Shannon News TUESDAY, JULY 3, 1928.

Shannon News, 3 July 1928, Page 2

Shannon News TUESDAY, JULY 3, 1928.

Mr Symonds, of the Public Works Department's staff, at Mangaore, has been transferred to Nelson. Last week he was tendered a farewell, which took the form of a social and dance, there being a large attendance of friends to wish him good-bye and an enjoyable evening was spent.

Mr Cliff Hunt, the well-known footballer, who now resides in New Plymouth, is on a visit to his parents, Mr and Mrs A. Hunt, of Vanee Street. Playing against Ihglewood on Saturday, Cliff had the misfortune, through coming, into collision with two opponents, to burst A blood vessel in his thigh. Acting under medical advice he will not be able to play football for the next three weeks. The accident is unfortunate as he had been selected to represent Taranaki against Wellington at Hawera on Wednesday.

A special meeting of members of the Manawatu Flaxmills Employees' Union was held at Shannon on Saturday afternoon to discuss and consider the request of the New Zealand Flaxmillers' Association for a. reduction of wages in the flaxmilling industry, by the following amounts:—2s per cent, reduction in knife cutting rates; 20 per cent, for seutching and paddocking; 10 per cent, for hook cutting, and all other rates of pay and time and a-quarter for overtime instead of time and a-half. There was a large attendance of members present and after the"requests had been fully considered; the following resolution was unanimously carried: "That this meeting of flaxmill employees adhere to the Arbitration Court's award."

A very pleasant incident marked the termination of the arduous work of stock taking at the Shannon Co-opera-tive Co.'s store on Friday evening when Mr Stiles, on behalf of the directors of the company, took the opportunity of presenting to Miss V. Stewart, who has been a member of the store staff for some years and is leaving to be married, a handsome dinner service. In a eulogistic speech he referred to the able manner in which Miss Stewart had carried out her duties and voiced the regret of the directors at her severance from the company, wishing_ her every happiness in her married life. The chairman (Mr R. W. Taylor) endorsing the previous speaker's remarks. Later the members of the staff met and as a mark of their esteem and good wishes Mr Cronquest, on their behalf, presented her with a dainty silk bed spread.

The electors of Gisborne carried a poll by a majority of 172 votes to abolish the tramway system. The figures were: For abolition 1286, against 1124. The Council intend to establish a municipal bus service.

There is much distress owing to unemployment in Auckland. A youth of 19, after sleeping in the open for three jiights, appealed to Canon Grant Cowen "for shelter. There are others, quite destitute, who nightly doss beneath Grafton Bridge or in the Auckland Domain. "Common deeeney demands that we should do something for these men. Such a condition of affairs cannot continue without some effort being made to help'these unfortunate fellows," says Canon Grant Cowen.

Sixty delegates attended the Dominion Conference of the National Beekeepers' Association at Hawera. Mr E. Clark (Matamata) presided. Addressing the conference he said the honey season constituted a record this year. The export so far totalled 1100 tons, and allowing twice that amount for local consumption Mr Clark estimated the output at 3000 tons. The previous best season was 1924-25 when the export was 780 tons. The Association balance sheet showed a credit of £77 and £IOO on fixed deposit.

A conference of representatives of dairy companies was held in Levin last week to consider the National Dairy Association's scheme for the disposal of calves. Delegates were present from the Levin, Shannon, Kuku and Eahui factories, and Mr J. D. Brown represented the National Dairy Association. Mr S. A. Broadbelt presided. The recent conference of the Association at Palmerston decided to try and arrange for a co-operative scheme of marketing boneless veal, to be worked through the dairy companies, the Co-operative Marketing Association to do the selling in England. The scheme is to embrace the whole of the North Island. After consideration the local conference decided to support the movement, which is to be further discussed at a meeting to be held at Palmerston shortlyq. The export of veal is reported to have resulted in very satisfactory returns in the South Island last year, and with organisation it is expected that a profitable side-line will be developed. ,

The Canterbury Automobile Association expects to get its first shipment of petrol next month. Members will be supplied at 14s 8d per ease, or Is lOd per gallon.

Mr. Ben Roberts, of Parkvale, has been selected by the New Zealand Labour Party to contest the Masterton seat at the general election. Mr Roberts stood for the Manawatu seat at last election.

