Shannon News TUESDAY, JULY 10, 1928.

Shannon News, 10 July 1928, Page 2

Shannon News TUESDAY, JULY 10, 1928.

Mrs W. Walker, Lyall Bay, .Wellington, is on a visit to her sister, Mrs G. McEwen, of Vogel Street.

Miss Mary Butler left for Wellington on Friday, where she will join the nursing staff of tlfe Wellington Public Hospital.

The friends of Mr Geo. McEwen, jun., will be sorry to learn that he had to enter the Palmerston North hospital yesterday to undergo an operation for appendicitis. ' .

The usual monthly meeting of the Shannon branch of the N. Z. Labour Party will be held., in the Council Chambers on Thursday evening at 8 pan. All those (including ladies) whose sympathies are with the Labour movement are cordially requested to attend.

The public are reminded of the card party to be held in the Plunket rooms on Thursday evening, commencing at 7.30 p.m. It is hoped there will be a good attendance, as the cause is a very deserving onq, being in aid of the Plunket Fund. A good supper will be provided and prizes awarded to winners of the 500.

Records! Records! Great reduction in prices for a fortnight only. Come and choose. —At Baxter’s (late J. V. Burns), Where the Now Books Are.*

A London cable says that New Zealand defeated Dumbarton by 149 points to 116.

There is considerable alarm in Wanganui sollowing the rinnouncement that, as part of the general dosing down of the business of Messrs A. Hatrick and Co., the Wanganui River Service, which has been in existence since 1880 will, unless sold complete', be abandoned at the end of the year. The cessation of the river service would affect over 150 settlers in the valley, besides putting a stop to the growing tourist traffic between Taumarunui and Wanganui. The Government is being approached on the matter. .

;The story of the misfortune of a promising young schoolboy, Mark Coates.; was'related to a Taumarunui Press reporter a few days ago by his faither, Mr M. W. Coates, of Aukbpae. Mark Coates won a Junior National Scholarship last year, and was sent to a;secondary school in Wanganui this year. During the' “initiation” ceremony, a practice commonly carried out by the boys at most secondary schools, it Is alleged that young Coates had the misfortune to suffer injury. He limped for some days, and eventually had to go to hospital with disease of the hip. Mr Coates alleges that the boy’s present condition—he is now in the Taumarunui Hospital, and may be lame for life —is a result of the injury he received at school at Wanganui.

The early days of picture enterprise in. New Zealand were referred to by Mr Henry Hayward at the annual meeting of Hayward’s Pictures, Limited. Remarking that he was. probably one of the oldest men in the business in this country, Mr Hayward recalled the days when pictures were screened in New Zealand “in any sort of hall.” In Christchurch, 15 or 17 years ago, a horse bazaar had done duty—with a very comfortable margin of profit, too. An old garage had been Napier’s first picture “theatre.” Wanganui screenings were in an auction room, and Wellington’s first show took place in an old church. “But these things have changed since then,” Mr Hayward reflected. “The. Cinderella of entertainments in those days has now become the princess.”

A unique menu card was a feature of the public dinner given the Pacific flyers in Melbourne. On one side of the card was printed a cartoon, by Wells, of the Melbourne “Herald,” depicting Kingsford Smith in flying rig, with the Southern Cross in the background. The aviator weighs in his hand the terrestrial globe, which he is examining with an amused smile. 'Unfler the cartton was the line “It’s a vory small World we live in!” and then there followed these lines, composed by the Australian poet, C. J. Dennis:—

They come in triumph, wheeling from on high, Kings of the air and conquerors

apace, Who, found, ’twixt angry seas and angrier sky; - ' A vision and an ideal for their race; Until, inspired, a wakened nation feels New vigour, and a contrite nations sees, Folly and sloth bound to the chariot wheels Of men like these.

At a meeting of the Auckland A. and P. Asociation Mr C. W. Anderson reported on the recent North Island A. and P. Conference at Palmerston, dealing lengthily with the controversy regarding the North Island championships as well as the fixing of the various Association’s show dates. It was decided, by 12 votes to 8, on his moton, to hold the North Island championships at the coming spring show at Auckland.

A good deal of amusement was caused at a farewell social to Rev. and Mrs Lamb Haney, at St. Andrew’s Hall, Auckland, when Dr. Neil Macdougail said that one of the finest sermons preached by Mr Harvey was on the subject of superstition. The preacher pointed ou-. the folly of considering 13 an unlucky number, throwing salt oyer shoulder, and touching wood, as well as dozens of other things, all relics of a superstitious age. A few days after the sermon, when the office-bearers of St. Andrew’s had met to discuss matters of finance, and were not making much headway, a black cat walked through a side door into the room where they were sitting. The minister immediately said: “Oh, this is a good omen; now we will make some progress.” Surely enough, the learned minister was right, added Mr Macdougall, amidst much laughter from the assembled gathering, in which Mr and Mrs Harvey heartily joined, for immediately Ihero came an offer of £IOO, followed by other large offerings.