Shannon News TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1927.

Shannon News, 6 December 1927, Page 2

Shannon News TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1927.

A meeting of the People’s Picnic Committee will be held in the Council Chambers this evening at 8 p.m.

In this issue tenders are invited by the secretary of the Wellington Education Board for painting the main and infant, schools, outbuildings and residence at Shannon. Tenders will close at Wellington on Friday, 9th December, at noon.

A reminder is given of the Grand Concert to be hold in the Parish Hall on Wednesday evening commencing at 7.80 *p.m. Items will be given by well known local talent, children’s dialogues, songs, ctc.J while the popular Shannon Concert Party willbe heard in dialogues, monologues, songs, etc. The price of admission is within the reach of all and patrons are assured of an enjoyable entertainment.

Good progress is being made with tile construction of the new bridge across the Manawatu river at Shannon. Tin- contractors have got the piles in almost the whole distance across. With every set of permanent piles it will be necessary to have two sets of temporary piles eu which a gangway will be built to enable material to be convoyed over when the girders arc being erected. These piles are being erected as the permanent ones are being put in.

A start was made yesterday morning to continue the footpath formation in Plimmer Terrace from the plot to Grey Street. The work is being carried out with money collected locally for the relief of unemployed, which will be subsidised by the Government on a £1 for £.l basis. It is being done under the supervision of the Beautifying Committee, whose idea is to have the big bole in that portion of Plimmer Terrace rilled in and to make a garden plot at that spot and to continue the footpath the, full length of the street, thus bringing the footpaths on both sides of tiie street to a uniform length; and to straighten the road. It will not be possible for the Committee to have all this work done on the present funds, therefore they will be pleased to receive further subscriptions for the relief of unemployed.

Orders are now being booked for Christmas and Now Year cakes at the I.X.L. Home-made Cake -Shop, Ballauce Street,

A large dead rimu tree fell across the Mangahao Road, at a spot known as Tlie Crusher, near the Settlement, early on Friday morning. It just missed a small cottage, and blocked the road for several hours. The tree was estimated, to weigh 20 tons, and eight jacks were used to shift it, the work of cleaving the road taking from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

As a means of raising funds towards carrying out improvements to the local school grounds, a committee of ladies held a plain and fancy dress ball in the Druids’ Hall on Friday evening, ■but unfortunately the attendance was not as large as the cause deserved. Nevertheless, the ladies did all possible to give those who attended an enjoyable time and in this they succeeded. The early part of the evening was devoted to the children, several of whom were in fancy costume and they thoroughly enjoved themselves with dancing and games and at the conclusion were treated to supper, after which the adults took charge of the floor and dancing was continued until after midnight, the music being supplied for the children’s dancing by Mrs Cronquest, Miss McKenzie and Mr. 11. George, the latter playing for the adults. Mr. .1. T. Bovis officiated as M.C. During the evening cakes, etc, were auctioned and brought in quite a lot of revenue.

An extraordinary incident occurred in Rangitikei senior cricket on Saturday afternoon. Martou dismissed the Junction for one run. At bowling Biss took six for one and Broad four for none. Only ten overs were bowled.

“Girls going about with skirts to their knees, their hair cut like a man’s and with a cigarette dangling from their lips ought to be smacked and put to bed.” That is the conviction of Mrs Sarah Collins, of Battersea, the oldest woman in England, who has just celebrated her 106th birthday.

A new fire alarm system is being installed at the Chief Post Office in Palmerston and will be connected to the central station at an early date. One hundred and sixteen thermostats have been fitted and these are connectd to an indicating board, which has fifteen shutters and also to a transmitter which in turn communicates any alarm to the station.

“Instead of regarding the man on the land as a hayseed and a clod-hop-per, the townspeople are beginning to realise that there is some intelligence among the farmers,” said Mr 0. P. Lynch, Manawatu provincial president of the Farmers ’ Union, at the executive meeting in Levin on Saturday, when referring to tlie effects of the public meetings conducted in various towns by Mr W. J. Poison, the Dominion president. Mr A. McLeavey remarked that the citizens were recognising the fact that when the farmer was earning money, they were earning money also.

Working on the principle that, all letters are formed with straight, lines and circles, Mine. Simon, the widow of a French colonel, claims to be able, to teach totally illiterate, people to read and write in 20 hours. She says she has obtained conclusive proof of the efficiency of her method by tests on young soldiers from the last batch of French recruits, which included IS,OOO men who were completely illiterate. After fen lessons of two hours each, the men were able to read and write. Three of her pupils broke all records and took only eight lessons of one hour each. Mine. Simon has been authorised by the French Minister of War to start a special course for illiterate soldiers at Vincennes barracks.

Messrs ,T. Cathrick and J. P. Castley, the world motor cycle tourists, who passed through Levin about the middle of August, have made good progress. 'Recently, advice was received that the tourists were to attempt the most difficult portion of their tour —namely, the crossing of the Andes mountains in South America. A cablegram from the cyclists telling of the success of their effort has just been received in Wanganui. The cable is as follows: —“Andes Range, second highest in the world, crossed in 4-i days from .Valparaiso to Alendoza under own power with touring equipment. Road oil Chile side frequently blocked by avalanches, - necessitating clear away boulders.and often building short sections of road. Above 7000 feet road blocked by deep snow, so rode on railway track, chassis just clearing central track rail. Much ice in 2-mile tuunol at summit, 10.1500 feet, in which were nearly gassed by exhaust fumes. First motor-cycles and sidecars to cross Andes under own power without using train on Argentine side, where no road now exists.”