Shannon News MONDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1923.

Shannon News, 24 December 1923, Page 2

Shannon News MONDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1923.

, Prior 'to the "breaking-up" at the I local school <on Thursday afternoon | several presentations were made to | the teachers by the pupils. On Saturday evening the pupils of Miss Mana Nieale tendered her a surprise party at the residence of her parents, Nathan Terrace', when a most enjoyalble" evening was spent in song and music' 'During the evening Mr Lance Bowilier, on ibehalf of the whole ol' her pupils, in an appropriate speech, made a presentation to Miss Nieale of an ivory brush and comib, bottle of perfume, ,ahd a ,box of handkerchiefs, the gifts being handed to her by her youngest pupil, M'aster Darlie Bresnehan, who is only five years of age. A Christmas treat for the children living at Mangahao and Arapetl camps was held in the Y.M.C.A. hut at Arapeti on Thursday last. The sum of £25, which had iheen collected, was utilised in giving the young people oniei big day of joy. A ihuge Christmas tree had been erected over night and was laden with toys and lucky stockings, etc M and a list bad been prepared of all ages _to award presents to. Seventy colldren, whose ages ranged from babes in arms to 14 years were present to welcome Santa Claus, Who arrived at 2.30 p.m. with all due cenemony and pomp. His reception was somewhat mixed between awe and joy, according to age. However, his jovial smile soon put every one in a .happy mood. After the presents had been distributed the young people selatedi themselves at taibles which groaned under the weigbt of giood cheer provided. An outstanding "feature was the fine Christmas cake, presented by Mr J. Roach, of Shannon, which was cut with musical honours. At the feast many parents discovered that a child's size was no guide to its capacity for good things and for the first time m'any of the children discovered they were, allowed to eat as much, as they liked, cordials 'and cakes disappearing in quick time. A picture programme in the evening completed a day that will long live in the memory of the little folk. 'During the proceedings Master Jrvame Lawrence, the dux of •the school, was the recipient of a nice present 'from Mr Grenfleld, while! Mr Doig presented Norma Gavin of the primers, with' a prize for good attendance andi general proficiency.

r iMrs Abbott, wife of Rev, Abbott, who recently underwent a # serious operation, in a private hospital in Palmerston North, is still very ill and ! her many friends, will wish for her speedy recovery. On Friday, as two Palmerston North residents were proceeding down the Iliakara Hill in a twO-seater car, Uie radius rod broke, the car running into the bank, one ,of the occupants beino- thrown out and badly spraining his ankle. A passing car, which was proceeding towards. 'Levin conveyed the two men to Levin, where medical assistance was. secured, alter which they returned to Palmerston North by train.

Lord Palm.er.ston knew well the value ol taking time. Once, m Hv,enton a vehement political opponent inquired whether he would give u. plain answer to ia plain question. To this Lord Palnierston assented. The question was: Would he vote for a Radical measure of reform.'' Palmerston at once 'answered: 1 will"—pausing, while (the Liberals cheered, then adding "not." whereupon the Conservatives applauded; waiting until they had done, Palmerston continued, "tell you," when the wily and evasive candidate retired amid loud laughter.

Word was received in Shannon on Friday that Mr .Axel Itoos, an .erstwhile resident of Shannon, had h&en killed .by a fall of earth in a tunnel north of Auckland. The deceased, who was well-known and highly respected in Shannon, leaves a widow and one child, to whom the deepest sympathy of a large circle of friends is extended. The late Mr Roos was a son-in-law of Mr F. J. Mardon, ,ol Ballanoe street. He was a native ol Denmark, and about 40 years of age. The deceased was a 'member, of the Masonic Lodge, Levin, and also of the local Druids' Lodge. The funeral will take place at Shannon this, afternoon.

