Shannon News FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 1924.

Shannon News, 29 February 1924, Page 2

Shannon News FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 1924.

A dance will be held in the schoolroom at Moutoa on' Friday evening. Mr A. E. Hyde 'is at present on a motoring tour of the East Coast.

At the evening harvest thanksgiving services held at the Methodist Church last Sunday, Mr Hunter’s fine rendering of “My Task” was very much appreciated by the congregation. '

A mishap occurred oil Wednesday to a party of motorists who wer'e proceeding |o iMjongahaQ. After crossing the second ford, at which there is. a sharp turn on to the road, the car struck the ibank and capsized in the middle Qf tihle rotud, ! the occupants escaping with only a few minor scratclies. The car was at once righted and found to, he undamaged. The party apparently- were not anxious for any further excitement and returned to Shannon, postponing their trip to the Works to a later date. A plague of caterpillars have attacked a ten-acre plot of oats on Mr Bryant’s farm on the Foxton road, and have cleaned up the whole lot in tllG course of a day or two, leaving only the bare stalks. Mf Burling; the manager, estimates his loss at about £IOO, based on the present prices ruling for chaff. Plagues of caterpillars are not unusual in oat and wheat crops in the South and the usual method there is to put the mowing machine in at the first sign.

Constable MoGlregor • accompanied by Mrs McGregor and their twfo sons, returned to Shannon on Tuesday after a motor trip to the Wairarapa via the Gorge, returning by way of the Rimutaka and Paekakariki. Mr McGregor states the road over the Rimutaka is in excellent order for motoring, while the paekakariki hill has been greatly improved by the widening of the road. .He states the Wairarapa is still showing sighs of the recent drought experienced there, although the recent heavy rain has freshened it up wonderfully, but a lot more rain is required to do any real good. Constable McGregor, who was absent. from Shannon for the past month, has been relieving a,II Ekelahiuna for three weeks.

On Wednesday evening last another very enjoyable euchre party arid dance was held by the Ven. Bede’s Ladies’ Committee. The Parish Hall was sorely taxed "Ho ' accommodate seating for the record crowd which thoroughly enjoyed itself up to the early haul's of the morning. The floor Avas in splendid condition, the supper of home made cakes, etc., delicious, and the music suppled by Mrs Butler, excellent, Avhile the ice cream stall did a, roaring trade. The ladies’ euchre was won on the play off by Miste Gray, second Mrs Satherley,. and the men’s by Mr J. Feetham' second Mr Buckman. Another social, (see advertisement) will be held next Tuesday evening, after which ( there will not he another until after Faster.

Mr Jack Tuiroa, who met with a motor cycle accident some time ago, when he suffered injuries tq his head and has only been out of hospital a iew weeks, was taken ill at the week end and had to enter the hospital again for further treatment. His many friends in Shannon wish him a speedy recovery. On behalf of. the Empire Exhibition, the Prince of Wales is wirelessly broadcasting his speech on March IS, which it is hoped wifi be picked up by America and the Dominions. It is stated that the record price for one bale of wool sold at the last Wanganui wool sale was £47 17s 2d for a bale of Southdown. A line of three bales of Merino wool averaged £4O per bale. “When a man has given 40'years’ service to the country I think it is time he had a rest,” said Mr H. E. Holland, M.P., when informing a questioner that the Labour* Party favoured the compulsory retirement of all public servants who had fulfilled such a long term of office.

A Glasgow storekeeper named Guthrie, Who was on a visit to London, was fined .'for. drunkenness. Th police gave evidence that the only luggage he carried was a bottle of whisky and two- tumblers. “Why two glasses?’' asked the magistrate, and Guthrie replied: “I was afraid one might go! broke.”

A Wanganui farmer points out that the draft on wool had cost N uv Zeeland farmers £93,750 last year. The general opinion is the draft—a deduction made for alleged grease in wool—is a sheer imposition seeing that a tare is in addition deducted from tlhe weight of the .bales.

