Shannon News TUESDAY, JULY 28, 1925.

Shannon News, 28 July 1925, Page 2

Shannon News TUESDAY, JULY 28, 1925.

Mr McLachlan, of the ..Shannon railway staff, is away on his annual leave.

The Shannon, territorials, who have been attending the annual camp at Trentham, returned home on Saturday.

The punt at the Shahnon-Foxtun bridge was out of commission at the latter end of last week owing to the fresh, but commenced operations again yesterday.

The many friends of Mrs ,1. Uisen and Miss Hita Roach will be pleased to hear that they are both home again from the hospital after their recent operations and that they are well on the way to recovery.

The enthusiasm of the Shannon Choral Society is still very keen. Although there was a deluge of rain last practice night about 45 members lolled up and put in two hours" practice. Several new members have joined up, .including a number of ahos. In addition to the new session's work of a mixed programme, the Society is also putting on another concert in Tokomaru at an early date. There are still vacancies for the tenors, and basses.

Shannon football enthusiasts who witnessed the Wanderers-liui Mai game at Levin on Saturday, report that it was the most interesting Cltiib contest, held this season. The result of the game leaves 'Wanderers with one point advantage over Hui Mai for the championship. The former play at Shannon on Saturday next and patrons should make an effort to witness this game as Shannon will make every endeavour to turn the tables.

A hard-up dance will be held in tlje Druids' Hall on' Friday evening next in aid of Mr He.ndrickson, who has been an inmate of the Palmerston North Hospital for some time. Prizes for both ladies and gents will he awarded for the most original and most' comical dress. A feature of the dance of interest to elderly people, is. that a. numiber of old fashioned dances will be included in the programme, and if is hoped this wii. induice the older people to give the dance their patronage and thus help a deserving cause.

A few days ago nine swaggers were counted along the road between Wanganui and Marton.

Farms in the Pahiatua district are looking well for this time of the year. There is. an abundance of feed and a good spring is anticipated.

In his report to the Napier Hospital Board the house steward reported the receipt of the liquor recently confiscated in the celebrated "bowling club" cases.

There are no fewer than 111 remits on the agenda paper for the Dominion Conference of the Farmers' Union to be held at the end of this month.

"Church collections are as tiresome and irritating as the old toll-gate system," is the opinion of the Bishop >,f Exeter, who suggests their abolition.

The kowhai is already in bloom m some parts of Otago, giving evidence of the unusual mildness of the season there. 'lt usually blooms in August down there.

It lias been proved beyond anv doubt that when clover is grown with wheat it has a beneficial effect, not only on top following crop, but also on the present wheat crop.

A new British embassy is to be built in Tokio at a cost of £300,000. The old embassy, which was damaged in the earthquake of 1023, is crumbling to ruins.

Quite a number of farmers in different parts of the North Taranaki district who have been milking fairlv large herds are going out of dairying for a season or two and are stocking up with sheep.

To stop German propaganda ni Czechu-Slovakia (Central Europe) the Government has prohibited the sale of more than 100 German newspapers and periodicals.

Little Brother (In audible whisper): "Wouldn't it be more exciting. Auntie, if they christened babies like they do ships, by cracking them over the nose with a bottle."

Witli ewes averaging between 30s and 37t? it would be an expensive business to stock a farm in tlie Wairarapa at present.—Age.

The Horowheuua County Council invites tenders lor tiio supply and delivery of 3700 yards of gravel for maintenance work. Particulars are advertised. )

it lias been proved in the Dominion Chat inacrocarpa posts last longer in the ground than either matai or totara. It is evident that many do not realise the value of this timber for fencing.

A Dunedin firm has secured another important building contract in Auckland, the Fletcher Construction Coupaiiy having been entrusted wjtn the erection of new premises on the site of the Thames Hotel, at a cost of £114,000.

A novelty at the Wellington Winter Show will be an exhibition of the various kinds of road surfaces in use in tile Wellington district and further afield. Specimens of these surfaces and their constituents, are now beingcollected' and labelled.

