Shannon News FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 1927.

Shannon News, 14 January 1927, Page 2

Shannon News FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 1927.

Mr W. H. Gunning is on a visit to Auckland. Mr and Mrs E. T. Moody have returned home from their holidays. Mr H. Hook is on holidays in ,the Wairau Valley. Inquiries are b"ing made for a site suitable for a factory, with a view to startiug a small industry in Shannon. Mr and Mrs J. Crowther have .relumed to Shannon and will in future reside at Mangahao. Mrs Aim and family are staying at Paekakariki, and Mrs McLaughlin and family at Plimmerton.

Mrs G. P. Anderson, of Wellington, is the guest of Mr and Mrs E. Bishop, of Vance Street.

A special meeting of the Borough Council will be held on the "sth inst. to decide the question of the business half-holiday for the year.

News was received to-day of the serious illness of Mrs Davis, of Petone, sister of Mrs F. Jamiesbn and Mr J. Kichardsoxt

Mrs A. Mason will represent the local Croquet Club at the tournament which commences in Palmerston North on Friday week, i '

The Raihvay Department w:,ll run a Sunday excursion train from Palmerston to Paekakariki on Sunday next, arriving at Shannon at 9.20 a.m. Cheap fares will be charged.

The Mangahao hydro works and the -various-flax mills in the district have commenced operations for the new year. and large numbers of men have been returning to Shannon during the week.

Shannon, H. Butt, Roach and E. Spencer (skip), representing the local 1 Bowling Club at the Dominion Tournament, Auckland; have commenced well, having two wins and one loss, 'on the first day's play..

Owing to the threatened shortage of water at the Mangaha'o works, the Horowhenua Power Board has asked the Shannon Borough Council for permissionUo cut the street lights off at midnight. His Worship the Mayor has acceded to the request.

Morgan, Blight, Spencer and Murray, (skip), holders of the Kinueburgh Feathers, were defeated last Saturday by 28 to 10. The victors were a Levin rink consisting of Monk, Percy, Bull and Suhan (skip).

Last Tuesday night Mr T. C. Thwaites received splendid results on his wireless set, conditions being perfect. The programme broadcasted from Auckland was a sample of what will bo given nightly when the wireless subscribers in New Zealand reach 40,000. At present the number of subscribers is 12,000

On Monday, one of the 6-inch water mains in Stout Street was found to be badly leaking. A valve bolted on to the pipes.was discovered to have blown out. The Borough water supply was turned off for two hours on Thursday morning to allow repairs to be effected. The consulting engineer visited Shannon on Tuesday and a visit to the headworks and reservoir in company with the Mayor and Councillors has been arranged for on Thursday.

One of the attractions of the shop windows in Shannon is Howard Andrew, Ltd,'s. windowful of ladies' hats, this season's goods, smart and up-to-date, worth up to 255, to be cleared at 9/11.*

•Give them Milderson's Shortcake Biscuits often, for its healthfulness', for its matchless flavour, and because it is nevertheless as economical as any food you can buy, only 1/2 per lb from Aitcheson and Son.*

In some kumeras which were imported from Fiji and purchased in Whangarei were found a large number of an unidentified beetle parasite and a lot of its larvae. Judging from the appearance of the kumeras> which had been riddled, the parasite must be a very bad pest. So far Whangarei residents haying knowledge of the islands have been unable to identify the beetle. It is intended if Mr R. W. Tate, S.M., is unable to throw light upon the matter to send specimens to the curator of the Auckland Museum for identification.

"It's an ill wind that blows no one any good." A farmer on the Mamaku Bush road earned £B4 in one day during the holidays pulling out bogged cars.

For the first time in seven yonrs m January the temperature; dropped betov. freezing point in Christchureh on Sunday night, 31.9 degrees being the minimum recorded. An overcast sky prevented a mere severe frost and consequent serious effects to vegetables and fruit trees.

"Will those who have found it desirable to remove seats from the main paths to the back of the shrubs, please return them to their original places, when they have finished with them?" This was' a request which was broadcasted by wireless by the operator at Caroline Bay," Timaru, the other night. While it caused considerable amuse ment it did not meet with a very ready response.

The world census of car registrations for last- year showed that 24,452,267 cars were in use by ali nations. Allowing for replacement of scrapped/ears the 1927 production avM increase this total to roughly 27,300,000, representing a value of nearly £8,200,000,000. The figures are exclusive of those for trucks and motor cycles. Last year 3,575,701 trucks and 1,458,668 motor cycles were in use in the world.

