Shannon News TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 1926.

Shannon News, 5 January 1926, Page 2

Shannon News TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 1926.

Miss Eggerg, of Wellington, .was a .visitor to Shannon during the holidays, being the guest of her sister, Mrs .C. Gronqiiuest, of Vogel street. The fital statistics, for Shannon during the month ending December 31st were: Births 2, deaths nil, and marriages one. ,

The first episode of the new serial "The Fighting Hanger," will be screened at the Maoriland Theatre on Monday evening next, January 11th.

Messrs H. Hook, W. Quarrie, and G. Mitchell left on Slunday on a motor tour of the North Island. They expect to he away a-bout two weeks.

During the running of the married men's race at the People's Picnic on New Year's Day, Mr L. H. Best the misfortune to fall, damaging one of the sinews of his foot.

Constaible Blaikie commences ■ his annual Jeave to-morrow, which will he' spent in the South Island. During the former's absence Constable Shannon will be in charge.

Tb.e clerical staff at the Shannon Railway Station have been kept very busy during the holidays owing -to the large number of inter-island bookings and bookings ahead.

Little Joyce Merwood, who has been an inmate of the Palmerstoai North Hospital for some weeks, returned home, last week, but unfortunately has got to enter the institution again at an early date.

Messrs W. H. Gunning and J. T. Bovis will represent the Shannon Bowling Club at Palmers-tan North ,pn ' Thursday to play against the British bowlers who will arrive in Palmerston North on that day.

; Shannon can evidently produce men who can step a chain accurately. At the picnic on New Year's Day, the winner of the chain stepping, Mr J. Swindlehurst, was only a quarter of an inch oyer, while two other competitors were only one inch out.

Mrs R. L. Tippler, whose health has not been too satisfactory of late, entered the Palmerston North Hospital last week, undergoing an'operation yesterday. The operation was satisfactory and her many friends will wish her a speedy recovery to good health.

There was a large attendance at the dance in the Parish Hall on New Year's night. The hall was prettily decorated for. the occasion and those present spent a most enjoyable time. The music which was supplied by the Maoriland String Band, added much to the enjoyment of the evening.

Ne\y Year's Eve in Shannon was kept up in the old fashioned way, there being quite a number oi' hogmanay parties, who, calling on their friends, fittingly celebrated the pus'sjng of the old' year and the commencement of the new. At the Druids' Hull, where a dance was in progress, a large crowd gathered and danced the old year out and the'new yeair in. As usual a numßer of i pranks were played by the night I prowlers. Gates were removed and ( early risers who visited the business portion of the town were confronted J with vehicles of all descriptions plac- I ed in the doorways <o£ business prem- I ises, the entrance to the picture theatre being haired by a butcher's cart, i while a horse lorry blocked the entrance to the post office. The machine gun, which does duty in the park opposite the station, had taken up a* position of guard over the Albion Hotel, while the seats from the park had been placed in front of the local • hairdresser's shop window. The street generally wore a ragged appearance with the motley collection of old ,vehicles, tables and tins dotted about.

A prolonged shock of earthquake I was experienced in Shannon at 3.33 < p.m. yesterday, < ' j

The revenue derived from the issue of passenger tickets at the Shannon Railway Station for the month of December shows an increase of over £IOO as compared with the corresponding period last year. This rhust he considered very 'satisfactory as last year a large number of men from" Mangahao hydro works, who had been discharged, travelled during that period.

Travelling in England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, Dr.. Thacker had "New Zealand" printed* in large bold letters on his luggage. He offers this idea to all New Zealanders abroad as he found that it never failed to assure civility and kindness.

"The Department is squeezing every penny out of the business people," declared a member of the Canterbury Progress League, which complains that the telephone rates are too high. A series of questions on the subject is being submitted to the Government.

The tomato crops in the Otahuhu district are disappointing this season compared with previous years, states an Auckland paper. This is considered to be due to the cold winds experienced about five weeks ago and to continued dry weather since. It is estimated the district sends in annually to the Auckland markets 150 tons of tomatoes, and that there are about 89 acres of plants.

