Shannon News TUESDAY, MAY 22, 1928.

Shannon News, 22 May 1928, Page 2

Shannon News TUESDAY, MAY 22, 1928.

A social and dance will be held by the Shannon Choral Society in the Parish Hall on Thursday evening.

The dance held on Saturday evening by the committee of the Womon's Institute was well attended and proved most enjoyable.

Mr McKeen, M.P., of Wellington, will deliver a political address in the Maoriland Theatre on Sunday evening at 8.15 p.m. All are cord|ally invited.

In this issue Mr B. Spencer announces that he is now open for engagement to supply dance music for dances, socials, parties, etc.

The primary schools football com petition for the Austin Banner will commence on Saturday when Shannon will meet Foxton at the latter place.

The contract for the erection of the bridge across the Otauru Stream in Sheehan Street has been secured by Mr Peacock, the contractor for the new bridge across the Manawatu river.

Mr W. Murdoch, of Wellington, and Mr Jas Murray, of Featherstou, were in Shannon over the week-end, renewing old acquaintances. Both gentlemen resided in the township for many years.

The Commonwealth Government adopted the recommendation of the film censors and a special sub-committee which Avitnessed a private screening of the film "Dawn," to prohibit its production in Australia.

Whilst efforts were being made in a garage in Taihape recently to raise a car a burly Maori stepped in, and, putting his back to the car, gripped the spokes of a wheel and raised the back wheels off the ground. The manager gasped at this display of great strength, and when he ejaculated, "By jove, did you know that there are two big women sitting in the back of the car?" Hori replied in most casual tones, "Py corry, I think 'e be pretty heavy, orrite."

Recently, at Tokaanu, an elderly Maori woman, the sole occupant of a five-roomed dwelling, had a narrow escape from a horrible fate. During the night practically the whole portion of her front lawn was blown skyward due to thermal activity. The gap was a good 10ft. deep. Mud, inches thick, was scattered in all direction, and the house top was smothered. The wahine was evidently a sound sleeper, as she slept peacefully through thir disturbance.

At a meeting of the Canterbury Land Board (says a Press message from Christehurch), a resolution was passed, "That this Board regrets that the published reports of two recent cases inferred that the blame for taking action is on the Lands Board or tho Lands Department. This is not the ease, the Board's records being available to the Press to bear this out." The resolution refers to proceedings at the Supreme Court here when two returned soldier farmers were charged with breaches of the Chattels Transfer Act.

"I am opposed to Mr Nash in politics," remarked Mr P. J. Small at the opening of Milson School, near Palmerston, amid laughter, "but my advice to anyone living in Palmerston North is that you can't do better than support him."' (Applause). Mr J. Linklater, M.P. (from behind the scenes): "What about me, Pat?" The interjection caused much merriment in view of the fact that Mr Small is opposing Mr Linklater at the coming election.

A protest against the excessive use of public schools for polling-booths at the general election was entered at- a meeting of the Auckland Education Board this week. The chairman, Mr A. Burns, said it was possible that the Kowhai School would come into use at the election, resulting in the loss of a day's teaching. It had been the practice for schools to be gazetted as booths without the board having any knowledge' prior to the public announcement. It was decided to request the Education Department to make suitable representations in curbing the practice of converting schools into booths other buildings were available.

Hundreds of defunct octopuses in the Anderson Bay Inlet have been the subject of discussion by more than one public body of late, says the Otago Daily Times, but so far none of them has made any move towards having the nuisance removed. The Health Department, however, has realised the seriousness of the position, and the Chief Medical Officer of Health (Dr. J. H. Crawshaw) stated that he and his department were fully alive to the fact that the heaps of putrefying flesh on the shores of the inlet were a distinct menace to public health. In the event, he said, of none of the local bodies admitting responsibility in the matter, the department proposed immediately to. assess the responsibility, and adopt some measure whereby the t ; nuisance might be abated as 'soon as possible. \

"I belong to the Presbyterian Church, but I'm up against the leaders of the Presbyterian Church to-day because of their attitude towards conscientious objectors," said Colonel Stewart at Rifle Brigade reunion in Christehurch on Wednesday. Colonel Stewart said that during the war he had one experience of dealing with a conscientious objector, and he Avas of opinion that these men should not have sent overseas at all. The man he was referring to was not a man at all. He even refused to go for his rations, and when he was discussing the matter with the speaker, the objector said- that he would not lift a hand to save his mother or sister. In the opinion of the speaker it was the bounden duty of every able-bodied man to do sojne duty towards the defence of his country.

In connection with hospital expenditure, Cr. M. A. Eliott has given notice to move the following motion at the next meeting of the Palmerston North Borough Council: "That owing to the heavy expenditure in the near future proposed by the Palmerston North Hospital Board and in view of the belief that the honorary medical staff and many other responsible persons are of the opinion that a 'gr ea t d ea * of tnis proposed expenditure is unnecessary and wasteful, the Government be requested to appoint an independent commission to enquire into the whole position and to. take all necessary evidence. That the Government be asked to restrain the Hospital Board from starting building operation until the finding of the commission is available; (2) in the event of the verdict being against the Board then to stop the expenditure altogether. That all the local bodies on whom the Hospital Board levy a rate be asked to support this request by communicating with the Government. That Messrs Nash, Linklater, G. Eliott and Field, M'sP. be asked to support the request.