Shannon News TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1927.

Shannon News, 1 February 1927, Page 2

Shannon News TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1927.

For cycling at night without a light James Richardson was fined 5s and costs 7s. The members of the Shannon Tennis Club will hold a picnic at Hokio Beach on Sunday, weather permitting. Buses will leave at 9 a.m. and all those who intend making the trip are requested to place their name on the board in the pavilion. There is at present a fair amount of sickness in Shannon, but fortunately nothing of a serious natuie. Mr W. Easton, jun., and Raymond are confined to their beds and%tlie infant son of Mr and Mrs L. Jones is an inmate of the Palmerston North Hospital.

A committee meeting of the Shannon Amateur Athletic and Cycling Club was held in the Council Chambers on Saturday evening, when it was decided to hold the next sports fixture o:i Sat' urc'ay, March 12th, providing this date is available. Committees were set up to arrange the programme and inspect the cycle track and to report at a general meeting to be held cn Saturday evening.

Ignorartce as to the correct boundary of the Masterton no-license district was responsible for C. E. Hook and G. Quarric, carriers, of Shannon, appearing at the Magistrate’s Court at Palmerston North yesterday, to answer a charge of taking liquor into a no-license area without a permit. Defendants, through their solicitor Mr Cooper, said they thought the boundary of the district was the Maiigahao river. The evidence showed that it was considerably on the Shannon side of the stream. A fine of £5 and £l2 5s fid costs was imposed. Additional charges arising out of the same offence, were withdrawn.

A mishap, which might easily have had fatal results, occurrred on Friday last, whoa the two-year-old son jf Mr and Mrs Clias. Young, of Vance Street, fell down an open well a distance of from 12 to 15 feet. Fortunately, the child landed on a piece of tin which kept him afloat. Had the tin not been there he would most- certainly have lost his life. The child had only been missing a few minutes. Mrs Young, while calling him, was standing near the well when she heard the child cry out. Shi immediately called for assistance and Masters Earle Wattcrston, Tom Lee-, and Brian Clayton, with great presence of mind, procured a ladder and descended the well, rescuing the child from ics dangerous position. The child suffered no. ill-effects from its experience.

A narrow escape from drowning was experienced by Miss Evelyn Swindlehurst, last week. A party of Buckley residents motored through to Ohau for a picnic, and while there several went for a clip. Miss Swindlehurst, who was a little distance away from the others, paddling, walked into a deep hole and being unable to swim, was soon in difficulties. Mr McKenzie, .one of the party, hearing cries ran to her assistance, and jumping in fully dressed, was only just in time to save the young lady, who had become unconscious. After receiving treatment she was conveyed to her home. This is the second occasion that Miss Swindlehurst has had a close call for a few years ago she accidentally fell down a deep well on her father’s farm.

Howard Andrew V gigantic stocktak ing sale is now in full swing. A large number of customers wore served oi: the opening clay and doubtless they have not forgotten that the biggest cash customer gets the handsome hearth rug for nothing,

A general meeting of the Shannon Amateur Athletic and Cycling Club will be held in the Council Chambers on Saturday, February sth, at 7.30 p.m. All members are requested to attend, also all persons who are interested in the Club.

The fortnightly Sunday excursion ilain to Paekakariki, was well patronised on Sunday ]ast. A total of 120 tickets were issued from Shannon and with the addition of excursionists from the North the train was well filled on leaving Shannon. A large number joined the train along the ling with tl e result' that two extra carriages had to be put on at Otaki to cope with Cm -traffic. Favoured with a beautiful day the excursionists report having spent an enjoyable time at the s» aside.

A unique schoolboy “howler” comes f rom a Palmerston district school, where a tdass was being examined in the history of the Plantagenet period. ‘‘Who wa, Lady Jane Grey'?” was a question which puzzled the pupils greatly. Afte:a few moments silence a hand shot up “Zane Grej-’s wife”!