T|he Wellington Automobile Club has completed a survey of routes from Wellington to Shannon and from there to Palmerston North and back through Himitangi to Foxton, for the purpose of erecting direction boards. The Wanganui organisation is also engaged in surveying routes for the same object. Notice boards have already been erected as far as Levin. ,

An advertisement in the "Belfast Telegraph" offering a number of houses for sale by auction, gives the following particulars concerning rent which will he of interest to New Zealanders: "One house let at 5/11 ■ pei week, six let at 5/6 per week, eight at 5/2 per week." "The above are situated in a first class letting district, have been well maintained 1 , and should prove safe and (reliable invest-, With the present price oi building materials in this country there are not many who would consider the safe and reliable investment on these rentals.

The lilting strains of a jazz tune and the sound- of happy voices caused a Castlecliff beach camper to rise from hig bunk and peep through his bedroom window the other night at the witching hour. A curious sight met his gaze; ghostly figures in the moonlight dancing to the tomtom rhythm of a portable gramophone, their ball-room the iron deck of the Cyrena, the moon for a spotlight and for applause the murmur of tine waves. This, thought the silent.onlooker, was "flaming yopth." at its hottest. " .

If we banished from our tables all the commodities which, like salt, have been • condemned in print, our diet would be decidedly monotonous. "Food faddists are most aggressive persons,'' Henry Labouchere once complained. "In my time I have known them preach that we should give up meat, tobacco, alcohol, soup, starch (including bread and potatoes), salt, tomatoes, bananas, strawberries, and bath. buns. I have also witnessed movements for igiying up boots, waistcoats, hats, overcoats, carpets, feather beds, spring mattresses, cold baths, linen clothes, woollen clothes, sleeping more than six hours, and lighting fires at the bottom."

Great interest and a small degree of alarm was caused by the very unusual phenomenon at Auckland about 7 o'clock last Monday evening. The moon was of a bright green colour. Local scientific authorities who were appealed to were quite authoritative in their decision that the colour was not due to the cheese of which the moon is made having gone mouldy, but they were disappointingly unauthoritative when it came to saying what the cause was. There was a very striking halo r'opnd the moon shortly afterwards, but the conditions which. cause haloes did not ■strike the experts as sufficient to account for the preceding greenness. Subsequent study has so far failed to answer the puzzle. An old and well-known verse, lias however, been modified to read: "You ought to have seen the moon we had in Auckland."

While farmers of Ashfourton County are facing the prospect of a small harvest, Mr J. O'Grady, of Cameron street, claims to have established a world's record in yield. In May lastMr O'Grady took his.spade and care-

fully planted a single grain of wheat. In a few weeks, when it was above the ground, he cut it back, repeating this pruning five times in all. The Wheat grew and sprouted well. Now it is over four feet in height, and today carries 109 heads and 6976 pickles. A reporter who called on Mr O'Grady did not count them up to see, but took the grower's word* for it. ' The "wheat is very strong looking, ami calculation shows that; an acre giving similar results would produce 4000 bushels, If Mr O'Grarty had an acre of it and it threshed out at that estimate, he Would collect somewhere about £-1300 at the end of the season.

In the vicinity of the Pahnerston Esplanade yesterday some individual, with a peculiar "kink" for destruction, amused himself with ripping bicycle' tyres with some 3harp instrument.

The much abused punt at the Shan non bridge is again causing trouble. Owing to the continued dry weather the Manawatu river is very low just now, and as tho punt draws about three ieet ol water it will not cross the shallows except at high tide. ,

Quite a number of bowling terms new to local bowlers were intrpduc ed by the British bowlers during the progress of the''match at Cambridge. The visitors referred to "heads" as "ends;" the "kitty" as "kate;" the "ditch" as. the "pit;" and a "wriye" as a "rocket."

