Shannon News TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1923.

Shannon News, 4 December 1923, Page 2

Shannon News TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1923.

The vital statistics for the month ending 30th November are:—Births 5, deaths nil, marriages 1. The fences are; now being erected around the.' new tennis courts in readiness for.the opening day. Mr W. McKegg has disposed of the Albion Hotel to Mr Jas. Curran, late of the. Wairarapa. Mr Curran is a cousin of Mr Jas. Guirran, of Shannon. . .

Master J. A- McKenzie, who has resigned from the; Post and Telegraph Department, was- the recipient of a presentation from his fellow workmates on Saturday last. Master Clarence Satherley succeeds him as message! boy. ' On Friday last a serious accident occurred at the Top camp when, a man named Ronald Stewart fell off the copper dam a distance of about 40 fee.t. and was seriously injured necessitating his removal to Palmerston North Hospital. On enquiry yesterday morning we learn he was making steady progress towards recovery. A feature pt the result of the. Queen contest was that there was only 3s Id difference between the first two candidates. Both parties discovered when too. late that they had not paid <all their money in. In one case, a box of coppers had been left out, while the other had failed to pay in 19s. A few days ago some boys caught an eel weighing 231bs in the creek that runs; through Mr Hennesey's property at East road. It was in between two logs when they lassooed it with a piece Of wire, and dragging it into shallow water killed it. Vit measured five; feet in length.

Miss Mona Neale, A.T.G.L., L.T.G.L., iias jusjt receivfed" Word fromi the <London College of Music' that she was successful'in gaining tier diploma for A.L.C.M., pianoforte, at the recent examinations, and is now i entitled to wear the. cap and gown of tftie College. Miss Neale was talcing lessons fromi one of the best Germain masters in Christchurch, Herr Mtax Hirschburg, at the age of five years, and then went into board at the Sacred Convent, Christchurch, for 12 years. She is now a pupil of Robert Parker, the well-known music master, of Wellington. The first evening sports meeting held on Saturday by. the Shannon Athletic and Cycling'Club was not a successful one as competitors for the men's running events did not come forward, while there was a meagre' attendance of the public. A cycle road race to Miranui and back was got off, Richards, of Ihakara, being the winner, C. Bridle and J. Crowther filling

the other two places. Two boys' races under 16 were, run and resulted as follows:—22oyds : Holden 1, Watterstom B. 440yds: King 1, Holden 2, Merwo'od 3. The next meeting will be iheld.on Saturday, December 15th, when it is hoped more interest will be showa. •

On account of the coronation rnonv on Thursday evening. tner^ll be no meeting Of the Druids' LodgeA f start was made on Friday to put the roof on the power house at Mangaore. \ . • ,>.„ The Tennis Club intend opening the season on their newi courts on nesday, December"l2th when the pubSc wU be cordially invited to attend. On Saturday a rink of bowlers journeyed to Palmerston North to endeavour to bring back to Shannon the Manson-Barr Cup, but were unsuccessful The holders secured a victorVbv 34 to 17. This makes the! 22nd! occasion on which they tore. ™g»£ fully defended the cup. The- teams w«rJ. Whibley, Murray, Gagliardi, Quarrie (« I? V.,Wilfn Ramsey, I Needham, Jones (skip). 34. \ The rainfall in, Shannon for : the montii ending 30th November nlied oer favour of Mr binoiaii, is as U .on ten days with a total of 1.49 i nc&es, the heaviest rainfall being on tlhe 11th when -35 inches fell. Ror same Siod last year rain fell on thirteen -days with a total'of 7.93 inches the heaviest downfalls being on the 9th 147 inches, and the 11th 1-46, on each Of thj^a' occasions floods being recorded. ' •

v A Westpoxt telegram reports the death of Mr Thomas Bailie, merchant, aged 90. In connection with the Stella Power concert season in Auckland, Dame Melba has purchased, on© thousand seats for the first concert. These are to be presented with her compliments to the students of the various collects and consents,. Writing from the R.M.S. Makura, Melba says:_'l earnestly export the ' music-loving public of New Zealand to hear Stella Power. There are few fingers like her in the world. The -natural beauty •of her voice'and her effortless style are to be marvelled a*."

It is probatory not generally known that members of fire .brigades are exempt from jury service (states the Taranaki Herald). A member of the Npw Plymouth brigade was called as, a-common juryman for service at cue Supreme Court this week and asKed to be excused on that account. "How long haviei you been in the brigade?" asked the Judge, the reply being; "Twenty-sevjen years." The juryman said he had never been called for service; before, and his Honour intimated that fire brigade men were exempt. It is not often that a man forgets the names of his children, but such was the case, when a man was pur-

chasing a book of 21 tickets, in the Ait Union being ruin by the poverty Bay Horticultural Society. He has ten children,, .and decided to take one ticket in his wife's nane, and two tickets in each child's name; Alter he had filled in the ninth child's name he was stuck, as he could not remember the name of the tenth, so he decided to put down "the baby of the family."