Questions are being asked in Cambridge as to the heavy expenses of the recent art union run for local grounds. A sum of £IB,OOO was collected, but the profit is stated to be only £I2OO. The Independent remarks that it “is the heavy expense for a very small return that is largely responsible for the revulsion of public feeling against art unions generally throughout the country.”

“In my time,” remarked a Napier garage roprietor to a reporter recently.. “I have resided in many centres iii New Zealand, but I have never ..-■nine across such a juvenile enthusiasm for al l things to do with motor cars as that which exists in Napier. The boys here can tell at a glance what make a car is, what its special points are, the approximate cost, and its supposed assets or defects as compared with other makes of car. Unfortunately,” he concluded with a sigh, “when they grow old enough to buy cars for themselves, I shan’t be alive to sell them any.”

Pearl merchants in London are much perturbed at the report from Vienna that scientists have at last discovered a means of distinguishing genuine, pearls from what are called* “Japanese pearls.” Even the best of the imitation pearls will be recognised as such by an expert. The Japanese pearl i, made by inserting a pebble or other nucleus into the shell of a pearl oyster so that it, is covered with a genuine layer of motlier-of pearl, are not so readily distinguished from the large and rare solid pearls.

An anecdote illustrating the fact that the Maori has learnt dishonesty front the white man, was told by Archdeacon Williams, during an address at the Gisborne Rotary Club. He said that many years ago in the Wairarapa there was a storekeeper who used to do a big trade with the Maoris. They found that he always treated them exceedingly well, and in selling them sugar and flout he used to let them weigh the bags days they used to weigh and in ordei to strap thwacks on to this, something was necessary. He used to leave a heavy bullock chain close by, and the innocent Maoris used to chain theii bags of flour and sugar on with this.

A number of happy picknickers at Rangitoto were startled from their frolicking on Sunday by gurgling cries for help from the water. A small boy, with his sister, had been bathing unattended, with their parents a considerable distance away, and had got out of their depths while the boy was attempting to carry the girl on his back from one rocky point to another. The children ! s parents were out of sight and hearing of the incident, and a tragedy would have been inevitable but for a man who rushed into the water, fully clad, and brought the little bathers to safety. The near presence of other picknickers was extremely fortunate, for in the many bathing fatalities of children the little ones mostly sink suddenly into deep water before they have time to call out,

Something in the nature of a freak eel was caught in the Kaupokonui River about a month ago and is now exhibited in a shop window in Hawera. .Except for a black spot at the end of its tail and another on the tip of its nose the eel is canary yellow in colour.. The eel was caught by Mr Charles Davis in the Kaupokonui River about a month ago since when it has been kept in captivity by Mr Les. Mackay, of Otakeho. As long as two months ago Mr Davis first saw the eel and made several attempts to capture it, at last managing to secure at on a small hook. Although" it is beyond doubt an eel it has one or two peculiarities. The hook with which the freak was ’ caught is still inside it, but nevertheless the fish still appears to be quite lively. On Saturday the unusual spectacle created a good deal of interest, especially on the part of the Maoris.

The Dargaville Dairy Company has been including in its boxes of export butter a number of picture post cards with ,r iews of North Auckland and a request for the return of the cards by the purchasers of the butter with comments on its quality. These cards have brought some interesting information as to the ultimate destination of the butter. For instance, one correspondent, writing from Sutton, Surrey, says: “I am working in a butter-blending factory- where your butter arrives; wc blend, repack and soil your butter locally, and supply cur Navy. I have opened 200 561 b boxes of your butter m one day. It Ims been blended, repacked and sent away the next day, ana that is how I found your correspondence. We like your butter very much indeed and a great bulk is sold. Some o.t your post-card photos remind me very much of India, which I left 15 months ago, after serving Avith the British ea ' airy.” The writer asks that information as to the prospects of employment be sent to his brother who is in Australia .. . , B ,f

The gate Receipts at the motor-cycle races at Ashhurst on Saturday, although not a record, were £ls in excess of those for the meeting held last year. The attendance was estimated at about 4000.

