Shannon News

Shannon News, 26 August 1927, Page 2

Shannon News

Mrs Waring Taylor, who has been visiting Lower Hutt owing to the indisposition of her daughters who are at school there, has returacii nome. She was accompanied by her daughters.

A splendid rehearsal was held last night when there was a large attendance, the male portion of the choir being augmented by Levin members. During the interval solos were sung by Messrs J. D. Brown and Fisher, both gentlemen being in good voice.

A vote of condolence was passed at the Borough Council meeting on Tuesday evening to Cr. Jas. Curran, junr., in'the death of his brother, which took place at Nelson last week. A similar vote was also passed by the Shannon Volunteer Tire Brigade.

It is expected that a start will be made with the erection of the four new lailway houses at Shannon m about four or five weeks' time. Three of the houses are to be erected on the seclion opposite the Club Hotel property, ihe remaining one being erected on the section north of the station.

Mr J. Garde Grimshaw, of Palmerston North, purposes holding a class for junior singing and also for junior elocution in the Parish Hall, on Saturday mornings, from 10 to 11 and 11 to 12, provided sufficient pupils enrol. Mil Grimshaw will be in attendance on Saturday morning next from 10 to 12 t;j enrol. Enquiries may also be made by letter to 203 Princess Street, Palmerston North.

The Volunteer Fire Brigade held a wet practice at the school on Wednes-day-evening. They had 450 feet, of hose in operation and with the good pressure of water available, proved they would have no difficulty in •cop-, ing with a fire at the school, as with the other 50 feet of hose ' available they would be able to work all around the'school. At the conclusion practice a meeting was held, the Superintendent (Mr. Jas. Curran) presiding, when several matters in connection with the formation _ of rules for the Brigade were dealt with.

The weekly card tourney held in the hall in Ballance Street on Tuesday evening was well atended. The winners were Mrs Terry and Mr. C. Pritchard. The cake competition was won by Mr. A. E. Hyde. ' The concert recently given in the Parish Hall by members of the Shan r.on Methodist Church Conceit Party was repeated "at Foxton on Wednesday evening. The concert was thoroughly enjoyed by those present, the performers receiving a splendid reception, being most hospitably treated by the Foxtonites.

A final reminder is given of the paper frock dance and children's party Hall. The evening has been arranged Hall. Thecvening has been arranged by Ven. Bede's Ladies' Guild and Vestry, who have made every arrangement to assure the little ones of a happy time, which will commence at 7 p.m. 'concluding at 9.30 p.m. after which the floor will be cleared for adults. Prizes will be awarded to the boy and girl with the prettiest paper frock. The admission for children is one shilling, but concessions will be made to families.

The opening spring show of Howard Andrew, Ltd., yesterday a great success and customers were delighted with spring millinery and dainty frocks and many complimentary remarks were made regarding the selections and how the goods were displayed. The shop presented an animated appearance and good business was done. Intending buyers should see this display at once and will find that their wants for spring wear are as well catered for as in the larger towns.*

The ways of guests at Ayedding ceremonies are frequently open to criticism from the viewpoint of bridegrooms and brides —and apparently more so in upriver settlements, says a Wanganui paper. A settler who visited Wanganui last week told of the exuberance of guests at a Native wedding recently, when the married couple were bombarded with flour, liberally moistened with water. The flour, the guests afterwards explained, was used in the absence of rice, but the bridegroom undoubtedly regretted the substitution when he endeavoured to restore the appearance of a suit purchased especially for the wedding.

The late Dr. Harvey, of Waverley, was a great lover of homing pigeons, and had a well-appointed loft. In the early days, when telephone lines into the back country were not in existence, the doctor, when he had occasion to go to attend to patients, would take pigeons with him, leave them at the patients' homes with instructions to release them in a few days, attaching messages to the birds to inform him of the health of his patients. In this way the doctor kept in close touch with the country people, by whom he was so greatly loved.

A resolution was passed by the Horowhenua County Council this morning enabling it to apply to the Local Bodies Loans Board for permission to raise £12,000 for the construction of roads in the Seifert-Whitanui special rating district. This represents a step forward in the companies' scheme to open up a quiintitv of very rich land in the Makerua swamp for'close settlement..

