Shannon News TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1927.

Shannon News, 20 December 1927, Page 2

Shannon News TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1927.

Mr find Mrs and Miss White left, for their beach .house at Paraparauinu oh Saturday, where they will spend- the Christmas holidays.

Miss Dillon, who was responsible for the production at the school concert, of ‘‘The Scene from Hiawatha,” was the recipient of a presentation on Friday from the pupils who took part.

Mr. B. M. of the Electrical Branch at Manga-ore,' has received notice of his transfer to Wellington and will take up his new duties after the New Year. \

Members of the Mangaore Staff “Bach” celebrated their annual Christmas dinner on Friday evening last, the usual toasts being duly honoured.

( Mr T. Moynilian*' suffered a severe loss last evening by the death of his well-knoAvn and valuable Alsatian hound, Rexdale Rajah. The dog has been very successful at the shows, having an unbeaten record in his-class.

A local resident writes complaining of the speeding of cars through the main street, particularly at night. He thinks the police should make an example of the offenders before an accident occurs.

When thanking the donors of trees for the school at the breaking up ceremony on Friday, Mr. White said lie trusted that parents and pupils 'Would respect the school property during the holidays.

Under the auspices of the Mangaore Social Club, some 90 children were entertained at a Christmas function, held at Mangaore on Saturday evening last. Father Christmas was in a jovial mood, and the children went home happy and contented with their various gifts.

The Mayor has received advice from the Mayor of Balclutha that the Balclutha Boys’ Brass Band of 26 players will arrive in Shannon at 2.30 on Thursday afternoon. They will play a programme of music in the evening, leaving again for Foxton the same evening.

At the breaking up ceremony at the school on Friday, Mr. White, on behalf of the teachers, made a presentation to Mrs Clifford Jones as a small token of their appreciation to her for coming to the school of an afternoon and acting as accompanist at the practices for the school concert.

Shannon shoppers are proving that they can get' a very fine selection of Christmas presents to select from at Howard Andrew’s, Ltd. A visit to this shop will assist anyone in making a choice as there is such a large variety to choose from and to avoid the rush and disappointment, customers are advised to shop early.

Prior to the commencement of the People’s Picnic in the Domain on New Year’s Day there will be a procession of decorated cars, bicycles, etc, headed by the Band. Quite a number of car owners have signified their intention of competing and the procession promises to be one of the features of the day. The arrangements are well in hand and will be finalised at a meeting on Thursday night. The tender of Mr Hill, of Shannon, has been accepted for the catering.

Senior cricket matches on Eden'Parle on Saturday provided a chapter of accidents, says an Auckland message. The captains of three of the teams had to leave the field during the course of play, medical attention being necessary in two cases.

The Rongotca Dairy Company is pay k ing out is 4d per : lb for November supplies of butterfai The total amount wfftich will be paid out of the 1 November' supplies is £14,000. The season has so far been very successful. The factory is at present manufacturing 150 boxes of butter daily. The output is only a few boxes behind that of the 1924-25 season which, was regarded as exceptional.

“It is a great pity that farmers do not go to the trouble of securing written agreements with share-milkers. A vast amount of litigation and considerable oxpen'sc and annoyance would be saved if this were done, ’’ said Mr. F. W. Platts, S.M., at the Magistrate’s Court at Morriusville the other day. The remark was made in the course of a civil action which arose partly through the indefinite terms of a verbal agreement.

On New Year’s Day at- Shannon there will be a function that should draw crowds from all parts of the district. Competitions, to be known as the N.Z. Championship liaka and poi, will be held, and the handsome shield will carry with it substantial prizemoney. Mr. and Mrs. T. Para til and Mr. T. Te Toma will act as judges. There will also be races for old and young, prizes for the best decorated car, tricycle, pram, and bicycle, while a band will be in attendance. At night a dance will be held.

“.I have Co thank you for your resolution approving of the tax of 4d per gallon on benzine, provided that the whole qf the money •so raised is spent on the roads of'the Dominion,” wrote the Minister of Public Works (Hon. K. S. Williams) to the last meeting of the council of the Palmerston North Chamber of Commerce. “This, of course,” he added, “will be the position, except that a small amount of tax collected will be utilised to cover the expenses of collecting, etc.” The letter was received without comment.

Various interesting sidelights on the payment of farm workers in Taranaki were thrown during.the hearing of a claim in the . Supreme Court in New Plymouth. A South. Taranaki farmer statedthat a good man for farm "labouring could be obtajneditor £2 a week, and that a sharemllker bn .a reasonably good proposition ’.would probably clear about £2OO a year. Agotlier farmer of North Taranaki that lie employed a sliaremilker, whose' wife, daughter and two sons all assisted him,, at £4 a week. He considered the work on his farm was light, however. A South Taranaki sliaremilker who has for some time been, shamnilking on first-class farms, and now taken up a farm of his own, stated that'during the last year or two he had made about £450 gross, and cleared-about £l5O not.

The first prospectus of the Massey Agricultural College at Palmerston N. shows that two’type of courses will be offered, (1) Courses leading to University degrees, and (2) short courses. The former comprise a course aiming at the degree of ■ Bachelor of Agricultural Science, taking four years and intended for men desiring to become research workers, teachers, field instructors, technical experts with commercial firms, agricultural journalists, etc. A further one-year course leads to the degree of Master of Agricultural Science. The short courses comprise instruction in ..(a) dairy-farming, (b) dairy manufactures, and (c) herd-test-ing. The dairy-farming course is designed to mee,t the needs of the dairyfarmer’s son who cannot be spared from the farm in the milking season. It therefore consists of a ten-weeks qourse in the winters of two successive years and deals with the principles underlying top-dressiug, forage crops, feeding, breeding, farm veterinary practice, etc. The dairy manufacture course takes ten weeks in each of three successive winters and is intended to supplement the practical experience of dairy factory assistants. The herdtesting course is of fourteen days’ duration.