New Zealand is accustomed to buying many toils from the United States but it is at least unusual for an American to send an order to the Dominion. An Auckland business man was, therefore, greatly surprised last week to receive an order, accompanied by cash from Berkley, California, for a certain type of trowel which, the American explained, could not be purchased in his own country.

Rotorua is preparing to give fhe Duke and Duchess of York a fitting Maori welcome on a scale as magnificent and barbaric as the memorable receptions accorded the present ,Iving and Queen in 1901. . It is expected that between 2000 and 3000 Maoris will be present. Villages are being renovated, and war and poi dances are being prepared. The Duke will unveil a Maori war memorial in the Government grounds.

The unemployment which is making itself felt in other parts of New Zealand is also being experienced in Greymouth. A number of men are out of work while different business places in the town will be putting off some of their employees in the course of the next week or two. There are at present fifteen names of applicants for work on the books of the Labour Bureau.

Some - excitement was caused at the motor race meeting at Ashhurst on Saturday when the machine of one competitor caught alight after he had re turned from a trial round of the course. He pushed the machine down the straight in an endeavour to start it and to exhaust the benzine in the carburettor, but without avail. The spectators crowded the fence to get a better view of this diversion which ended when another competitor rushed up, stripped off his jersey and smothered the flames. No damage was done to the machine.

Two young Eltham residents had an unenviable experience at the Greenmeadow beach, at Opunake, on Sunday (states the “Argus”). The tide had turned to go out, when the boat in which the two men were rowing capsized, and the occupants were thrown into the briny. There was considerable undertow at the time, and the two men had to fight against this for some minutes before reaching the shore in a more or less exhausted condition.

If the one-time “Aunt Sallies,” or cocoanut shies were still popular, a young man who took part in a cricket match on Saturday would get a lot of prizes, taking a line through his bowling (says an Auckland paper). One ball he sent down made the stumps fly, another struck'a fieldsman in the chest and knocked him down, while a third ball split another player’s eye open. As the injured men were members of his own team, some of the spectators expressed doubts as to which side he was playing for.

A new instrument for fog signalling, which has been erected close to Pencarrow lighthouse for the guidance of ships negotiating the entrance to Wellington harbour, will be ready for ordinary use in a few days. The apparatus is worked by a petrol engine, and will be set in action by the lighthouse keeper whenever needed. The wireless direction-finding apparatus at Cape Maria, put into commission at the beginning of last month, has already proved useful to masters of steamers in the vicinity of the North Cape who wish to pick up their bearings. Tests made by one vessel have been reported upon as highly satisfactory.

At the special meeting of the Aucklau 1 Hospital Board, held at the hospital, members , were much interested in the number of patients, of all ages, who were undergoing the sun cure. Some of the younger patiejits were having their whole bodies exposed to the sun's rays. The medical superintendent explained that this stage of the cure was only reached by a gradual development, whereby a little more was uncovered each day till the patient was able to stand the whole body being exposed. Most beneficial results had been gained in some ailments, and there was no doubt whatever about the effectiveness of the treatment for many complaints.

Recently a resident of Mount Eden installed a raido set at his home. Though he is dissatisfied with the standard of entertainment broadcasted from the Auckland station, he says ho has received his money's worth in the salvation of a much-prized peach tree. The tree was badly afflicted with leave curl, but, after the installation, of a copper wire aerial right overhead, the tree began to improve immensely, and it is now quite itself again. The gentleman referred to dissented most emphatically from the suggestion that perhaps teh tree has benefited from the £YA ; j)rog}ranimes, pinning his faith in the efficacy of copper as a cure for the parasitical diseases of plants.