A strange incident happened on Glen Massey railway on Wednesday when a hive , 0 f bees that were sv aiming invaded the cab of the engine. lh e driver was compelled to stop the tram lor 10 minutes while the bees were "smoked out." 'Why did you strike the telegraph operator?" the judge asked the aunty. "Weil yo' honah," said the culprit, it was jest like this: 1 hands itiim a telegram for inah girl, and he«starts in readin' it. So 1 jest nachurah} ups' an' hands him one." >

A Press Association telegram from Whangarei states that a lad ol eaitn ,at 1.16 a.m. yesterday morning m Tokatoka railway tunnel, near \vaiot.ira, crashed. Axel Roos against the timoersji killing! him instantly. He was working night .shift-,at the time. Deceased, who was aged 40, was married with one child. He was at one time a resident of .Shannon, and was' a, member of the Masonic Lodge there. During a recent trip .from Whangarei in his Jewett car, Mr George Bradley, was attacked by. a bull whicn was roaming on the. ,road. The animal, wbich diad .evidently .been -infuriated by cnarged the car, and had Mr Bradley not bad the pesenoe oi mnd to step on. the accelarator a serious accident might have occurred. As it was the bull struck the car a glancing blow with its horns leaving a "couple oi' .dents and a streak of hair dor a keepsake. A patent device to lessen the risk at railway crossings has been brought under the notice of the. Wangauui Automobile Association by the inventor, Mr John T. Walker, of Aramoho. Instead of a ibeil at a railway crossing, the engine on approaching a crossing causes a jet of water to play in the middle of the roadway about lour feqt hig'b., which at night would 'be seen a long distance oil m the glare of a headlight. - It is now possible, says the Taranaki "Daily News," to go between New .Plymouth and Te Kuiti in 5£ hours, or, allowing an hour at the Moltau lerry, 6£ .hours, over perhaps the most beautiful motor route in tJie

whole of the Dominion. By the end of the present summer most cf the metalling on the entire road will be out of hand, leaving perhaps a few miles between Tongaporutu and Mokau still to be £one the following season. But now, even ,in wet weather, the journey is quite possible, though .motorists would be well advised to take light chains Avith them if the. weather shows signs of being unsettled. An .amusing incident took ri.ve at the conclusion of the Tai'adale school' •prizehgiving (says the Hawkos Bay Herald). The head teacher wished the children the compliments of the season .and also stated that he hoped ftl|ey (would all come back' to the school after the holidays and be prepared to "work hard." The scholars, who had ibeen carefully trained to .ij|i.\te always (the usual acknowledgments of the. Christmas greetings,

cried out with one voice, ' 'Same to you, Sir." This reply caused a real "break up" for the gathering.

'.'Trusts have been the ruin uf the building trade in England," Mr A. Rawson told a "Chronicle" reporter in the course of an interview- yesterday. "There is a trust in control of each of the different building materials and as soon as the Government gives a sulbsidy it is absorbed by increased prices. As a result private enterprise in building has 'been killed and practically all the. house building is done by the municipalities. They have feult ujp such jerry-built houses as Would never (have been allowed in normal times."

"There were a fine lot of young fellows coming out on the Remuera ) ," remarked Mr A. Rawson, who was a passenger to the Dominion by that boat, to a "Chronicle" reporter yesterday. "Judging from them I should say New Zealand was getting some of the cream of Britain's young men. They wtere some of those who say to themselves that conditions, at Home are not good enough, and get out of it, while the other sort who have not their enterprise and courage stay at home and grumble at things as they are."-

The Wairarapa- Hydro Electric power scheme, at Tapurupuru, cost £251,000" including £II,OOO dot financing householders to instal the current, The estimated cost was £250,000. A Wairarapa sheep farmer, who'received 17id lb-for his hogget wool at the Wellington sale, stated that -two seasons ago he only realised 4Jd and 5d for wool of a similar quality. ,Rev. Frederick Stuihhs, F.R.G.S., has arrived in Christchurch from a four years'' journey 'through Europe and Asia. ' He will -spend Christinas among his old Christchurch friends, and will then proceed South. Since he left Christchurch he has visited more than 40 countries, in many of i whicli he has given lectures on New Zealand. .„.

The lack of punctuation marks in telegrams tends occasionally to make curious reading. During one of last winter's rare irosts the secretary ol the Royal College of Science. Football Club received a telegram from the secretary of a club with which a match, had been booked for the following day: "Please, scratch ground very hard." He wired in„reply: We are not chickens.