Under a willow tree on the banks of a shadv pool a fisherman, a member of the South Taranaki police force, had his interest aroused a few days ago by a trout of large size riding to the surface. The angler spent liitle time m casting the. fly, but his fishing was suddenly and rudely interrupted. It was not 'the fish but a grey duck that swallowed the fly, hook and all, and in the ensuing struggle the line snapped anr the fisherman was left lamenting.

Over 8000 patients have been treated at the Auckland Hospital since January 1 of last year, which is 500 more than the number treated in 1925. The daily average of patients at the hospital is now approximately 500, and there have also been increases in the, number of leases in, the casualty and out-patients departments. The relief bill in connection with,,unemployment for the year will total £4OOO. )

A large sperm whale, 66ft in length and 12ft in height, has been found on the Waihi Beach, eastward of Maketu. It bore numerous wounds, and evidently had been killed by swordfish. The finder has already found a -lucrative business in ferrying sightseers over the Wailii estuary at a fee of Is each, while £1 has been fixed as the price for each.of the, whale's teeth. Fishermen are now engaged cutting up the carcase for its oil. , ,

The Palmerston Times says: The Wellington Publishing Company, proprietors of the Dominion newspaper, have purchased the goodwill and a substantial portion of the plant of the New Zealand Times, its morning contemporary. It is understood the result will be that in due course the New Zealand Times will cease publication after a long career running back to the days of the Wellington Independent;, its predecessor, which aa as established when the city was hardly out of the village stage. -

The Whangarei Daily News, a new morning paper, made its appearance on Monday. It is produced company by Mr R. E. Hornblow, who is wellknown both in journalism and public life. The make-up is different from that .of most journals with which New Zealanders are acquainted, the cablegrams appearing on the front page. The news service throughout is thorough and up-to-date, and the appearance of the paper suggests that its establishmentrests on sound principles. By means of a special motor service both the east and west coasts of the northern peninsula will be served by the publishers.

A batsman in a junior grade match at' Hagley Park, Christchurch, on Saturday afternoon was dismissed in a peculiar manner. He had scored 89, and was going strong for his .century, when'he got full on to one of the bowler's' deliveries!. The ball came like a shot out of a gun straight for the batsman at the other end. The latter was unable" to get out of the way, and the ball struck him on the head, knocking him out. It was deflected towards square leg at the batsman's end, and the player at mid-on, who was fielding well round on the leg side, held the catch.

A prominent member of the Ratana movement, when asked in Wanganui what effect the recent prosecution of the leader would have upon the followers of the movement, replied that they would not take the slightest notice of it. The Maori had a different way of viewing incidents of this sort to that of the pakeha mind and was not so prone to scandalise his neighbour. As far as Ratana was concerned his followers looked upon him in the sarr-> light that a loyal pakeha would look upon his King. "The King can do no wrong, neither can Ratana,". said the Maori. ''He will still be held in warm affection by those in the movement."

A correspondent signing himself "Rpsentfiil Male," writes as under to the Auckland Star: "I think it is high time the Auckland tramways management had framed a by-law to prohibit women sitting in smoking compartments when there are vacant seats in nonsmokers. Any day you will see women flopping down on seats in the smokers, while men, some of whom have been working hard, on their feet all day, ha*'e to stand. Women are most inconsiderate of the comfort of men. There may be a dozen empty seats in a nonsmoker, but you will see the women make for the smoker, and expect the men to stand so that they may sit amid the smoke. They seem to love it —or the proximity of the males, which? If I had my way, I would have separate compartments for men and women, at rush hours, anyway. The women, could then have some lovely gossipy cat parties on the way home, and the men. could be left in peace for a comfortable smoke and a restful xide,''

A feature of a recent cricket match at Taihape was the creditable performance of a Rangitikei player, who, on account of war injuries, has to bat with inly one hand (says an exchange). A. W. Porter, of Jlr-nterville, has soon 5(5 summers, yet he bats with skill and power, and ruju; with remarkable alacrity. In the match he was top scorer, and in his club matches he is a t,'ure run-getter. j

It is well known that the grain in a piece of figured rimu at times has peculiar and spectacular formations, but iv freak piece of board, the property of Mr H. Harrison, of Fendalton Road, is decidedly unusual. The general run cf. the figuring suggests a picture .of s'jji and sky, and in the foreground there is a fish, rising, apparently, like a porpoise out of the. water. The fish is remarkably accurate in detail (states the Lyltelton Times). The eyes are set exactly right, one can see a fin and the scales of the breast, and the swirling wake where it has left the water. It is not unusual for the grain of this wood to portray ocean and mountain scenes; on the West Coast there is a specimen that represents perfectly one of the local peaks. Mr Harrison is having 'the' "fish" stained and polished, and suitably framed, and it will be hung in th« Builders' Chambers above a collection of New Zealand woods.. ;