classifies mie as a •nuisance if not worse. I presented the ticket at the central office, and asked for a reserved seat: The answer was: "Can't do it under 100 miles." I know now that experienced travellers take, out tickets to Feilding to avoid this difficulty. But where does the Department give any' public, advice or assistance on the point? Anyway; what earthly reason is there for the rule?. As I had no reserved seat I hurried through my 'business \ and arrived at the station at 11.45—an hour before the train left. The gate; was sternly closed. Abotut 12 o'clock it was opened, and; I presented myself. The answer Was:. "Unreserved —wait till 12.35." I .spent the interval doclging draughts and wondering; what other organisation on earth opens an early door for .reserved seats and shuts out the unreserved till ten minutes before time: also what possible reason there was for the rule. At 12.30 the official called": "Unreserved seats for Feilding and beyond." I was too exhausted; to make, any further inquiries, and meekly accepted the position that travellers to Pal-, merston are a nuisance. At 12.35 the

nuisances were invited to enter, and were accommodated with the seats hacking the engine or otherwise inconvenient. At Palmerston I left the train and stepped into a fouls, where I. was accommodated 1 with a comfortable seai and a human driver. Kaipai i the motor I 4 im ffie railway,!

Two men on a jigger narrowly escaped toeing- run down by- the Ministerial special train the. other day shortly after it left Moana (Westland). They had just time to fling hemselves clear. The train was stopped, but proceeded when it was seen that the men were» uninjured. There were many rumours in the air yesterday says the Eltham Argus of Wednesday,. concerning strikes at dairy factories, but tiiere. does not appear to be any serious trouble . pending. Taken all round the factory 'workers 'are intelligient and loyal, and not desirous of inflicting loss upon the farmers.

- "I woUldl like exemption, because,,l. thought of getting married to-mor-row,"- said a juror, when applying to his Honour, at the Napier Supreme Court for exemption from the juryi The applicant stated that it would.be rather awkward if he could not get off. His Honour granted the exemption.

The WanganUi borough inspector is, accumulating a good "bug" of cyclists for riding without lights, and there will be a field day at the Magistrate's Court in flue course. On a recent Sunday evening the. inspector gota number of swamp dwellers out Springvale way, five being ladies homeward bound from church, and who, like the foolish ones of Biblical history had forgotten to put t oil in their lamps.—Chronicle. An observant Palmerston North visitor who recently returned from Japan brings am item which may be news to most of our readers. It was not until after they (had installed an. extensive system of telegraphs throughout their cities and country , district that they discovered the fact that the Japanese characera, which have no letters could not be telegraphed. This difficulty was surmounted by teaching English in. every school and now their system of education is modelled upon our own.

New Zealand's population is stead- . ily At June 30, 1923, it numbered 1,272,999, exclusive of Maoris, and. increased by 4117 in the r ensuing three months. The-estimated Maori population on September 30, 1923, was 53,700—28,340 males, -■ and 25,700—females. Inclusive of Maoris and the population of Cook Islands and Niue and the mandated territory of Western Samoa, the population on September 30,* 1923, was 1,382,366. During the nine months ended September 30th the number of "arrivals in, New Zealand totalled 23,843, and the departures 23,204.

"I am sorry," remarked' the Minister for Public Works jocularly at Birch Hill (Marlborough]! last week, "but we have run short of bridges. The only things Mr. Furkert has left are a few approaches, and Mr. Mc-' "Villy has a railway station m his pocket. If'they are any us e to. you, you can have them."' When the laughter which greeted this sally died down, Mrs F. L. Murray replied smartly that sh'e would like- the railway station outside her front gate at Wantwood.. The Minister gravely instructed Mr. MeVilly to hand the station to Mrs. Murray. -' ,

A Waflganui resident now m Sydney is convinced that the flexible mooter bus is seriously menacing the. financial position of the tied-dbwn-to-the-rail tram car. "Motor bus owners here complain," he writes, "that they are persecuted by the traffic police and harassed in every possible way. In, spite of this they do not appear to thinlc of ,going out of (business as every day sees more of these motor buses on the streets of Sydney, and more particularly on the suburban, in many cases they are acting as feeders to the long distance trams, and in these instances it is an absolute moral that the N.S.W. Government—the tram's are owned by the Government—would no more think of putting down rail extensions than, they -would of keeping to the steam power if they had hydro plant at tiheir back door.".—Chronicle.