Shannon News FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 1926.

Shannon News, 15 January 1926, Page 2

Shannon News FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 1926.

At a special meeting of the Boirough Council held on Tuesday it was decided to fix Wednesday as. tine statutory half holiday for shojps in Shannon for the present ear. Mrs R. U Tippler, who recently underwent an operation at the Pal'enirston; North Hospital, has made a splendid recovery and expects tQ return home on Saturday.

A final notice is given that 10 per cent, will he added to all rates unpaid on and alter Ist February, 1925, and proceedings wiill be taken for their recovery without further notice. The Town Clerk reported at the Council meeting on Tuesday evening, that to date 130 water connections had been made while the water has been laid on to farms outside the Borough, of a total area of 587. acres. As so many people are taking advantage of the wanm weather in visiting the seaside Howard Andrew, Ltd., on page 2, are advertising some very seasonable lines such as sun hats, sunshades, helmet hats, etc. Arrangements have been- made to hold an Anniversary Dance in''the.' Parish Hall on Friday evening, January 22nd. There will be dancing from 8 p.m. until 1 a.m., the music being supplied by the Maori String Band, while the supper arrangements will be carried out by the ladies of Ven. Bede's Guild. The Shannon Gazette, produced by Mr Les. Scott, will be screened at the Maoriland Theatre, to-night, and should not be missed by local residents whether "in the picture" or not. Mr' Scott lias made a very fine film and its screening will be awaited with Interest. This evening at 7.30. p.m. in: the Council Chambers a general meeting of ■ members and intending members of the Athletic and Cycling Club will be held for the purpose of electing officers and making arrangements for holding another sports meeting. A full attendance is requested. No fire alarm was given in Inglewood during the year 1925. The first pile of the Mokaui bridge was driven last week. It is expected that it will take about two years to complete the bridge. „ It is reported that a well-known Taranaki Jersey cattle-breeder has received an offer for the whole of his herd, involving a sum reaching into five figures.. A young man fishing for eels in the Waikato river near the wharf at Camibridge last iweek, caught two which* turned the scales at 471bs. The largest one was 4ft Bin long and weighed 281bs, while the -other weighed 191bs. "It was a great sight from my verandah,"' stated a member of a district County Council in referring to Monday night's rain. ( 'I was too busy watching it falling on my 40 acres of rape to observe the display . of lightning in the heavens," added another.—Standard. A Gore lad showed the "go-getter" spirit at a district race meeting during the holidays (remarks the "Mataura Ensign"). Purchasing a few bundles of pencils at a Id a time he neatly halved these and adjourned to the racecourse. There they I were retailed at 6cl a half pencil. Net profit, 14s.

A motor cyclist named Guy Nicholson was charged in the Wellington Court with exceeding the speed limit -of twelve miles am hour at Koro Koro, and with driving a motor cycle in a manner dangerous to the .public. The Magistrate fined him £lO and took his license away from him, remarking that "people like you" are a danger to the community.''

For 'the ten days previous to New Years Eve, no fewer than 160 motor cars were landed at Platan by the Union Steam ' fcihip Company (says the Marlborough' Press). These were oars to be used by North Island motorists for touring purposes.

According t<? the latest statistics palmerstom North ranks as seventh town in the • Dominion in the matter of size of population, the figures being 19,240. Auckland heads the list with 180,790, followed by Wellington 118,490, Christchurch 118,270, Dunedin 77,480, Wanganui l 24,940, and InvercairgiU 20,990.

It is reported that some days ago some person interfered with the Westinghouse brake on a goods train at Johnsonvii'lle station, with the result that the train commenced, to run down 'the incline to Wellington without braking power. The driver and fireman pluokily averted a smash by jumping off the engine and releasing the footbrakes on the trucks as they ran past.

To. most settlers gorse is looked upon as more or less -of a curse. But according to an application made by a ratepayer to the Waimea -Comity Council (Nelson) for permission to plant the noxious weed on certain third class land, three sheep to the acre can be grown off this class of feed. It is noticeable that on the Hokio Beach road the gorse in many places has been eaten round by the sheep. '

The practice of some motorists in holding to the centre of a highway and refusing to give way to smaller cars, was commented on at this week's meeting of the Manawatu County Council, and the prediction made that there would yet be a nasty accident arising out of this selfish practice. It is an offence under the bylaws for a motorist to drive his car in such a manner and a lookout is to be kept for offenders,

A familiar figure at any Hamilton fire and the mascot of the brigade is a black curly-coated retriever rejoicing in the name of "Mac." He insists on sleeping alongside the main fire 'engine, and upon the receipt ofan alarm is first on to the driver's seat where he stands, all excitement, wagging his tail, and barking furiously. Arrived at the fire he mounts guard over the engine, occasionally leaving his post to see how matters are going on inside. An 5 interesting discovery was ,made in Rotorua I*ake hi the shallow water near Mjqikoia, says the "Riotorua Chronicle." , A party was diving for koura, when' an old gun was discovered. The barrel had been eaten away by rust, but the stock and brass fittings remained uninjured by time. The brass shoulder plate bore the stamped figures 1842, in order vertically on the strapping were the following marks: 85, 30, N.Z. 362. How many years this ancient relic has lain there is a matter of conjecture, but its identification would be extremely ■ interesting in view of <the period.

One of the most sensational incidents in turf history on the West Coast occurred at Reeftoh last week in a. hurdle race, I when five,, out of six riders were disqualified for not riding their mounts out. The race was a remarkable one (says a southern -writer), if indeed it could he called a race. Maunu, who had finished last in each of his five starts, won from end to end, hut it appeared to the crowd that he held his place only on sufferance. There was a loud demonstration of disapproval when the field returned to the scale. The Judicial Committee at onoe met to consider the circumstances, and decided to disqualify all- the riders with the 'exception of the lad who rode the winner. The term of disqualification imposed is siix months, and the offence is stated to be that the riders failed to ride their mounts oju/t. The disqualified jockeys are McMtdlan (rider of Tenterneld), Kirwin (Marble 'Slab),. Easton (UncleDave), Peart .(Gashman), and Campbell (Flying Master). All are wellknown riders.