Albert Edgar Stout, who pleaded guilty at Wanganui to, the theft of a oicyCJie, appeared for sentence before the Chief Justice, Sir Robert Stout, at the Supreme Court. His Honour stated that counsel's contention that the

lapses were due to drink was supported by the. probation officer's, report, and he would therefore admit accused to probation for three years, during which time he. is. to remain on' the farm and avoid drink. He was ordered to pay £3 towards the cost of the prosecution. The Queensland Government put-in-to force from November Ist, an Act passed last year, prohibiting the use of white lead on all public schools and builddings, and private residencts within four feet of the ground where children are likely to come into contact with it.. The houses in Queensland are vail built on wooden-piles*, and have verandahs around them which are enclosed with painted railings. Children handled the railings and got the white lead powder on their handa and so to their mouths, and it is believed that this is responsible •' for the fact that infantile paralysis is so prevalent in that State. A Palmerstonian who has been visiting HaWkes Bay told a Standard reporter that rain is badly needed in and around Napier and Hastings. "Therie are," he states, "some very good crops of oats and wheat to be seen, but, unfortunately, they are ripening immaturely. Tne wheat, too,: has been heading nicely, and unless rain falls very soon nuch damage will be done." Potato crops, he added, were very fair, but rain was neededto save them. Some of the hills al-

ready presented a burnt appearance. Our informant also mentioned that around Hastings could be sieen an area of native land badly farmed by the owners, with good grass going to waste. This, however, was a common sight'in the Dominion, where natives were farming their lands.

The spending of Mardi Gras funds, unless the object is very definitely specified before, hand, seems usually to' be attended by a great deal of bitterness, Otaki is at present engaged in a. long drawn out wrangle about the money raised some months ago, the object being to improve the local Domain The carnival trustees banded the proceeds to the Borough Council which; decided to purchase two sections adjoining the Domain with part of toe money. The Mayor and two councillors strongly opposed the proposal but were out-voted. Strong protests were made by ttie. trustees, carnival committee and public 'by indignation meetings and deputations to the Council, but these had no avail, the majority of the councillors declaring' they would purchase the sections whatever happened. Then the Mayor produced an opinion, from Mr Martin, the' Municipal Association's legal adviser, in which he statted tihat *he Council's proposed action would be invalid as going # beyond the intention of the Garnivai Committee and further that the Supreme Court, if applied to, would almost certainly veto the Purchase. There the matter rests for tihe present but the Mayor has refused struct the Town Clerk to carry 6&, the resolution of the. Council. t

That rain is "badly needed in and around Wanganui is evinced by the fact that the tree ferns in seyeral private, gardens are beginning to droop and wear .a very dejected appearance.

,v My estimate, for the work was £3O; the city engineer's was £82," said the member of a deputation to the finance committee of the Wellington. City Cojuncil, "''so I proceeded and did the work for £3O 10s."

«BLC! toafiie plainted'72oo acres of trees in New Zealand during the year, liiat is more than in any other Dominion in the Empire," remarked Captain Macintosh Ellis, Director of Forestry, to a "Standard" reporter. We have very enthusiastic officers infche State. Forest Service," remarked the Hon. Sir Heaton Rhodes in the course of an address at the Forestry Department's camp at/Oroua Downs. "Even to tfM>-Maori planters who have developed the 'tree planting j sense' which is. latent in them, ne , p.dded» The palmerston Standard reports | that .great activity *oyr p*©vmls at the Mangahao works. Only .about 200 yards of concrete now remains to be Placed in position in the foundation of the big dam, when iJhe engineers i will be £ a position to rest contented j that, if toother, flood comes, the nvei

has .Dean beaten. , Over 90 shopkeepers have agreed to iota in with m scheme,; promoted bv the New Plymouth Retailers' Association, lv the brighter mumim, tioii of window fronts by placing underneath shop verandahs a line oj brilliant electric lights. Sixteen delegates, including) three natives, attended the annual conference of the Mew Zealand Maori \Var VdterW Relation in Palm»J*» the average age being just under/? years. A Maori named Pourere, from Poverty Bay, was the youth-of the conference, his age being 71.

'/The feed is. better now.than I have seen it -at* this time for toe to*t, 15 years," a Kuku farmer remarked to a "Chronicle" reporter Qn Saturday. "It should turn out, a'clinking .good season. Most people will do pretty well,- except those who have overstocked. The milk flow, i s exceptionally good and tests are high." Mr R. L. Horn's (Kuku). prize Pedigree Jersey cow LLgjhtloot under semiofficial test is producing 831bs oLbu.tterfot per month. Mr Horn told ; a "Chronicle" representative on featutday that with anything like luck Liffhtfoot should dQ easily 700lbsiwiitain the 365 days. Lightfoot is a daughter of 17-year-old Ravenswood Lily one of the two foundation cows oi Mr Horn's herd. age she is still a great producer and is giving, over 21bs of butterfat a day.