‘lt gives me no pleasure to hand you herewith cheque for in payment of rates,” was the candid and honest manner in. which a letter to the One Tree Hill Road Board, which was read at a recent meeting, opened. The writer, seemed to have, good reasons for his straightforwardness,- as he complained of the state of the roads in the vicinity of his residence. One, C. Walker, of Tottenham, won the London Star’s prize of £SOO for his skill in forecasting the general election results. He forecasted 258 Conservatives, 157 Liberals, 192 Labour, and eight Independent candidates, and he prophesied that the total votes would be 14,586,723. He was exact in the Conservative result, and gave the Liberals and Labourites each one less than they actually, polled. The actual votes recorded were 14,561;035.

A plague of caterpillars is causing concern to some of the settlers on the Turua-Orongo road (says an exchange). One farmer noticed that the insects had got into a ten-acre paddock from which he* expected to cut. 30 acres of hay. He decided to mow it. immediately, and worked until, dark, but about* four acres remained uncut. By morning the caterpillars had stripped every leaf, and only the bare stalks remained. There were millions of green and black and White striped caterpillars.

Eight purebred canaries, said to be \ r alued at £2O each, were stolen from the Federal Line steamer Hertford at the Qentral Wharf, Auckland, about Wednesday last. The birds are a special breed and were imported by a man in Dunedin, They Avere brought out as cargo. It is not knoAvn how the birds were spirited off the ship, but the cage was found floating in the harbour. The police have tlfo matter in hand and are trying to trace the birds, which were all ringed on the leg. Mistakes -as to- species sometimes occur, and a correspondent recalls one such incident alleged to have taken place in the Highlands. , The proprietor of a travelling circus passing over a. lonely moor had thrown out the dead body of a chimpanzee. Later -in the evening Donald and Dugald, returning from the local publichouse, discovered the remains and struck matches to make further examination. “He eanna be a Macpherson,” said Donald, “he’s no red enounli.” “He eanna be a MacTavish,” said Dugald, “he’s no black enough.” “Ay,” said Donald, “and he’s too gude looking for a Glasgie mon.” “Weel,” said Dugald, “we’d best go back to the hotel and see if any of the English visitors are missing.”

“If New Zealand is to maintain her supremacy as a dairying country her farmers must live by the motto, ‘Breed, feed, and weed’,” said a'wellknown. Auckland agriculturist. “I speak by the book of 40 years’ experience, and am convinced that ultimate success lies in the proper feeding and judicious culling of all dairy herds. He was 'enlarging upon the text of the plate of sirloin which he happened to be negotiating, and emphatically scouted the idea that beef production Avould ever be a NeAv Zealand market mainstay. “The Argentine, with its vast pampas producing alfalfa'crops four times a year, and thousands of miles nearer the world’s markets, Avill for ever prevent "N©w Zealand from competing seriously in fat stock. “Meantime,” the speaker added, “'the NeAV Zealand butchery business, Avith stock at 25s per cwt., is literally and metaphorically in clover.”

Under the peculiar methods of financing homes and business nowadays some ingenious expedients are devised (says a northern exchange), but none is so novel as a recent offer made to a land agent. A suburban section, valued in the vicinity of £IOOO, attracted the prospective home builder and in all sincerity he suggested to the agent that he would give a cash deposit of £3OO and a Avell-known trotter as payment. The animal in question, was, said the oAvner, sure to Avin a £SOO stake in the near future. “Well, why not keep it until ihe succ.es'- came off,” was. the agent’s suggestion. and the horse-owner retired commenting that some people were not keen to do business. Curiously enough the. section owner AVanted Ihe horse in question to win the second leg of a double for him recently for a small amount of half a hundred. As it never flattered his hopes he had some very ea.ustie comment to make when the agent humorously submitted the offer.

Sir Frederick Lang-, formerly Speak- ; er of the Hduse of Representatives, ■ lias, been appointed to the Legislative , Council. Mr Massey says that the appointment will be gazetted in a few j days. : General entries for the Horticultural J Society’s Show next Tuesday close at j the Qhranicle Oliioe on Saturday k night- at 8 o’clock. Schedules are j now available; and can be obtained oif j application. | Two Levin motorists had an . un- j pleasant experience last Sunday even- I mg' when motoring through Foxton. They were driving within the ‘ Bor-1 ough when a bullet smashed the wind- ■ screen, fortunately passing between the two . occupants of tlie car. The impact scattered glass over the driver’s knees. The hole. was- sueli as a pea-rifle bullet would make, the glass around being cracked, hut not smashed out on the side of entry.

