Shannon News FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 1927.

Shannon News, 7 January 1927, Page 2

Shannon News FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 1927.

Mr R. Kempstev, of Tauranga, who at one time was a resident of Shannon, is visiting old friends.

Mr and Mrs A. E. Hyde and their two children left Shannon on Tuesday on a motor trip to Auckland via New Plymouth. It is their intention to make the return trip by way of Napier.

We understand that it is the intention of the Railway Department* at ar. early date, to run Sunday excursion trains from Palmerston North and intermediate stations to Paekakariki.

The young people of Shannon have made arrangements to hold a dance in the Druids’ Hall, on Tuesday evening. Those in search of a good evening’s enjoyment should make a point 'of attending.

Lately children have been doing damage in the garden plot opposite the Shannon railway station. They have been climbing on the small shrubs to pick the flowers, with the result that quite a number have been broken down. It is the duty of parents to warn children who frequent the plot not to touch or damage the flowers and shrubs.

The work of ploughing, levelling and putting down in grass the eastern portion of the school grounds has now been completed This area will be used as a football and cricket ground and will be a great improvement, as- this portion of the playing area was in a very rough state. The work has been carried out under the supervision of Mr R. L. Tippler (chairman) and at the committee meeting held on Wednesday evening he was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for the time he has devoted to the work and the trouble he had gone to to ensure a good job.

It was reported at the Shannon School Committee meeting that some thoughtless and irresponsible person or persons on New Year's Eve and on another occasion, had removed the school gates from off their hinges. This is a senseless trick as had any wandering stock got into the grounds all the good work that the committee, teachers and scholars have done would have been spoilt. All right-thinking people will agree that a prank of this kind is not a joke and the committee strongly resent this kind of thing. The grounds are a credit to all concerned and it behoves everyone to see that they are protected.

These are days of specials and the mouth of January is a special month at Howard Andrew’s, Ltd., as a perusal of their advertisement on page 2 xgliere they specialise in Jap Crepe at 8d per yaid, etc., will show.*

As you eat So you are! Food makes the man, therefore food is the xvorld’s problem. Milderson’s Shortcake Biscuits will solve a part of yours. Only 1/2 per lb. from Aitcheson & Son.*

Mr J. O. Anderson, of Stirling, has a herd of 63 dairy cows that put up a fine record for the month of November. The average production per cow was 4.1 lb of butterfat, testing 4.1. They are all purebred Jerseys, and the herd has been regularly culled, until now' there is not a “robber” cow in the lot. Good pasture, of course, has also had something to do with the increasing productivity and top-dressing is regularly practised on Mr Anderson’s farm.

Most people have heard the phrase “Once in a blue moon.” It is not, however often vouchsafed to mortals in their sober senses to see a blue moon. That "Phenomenon was visible in Blenheim on a recent night about 7.30, during a gorgeous sunset. Deep pink clouds covered the north-western sky. being separated from, the purple hills by a band of bright green sky. In the west, peeping out from behind a film of greyish cloud, was a thin crescent of delicate pale blue moon.

The Attorney-General of Tasmania pathetically admitted in Parliament recently that, but for the £400,000 a year which the Government gets from sweeps, the State “would go out of existence.” And this notwithstanding that it received a substantial subsidy from the Commonwealth. As bulk of the sweep money comes from other States New r South "Wales being the largest contributor, this means that Tasman-

ia exists only in the position of a Federal pensioner.

A magnificent "shot” from Ngaruhoe was witnessed on a recent Sunday afternoon, reports the Taihapc Times. It was estimated that the “shot” must have been nearly two thousand feet high. Witnesses said they had seen the volcano active on innumerable occasions, but this one eclipsed in size and grandeur all the others. It. went up straight at first, and then spread out like a huge canopy about the crest of the volcano.

With a view to improving portion of the wide tract of pumice lands south of Lake Taupo, the Government by proclamation has increased the area at tached to the ITautu Prison, about. three or four miles from Tokasnu village, from 700 acres to 10,000 acres. It is declared by expert agriculturists that the prospects of bringing the land .int i profitable cultivation arc very bright, and that after a. few years ’ work it will be suitable for subdivision and settle meat.