"Are you the Governor?" asked a youngster of five years, as he walked up to Sir Charles Fergusson at Greymouth. "Yes," admitted Sir Charles, smiling encouragingly. "Well," said the questioner," my father works on the railway, and we are going to be transferred soon. Good-bye, Gover nor! Merry Christmas!"

Speaking to a. Taihape Times reporter an enthusiastic angler said he had made three trips to Tokaanu this season, and had landed only one seven-pounder. "I have seen hundreds of big fellows lying lazily on the bottom of pools and in the lake but they are not rising. But they will next month, and then I'll get my share of them, I'll bet."

' The "buy British goods" policy has not, apparently been adopted by the Hawkes Bay Education, Board (reports the Hawkes Bay Herald), for when the Mangapapa School recently applied for a wall clock, they received a cheap "Made in Germany" article. The teachers were indignant at the BSard for sending a German article, and the committee retailed it to the Board.

If the sheep farmers wer;e attacked with the idea of creating a new Denmark, it would ifiean that the sheep industry would be sacrificed for an extension of dairying (says the Southland News). The Dominion could not stand up to the process. The close settlement of sheep country must he carefully restricted, so that the industry's power is not impaired and its anility to stand a temporary reverse is kept up.

A drover, Mr .Kelly, had a miraculous escape from a serious accident while crossing the railway line about half-a-mile south of Orari (South Canterbury) a few days ago. He was driving a horse in a sulky and lead ing another horse, also attached to a sulky, when the evening train from Ashburton rah into the horse that was being led. The animal had one foot out off, and was otherwise cut about. The horse was. destroyed shortly after the accident. The vehicle was damaged considerably.

During the play on one of the Auckland bowling greens on Saturday keen interest was being displayed 'in the Auckland Cup, and it became known amongst some of the players that a half-crown sweepstake was being indulged in' by 25 of the players. One at the players of a different frame of mind, not to be outdone by the other "sports," collected seven half-crowns, besides his own, making one ponmd in all, to pay over to one of the orphanages." "That is the surest -way to strike a' 'divvy,'" he said, "and I'll see that the money is handed over on Monday morning."

Discussing bowls, Mr Wiiight, captain of the ' big team now touringNew Zealand, said the British team did not profess to include the cream of English bowjers. They had some good' players with- them, but the majority were "out for a holiday With howls as a well loved sideline. The Auckland players, he considered, were exceedingly keen, and had nothing to learn about the game. Aggression appeared to be their watchword, and they seemed to specialise in fast play. The visitors relied more on the draw and what might be termed the conventional game.

A pleasing testimony to the methods pursued in the New Zealand High Commissioner's office, London, particularly the Immigration Department, has reached Sir James Allen from a gentleman in Somerset, whose son went to Now Zealand under the public schoolboys' sehem'e. After referring to the progress made by his son, this gentleman states: "I must repeat a previous statement of mine, that it is a sincere pleasure to deal Avith any, or all, of the officials of New Z'ealand. I wish that our own Home Government officials could learn their thoughtful courtesy. Mrs. and I would not mind being in New Zealand ourselves, if we were a little younger. "With many thanks.-*'

it was 5G years ago on December 16 since me first cycle race in New Zealand was ridden in Christchurch. This race' wag recalled by Mr T. Hyde, a visitor to Christchurch from Napier, who built one of the cycles used in the race. The machine was the first high-wheeled cycle in Christchurch, and its rivals in the race were a tricycle and some old-style cycles with pedals on the front hubs. Mr Hyde's new model was ■> ridden by his brother, Mr George Hyde, but the old order prevailed, for the Hyde machine collapsed near the winning ' posl. The race was ridden on De cember 16, 1869, and a start was made at Latimer Square, the course being round several city bloclis.

It is surely a most unusual thing for a jockey to change Iris horse in the course of a race. This actually occurred at a French race meeting recently. It was a steeplechase and four horses fell at one jump. The rider of the favourite, which was among the victims, extricated himself from the re-niounted, and only realised when tJio shouts of the crowd attracted his attention that he had mounted the wrong horse, while the favourite continued his journey without a rider.