Arising out of discoveries made at the Cheltenham Dairy Go.’s office, allegations of conspiracy and fraud have been made against a young man named Harry Simpson, who is to answer charges at the Feilding Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday-next. The charges allegie that whilst in the company’s employ, Simpson tampered with the cream tests and weights.

Who was the Lloyd wtho gave his name for all time to two of the most famous shipping organisations in the world, Lldyd’s and Lloyd-’s Register? Very little is known of him except that he was a Welshman, opened a coffee-house in Lombard street some 230 years ago, and bound his customers to - him by publishing three times a week a news-sheet, called Lloyd’s News, filled with commercial intelligence from British, ports and the principal European cities. He also disposed of commodities as varied as ships and horses and wine and spirits and farms.

The popular theory that arterial roads, should not follow railway lines 'has not been borne out in other countries, according to Mr G. T. Murray, a member of the Main Highways Board, who informed members of the Wairarapa District Council that tin practice of laying the. roads beside •railway lines "was being closely followed in America, and so keen was the competition from motor traffic that the railway companies- were scrapping all sections of line under 100 miles as unpayable propositions. A voice (despondently).: “Poor Martinboroughl” A prominent Wanganui business man visited his farm on the Main Trunk last,week,' and on his way back to the train received a severe soaking (says an exchange). Having no change of apparel, he asked the proprietor of the hotel to dry his nether garments while he took cover under the blankets. The drying was performed to such effect that the pants arrived ten minutes before train time, but minus the seat. The night was hot, the train super-heated. The reasons that the man from. Wangianui gave for wearing an overcoat under siiqh uncomfortable cotudi'tions were varied, always plausible, but • never truthful. A tokititaha, or two-handed axe, of record dimensions, has heen presented to the technological department of the Wanganui museum by Mr J. Fairwether, of Patea. The gift is notable, not merely because of the record size of the implement, but also for its traditions. It is s£in. wide on the cutting edge, fivje inches on the -shoulder, three inches across the poll, 201 inches in length, and weighs 14? lbs. The largest known native axe up to now is in the Buller collection in the Dominion museum. It was found in the sandhills at Horowhenua, and is 221 inches long, four and three-sixteenth inches across the cutting edge, 4J inches at the shoulder, 22 inches across the poll, and weighs llflbs.

A good deal of prominence is being given by the examining committee in the King Country, to the discovery ol‘ a grub, which, it is' claimed, is destined to display an important part in the eradication of ragwort, says the New Zealand Times. The grubjs a bluish-green in colour, about a quarter of an. inch in length, and is not to be confused with the ordinary caterpillar, which also does good work in destroying the pest. The new grub was brought under the notice of Mr M. .Jones, president of the Te Kuiti A. and P. Association, by Mr C. Huggin, a Waitete farmer, and a specimen has been forwarded to th< Botanical Department in Wellington. The grub has also been in evidence in Piopio district for some time. An' interesting letter has been received by Mr "Massey from Auckland from a man who is anxious to render thanks to the Government for enabling him to erect a homo under the State Advances Act. “While you were absent from New Zealand, 1 ha vie been fixed up with a worker’* home,” he writes to Mr Massey, “i write this in appreciation of what has been done, and to ask you, sir, it ever vou are .in this, neighbourhood, to call at this address and judge personally of the result of the policy carried out by the Government under your lead. Interest and sinking fund cost me £5 3s 7d a month; previously I was paying £1 5s a wieek rent for two unfurnished rooms, with not even a fireplace.” Legal bills of costs have an established reputation for attention to microscopic detail, which tends to-in-spire respect among those who go to law. The Devonport Borough Gouncil this week gave its attention to a claim for: damages which well sustained the profession’s speciality. It represented an assessment gf fifty pounds’ worth of harm done to a lawyer’s property when the council laid a drain through -his section to a neighbour’s house. Every item of the operation, from the inversion of topsoil and subsoil down to taking a staple out of a gate and sprinkling scoria on the grass, to say nothing of slaughtering a couple of Ihedge plants was carefully scheduled and the bill presented. The council respectfully considered the- account as a masterpiece, and relegated it to two distipet committees for mature consideration.—Star.