A visitor to the East Coast districts during the holidays reports that a feeling of depression was abroad, owing to the dull market for fat stock. Beneficial rains were experienced at Christmas time, but the country in upper Hawkes Bav looked dry when compared with the farming lards of this coast. The progressive spirit of Gisborne was particularly noticeable, and there was much evidence of the substantial nature of the work undertaken by the Harbour .Board for the diversion of the river by dredging and embanking so as to provide in-shore accommodation for shipping. ■

Like “Who’s Who,” the New Zealand Official Year Bookl increases in size with every issue. The 1927 volume, of which a copy has been received at this office, has 1056 pages, or 67 more than the 1925 issue. Yet, notwithstanding its bulk, it is concise in- all its varied departments. As a compendium of useful and reliable information relating, to every important phasfe of community life/it has the standing of any encyclopaedia; and to the up-to-date business man, no less than the journalist and publicist, it is indispensable. Besides a quantity of statistics and graphs, it contains a number of descriptive articles of sufficient interest to hold the attention of readers other than specialists in the subject treated.

“This is a question for the court to consider,” said Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M., in the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court, when a solicitor put in an admittance of means when asking for a judgment summons order against a judgment debtor. “1 don’t place much faith in those statements and would like to have the debtor here and ascertain the, position for myself. The Court is the only judge as to "whether the debtor has sufficient money after supporting himself and family to satisfy the judgment.. If this work is done in a solicitor’s office it is raking away from the Court the duty thrust upon it by the statute. i shall not make orders in future on the strength of these, admissions.”

What is possibly a record for the Roverty Bay district as far as shearing is concerned was carried by a gang at Rototahi recently, when six men shore 1673 sheep in a nine-hours’ day. Four of these men did no less than 1,229 sheep —these being Piki Smith 318, W. Beech man, 306, S. Aparama 303, and Hiwi -Maynard 302. This tally easily beats >»/]• it Hawkes Bay recently claimed % i a record when four men shore 1165 sheep for Mr J. D. Inglis, at Mount Erin. The highest tally in that case also was 318, but there the men worked for ten hours, thus having an extra hour above the Rototahi shearers. The sheep at Rototahi were in perfect condition, as shown by the fact that the ■\vo<»l easily topped the market at the recent Napier sale.

All through Hawkes Bay and right on to Gisborne the main roads are in good condition, Mr F. H. Hudson (Horowhenua County Clerk) informed a "Chronicle” reporter. The progressive policy of the Main Highways Board was plainIv noticeable during a motor run from Napier to Gisborne, the road being in excellent order for car service, with a stretch of about 10 miles of tar-surfac-ing approaching Gisborne. Beyond that town the coast road is in various stages of construction, and in some cases the travelling had to be done over clay formation. There weie numerous evidences of flood damage in recent years in the Gisborne district. Mr Hudson spoke in appreciative terms of the courtesy and the skilful driving which stand to the credit of the men who run the service cars from Napier up the East Coast.

Camels were imported into South Australia from Afghanistan about 1850. Since then, by breeding and further imports, their numbers have been increased to over 11,000. It is interesting to note that the Australian-bred camels are superior to the imported ones. Government camel stations have been established; private pastoralists have studs of their own. In the first instance, Afghan camel men were brought as well, but nowadays the white settlers are replacing them. In the remoter parts, where conditions are most primitive, one may see a string of them, tied nose to tail, wandering through the bush like some giant serpent. Their Afghan camel man, riding at the head, is striking in his Eastern garb beside the soberly dad Australian stockman.

The call of the wild cud be strong, even in what was thought to be an eminently respectable pack horse. Fancying probably that it was Pegasus, a pack horse, carrying luggage in which had been placed a wallet containing £IOO in notes and a gold watch, broke away from a hotelkeeper at Broken Hill' and quickly disappeared (says an exchange). The way in which it annihilated space staggered its owner. It had heard the call of a mob of brumbies, and it is now among them. "All efforts to capture it, and, what is more to the point, retrieve the £IOO and the gold watch, have failed. Once or twice

parties have got within some distance of it, but it has outwitted them.

The motor registration numberplates for the year 1927 will be yellow in colour with white figures.

Though most of them have deserted wigwams for houses and till the land or work jn factories instead of hunting buffaloes there are still about 350,000 Red Indians in the United States.

Hour men, whom the judge at Dover Ohio, pronounced to be habitual drunkards, were sentenced to consume each a gallon of Avater a day for ten days consecutively.

