Shannon News TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, 1927.

Shannon News, 9 August 1927, Page 2

Shannon News TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, 1927.

Miss W. Fitzgerald, wlio is on the nursing staff at the Wellington Hospital, is on a visit to her home in Shannon.

Mr. McLachlan, of the local railway staff, is now on his annual leave, which is being spent in the South Island.

A sharp shock of earthquake was felt in Shannon at about 3.50 a.m., on Sundav. This was followed by a more severe shake, which was preceded by a loud rumbling noise on Monday morning at 4.10.

The first and only fancy dress dance for adults to be held this season will take place in the Parish Hall on Tuesday, August 16th. Prizes are being offered for best costumes, and as the supper arrangements are in capable hands a very enjoyable evening is assured .

A return basket ball match was played at Shannon on Friday between Foxton and Shannon schools. Both schools were represented by a senior and junior team. In the former Shannon won bv 10 points to two, Helen Warner scoring all the goals. The visitors won the junior game by 8 points to 2, Ethel Jamieson scoring Shannon’s points.

The benefit dance organised by the Women’s Institute in aid of a local family in poor circumstances was held in the Parish Hall on Saturday evening and proved an unqualified success, both financially and socially. Mr. C Pritchard capably filled the duties of M.C., the music being provided by Mr. Hori George. Visitors were present from Levin and Foxton.

While motoring through from the Wairarapa yesterday, a car driven by Mr T. Watterston, who was accompanied by his wife and son and Mr F. Murray, skidded in some loose metal a few miles this side of Eketahuna, causing the car to capsize, breaking the hood and the glass in one of the doors. Fortunately the occupants escaped injury. The car was soon righted and the party was able to proceed on their way.

At Mangaore on Thursday the staff of the Public Works Department tool: the opportunity of saying good-bye to Miss Filbey Pickett, who has left the employ of the Department. Mr. I. R. Robinson, District Electrical Engineer, in making a presentation, referred, to Miss Pickett’s good qualities during her twelve months at Mangaore, wishing her success in her new fields of life. Mr. Blackwood also spoke, Miss Pickett suitably replying.

The friends of Mr. and Mrs R. W. Taylor, of Levin road, will be sorry to learn that their daughter Mary, who is at a boarding school at Lower Hutt, is seriously ill. Early in the week wo; d was received that she and her sister Billie were ill with measles, and Friday, further advice was received that in Mary’s case other symptoms had developed. Mrs Taylor left for Lower Hutt on Saturday morning. All will join in wishing the young lady a speedy recovery to good health

The death occured at Nelson last week of Mrs R. E. Earle, of Wellington, relict of the late Mr. Joseph Earle, who predeceased her by lb years, and mother of Mr. C. Earle, President of the New Zealand Newspapers Proprietors’ Association. The deceased lady, who was on an extended visit to her son, Mr. F. J. Earle, managing-editor of the Nelson Mail, was born at Wellington 79 years ago and was the earliest member and vice-president of the Wellington Early Settlers’ Association and was very widely respected. She was .1 sister of Mrs J. M. O’Connor of Ballance Street, and aunt of Mrs F. H. Taylor, of Shannon. The interment took place at Wellington.

“Between Season” Sale bargains are now being offered at Howard Andrew’s Ltd., and it will be a payable proposition to visit this store now.*

Whoever holds the palm for being absent-minded can now hand it to a Brisbane man. The other morning after arriving on the platform to catch a train to take him to business, he suddenly thought of his watch, at the same time taking one from his vest pocket and looking at it to see if he would have time to go back and get it before the train arrived

A case in which the owner of a dog thac was killed by a motor car had to pay over £SO damages, with heavy costs, at Napier, on aeeourt of injuries to the occupants of the car, which was overturned, w r as mentioned by Mr J. T. Kent, of Waikanae, at the meet-' ing of the Farmers’ Union Provincial Executive in Levin on Saturday. He remarked that if a drover was liable because his dog got in the way of a car, the Union ought to take the matter up. The case to which he referred was the first of its kind in New Zealand. Mr H. Bond (Rangiotu) pointed out that it would be necessary to have the full particulars of the magisterial hearing before the Union eould make any protest; No action was taken by the meeting.

Unemployed returned soldiers are requested to hand in their names, together with their regimental numbers; to Mr. J. . Bovis, Town Clerk, immediately .

“Pill-time' ’ was the hour at which a Tribune representative called at one school in Hastings on Monday morning. The headmaster explained that the pills were administered to three children who suffered from goitre. This medical course is one of the latest actions of the Department, and has proved of no little benefit in a large number of cases.

When the Mayor of a small Victorian town died, his brother councillors wired a city florist for a special wreath of white roses —his favourite flowers. Favoured with cool weather the blooms arrived in good condition and eclipsed all local floral tributes. .During the night the best of the blooms were stolen from '.he grave, and next day a stranger carried off the first prize for 12 cut roses at a flower show in a nearby township.

The Manawatu .Provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union was expecting a deputation,, on Saturday, from the Dairy Farmers’ Union, but it did not appear, probably owing to the Executive having changed the venue of this meeting from Palmerston to Levin. “They are asked to the Conference, have a (rood say, and then fizzle out, ’ ’ was the crisp comment of one of the Executive members.

“With the introduction of foreign plants, numerous parasitic fungi have reached New Zealand,” said Mr T. L. Lancaster in the course of a lecture on fungoid diseases at Auckland. He men tioned that peaches were now very scarce, whereas at one time they could be had almost for the asking. It was estimated that the damage done to the apple crop of 1922-23 by fungoid disease hqd cost the Dominion at least £40,000.

