Shannon News TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1927.

Shannon News, 2 August 1927, Page 2

Shannon News TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1927.

The annual metieng of the congregation of the Presbyterian Church will be held in the church on Thursday evening at 7.30 o’clock. The Moderator (Rev. Bredin) will preside.

Patrons at the People’s Picnic dance on Saturday evening .were treated to an exhibition of juvenile. talent when the little six year old son of Mr Kerehona played an extra for a one-step. As the child has never received a lesson from a teacher, the performance was all the more wonderful.

' A successful- dance was held by the People’s Picnic Committee in the Parish Hall on Saturday evening. Mr P. Cole officiated as M.C., the music being provided by Messrs H. George, Kerehona and A. Wilson. (The prizes for the spot waltz competition was won by Miss Croon and Mr H. George.

Mr Geo. Nalikies, booking clerk at the local railway station, commenced his annual leave yesterday. Mr Bowden, of Palmerston North, is relieving. Mr Nalikies accompanied by his wife, left by the Napier express yesterday en route to Central Otago on a visit to Mr Nalikies’ parents.

Under the auspices of the /Yen. Bede’s Ladies’ Guild and Vestry, a fancy dress dance will be held on >August 16tli next. Prizes will be offered for the best and most original, costumes and good music has been secured. This event will be advertised further in the Shannon News.

A meeting of the Committee, of the Shannon branch of the Plunket Society was held last evening, Mrs CliffordJones presiding. The Nurse’s monthly report received was very satisfactory, and a number of minor matters received attention. Regret was expressed that a subsidy was not received from the Macartiiy'Trust this year. Several new members were added to the Committee.

Now that the necessary fire fighting equipment is assured for coping with outbreaks of fire in the borough, it is essential that a volunteer fire brigade should be formed, and to this end a public meeting of all interested will be held in the Council Chambers this evening at 8 p.m. As the formation of. such a brigade is so important, it is to be honed all those who can offer ilieir services will attend, thus permitting of the brigade being put on a proper footing at once.

The choral practice was very well attended last _ week and Mrs Riches, who is a favourite with Shannon audi-. cnees, was the soloist at half time singing two splendid numbers, viz., “Mountain Lovers,” and “A Coon Song.” The tenors and basses met prior to the practice and had a good practice on their own with Mrs Clifford-Jones as pianist. Mrs Jones has kindly consented to be present every Thursday at 6.45 to run over the parts of basses and tenors. This will 'greatly help the Society as there are only two mouths before the concert.

The committee of the Women’s Institute met yesterday afternoon. The Mayoress (Mrs E. Butt) presided, over a good attendance of members. A request was received to send a delegate to the conference to be held at Hastings, but it was decided that the Institute had not been in existence long enough to permit of them sending a delegate. The president reported' that Mrs J. S. Spencer will give a demonstration in raffia work at the monthly meeting to be held on the 10th. She also stated that the weekly card parties have been most successful, the object of which was to raise money to purchase a piano, and everything pointed to this soon becoming an established fact, which would add materially to the social side of the meetings.

i For the sake of those numerous customers who may not be able to partake in the glorious half price days at Howard Andrew’s Q.Q. Sale "will they please note these are extended till Saturday, August 6th. Our staff was kept very busy on Saturday in serving the wonderful bargains and customers are urged to come early and secure the very fine snip«j of which there are many to select from.*

According to a tram conductor who gave evidence at the Wanganui Police Court, it is a habit "of elderly women to turn round before alighting from trams. This declaration awakened the humour of counsel, who remarked: “It’s like the picture iii Punch 6| the old lady who turned round three times before she got off.”

The first instalment of Shannon’s fire fighting equipment, namely the hose reel, has arrived. It is being housed in the shed at the rear of the Bank of New Zealand premises.

Mr and Mrs Bert Galloway’s eldest bov is at present an inmate of the Palmerston North Hospital, where he is undergoing treatment to one of his legs.

An artist who was a portrait painter for more than 30 years, but who had been in recent years a house painter and decorator, was one of the insolvent debtors at ' Leeds Bankruptcy Court. The debtor, Mr. George Edward Boycs, said that one of his portraits, of an eminent surgeon, was now hanging in Leeds Art Gallery. Other- portraits painted by him were those of previous Lord Mayors of Bradford, and many presentation portraits.

A mild sensation was caused in Pohangina township on Saturday evening when it was discovered that the school was ablaze. The outbreak was first observed by some young men indulging in a pingpong contest in the hall. The fire then had a strong hold, although seemingly confined to the roof of the building* Nothing could be done to save the furniture or desks which were consumed bv the flames along with the school. The building consisted of two rooms and a porch, and had been erected for many years.

Auckland University students were introduced to mate, a South American drink, at the conclusion of a lecture given by Professor Sperrin Jonnson. It is a harmless stimulant brewed like tea from the dried leaf of a shrub, and its popularity has saved the Argentine and neighbouring republics from the dangers of polque, a virulently alcoholic drink which is the curse of Mexico. The mate was brought by the lecturer from Argentina. It is somewhat bitter, being certainly an acquired taste, and the students’ expressions seemed to show that they had. not acquired it, on first acquaintance.

There arc ii few odd features ot the calendar which arc not generally observed. The first and most interesting is that it is .impossible for any century to begin -on a Wednesday, Friday or ( Saturday. How many have noticed that the month of October always commences on the same day of the week as the moiith of January, that February, March and November begin on the same day of the week; that May, .June and August commence on different days. These remarks, however, only apply to ordinary years, and not to leap years. Lastly, the ordinary years always ends on the same day of the week as it begins.