The death took place at Melbourne 1 on Saturday of Mrs J. V. Brown, wife of Mr J. Vigor Brown, who was for I many years both Mayor and member • of Parliament fqr Napier. Mr Arthur Hoby, who had -been * treasurer of the Vivian street Baptist { Church, Wellington, for the past 39 l years, has resigned. He has been J made a life deacon. Two foundation ! members are still on the roll—Mr j Charles Godber and Mrs W. H. Wil- [ liams. There have been numerous enquiri ies lor schedules for the Horticultural I Society’s Show on Tuesday and there are -indications of a big entry. Exhibitors are reminded that entries close at the “Chronicle” Offiqe on Saturday night at 8 o’clock, but may be made at any time prior to that. No trace lijus been discovered of the little boy Feist, who is missing from Brunswick, Wanganui, and the search has practically been abandoned. It is now over a week since the child wandered away from home, and although long and careful search lias been* madle, it lias been without result.

Owing to the exceptionally dry season the New Zealand output-of butter is rapidly decreasing, and shows an approximate falling away of 20 per cent, on the last year’s production ifor tptie corresponding period. & This decrease ini output must firm the English market, and it is probable that present prices will be maintained from now on. Last season prices rapidly declined from March onwards. . • .

An interesting sidelight on the traffic. revolution in recent years is contained in the comparison of the tables taken ,by the Horowhenua County Council of the vehicles crossing the bridges: In 1918, n,o less than 68 fourwheeled buggies crossed the Waikawa bridge in fourteen days. In 1924, 9 buggies passed over the Qhau bridge in a fortnight On -the other hand tlu ! motor cars increased from 785 in 1918 to 270 Q ill 1924. “There’s m> more chance .of you getting! 7s a bushel for your wheat next season than is of you flying to heaven,” stated Mr D. Cameron at the meeting of the Farmers’ Union in Oamaru. At a meeting of the North Canterbury executive of the Farmers’ Union a resolution was carried: “That farmers cannot grow wheat next year at a less price than 6s, 6s 3d, and 6s 6d.”

An examination for wiremen’s licenses, under the Horowhenua Power Board’s by-laws, was held in tlie YjM.C.A. rooms this morning.. The,, entrants are men representing, the various electrical firms operating in the Power Board’s district, and require the wireman’s certificate before being allowed to do reticulation work. Ten men entered for the examination, five for master wiremen’s licenses and the same number for the ordinary license.

> Archbishop Julius deplored the neglect of the custom of saying grace before meals,' in his .sermon at 1 St. Luke’s, Christchurch. He said that “grace before meat” was symbolic of the recognition of God in the daily life, and it was a corrective of the modern heresy, by which things of this world were often regarded as being evil in themselves. He spoke of the luxury and gluttony common in life, and suggested that & test might be applied by each man to his food. Everything, for which he could honestly thank God, was good, while it was better for him to leave alone everything for which he could not do so. His text was “For every creature of God fs good, and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving, for it is sanctified by the word of GOd and prayer.” The sermon - was given in connection with St. Luke’s harvest thanksgiving services, for which the church was beautifully decorated. Nicotine is very poisonous. Even in small quantities pure nicotine causes vomiting, purging and- collapse and when you consider that many imported tobaccos contain from 4 per cent, to 5 per cent, of nicotine, it shows how careful you must be in your'choice. Smokers will be interested to learn that some of our New Zealand-grown types hardly contain so much as 2 per cent, of Nicotine. Small that the local article is so muon’ milder and less harmful, but •besides, as a. result of the toasting process to which the tobacco is now being subjected, the aroma has been greatly' improved. The flavour is brought fully out, while, at the same time, any deleterious elements which may be contained in the leaf are destroyed. Smokers are unanimously in favour of the new departure and proclaim toasted tobacco superior to any other. Obtainable in three strengths. Riverhead Gold, very mild and aromatic; Toasted. Navy Cut, medium; and Out Plug No. 10, the Bullhead label is recommended" to those who prefer a full body.*