"How many of you children know your weight'.'' asked Mr, C. H. Warden at the St.. John's. 'Hill School. Apparently not oqe. Mr Warden strongly advised the pupils to weigh themselves, now that the holidays had commenced, and check it with their weight atfc the end of vacation m order that tiiey might sec how muoli they had gained. In that way an estimate of-the benefit of the. holidays would he obtained. "While in Melbourne the other day I mot a traveller who. had been to the New Zealand office for some New Zealand tourist literature, and tney had nothing- to give nun." lhis statement was mad© to a houtnianu News reporter by an Inyercargill man Who returned hy the Moeraki last Monday. "It may seem unbelievable, but it is true nevertheless," he sdded.

The thrush, has been responsible for a great deal of mischief in his day, but his latest exploit is that of attacking the trout at the. Dannevirke hatchery. Recently the curator noticed that fry were lying on the concrete floor. A watch was set, and it was seen tfiat thrushes prfeyed on the young fish as they swam along the top of the traps, and dropped them on the floor, where they devoured them. Wire netting has since been erected across the roof to protect the fry.

A case 'believed to be unique was heard at the Magistrate's Court at Hawera, when George. Appleyard, William Corcoran, and Timothy - Patrick- Harris were charged with aiding a barman in the commission of an offence punishable on summary conviction, viz., with unlawfully supplying liquor after hours. The magistrate said the evidence was to the effect that the barman did not want to supply the liquor, but they overcame (his scruples and persuaded him to break the law. The. accused were convicted and were fined each £3 and costs.

At the instigation of the president of the Palmarston .North Chamber of Commerce that body has been endeavouring 4 , buit unsuccessfully, to ascertain why the 'early morning train from Palnierston North to Wellington, and the return train in the .evening, commonly known as "Field's express," have not been isohieduled in the railway time-ttable. The matter was mentioned at the annual meeting of toe chamber when, members were unanimous on the point that the train was a most useful one. Messrs J. A. Nash and J. Linklater, M.'aP., were deputed to wia.it upon thei Minister for Railways and the. manager of that department with a .view to having the omission rectified.—Standard.

A local tradesman recently sent an order to England, selecting his. goods from a British merchant's catalogue. The invoice has reached Eltham, and, to the importer's surprise and disgust the greater portion of the goods are described in the invoice as "made in Germany." This information has to be given in order that the New Zealand Customs requirements may be fulfilled, There is a stiff duty on German-made goods and besides this there is a heavy impost because of Germany's depreciated currency; so the goods will cost the importer nearly double what he expected to pay for them. He says that if British exporters are going to palm off German goods in this fashion he will have to deal with America.—Eltham Argus.

The possibilities of the future in tlhesa days Qf .political uncertainty are not lost on the Minister of Puiblic Works. On thfe occasion of a Dominion ,Gon|fe4ence prior to last session the Hon. j. G. Coates candidly admiitted that his possession of a ministerial portfolio might not he of long standing. This week he was in the same, frank mood at the broadcasting deputation in Wellingjton. After telling) them their representations were a matter for the Cabinet. Mr Coates added, "it may of course cease to be a Cabinet. I hope it does not, in the interests of the country. Personally, I don't care two figs; bust the job."

What impressed Dr. Kablenberg, of Gisbornoi, v|ery considerably during his visits to various hospitals in Britain during his recent trip was the extraordinary amoulnjt oif .itbe/ntion paid to the condition of a patient's teeth. It bad been found beyond dispute that many cases previously treated for rheumatism were duie simply to inflammation of the roots of the teeth. No matter in what department of an. up-to-date hospital a patient were an inmate, if symptoms of the class to which he bad referred were present, the patient was at oaice sent off to one .of the. radiologists and bis teeth were X-rayed. There, could be no question, Dr. Kohlenberg informed a Gisbome Times reporter tnat various aches and pains which had in the past bean associated with .riiuim'atism had been sailing under false 1 colours.