Shannon News FRIDAY, JULY 20, 1928.

Shannon News, 20 July 1928, Page 2

Shannon News FRIDAY, JULY 20, 1928.

The Mayoress (Mrs E. Butt) left for Wellington yesterday, on a short visit to her sister.

T Wednesday was observed as Arbor Day by the senior scholars of the Shannon school, who in the presence of the Chairman, committeemen and teachers, j planted a number of trees and shrubs.

A vote of sympathy with Mr W. H, Gunning in his prolonged illness was passed at the meeting of members of the Shannon Bowling and Lawn Tennis Co., Ltd., at their meeting on Wednesday. A letter to this effect is being forwarded to Mr W. H. Gunning together with the hope that he will soon be restored to his usual health.

The weekly euchre tourney held on Tuesday evening, under the auspices of the Women's Institute was well attended and proved most enjoyable, the winners being Mr "Scotty" Taylor (gents.) and Mrs Radford (ladies). The consolation awards were made to Mrs Butt and Mr Laurie Richardson.

We are informed that the scutchers will commence work at the Miranui mill next week and that it is expected the mill will commence running again at the beginning of the month. If this eventuates and with the number of men employed on the banking of the Koputaroa stream, the unemployed position in this district will be considerably relieved.

A return basket ball match between the A and B. teams from the Shannon and Foxton schols was played at Shan : non yesterday afternoon in the presence of a fair number of spectators. Both games were full of interest and aroused a good deal of enthusiasm,. When the teams met at Foxton last week; the home girls won both games* Yesterr day, however, Shannon reversed the position by securing a victory in each section. The A team winning by 28 to 10, and the B team by 12 to 6. At the conclusion of the game the visitors were treated to afternoon tea by the local girla.

The monthly meeting of members of the Women's Institute was held in the P'lunket rooms on Wednesday evening. After the ordinary routine business had been transacted the evening was devoted to community singing, competitions and roll call. In regard to the latter the question was, "If free to follow it, what occupation I would like best." The answers were many and varied, ranging from "Keeping homes for babies" to "Breeding thoroughbred horses a«d collie clogs," the different replies causing much amusement." The competitions were interesting, the winners being Mesdames Taylor and Osborne and Miss Butt. An enjoyable evening being brought to a close after supper had been partaken of.

The District Engineer (Mr R. H. Ronayne) has written to the Buckley Drainage Board notifying them that it i s not' possible for the Public Works Department to grant the Board a cash advance of £250 in connection with the loan for relief of unemployment at Koputaroa, but arrangements will' be made to make a payment of the full amount of wages expended up to £250 until the Board has,the loan money available. As the result of this information the Board put another ten men on yesterday, making a total of 20 men now employed on the banking. The Board hopes to place a few more men next week. The clerk has been instructed to hurry on the arranging of the £IOOO loan, he having already made enquiries from several financial institutions.

Come and hear some of our latest Records on the famous Columbia gramaphone. "The Prisoner's Child," "Henry's Made a Lady out of Lizzie," "Ukulele Dream Girl," "Breeze," "Do that Heebei-Jebbie Dance," etc. Great reductions in Columbia and H.M.V. Records at Baxter's, where the new books are.*

"The Engineer is on the right track in putting the roller on some of the roads in the Wirokino riding," said Cr. Kilsby, at the County Council meeting on Saturday. He added that he had taken notice of the work done on the Koputaroa and Heatherlea roads. He would like some of the other roads to receive similar attention, as boulders were sticking up rather badly in places. Potts Road was a case in point, and he thought that the KoputaroaFoxton Road might also receive attention. Cr. Kilsby mentioned further that at the Arapaepae end of the Heatherlea East Road there was need of a fence on the outside edge of what was rather a dangerous corner; he would like a report on the matter. The Engineer was instructed to report on the question oif protection at the place referred to by Cr. Kilsby. »

Following upon a recent, decision, the electrical staff of the Palmerston N. Borough has been busy during the past week shifting the lights that overhung the centre of the streets, alterna?.. tively to "each side of the' bitumen;; The result is a decided improvement, in the lighting of the roadway that will undoubtedly be appreciated by motorists.