Commenting on the fact that a Commission has been set up to -examine the place names of New Zealand, the Waipukurau Press says:— The name of Waipukurau might well be the sulbjedt of review, as while admitting a rose hy any other name would be just as sweet, there is something to be said for a pleas-ant-sounding, brief, and expressive designation. Prom a publicity point of view, a change of name would not be amiss. The name given to our principal street is also unduly lengthy, and for that reason is seldom used I- As a business address, "Ruataniwhu Street, Waipukurau," does not make a popular appeal, either wjMhin our borders or beyond. As \ the borough progresses, the advisa- | bility of changing these names may ( become more obvious, and the soon- i er the matter is determined the bet- J ter for publicity and legal reasons. J We are indebted to Mr J. R. Puku ' for the information that Waipukiuirau derives its name from a small stream of that name flowing through the property of Mr W. E. Mitchell, and others, to the north of St. Joseph's Street, in which part of the town the Courthouse and Police Station are situated. The name is appropriate as applied to the creek, viz., Wa.i (for. water), and pukurau (-meaning' toadstool). The Maoris had been in' the habit of washing toadstools in this stream. The original name of the town and district was Hatuma

Striking example of the rapid easterly erosion the Manawatu River is making in places at Moutoa is to be witnessed at the site oi the old Shannon Bridge. The (remain* of the bridge, one span oi' which \yas washed away almost two years ago, now stands on an isthmus of sand, high and dry, and the- river, still working away from the structure, flows past the end of the bridge _ instead of under it.—Foxton Herald"

The fact that motorists approaching the WiroMno .bridge from Foxton cannot see Whether there is tralnc approaching iii the opposite direction on the bridge, has been responsible for one accident recently and.there -is no rtcord of the number "of collisions .which have only just ..been avoided. The need lor cautionhas prompted the Manawatu County Council .to take steps to .have a warning notice erected on the'Foxton side of the bridge. Similar attention is to'be ; given to the Oroua bridge.-

.■.■■■■■■■/ ■.;.:■ ■£ ' The Horowhenua County Council ,on Saturday adopted the following 'recommendation of the Works Committee: " "That in view of the general policy of improving angles on the main highway to make for additional safety for the travelling public, the Main Highways Board be approached with a view of obtaining their assistance in requesting the Railway Department to provide an overhead bridge south of Manak.au, which would be more in conformity with the scheme of improved highways."

A candidate for a'-., southern seat broke ground with this. The farmers Of a certain district are noted for their in driving a bargain. One day a stranger descended from a car outside one of the best farm-houses in the district, and remarked to the owner, "Fine piece of land out there.'' "You're right there," replied the farmer eagerly, "it's the best in the country." "Bit too high a figure for a poor man, 1 reckon?" asked the stranger.- "It's worth every penny of £6O an acre," answered the farmer, with an eye to business. "Were you thinking of settling, in these, parts?" , "No," 1 murmured the stranger, making some notes in a book, "I'm the Government valuer!"

i A contemporary reprints the following paragraph from "its. issue of i 1881:—An incidept .of considerable interest to local archaeologists, occurred at Opoiiki,, sayis the Times. The correspondent of the Bay of Plenty Times states that some distance ( up. Otaro Gorge, on a portion of the estate of Mr Thomas Black, an enormous puketea tree, probably many hundreds of * years old, has been blown down, disclosing thfe astounding fact that the whole of the hollow interior, extending from the roots to the first fork, about 45 feet, had been filled with human bodies. Since it fell these hav» burst out at the butt of the tree in the form of a confused heap of skeletons. A more extraordinary sight than this monarch of the forest lying prone J and discharging a perfect, hecatomb , of Human skeletons can scarcely be \ conceived. Some are nearly perfect, i while others are mixed up in a ohaoI tic mass of head 6, hands, feet, arms I and legs indiscriminately. All the ' I Maoris here seem to have been quite unaware of this natural enamel house, and declare, that it must have happened long before their or their fathers' time. Indeed, the appearance of the tree' fully justified the supposition that it must have been I some hundreds of years since tins i novel family vault w.as filled with its ghastly occupants. v . . "I have been as near death as it is safe to be, and a little nearer. If I had died 1 should not know more 'about thb sensation of dying than 1 know now,' r writes Mr James Douglas in the Sunday Express, and this will explain why his contributions, so greatly missed, have not appeared of late. "You will all be interested in my experience," Mr Douglas goes on to say, "for you will all die in much the same way as 1 nearly died, and your feelings will be the same as. you accomplish the universal feat of escaping from this fiantastic bu ( t delightful world. I 1 have asked many doctors whether the dying fear death. They all declare that the dying are not afraid. This confirms my own experience. It is living that hurts'"'and wounds and terrifies. Life, I am sure, is far ( more terrible than death. I felt that" I was in a kind and compassionate clime, with no. cruelty in its genjtle atmosphere. Death is a sweet and serene peace. Its song is a lulUaby, not a dirge. It may seem outrageous to say that dying is a cheerful experience, with no lack of humour and mirth and joy. But that is my report of it. It may be said that my dying did not go far enough to justify my conclusions. But I can honestly say that it. went as far as it could go without rnjaking finality. I saw a fragment of the curve of death, and I am convinced that it would have been prolonged if I had not ceased to follow the great. Alight. This is the good news' I bring to those who are afraid of death. There is naught to fear."