The greatest limestone cave in the world is the Mammoth Gave, in Kentucky. In it there are 223 known avenues, of an overage width- and height of seven yards, and a total length -of 150 miles, representing a total erosion of 12,000,000 cubic yards of limestone'. A French traveller, touring the world, has decided that no spectacle, not even the Niagara Falls, impressed him so much as this cave. In a cave of this size there are, naturally, a large number of chambers, of which about 57 have each been given a distinctive name. The largest chamber, known as the Chief City, is 450 feet long and 13 feet wide.

A motor-bicycle on fire near Clive Square ("Napier) on a teccnt afternoon provided a five-minute entertainment for an interested crowd that- quickly gathered. The machine was ablaze r.ound the engine,- and several efforts were made to quench the flames before a patent fire-extinguisher from » passing ivotcr-car snuffed the flames in short order. Before this was effected, however, unavailing attempts had been made to smother the flames with an overcoat, greatly to the detriment of that article of apparel. No fewer than live motor vehicles pulled up at the scene of the blaze before one was discovered with an extinguisher on board.

At the last meeting of the Wellington War Relief Association, the secretary read a letter from the Returned Soldiers’ A|soeiation stating that during the recent annual general meeting of the Dominion Council of the Association reference was made to certain criticism which had been levelled at the administration of Avar and patriotic funds. Eventually the following resolution was adopted unanimously: “That the Dominion Council of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers Association records its appreciation of the sympathetic manner in which the patriotic funds are being administered and realises the value and self-sacrificing work of those citizens throughout Ncav Zealand who are voluntarily giving their time to-the administration of these funds.” The committee directed that the letter be suitably acknowledged.

If hard words were fatal, James llemera, sawyer, of Kumara, evouid have been killed a dozen times by his angry creditors in a bankruptcy case at' Greymouth last Aveek. Their first meeting, held at Greymouth, lasted for nearly two hours, and bankrupt Avas put through a “third degree” examination, the arguments becoming so bitter that on more than one occasion the Deputy Official Assignee (Mr. A. Naylor) had to intervene. Considerable discussion centred around an item of £2OO, Avhicli bankrupt alleged had been lent to him Avithout security or receipt by a friend in Invercargill, and one creditor suggested that the loan was merely imaginary. It Avas also alleged that brankrupt’s drinking habits were chiefly responsible for his present position. He refused to make a voluntary offer to pay £5 per month off his liabilities, and Mr. W. P. McCarthy’ l said,in that case ho Avas instructed to take* the case to the Supreme Court. Bankrupt declared, that lie might as Avell be in goal. Finally a resolution Avas carried calling upon Hemora to submit AA'ithin a-month a detailed statement of receipts and payments during the years prior tjo ihis jbanlkruptcy, and the proceedings were adjourned until August 2. .

Whitebait are reported to be running at the mouth of the Rangitikei river.

Before the end of the present year there will be 108 slot telephone boxes in Christchurch and suburbs.

Building permits in Palmerston N. for July totalled sixty, and the value was over £40,000, a pleasant feature being the increased number of houses responsible for over £20,000 of the total sum. Business and other premises account for nearly £IO,OOO and 'the rest is additions and alterations.

Lads returning from a football match at Otaki on Wednesday are stated to have behaved in a very unseemly manner, and accidents were narrowly averted by the throwing of apples at passing cyclists. The police have the matter in hand and the boys in question will no doubt be severely reprimanded.

A lamp which will light at the word of command, and go out when ordered, is the latest electrical wonder. The device is the invention of Mr. L. H. Pearson, of Nottingham, a wireless enthusiast. Describing liis invention, Mr Pearson says: “It is an electrical switch which can be controlled by the human voice, or any vibration of sound.’’

A For dell farmer felling a tree at 10 p.m. on a recent evening plunged Bulls and Turakina and hundreds of private residences in darkness, when it. broke down the Power Board’s line that supplies the north end of the district. Without prejudice (the Chronicle says) the board has decided to accept a settlement if £l2 is paid.

A £lO note which was given by a firm in New Plymouth in mistake for a 10s, and for which an advertisement was published in the Herald of Friday, evening, was returned to the Herald Office next morning. The note had been received by a lady, who received the reward offered on the return through the newspaper office. She had discovered ihe mistake, but did not know from whom she had received the £lO note.

“ Katana lias done more for the Maoris than the white people have ever done,’’ said Sister Jessie, at a special missionary service in St. Andreiv’s Presbyterian Church. The Maoris were idolaters at heart, and, recognising this, Ratana had succeeded in stamping out idolatory in many districts. He had returned from abroad with a fixed belief that the Maoris must have a church of their own. If Ratana was not all he should be, it proved the Maoris,were seeking simple religion—the simple truth of Christ.

Sir Ernest Benn, presiding at the annual dinner of the Public Schools Alpine Sports Club at the Hotel Cecil, London, said he found on the nursery slopes in Switzerland the true spirit of sportsmanship such as was developed by the club. There, when he got into difficulties, everyone flocked) round ready to help, encourage, or instruct. “I contrast that,” he continued, “with the treatment I receive, when making my seventh shot from the first bunker on the golf course, from four or five couples waiting in plus fours. When we take out annual indulgence on the snow-covered mountains there is a complete absence of talk about polities, but on the golf course we talk nothing else but polities or business The burning question of the equality of the sexes never enters our heads at winter sports—you cann.ot even distinguish between the'sexes. ”