Families of sixteen although quite common in the old days are now almost unknown. It was with a good deal of interest that the members of the Auckland Relief Committee listened to a statement made by a person at present in ill health, that she had ten brothers and five sisters. The chairman said it was almost a record, although -cases had been brought under their notice where there were IS in a family, but he wished to' compliment the family on its valuable contribution to the population of the country. It was quite easy to see that a father and mother rearing such a big family would hare little chance of gathering much of this world's goods, but they had done something better, because each individual brought up in healthy surroundings and able to play their part in the battle of life added in 'every way to the development of the Dominion.

There were ten inebriates on the roll call at the Carterton Police Court on Tuesday. One had been arrested on Christmas Eve, one on Christmas Day, and six on Boxing Day. All were admitted to bail, which was a very good thing, as the lock-up could not have held them. Eight were dealt with as first offenders under the Act, and two were up for second, convictions. All were fined in sums varying from 10s to £l, the latter being the amount of bail forfeited by those who did not appear. Mr. W. A. Kitchen was on the Bench. It is noteworthy that at the same period last year there-was not a single arrest for drunkenness in Carterton, the town being noticeably free from outside thirsty ones, who can't "buy in Masterton." The police are to be complimented in so promptly taking these inebriates off the streets.—" Wairarapa News."

A few days«ago Mr J. D. McK-enzie visited t[iie soldiers' settlement at Pekapekarau on behalf of the Auckland Education Board to investigate an application for -a school to be provided in the district. He found that the number in the settlement was insufficient by half a. dozen to. warrant establishment of. the school and advised the married ex-"diggers" to that effect. The result was that' a deputation waited on one of the settlers, and asked him what he intended to do ; about it. Evidently the bachelor was not in that state from choice, because he answered the inferred criticism fully by responding: "Well, if you can find me a.widow with six kids who is willing to marry me and live here, I will take her on, and that will entitle uis to get a school in the district." Mr McKenzie was duly advised of the offer that had been made in the general interests of the community.

Writing from Sydney to hen .father, a Waihi girl tells a, good story and vouches for the fasts. A young lady residing in the New, South Wales capital called to see an.old maiden friend whom she found very ill, and who had been unable to move for several days. In the meantime her cat had died in the house,' and the. lady visitor undertook to get rid of it. She wrapped it up in paper and. placed it in a-shabby suitcase, informing the invalid owner that she would drop it overboard when crossing on the ferry, but found no op portunity of -consigning it to the deep. While proceeding up the wharf, a well-dressed man accosted her and offered to carry the suitcase. Tak ing possession of gt, the man suddenly disappeared in the crowd, and . she saw no more of him or the suitcase.

The complete analysis of such a mass of facts and figures as'are'accumulated in a Dominion census is a work requiring time and care. The General Report on the census of 19;JL has just been issued by the Government Statistician,, Mr Malcolm Fraser. It is a. bulky foolscap volume of 232 pages, giving by the aid of interesting articles, informative tabulations and illuminating maps a complete and comprehensive survey of the results of the enquiry. Not the least interesting is the description and illustrations of the ingenious machines which mechanically tabulate the information given in the returns after the cards have been punched with holes indicating the nature of each individual's replies to the census questions: The general report will be of special value in comparing the results of the 192.6 census to be'taken in April next.

A story of how a young man had a very exp'ensive. ride on the scenic railway'at the Dominion Exhibition recently/ was related to a Timaru Herald representative by a gentleman who had just returned from the southern city. The young man in question was standing near the starting place of the railway, and noticing two young ladies nearby, invited them to accompany hirn on the trip. The young ladies expressed themselves delighted with the offer, which they readily accepted. The trip was not altogether a smooth one, and at times the passengers were subject to some severe jolts. On one of th'ese occasions one of the young ladies clutched the gentleman beside her for safety. The young man did not mind this at the time, but on. alighting and! after having said goodbye to his fair companion, he found that he was minus his wallet, which contained £.17 though of course, he does not suggest that his companion v(a visitor from Australia) had anything to do with it,