An important announcement was made by Ratana before performing the ceremony of kicking off at a match for the Ratana Cup at Te Kuiti. He said it was his intention to take u Maori team to England next year to be picked from players in the teams contesting the Ratana Cup.

The N.Z. Pictorial News, published in Auckland, is one of the most attractive threepenny weeklies in the Southern Hemisphere. Its articles cover a great variety of interests, in which domastic affairs are the most prominent, and thus it is an ideal paper for the home. The illustrations, nearly all from topical photographs, are produced by an ultra-modern process, and probably nothing more life-like has been offered in a popular periodical.

The following novel excuse for absence from school was received by a South Taranaki schoolmaster from a Maori girl recently:—"Dear Sir—l am not going to school this morning;-anight be at playtime or dinner-time jm£ not will be there to-morrow .sharp, ofeause I have to mind my little sister. My mother is at the beach on the booze. I don't know if she coming back or not. Have got to feed the cows with turnip. If I come nobody to mind the jolly baby."

The Christchurch City Council's officers have declined to issue drugs' licenses to one-armed motorists,lßnd the decision is upheld by the Council and the Department. Many one-armed drivers have held licenses for years. _ It is held that the regulation prohibiting a driver from removing both hands from the wheel of a moving vehicle or taking one hand from the wheel except when the vehicle is under full control makes the case of one-armed drivers impossible. Where the driver has an artificial arm, the question will hinge on its efficiency.

Three Avell-known cargo steamers in the New Zealand trade—the Whangape, the Waipori and the Karori—have been sold by the Union Steamship Co., Ltd., to Eastern buyers. The Whangape was commissioned in 1900 and since that time has been employed chiefly in the coal trade between Newcastle, N.S.W., and New Zealand ports. The Waipori was built in 1901, and during the last 27 years has been' variously employed in the Newcastle coal trade, the intercolonial timber trade/and the New Zealand coastal eoal trade. The Karori arrived at Sydney in 1903, and was placed in the intercolonial coal and timber trade. It is understood that Chinese crews are on their way to the Dominion to take the ships to' their respective destinations.

The Chronicle announcement a few days ago of some rare English coins brought from Mr R. D. Rolston a small collection that is- of great interest. Among them was a .two-penny piece in copper weighing 2 ounces and dated 1797. £1 worth of these would weigh 15 lbs, and the price of copper being to-day 1/4 per lb. would be just the equivalent of the value of the coin. Two gold 4s pieces are undated, but as they bear the jubilee head of Queen Victoria they were probably minted in 1887. One third of a farthing dated 1885, a quarter farthing dated 1851, and a George IV shilling of 1825 were among the other coins in the collection. Mr J. G. Rolston also has some interesting specimens including a quarter, farthing, 4s gold piece, .and a-half cent., and Mr L. Humphrey is the possessor of a three-farthing piece of 1848.

The Cambridge Independent says: The most dastardly act which has come under our notice for some time was perpetrated on Tuesday night or early on Wednesday morning. _ When the 'workmen engaged in painting the high level bridge at Cambridge were preparing to commence work yesterday morning a little girl pointed out to them that both the thick ropes which hold the plank staging upon which they work many feet below the bridge, were almost severed. It was quite obvious that the ropes, which are an inch sthick, had been deliberately cut with a very sharp knife. Had either of the workmen attempted to descend the rope to the platform below to start work, without knowledgeof the ropes being almost severed, it would most assuredly have meant death to them. We are informed that this is the second occasion upon which the ropes have been similarly cut.

A paragraph recently published stated that a curious green glass globe, some llihi. in circumference, and enclosed in a net of thick twine, had been found by a bather at Opotiki in the Bay of Plenty. A similar ball has been found on the beach at Stewart Island and both have created a good deal of interest as to their origin. A correspon dent who writes to the Standard on the subject gives an interesting solution of the mysterious globes. Tne correspondent states that she is in possession of two glass globes precisely the same as those described. These were washed ashore on the south coast of England during the time of the Great War, having been used as floats for the nets set by mine-sweepers attached to the British Navy. They were presented to the writer whilst she was on a trip abroad and were very rarely found in the possession of private individuals as they were reclaimed by the authorities when discovered on the beaches. It may be that the glass globes found on New Zealand beaches were used by the mineswepers that were engaged m recovering the mines laid by the German raider Wolf during the Great War.