Old clothes given by the "Auckland public to the poor and needy in response to the appeal of the Commercial Travellers' and Warehousemen's Association on Saturday have been valued on an auction basis at no less than £10,500. With the cash proceeds of the drive, namely £I6OO, and the Government's subsidy .of £2OO the net benefit to the poor, of the city and suburbs is approximately £12,300.

Arrangements are being made by the Kadio Broadcasting Company to put a short-wave description of the Heeney--Tunney fight on July 26, on the air. The wave length has not yet been definitely settled. It is 'hoped to rebroadcast the report in New Zealand. Station 2ZM Gisborne, operated by Messrs Patty and Stevens have received the following message from K.D.K.A. Pittsburg: "Tell all New Zealand and Australia we will be broadcasting the Heeney-Tunney fight on 26V metres." KVD.K.A. has also asked "Messrs Patty and Stevens to keep iii'touch with Commander Byrd's Antarctic flight.

The newspaper room of the Wanganui Public Library is apparently a favoured spot with some people who seek to escape the chilling blasts of winter by huddling round the gas,fire there, at the same time fortifying the inner man with fish and chips.. Not only do such people offend in thus turning the library into a refreshment room but on Saturday insult was added to injury. The greasy paper, which had contained the fish and chips, was stuffed in behind the' guard of the gas heater. The result Avas that the attendants had a mess of paper and grease to clean up afterwards.

It is stated that a prominent resident of Gere who is about to enter the bonds of matrimony, has filled the role of "best .pan" on no fewer than .33 occasions. It seems a pity, however, remarks & local paper, that future bridegrooms should be deprived of the services of one whose long experience has so wuU qualified him to launch them upon the choppy sea of matrimony. At his OAVnweding he will have as best man one who has acted in that capacity on eight previous occasions. It can be imagined, however, that he will receive very many valuable hints from the bridegroom, to whom he may prove a worthy successor.

An assurance that no risk would be taken of introducing foot.and mouth disease into New Zealand through the importation of'bulbs from Holland was given by the Minister of Agriculture (Hon. 0. J. Hawken) in the House when replying to a question on the subject by Mr H. H. Campbell (Hawkes Bay). Mr Campbell had mentioned that since the importation of bulbs from Holland to America had been stopped growers in Holland 'were commencing to ship them to British countries. He asked the Minister to take prompt and active steps to see that if the plants were allowed- into the Dominion they were earefully dealt with. In giving the assurance outlined above, Mr,. Hawken intimated that he was having a special r'eport on the subjeet made.

A business man in San Franeisco, writing to a friend in Dunedin, tells him of the developments in long-dis-tance telephony. "I had quite an" experience," he writes, "talking right at my desk here to the manager of bur London office. He was talking from his home at 6.30 p.m., and it was only 9.30 in the morning here. . I* heard him very distinctly. It cost £ll 8s for three minutes' talk—some steep price, but, as he has lots of money, it did not worry me. That is a distance of 6000 miles, and it is radioed across the Atlantic, and telephone wires from New York to SanFranciseo. It was just the same as talking to someone here in this city. I must hate been talking fairly loud, as he said to me, "Don't talk so loud, because you are talking to London.''

Curious replies are, sometimes received by business men to requests for payment of overdue accounts. In the following, which is from. a Native, although the. wording is quaint and ambiguous the meaning is plain enough:— "Dear Sir Mr : I hope this note will find you with the good,. feelings towards me and you ate well and happy. How are you? lam a man of trust to people in business. When I have got the money I pay, and when I haven't I won't. I have got the job of playing for the dancfe3 fortnightly a week, and the rent money. I have got money coming all of the time, but I haven't got it yet to pay, and with the dances playing fortnightly a month will soon pay you. With the good feelings to you."