"There are not 1.0 per cent, of freeholds in this country without 'monkeys' on them," declared the lion. \V, Larnshaw in the Legislative Council, warmly advocating the leasehold. The calm, cool voice from the Leader of the Council (Sir Francis Bell): "Then why make a fuss about it?" \

The Kaponga Co-operative Dairy Co. winch has just concluded one -cif the most successful seasons in its history,

intend to distribute a bonus of 2d per pound boitterfat over the season's supply. Lt is anticipated that the ultimate total payment for the past, yeat will exceed Is Sd per lb.

A Japanese' warship has found one' o,f the deepest spots in the sea. Soundings were taken about fifty miles off the coast of Japan, when the lead was dropped nearly 33,000 feet without finding the bottom. This means'thai, the-ocean must be over six. miles deep at this spot.

Wanganui bakers, who were selling over the counter at 7d, were surprised at receiving a notice on Tuesday from the Board of Trade that the price must be reduced to frßl. They expressed their views at length to the local press, but the price was :educed under protest.

The amazing incomes at present being'made by rabbit.ers was indicated by some questions at Invercargill the other day when a man who had filed in bankruptcy staled in evidence that he was inaking from £2O to £4O per week in his. pursuit of the furry pest. "I made £4O Jast week," he added. "That is working hard—the way I'm doing."

Mr F. Rout, who carries on the Levi n-EG'x ton mail service, is at present unwell largely as the result of the severe strain'' experienced during the anxious days when the Wirokino road was submerged, and the mails Iffid to be ferried across per boat. In the meantime, Mrs Bout is carrying on in her husband's stead and maintaining the motor connection between the two towns.

"Oxfords," the newest cut in trousers in England, which recently extended to a girth of 32in., had a common-sense origin, just as they will probably have; a common-sense demise. Baggy flannels and a sweater were used by rowing men over the,ir rowing kit. Then a party of wags began having every successive pairs of trousers made baggier than the last, until "Oxfords" became-first a joke, then a competition, and finally a fashion.

A case in which it was claimed thai a cow climbed a wall at .New Lynn came before Mr E. C. Cutien, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court, Auckland, 011 the Magistrate's Court, Auckland, on Monday morning-. It was stated that the cow got into a neighbour's section by climbing over a crockery which was something like a wall. The cow hud been over the top once before and dislodged some of the stones. Counsel a,sked his Worship toi pay a visit to New Lynn before hearing the evidence, and tins was agreed to.

People whoso conception uf the work ol' the JXuvy of to-day is summed up entirely by Earl JieaLty's well-known phrase about its "barging around the Xorih Sea" would profit by a glance at the number of vessels which arc actively employed at some distance from the sea. Over a dozen gunboats penetrate into the heart of China, l-'ive mo'tor-launches are still maintained on die Rhine, mid the flagship of the Danube Flotilla, the Glowworm, is on q, cruise which has taken her to Vienna. Thus is the White Ensign displayed to inland populations far from "the coast.

A Wanganui resident lias discovered that proprietors ol some King Country accommodation houses base a method all their own of making easy money (says the Wanganui Chronicle). On a recent visit inland, he arrived at a hostelry after lunch and engaged a room. A few minutes later a friend turned up, stating that he was proceeding to Wanganui, so "why wait, for the morning train?" This'prompted the hotel guest to cancel his room, but the proprietor insisted on the payment of 5s as the new arrival had sat on the bed !

Mr H. M. Hutchinson, of Philadelphia, who for ten years had a chronic headache, was instantly relieved by a paroxysm of sneezing which seized him while being shaved. The sneeze dislodged a piece of a steel drill, an inch and a-half long, from his nasal tubes. The man, who is an electrician, states that twelve years ago be was stabbed through the bridge of the nose during a fight with a fellow workman. The wound healed, and for two years gave him no further trouble, but (lie headaches then starred.

At the opossum skin sale at, Dunedin on Friday the total offering was 20,000 skins." Wanganui skins brought up to 17s 6d for blues and Kjs lor greys.

For travelling with benzine in a sack in a tram which carried 40 oi 50 passengers, between Hamilton aim Eureka, a farmer, Henry Bowles, was lined £1 and £2 Us costs.