Central Police Court, Sydney, presented a busy appearance durirfg the holidays when some 297 drunks were charged. This compliment included 30 women. Most of the offenders came from the dry district of Canberra.

“Guilty, your Worship! The compliments of the season to you, Your Worship! It’s Christmas time, you know!’.’ said an offender against the larvs of sobriety at the Auckland Police Court. A line, and failure to reciprocate the greetings, came from the magistrate.

“After a visit to many law courts in England, I am satisfied justice is being carried out Avith traditional dignity and incorruptibility, ” stated Mr. J. Stanton, an Auckland city solicitor AA T ho returned from a tour abroad by the Rotorua. He added that both Bench and larvyers displayed efficient knoAVledge, and the administration of justice Avas Avonderful.

The sneak thief has been busy at various beaches during the holidays and Otaki did not escape his unAvelcome attentions. Money and valuables Avere taken from the pockets of bathers and one unfortunate was compelled to Avalk homo barefoot on account of the loss of both shoes and sox. A Avatch is being kept and it is sincerely hoped that the delinguents Avill be brought to justice.

In a letter to a Matamata friend, Mr W. W. Livingstone, Avho, Avith his brother, Mr David Livingstone, is on a hunting expedition in Africa, stated that the tinned butter they took Avith them from Nerv Zealand kept wonderfully. It had been carried about in the hot sun for months and yet opened up splendidly, and, Avhat was more, it kept Avell Avhen opened.

A claim to a fortune, stated to amount to £1,500,000, has been made by a Avoman 82 years of age. The claimant is Mrs. Lydia Richardson, who ansAvored an advertisement circulated in England by the Australian Government seeking the next-of-kin of the late Mr. Andmv Rutherford, a golddigger of Perth, West Australia. Mrs. Richards claims to be the youngest daughter of Mr. Rutherford's brother, AA'ho settled at Sunderland.

Pickpockets are in evidence. A male passenger on the Limited express front Wellington one morning last Aveek Avas relieved of a Avallet containing over £2O. He told a railway official that he Avas seated next to a female Avho used the lip-stick and poAvder freely on the run. She had in her bag a bottle of brandy to Avhich she had frequent resort. Another man stated he had stolen from him in a city shop a Avallet containing £6. He remembered standing next to a female Avhose description tallied Avith that of the lip-stick lady on the Limited.

It has just .transpired that someone placed a coupling hook across the railway line about 100 yards from the crossing in High street, Dannevirke, before the arrival of the South School excursion on its return from Ashhurst the other day. Fortunately the engine threw the obstacle clear. The driver reported the occurrence to the stationmaster. Subsequent inquiries by the police showed that two small boys were responsible, and they will probably have to explain their action before the magistrate at the next sitting of the Children’s Court in Dannevirke.

A substantial capture of wandering stock by Ranger Cameron ivas indicated by a receipt form laid before the Cook County Council. The receipt related to 1500 sheep taken on a country road. The clerk explained that the mob had been bought by a man on a speculative basis, and had been grazed on the road, with occasional nights in paddocks. Numerous complaints had been made from ratepayers along the road. Council decided to prosecute the owner of the sheep for allowing stock to wander on the roads. Two councillors voted against the motion.

What is the precise difference between a plain Mister and an Esquire? asks the English Daily Chronicle. This delicate question is receiving much attention from the staff of a big London house. In a circular letter to all members of the firm, half are adiessed as Mr and half as Esq. The plain Misters are wondering what they have to do to become Esquires. The difference seems to be much the same as that between an officer and a private soldier as defined by the "Punch” sergeant. "Orficers ’ave their tec-f extracted, privates ’a ve ’em pulled aht. ”

An unusual incident occurred in the bowling tourney now in progress at Auckland. It was at St. Helier’s ivith the game at a critical stage, an Auckland team leading Remuera by one point mi the nineteenth head. Auckland’s lead drew a "toucher.” Remuera's No. 2 "rested” it. As "kitty” lay with two rival bowls, each only inchesaway, seeking her favour, it appeared to the contestants \vho craned their necks for the usual close examination that Auckland ivould, on an official measure, gain the verdict. But, as they stooped over, Auckland’s No. 3 dropped his pipe. It fell on the Remuera bowl and deflected it the merest fraction, and gave that side the shot. In future (says the Auckland Star) this player is to be asked to leave his pipe at home when he attends a bowling tournament, ! so that momentous issues may' not be ! diverted by trivial mischances