.“•That is my initial and my name, but Ido not owe the money," said a man in a debt case at the Magistrate's Court at Auckland. A peculiar position was disclosed, states the “Star." Three men in Auckland bear the same name and initial and are in the same line of business. The wrong man got the summons and attended Court, and it was shown that although his initial was the same as that of the real debtor. M?i Christian |amc was not—which adds force to a remark made by a judge of the Supreme Court that a man's full name should appear on a summons. In this particular instance the man who answered the summons was naturally indignant. “My time is worth £1 an hour," lie said; to which Mr. McKiean, [S.M., dryly remarked, “I wish. mine. was.V

‘ ‘ The boy’s parents' write stating that he has to milk 12 cows night and morning,” remarked- the magistrate, Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M., in the Hamilton Magistrate’s Court when the court was dealing with an application to commit children of a family to the care of the State owing to their parents inability to control them. The child welfare officer, Mr. P. Goodwin, said the child referred to in the letter was 14 years old, was boarded out with an Otorohanga family, and would be going to school. Mr. Goodwin did not think the statement in the letter was correct. The Magistrate directed Mr. Goodwin to inquire into the matter.

According to a northern exchange there is much speculation and much controversy as to who will be selected as guides for the ducal party, and especially for the Duke when His Royal Highness goes to Rotorua. All the pretty Maori maids are brushing up their glorious raven tresses in anticipation of the job, getting their mats re-dyed, and having made numerous dresses of many gay colours. The younger they are, the more eager they are. “Why,” they ask, “should the okl guides g-et all the good things always? Is it not for the young and beautiful to have a turn?”' And they sing low and sweetly, in happy trepidation of being honoured by a “call” to assist Royalty—while the old guides sit in silence and smile in confidence.

Practically no unemployment exists in France at the present time, was the opinion expressed to a Gisborne reporter by Mr. F. W. Nolan, who has just returned from a trip to Europe. On the other hand, he stated, even apart from the men thrown out of work by the recent coal strike, unemployment was rife in England. Whether this was attributable to the fact that protection was in vogue on the Continent it was hard to estimate from a casual survey of the position, but the fact remained that the people of France appeared generally to be more prosperous than their neighbours over the Channel.

The Australian desire, to lay a wager on any form of sport is evinced in Mr. R. S. Taylor’s Teport to the Christchurch Gun Club on his visit to Melbourne for the shooting championships. In all Australian shooting matches a system of loading is practiced which is much slower than that in use in New Zealand. This system is adhered to on account of the betting which is carried on. “Every shot is an event for betting,” said Mr. Taylor, “and as the club charges each bookmaker £25 for the right to operate for the week, it receives a good return from about twenty bookmakers.”

On Saturday several detectives raided premises at 171 Madras Street Christchurch, armed with warrants to search for evidence of the place being a common gaming house. The following were subsequently brought before Mr. J. H. Eager, J.P., on the charges stated: Alexander Duncan, charged with being the occupier of premises used as a common gaming house; Lewis Horton, Arthur William Rosnumd, Edward Bert Smith and Walter Hulston, charged with being found in a common gaming house. All were remanded until January 28th, bail being allowed.

A small meeting of women met at Dannevirkc last week and decided to form a branch of the women’s division of the Farmers’ Union. Mrs. C. C. Jackson, of Kopuranga, Masterton, vice-president and treasurer of the Dominion women’s division, outlined the objects of the movement, which met with the hearty endorsement of all present, and on the motion of Mrs. C. F. Barker, seconded by Mrs. Sehenck, it was unanimously decided that a Dannevirke branch be formed. Mrs. C. F. Barker was elected provisional president and Mrs. Schenck secretary. A new suggestion for the consideration of the women’s union was made by Mrs. Schcnek, . who pointed out that, although farmers’ wives bore-the brunt of the harships of country life and did their full share of the work on the farm, they had absolutely no legal share in the business, and in the event of their death it was open to r.he husband to marry again and perhaps have his first wife’s children ousted by the second family, she having nothing to settle on them despite her years of hard work. Mrs. Wilson admitted that there was great justice in Mrs. Schenck’s remarks and promised to have the point brought forward and to see if some remedy could be devised.