No fewer than 212 applications lor the position of caretaker of ihe Epsom Girls' Grammar School were before tin's week's meeting of the Auckland Grammar School Board.

Beer duty collected during the past financial year, which waj, estimated at 1630,000, amounted to £(550,384, an increase of £18,290 over the preceding year.

Save for one lighting gang working in Elt.ham, the Taranaki Power The board has been compelled to do this in order to put all their energies into the installing of 00 dairy motors this season.

In order to expedite the .switchover from the existing* manual exchange to tlie.-n.ew automatic system in Wellington, the mechanical staff has been considerably augmented by a number of linesmen from various other offices throughout the North Island, who will be stationed there until the change is complete in the capital city..

Punctuality of teachers was deal, with at the Wellington Education Board meeting last week, when it was decided to call teachers' attention to the regulation providing thai every member of the staff shall be in attendance at least fifteen minutes before the opening of school. Inspector Bird said it was time the boa.nl took action in this matter. He was at one school recently when the headmaster and the inspector were the only ones present when the school was opened.

The announcement that his company had sold the approaching season's output of cheese up to the end of December at 9id was made by Mr C. Wells, chairman of directors of the Warea (Taranakij Co-operative Dairy Company, to the annual meeting ;6f shareholders .on Wednesday. This, the chairman stated, would mean a pa.y-out of Is lOd per lb. of butterfat supplied from August, until the end of the year. It is understood that' several other cheese companies have taken advantage of similar offers.

The stuff a man is made of, according to Dr. Charles Mayo, the eminent American surgeon, corn-prises fat enough to make seven bars of soap. iron enough for a medium-sized nail, sugar enough to fill a salt-shaker, and lime enough to whitewash a hencoop. There also is phosphorus enough to make the tips of 2200' matches, magnesium enough for a dose of magnesia, potassium enough to explode a toy cannon, and sulphur enough to rid a dog- of fleas. The value is said to be about 4s ljd.

Mr V. Simpson, uf Newton King. Ltd., and Mr F. Boulton, had a narrow escape from accident at Okau -(Taranaki) on Tuesday afternoon. They had just left their oar standing near the Okau factory when a burnt tree stump, about 401i"in height standing some 30ft back from the road, fell and struck across the rear portion of the car. The back and side panels of the body of the car were badly crushed and the rim of the spare wheel was also bent. The. men missed the accident by only about three minutes. The chassis of the car was undamaged, and after temporarily propping up the. hood Mr Simpson was able to drive back into New Plymouth.

A resident of Te Aroha who was having iiis land ploughed recently made an interesting discovery. He noticed something glittering on the ground, and on making an investigation found a watch, and on further examination more watches were discovered. The search was continued until a pile of jewellery was unearthed which would fill an ordinary confectionery tin. The pile comprised gold and silver watches, chains, etc. some of which were inscribed. Investigations were made among tlie old residents and the information obtained shows that about 30 years age a watchmaker was robbed at Te Aroha, and it seems that the haul was buried.

The possibilities of small areas of land efficiently worked ' along the right lines in" growing food products fur which there is a regular demand have been brought to our notice (says the Oainaru Mail). One grower of tomatoes and other vegetables and fruits cleared £ISOO off about 10 acres; in another case a similar area produced a clear profit of £SOO, and green peas and early potatoes netted still another man £l5O, despite the fact that much of his time was spent, earning wages. The prime essentials to such success are to grow what the public wants, to market it well, -and to'work hard, the last being- not ihe least important factor.

This reads like the tale of the lei Utile nigger hoys. Fifteen player: were selected to play for the "Vai sity second gra.de team at Kangior, on a recent ."Saturday. Seven attend ed at the Chrjstchurc'h railway statioi and decided that seven were not t team, and'so the train wem wilhou them. At. Addington, six 'Varsil> players were on the platform and in spected the carriages on the arriva of the train. They decided that si> players could not'lie called a leaiu and the train went on without them. At Papanui, two more players—seven and six and two make fifteen—poked their heads into the carriage windows, agreed that Iwo players could not be considered a team, and the train went on without them. There is nothing like a university education, says Hie Christ-church Sun. It may not teach organisation, but the study of philosophy has its advantages.

die of the most cosmopolitan crews that has visited New Zealand is on board the British steamer Middleham Castle, which is at Napier, in continuation oi ner voyage from New York. The crew of 34 'all told included representatives' of 14 nations: Britain, America, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Italy, Esthonia, Greece, Spain, France, Portugal, Malta, Belgium and Holland.