The Vicar of Lcyland, Lancashhe, in his atlvica to bridegrooms, says: "You should not look around in chuich until the bride is beside you —and then only to make sure that she is the right girl. There should be no kissing at, the chancel steps, and don't expect the clergyman to kiss the biide —even in the vestry. It is not done, except by sappy •bachelor persons."

Major Segra%e, the racing motorist, who beaten the world record by doing nearly three hundred miles an horn" was recently driving a high-pow-ered car in a London street. At an intersection, where a traffic constable stood, Segrave led the column of motor cars, and was in front when the policeman stopped the traffic. The pedestrians having crossed, the policeman gave the signal for wheels to go ahead. Segrave fumbled with his gears and did not get going instantly. "Come on, slowcoach!" commanded the constable, "you're holding up the whole street!"

Under the auspices of the Bureau of Entomology and the Marketing Board, a cargo of 15,000^ chrysalises of the English bluebottle fly, carefully packed in layers of moss in wooden boxes of uniform temperature, leaves for New Zealand, Australia and the Falkland Islands, states a Press cable from London. When unpacked small parasite flies which fed on the bluebottles will emerge. It is believed they will attack and exterminate their natural enemy, the blowfly, which is such a pest to sheep. Similar experiments last year .were very successful. The shipment of chrysalises are 6400 for New South Wales, 6000 for New Zealand, and 2000 for the Falkland Islands.

Tourists to New Zealand from some big cities of the United States of Am--erica, accustomed to high prices for choice cuts of swordfish, have expressed astonishment at the waste of this excellent food in the Dominion (says the "Nortlaanler " in the Auckland Star). So far the only use made of the big game fish lies in their supply of sport and their weights for the captors or certificates. However, even if satisfactory cool- transport were available for th's sportsmen's trophies, the average New Zealander would -liVed some persuasion to accept this food, which might have to masquerade under another name before *it would find favour.

Interest in the theory of 13-year weather cycles in Australia has been revived by the present dry season generally. The year 1888, it is pointed out, was exceptionally dry; 13 years later brings one to 1901-02, which were disastrous seasons. The period 191314 Avitnessed the failure of the'wheat crops, and the present year of grace, another 13-year cycle, is marked by a shortage of rain, which in many parts is causing grave anxiety. One press correspondent recalls the fact that his father used to speak of 1850 as one of the worst years experienced by the then colony. According, to the old man, the opossums and'goannas were too weak, 'owing to the conditions prevailing, to climb the trees. That year would fit in •with the 13-year-oycle.

"Is that whtit you call purchasing land?" asked the Hon. Mr Justice MacGregor in the Supreme Court at New. Plymouth, when counsel in. an application for discharge in bankruptcy stated that the bankrupt had purchased a large block of land for £II,OOO. No cash passed, and the whole of .the purchase money was allowed by the vendor to remain on mortgage at a very low rate of interest. It was subsequently stated that the land in question was valued by the Government Valuations Department at £22,000. That valuation had since been reduced to £14,000, and the land could now be bought for £7OOO. It was therefore suggested that the bankrupt had been 'led into this rash speculation by the high Government assessment. —Herald.

All the silt left behind by a flood is apparently not for the immediate good of the land upon which it has been deposited. Statements were made to the Hawkcs Bay Rivers Board by Mr W. Richmond, of Brookfields, concerning damage done to his property by the recent flooding (reports the -Herald). This he estimated at £3OOO at least, and added that it would be four years before portions of the silt-covered land would grow grass again. The. 1924 flood left behind a. deposit of silt, and he was just beginning to get a growth of grass on it when this flood came along and covered it again. Grass would grow on the finer silt, but- not on the heavier deposit for some years. Mr G. Purves, "What about rape?" Mr G. Richmond, "No, it won't grow in the thick mud, only where its roots can get down on to the old soil."

That the family income system lias been developed to some extent in New Zealand is the opinion of an English visitor now in Auckland, who considers, that the real evidence of it was on New Zealand farms, where' he had noticed that the children as well as the parents worked in a combined effort for the family welfare. In instances he had seen girls taking an active part m agricultural work, as well as dairying. He said that in England the system of family income was common, but there was a difference between the condition in the cities and industrial areas and-the country. Generally the girls worked in factories, and the fathers and sons followed trades. One advantage of having all the members of a family in employment was that in difficult times there was more than one source of income. He said that the most striking contrast was the fact that the average married woman in England went out to work the same as her husband, whereas in New Zealand, in the cities, married women were generally solely occupied with domestic duties.