A five-acre, block of land was sold in Waipukurau some time ago. There was a Plantation . of 400 bluegum trees on. the property. Apparently the original owner was ignorant as regards the value of the trees, but the new owner was more shrewd. The trees were sold as they stood to the Railway Department, and the fortunate seller received enough tor th£ trees to more, than pay for the treehold of the land. The original owner is s till dazed at the thought of a lost opportunity. • Wild pigs are still numerous along the Waffigianui River banks, and are doing much -damage. One settler states that he has. lost 400 lambs this season through the rav-a-ieis of wild pigs. A rather strange ?act is mentioned by another farmer who declares that when shorn i sheep are turned out on ground usually run .overby. wild pigs, the latter disappear He expresses the view that the pigs mistake' shorn, sheep for dogis. A prompt alarm given by a little srirl to the wife of the custodian oi the municipal bath at Dwiedm prevented a drowning; fatality recently. The little girl saw an elder girl lying at the bottom of the bath The custodian of the baths, Mr Olds, applied artificial respiration and the girl was brought round, after three minutes, and was able to go home in a taxiThere were many people m the ham at the time.

One woolgrower with a Very large clip under offer at the Wanganui sa e was unsuccessful! in selling a single bale. He could have sold the lot it he had been guided by the advice ol his broker as to the value of his wool' Rut he was apparently ignorant of the' fact that sellers are sellers and buyers buyers, and that buyers will only purchase in accordance witn their own ideas and limits. At the end of the > sajle (buyers invariably withdrew; !their final bide for lots passied in.—Chronicle.

■- "Why can't we get a system of dealing with motorists, .who deliberately offend other people on the road?" was a question asked at a meeting of the' Wanganui Automobile Association. It was suggested that licenses should be taken from drivers who persistently broke the rule o.i the road. Cases were instanced where a speeding motorist would fly past a slower car, and then travel at a snail's pace and block the road. ''Men who do that axe pigs, not car drivers," said a memfcer.

In concluding his address on the occasion 01. (his re-enthronement as Grand Master Qf the New Zealand Freemasons, Viscount Jellicoa said: "The power and influence of Free- j masonry atfe; just what Freemasons choose to make it. It can be a great force in the world for good, uplifting and elevating, bringing comfort, light and happiness to all. Alternatively,, it can be merely a body practising | secret signs and symbls, with a'ritual = beautiful in itself,, but meaningless ; unless it leads to the practice of what is preached. My own short experience has convinced me that, generally speaking", here in New Zealand, the right path is being, trodden, that the brethren are striving to uphold the principles of the craft, and are succeeding; and that the steady growth in numbers does signify also a corns- ■ ponding increase in the influence lor good which is exerted for the benefit ■ of the whole community " * '

A Chinese fruiterer in New Plymouth has become bankrupt with a deficiency of £894. He attributes his failure largely to a slump in the. busi-< ness of Chinese vegetable sellers in New Plymouth following on the conviction of one of their number for an act. The Ltvin branch of the Union met on Saturday, when it was decided to support the Dairy Council's ticket, for election to thei Dairy Control Board, and recommend: all members of the. Union to vote for Messrs K. Dalrymple, H. D. Forsyth, W. Goodfellow, W. Grounds, W. A. lorns and W. C. Motion. \ Life is longest in New Zealand. Here the average is. 60 years. It is the shortest in India, where for thousands of years there has been no progress, except such as England has forced upon an unwilling race. India's average of life is 24 years. Not long ago the second biggest city in France had neither man nor woman past SO years of age. .Sixty was once very old, and 70 extraordinary. Montame speaks of, his old age at a time when he was not 50.

One of the things which constitues a serious menace, to commercial forests is fire. Captain Ellis described the elaborate scheme of look-out sta-, tions which obtains at the Rotor ua % forest reserves. The stations are con-, nected by telephone, he. said,' and the'rfeL are mounfted detachments", with horses always saddled, ready to rush to the scene of an outbreak. Prevention-was \the main thing, rath- - er than suppression, for once, a bush. v fire obtained a hold it took a lot ot stopping. Eternal vigilance was me watchword. Dynamite was kept in reserve ' for use in, 'creating blank gaps in' the forest to arrest the passage of a fire but so far there had been no very serious outbreaks in tlhe reserves of this\ Dominion. Shortly, added Captain Ellis, portable pumps, with lengths of hose, sufficient to convey water a mile from the nearest supply to a fire zone, would be installed oy the State Forest Service.