Wireless broadcasting has proved a great boon to a small party of men who every year have to spend the winter of three months in a settlement 750 miles within the Arctic Circle. The settlement is in Baclie Peninsula, Ellesmereland, where there is a garrison of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, in charge of Sergeant Joy. There are two constables and a few Eskimos and their one eiiij,oyin,ent throughout the long period of darkness is derived from broadcasting received from stations in Canada and United States. Four special prearranged “Far North” programmes are sent out, <and are received regularly by Sergeant Joy.

At the annual meeting of the Marlborough College Old Boys ’ Association a very interesting letter was read from Mr von Rotter, in which he gave some particulars regarding the huge sheep station or estancia on which he is working. This property is the Estancia' Leleque, Territoro del Chubut, Argentina, and it comprises 110 leagues of land, carries 90,000 sheep, 9000 cattle, and 2000 horses and mules. The writer remarked that many Australians worked on the estancia, which could be understood when lie said that the most successful breed was the Australian merino, although further south and on the coast Corriedales were in fair demand.

Has there ever been a coincidence in all the long history of card-playing like that Avhich occurred at the Levin Druids euchre tournament last night? Three ladies tied for the uncoveted booby prize. This in itself was nothing singular, but when the cards were cut by each lady in turn, so that the lowest card might decide the contest, the first candidate showed the ace of diamonds, the second the ace of clubs, and the third the ace of spades. Wonde'rs had not ceased, however. Another cut was decided on, a gentleman shuffling the' pack beforehand. Again the ladies picked up their cards, and, as before, they drew the same three cards in the same order —the Hist lady cutting the ace of diamonds, the next the ace of clubs, and the third the ace of spades.

Two young motor cyclists, Messrs Cathrick and Castley, who are making a tour of the world, having left England eleven months ago, arrived at Wellington by the Marama from Sydney on Tuesday. They are expected to pass through Levin on Wednesday, August 17th, on their way to Auckland, which they mean to reach by way of Wanganui and New Plymouth. Since leaving the Old Country, they have covered 20,000 miles out of an estimated total of 35,000, and visited 20 countries. They propose to leave Auckland for Valparaiso, and then ride their motor cycles across the Andes from Chili to Buenos Ayres.

Is there any reason why the Dairy Produce Control Board and the Meat Producers’ Board should not amalgamate? (asks the Auckland Star). In the year 1925-26 the cost of the Dairy Board’s head office was £6140, and of the London office £7490, exclusive of cevtain travelling expenses (£1117) and members’ honoraria (£2902). In the year just ended the Meat Board spent £6252 on its head office and £4139 on its London office, and here again members’ honoraria and travelling expenses accounted for a large sum in addition. It seems to us that one board could handle just as efficiently as two, and more cheaply, all the products concerned.

An adventurous little Woodville boy, not three years of age, requested his father to take him to Palmerston to buy a Hudson car, but the father jokingly replied: “Go yourself.’’ Some considerable time later the small boy was missed and it was not till a telephone message was received to the effect that a small boy on a tricycle, who stated he was making for Palmerston, had been intercepted near the entrance t.o the Gorge that the parents realised that the little chap had taken his parent’s remarks seriously. Apart from everything else it was a rather remarkable feat for Peter must have safely negotionted the traffic into the main street and to have covered the best part of four miles before being held up. The boy and the tricycle were recovered by car none the worse for the adventure.

The Thames Borough Council passed unanimously a resolution that it_ heartily supports the Minister of Mines in Ins expressed views discouraging wild cat mining speculations and approves, of Lis intention of supporting only legitimate mining ventures. These sentiments were expressed by the Hon. J. G. Anderson in a speech given at a supper tendered by the Borough last Saturday, when he visited Thames for the Jubilee.

How necessary is the precaution to switch off an electric iron after use was shown in Napier the other evening, when one left with the current on was responsible for an outbreak of fire in Dalton Street about 11 o’clock. The adult occupants of the house were away at the time, and had not passers-by noticed smoke issuing from the building a small child left in the house might have been in grave danger through the fire spreading.

When a motor collision ease was mentioned to Mr. J. G. L. Hewitt, S.M., at the Wanganui Court, he stated that his usual practice was to stand these eases down in case of civil proceedings being likely to follow. In his experience he generally found that these preliminary proceedings were usually fishing expeditions. The civil proceedings were where the real test came, and when damages were awarded the public were then quite satisfied and the criminal proceedings were washed out.

At the Otamatea County Council meeting last week the clerk reported that Constable Hargreaves was the dog tax collector in the Kaiwaka Riding, and had sold 158 collars receiving £4l 9s 6d, plus his commission (says the North Auckland Times). He now found that the man had left the district suddenly without paying the amount due to the Council. He immediately put. the matter in the hands of Constable Boag, Maungaturoto, who informed him that the man had cleared out to Australia. Shop keepers in the Kaiwaka district were also taken down by valueless cheques. The Police Department, Mr Aicken said, wanted the Council to pay the expenses of extraditing the man back to New Zealand -which would cost about. £3O. The absconder was only an acting-constable. On the motion of Cr. Smith, seconded by Or. Collins, the clerk was instructed to write to the Minister for Justice and ask that the Department bring the constable back at their own expense. A Star reporter was informed by a Kaiwaka resident that the constable left a wife and three children behind and that he had got away with about £IOO.