"Don't put tliat to the jury in a serious vein," remarked Mr Justice Ostler, in the Napier Supreme Court, when counsel was asking a young girl if it was not a fact that she had been chastised by a neighbour for stealing fruit from an orchard. "Goodness me! " remarked His Honour, "'did you never rob'an orchard when you were a bov?"

A Taihape football official has a good way of time-keeping. He has two watches, one as usual, and one a "dummy," the latter being moved to point the "time's up", period. Any stoppages signalled by the referee are duly noted and on play being renewed the "dummy" watch is moved on to include the minutes lost so that when the working watch and the dummy agree the bell goes. It is a really effective check.

A curious "find" was mentioned by Mr James Smith, of Omatane (says the Rangitikei Advocate). Mr Smith said that when a huge bluegum which had been cut down on the farm of his brother, Mr H. W. Smith, of Marton, and was split at the sawmill, it was found to have embedded in it a pack saddle. Mr Smith thinks that possibly the saddle was placed in the fork of the tree many years ago and had been gradually enclosed by the growth since then.

On visiting his premises in Main Street, Foxton, on Monday evening, about 6 o'clock, Mr G. F. Snath noticed that a pane of glass in a backroom window had been pushed in, and in the back-yard he found a sugar-bag and a boy's coat, but nothing was missed from the shop. The occurrence, was reported to the police, who were on the look-out for a boy who had broken out of the Weraroa Training Farm. About midnight the nightwatchman (Mr J. Wyeth) saw a lad with half a brick in his hand, in the vicinity of Mr Smith's premises, and handed him over to th* police. The hd was. returned to the farm yesterdav.

A trailer attached to a Power Boarr lorry was smashed almost to matchwood .on the Gladstone Street railway crossing at Peilding on Saturday mornng at 6.36 o'clock when the south-bound Limited express, running a few minutes late, crashed into it. Fortunately for the lorry driver/ Mr Butler, and its other occupant, Mr Walters, tho trailer was wrenched free from tho lony when the impact occurred, although the collision caused the lorry to swerve dangerously. *The trailer Wus carried soma distance before it fell dear and the express pulled up at tho South Stree; crossing where it was found that the engine had . sustained some damage, but not sufficiently serious to prevent che train from proceeding on its journey.

On a recent Sunday a local resident named Fox took his dogs out into the bush on a shooting expedition (states* the Bay of. Plenty Times). In. some dense scrub one of the dogs bailed up a large animal which turned cm the dog and ripped open its neck with one bite. It had also crushed the dog's head to pulp in its paws when Fox came on the scene and fired a shot at the animal. With peculiar pantherish x leaps the latter turned and disappeared in the scrub, leaping with ease a creek 12 feet wide. Fox thought he had wounded the mystery animal, and ppots of blood on its trail gave evidence of his claim. Parties of local residents subsequently co'mmeneed a hunt, but beyond finding a lair with several large bones in it, they got no sight of the animal they were seeking. It is recalled now that a travelling wild beast slioav was in the district six months ago, and that five of the animals escaped into the bush.

A well-known Otago representative footballer was the principal actor in a little comedy enacted in the wool and skin store of a leading Dunedin firm of stock and station agents. About 10 o'clock the night-watchman, imagining he heard someone moving about inside the store, telephoned to the manager and the police, who arrived post haste. The police took up their posts at every p<gssible exit, whilst the manager brought reinforcements in the shape of the footballer and another employee from the company's office, which is a few doors away. Very cautiously the door was opened,, and the three went inside, and began to search the building. Two of them found nothing, but the footballer's luck was in. In the dusk lie could just dimly discern the form of a man, and after a patient stalk he sprang, and with a mighty tackle brought the • figure down. It, was not till he had almost twisted its head off that he realised he was vigorously throttling the life-sized model of a shearer which used to be a prominent exhibit in the company's stall at the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition.