The pilot of the Foxton Harbour. Board, in company with the first male of the Kennedy, was coming by car to Levin on Saturday night when a tyre burst as they were approaching the top of the Avenue. The car capsized, but although „ badly damaged, was able to return on Sunday morning to Foxton. Save a liberal' coating of mud and gravelrush the occupants were uninjured.

Unheralded by the Prime Minister while in Palmerston> on Monday (says Uie Times) work on Palmersion North's new railway undertakings was commenced 'by a survey parly on the day predicted, Monday last." Quietly the Department's surveyors got to work in the morning in' the neighbourhood of Boundary iload, and the number of pegs now studding the landscape is an eloquent testimony of the start of the "great adventure."

A terrific report, like the discharge of a held gun, caused a sensation in Cathedral Square at five minutes to 2 o'clock on Monday (says the Lytic! ton Times). It was caused ,by a blow-out on one of the front tyres of the New Brighton tramway bus. The privately-owned bus hooted jubilantly, and rolled out of the Square well liulen al 2 o'clock. The tramwaynien soon changed the wheel, but it was 2.5 p.m. before a hurried start was made.

Alarm clock manufacturers would be bankrupt if they depended upon the custom of some North of England towns. A gentleman who recently returned from Leeds says that professional knockers-up are employed to wake the factory workers. These men are armed with a long bamboo cane having a cork on the end, and Jroni three o'clock onwards the raprapping of the cork against the upper storey windows may be heard. To the uninitiated, the gradually-ap-proaching tapping must sound very eerie in the early hours.

A Palmerston businessman relates an incident connected with the early days and the late Mr Henry McEwen. The narrator was then a baby in arms. The journey from Foxton to Palmerston North in those days was by means of the old tram on wooden rails and the journey by no means a last one. It was not to be wondered then that the infant should protest against an interruption in ids daily routine of sleep and feed. Mr MeEwen, however, rose to the occasion by stopping the tram, bailing up a cow on the roadside, and thus providing the wherewithal to pacify the child's waitings and bring peace of mind to an anxious mother.

'"What is the price of bread to-day, baker?" Was the univeisal question, fired by busy housewives at bread vendors whin they called on their rounds at Wangahui on Thursday. When the reply came to the effect that it was unaltered, the carters were invariably politely but definitely assured that they had no necessity to call again until the price of the household necessity was reduced to the same level as it could be purchased for over the counter. Housewives in the city took up this attitude previously when they were required to pay' a delivery fee —when the price of bread was increased recently—and eventually the bakers were compelled to 'fall into- line" to prevent losing their customers.— Chronicle.

"The Audit Department has sprung a surprise on us by announcing that at the eiid of each"financial year not only must the County funds be in credit, but also the funds in each riding o>f the County," stated Mr T. Mason Chambers, the chairman of the Hawkes Bay County Council. If such a decision proved correct, he ■said, it was going to, be' very serious for some of the ridings. It would moan that as soon as their money was expended they would have, to close down on all work and ? discharge their men. Mr A. 11. Ferguson, County Clerk, thought the Audit Department's decision wrong, but stated that the Counties' Association would probably take the matter up. -

Reference to the value of root growing competitions was made by Mr W. Brown, at the Farmers' Union smoke concert at Westmere when handing over the Sutton Cup to the chairman of the Waitotara branch of the Union, for presentation at a later date to Mr E. Parsons, the winner of the trophy. He said that one- could not but- be impressed by the increasing weights of the crops from year to year. In 1920-2,1 the prize winner's crop weighed 61 tons. Last year's winning crop averaged 114 tons, and although this season had been decidedly unfavourably for root crops, the highest yield was <W tons 12cwt. These figures demonstrate conclusively the, powers of •the competitions for good, and the exceptionally keen interest, that was being displayed in them by the farmers in the district.