A mysterious disease amongst pigs has been occupying the attention of the Agricultural Department's experts for some time. An early symptom is an inclination by the infected animal to hang its head on one side, which is soon followed by more aeute conditions, resulting in a fairly high mortality rate. Cases have been reported in the Levin district. It has been ascertained that the disease is produced by a germ, but where it cornea from, how it gains entrance into the head, and its life cycle are points that are at present the subject of close investigation by the - veterinary officers in the Department V laboratories. They will be assisted by early reports of any signs of the disease in this* district, which should be sent to the Inspector of Stoek, Wellington.

vThe total takings at the gates at the recent Winter Show at Palmerston were £2002, an increase of £2OO over the 1927 figures.

Mr John D. Rockefeller, a grandson of the famous millionaire and-heir to a colossal fortune, has secured a £IOOO a year post in the information section of the League of Nations. He has done this in accordance 'with his obligation to maintain himself before touching the parental fortune. His father gave the League £400,000 to found a library.

''There was a time when, if I wished, I could take my wife and child to the kainga, and by digging from the kumara patch and the pipi bed get all the food we required and live comfortably with the tribe, but now those times have gone," said Mr J k Rukttfai, president of the Akarana Maori Association, in introducing a deputation to the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board at Auckland to offer the assistance of the association in dealing with cases of distress among a section of the Maori people.

The Wanganui destructor, built a few years ago, takes a lot of coaxing on occasions before it will function, and ia.very particular regarding the material given it to digest, so much so that there, is a probability, of the council's reverting to.the original system of dumping rubbish (says an exchange). A few days ago the destructor sent up a shower of cheques through its smoke stack and they were distributed in various parts of the neighbourhood. It also sent up a most confidential letjter written 'byi[ ; oyie business man to another.

An albino pheasant displayed in the Franklin court at the Winter Show at Auckland has attracted wide attention. About 15 years ago when a winter show was staged in Auckland a pure white pheasant was included in the Whanga; rei court, and Franklin responded by exhibiting a similar bird. At that time there were a number of albino pheasants in the Whakapara and Puhipuhi districts. In the latter locality the existence of two pure white pheasants was known for several years, and although sportsmen, djiligenitly pursued them it was without result, says the Star.

The abysshial ignorance of fathers in the care of their very young progeny is traditional, a fact which even the humorous papers recognise, but the prize-winriet-as eertainly a Maori at Oamaru, if Dr. Helene Easterfield is to be believed. At,. a meeting of -.the Christchurclt' Plunket Society she told a scandalised ; assembly of ladies of a proud Maori'"'who, on hearing of the birth of A sdxi- in the Oamaru Hospital, brought round a bag of bananas for the infant's consumption. It was not thought necessary to explain to him that a child of that age could not eat a banana, so it is to be presumed that the nurses enjoyed dessert;

A resident, of Levin has in his possession a wa~tch that is of peculiar interest, as it represents, an attempt that was made 40 years ago to establish a watchmaking industry |i|n New Zealand. *lt is a small instrument, intermediate in size between the ladies' and gentlemen's watches of to-day. The silver case was imported, but the works were manufactured at Gore, by a MiBaker, who installed machinery for cutting out the parts and even went the length of bringing an expert workman —a finisher—from London. • The factory, it is believed, was the first of its kind ever set up in the colony, but following upon the death of the manufacturer, the enterprise did not last long as the watch owned by the Levin resident is described as '' one of the twelve" that were made at Gore.

Hearing that her son, who was in Auckland Hospital, was seriously ill, a young married woman of Dargaville took a cheque form from her husband's cheque book, forged his signature for £lO and cashed it, in order that she might have enough money to go to see her son. The woman, whose name was suppressed, was charged later with forgery. The woman's husband said he found a leaf was missing from his cheque book and he informed his banker. This resulted in the police being informed. After he had told his wife of the boy's condition she had become very agitated and had expressed a keen desire to see her boy at once. She was almost hysterical. On the magistrate's suggestion the charge was reduced to one of false pretences, in, order that it might be dealt with at once. The woman was convicted, ordered to pay costs and admitted to probation for one year.