A Parliamentary correspondent, re ferring to a recent rumour regarding the approaching marriage of a'prominent politician, says: While Sir Joseph Ward has been applying himself this week with renewed vigour to the discharge of his parliamentary duties several thousand gossips have been assiduously spreading a silly tale in regard to his domestic condition. Beginning, it would seem, in Auckland, and spreading with astounding rapidity to Wellington, Oliistchurch and Dunedin, the story still is a subject of comment in every centre of population in the Dominion. In Christchurch, where large numbers of visitors were congregated for the Grand National meeting, it Avas even more eagerly discussed than Avas the racing at Eiccarton. A curious fact in connection with the matter is that Sir Joseph Ward Avas among the last people here to learn of the impudent fabrication. In Wellington the 'story Avas passed from mouth to mouth with an increasing volume of detail, and it Avas in the capital city that Sir Joseph first heard that his domestic affairs Avere the subject of discussion throughout the whole countryside. It Avas not until this morning, hoAvever, that he realised the necessity for some action on his part in regard to an invention Avhich amounted to nothing less than a slander. By the time these lines appear in print some people may be sorry they spoke.

The Southland Racing Ciub adopted an effective way of getting in overdue übsc.riptions at its annual meeting (says the Southland Times). Just before the voting for the election of a committee, the president asked if any members wished to become financial and so participate in the ballot. The smallest man was nearly killed in the rush. Finality v. as reached at a special meeting 'of the Cambridge Borough Council in connection with the much discussed issue of a license for renting the Town Hall. It was decieled to issue a license to an Auckland picture company for ten years at a rental of £lO a week for the first five years, and £l2 10s weekly for the balance of the period. The company is to have the use of the h til for four nights weekly.

I am quite safe in saying that in practically all American towns the bestlooking building is always a school. I am afraid we cannot say as much for New Zealand towns."—Mr W. A. Hird, Principal of Taihape District High School, in an address delivered last evening to members of the Palmerston N. branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute.

Mr D. Crump, of Hoanga (North Auckland), has a splendid Friesian breeding cow that must be worth its weight in gold to the owner. The animal has produced eight heifer calves in five years, comprising three sets of twins and two single calves, all by Dominion Eding Boy. The bull is a purebred Friesian and was purchased by Mr Crump from the Central Development Farm at Weraroa.

Mr D. Jones, during his speech on the Budget urged that the Government should sell their two agricultural farms in the North Island, Ruakura and Weraroa, upon which there had been losses. He said it would pay them to cut their losses on those" two farms and transfer the stock, and perhaps some of the buildings, to the Agricultural College. A l|old policy would be the best. The amount of money saved would in a large measure help to r»ay the expenses of the Agricultural College at Palmerston N.

A cat played a prominent part in a little comedy drama recently in the shop of a well-known baker (says the Ashburton Guardian). Puss had contrived to enter the forbidden territory and, highly pleased with herself, began a devastating attack on the cream cakes. She was soon seen by the wrathful shopkeeper, however, and a battle royal resulted, puss proving more than a match for the wielder of the broom and two Irish terriers. The climax was reach when, with a crash, the broom went through the plate-glass window, and the cat escaped by means of this very convenient emergency exit.

An example of the way in which German-made goods are finding a market in almost every line of grade is afforded by the contents of a small parcel received from Australia by a Dunedin man. It contained an attractive pair of men's fancy socks, purchased in Melbourne, but bearing the stamp — "Made in Germany." The texture is finer than that of the average colonial sock, and there is a certain distinctive shading in the dyes used for the colour pattern. It would be interesting to know if New Zealand manufacturers are also competing against the products of Continental woollen mills.

The advantages of the herd-testing work are thus briefly put by "Bustieus" in the Otago Daily Times:—"lt individualises each coav, and is the only method of estimating the producing ability of each member of the herd. It tests systems of feeding for milk production. It.tests the herd sire through production of his daughters. It creates higher values for proved coavs and their |jro«e!iy. It slioavs positively that some system* of milk recording and testing is essential to progress. It Avill direct attention to loss through faulty separating. During the last year a. dairyman with a large herd discovered a loss of 15s a day by the herd tester chancing to test the'skim milk. Herd-testing association meetings can be utilised as a means of bringing district dairymen together, when local and general problems can bo discussed.