Shannon News FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 1929.

Shannon News, 11 January 1929, Page 2

Shannon News FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 1929.

Good Friday is scheduled for March 29th this year. ■ >- ‘ ■

Raspberry picking will be in full swing in Grey town this week. The ( crop is said to be a heavy one.

A scarcity of holly in London prior to Christmas raised the prifee from 3s 6d to 10s 6d a bunch.

The third Wellington wool sale will begin at 9 o’clock next '.Saturday, when the full limit of 27,000 bales fixed by the Wool Committee will be offered.

In the space, of 50 yards in Willis Street, Wellington, on Tuesday, 18 women were seen in sleeveless frocks, and in the same distance on Lamb ton Quay there were 12 wearers of fur coats.

A general meeting of members of the Shannon Amateur Athletic and Cycling Club will be held in the Council Chambers on Thursday, 17th January, at 7.30 p.m. As the business is important, a full attendance is requested.

To-day Mesuames Franks and Mason, representing the Shannon Croquet Club, and holders of the Nicholson mallets, will defend a challenge from Mrs Walker arid Miss Dnnn. of the Levin Club.

.Among the toasts honoured at the supper given by His Worship the Mayor last evening was that of the new Government, when the hope was expressed that it would be successful in placing the country in a more prosperous condition.

iMr W. Terry, who has been residing in Australia for the past year, returned to Shannon on Tuesday evening. Miss Mona Neale, Christchurch, who has beqn the guest of Mrs C. C. Franks Vance-Street, is returning to her home on Saturday.

Nearly two hundred children fro» Waikato have had ten days’ free holiday at Port Waikato, say's a Press message from Hamilton. The funds were provided by the Waikato Children’s Camp League. ( Mr Edwards Stpargo, owner of the land where the camp was held, has presented 20 acres to the League as a permanent site. "

Word has been received that Mr W. Roach, of the Bank of New Zealand staff, Foxton, was successful in pass ing a* further two ’subjects, making five in all, for his banking diploma: also that Mr Frank Murray, of the Bank of New Zealand, Itaki, passed in two subjects, making- foiir in all, of the same examination; .while Mr Jack Roach, of Messrs W. and T. Young’s staff, Wellington, passed his examination for insurance woi;k. All three arc ex-Shannonites and well-known in the district.

For the district jumping competition on the second day (January 30th) at the Levin Show, the A, and P. Committee has decided that the’ conditions shall be open, instead of maiden as appearing in the schedule. The open conditions will facilitate ! competition for the silver cup donated- by Mr J. W. Rimriier, which is offered to be won twice in succession or three times at intervals, but not necessarily by the same horse-. The winner at Show is also entitled to a cash prize of £7, together with an English bridle complete (donated by Mr D. McDonald). Other prizes are £3 for second and £2 for third.

According to an officer at present visiting Napier, not the least of the effects of the change of Government has been its-addition to,the troubles departmental heads. From all over the country Government departments are receiving letters raising grievances which they imagined had been settled for all time. The change of Ministry ■h-as inspired many pdrsohs With unsubstantial claims to “give it a go” in the hope of obtaining something from a benevolent Government, Chief among the sufferers is the Pensions Department. Numerous applications, previously refused, have been renewed during the last few weeks. As might be expected, the new , members are being asked to sponsor a good number of claims. (Some of 'the applications are not without their amusing side.. One department has received a letter from its Minister enclosing an application from “an old Liberal,” who recently abandoned to convince the Minister’s predecessor that he was an “Old Reformer.”

The rainfall registered in Carterton for the month of December was 8.94 inches.

Blackberry and foxglove are, spreading at an-alarming rate on the Rirnutakas, flowering profusely. Rata is also in bloom, but this makes a pleasant sight for the traveller who does the wearisome journey ‘ ‘ over the hill. ’ ’

Rain fell on 153 days in Greytown during the year 1928, for a total fall of 48.65 inches. In 1927 the total fall was 47.61 inches, rain having fallen on 158 days. Last month was an exceedingly wet one. Rain fell on 15 days, the total fall being 7.29 inches.

During the six months ended last October the road motor services operated by the Railways Department carried 1,443,120 passengers as compared with 296,111 iu the corresponding period of last year-

In all, 38 persons were adjudicated bankrupt in Palmerston during the year, compared 1 with 52 in 1927, a decrease of 14, 18 from the town itself, the others being from outside districts. A poll of ratepayers in the Featherston County is to be taken on Friday, January 18th, on a proposal to raise a loan of £9OOO for the improvement of the main highways within the County.

iMr Justice Herdman and Mr Justice Ostler have been appointed to constitute an Electoral Court, to hear the petition lodged against the return of Mr Bushworth as member for Bay of Islands. The investigation will open: at Kawakawa on Monday, January 28. {Mr Justice Herdman, who arrived from England this week, leaves for Auckland to-day.

1 •' Beware of the rabbit gates. ’ ’ This is the wording of notices that appear on boards at both approaches to the new bridge over the Mokau river. Gates covered with stout wire netting have been fixed to the Taranaki side of the bridge and are closed each day just before nightfall, the object, of course, being to prevent the rabbit pest from invading Taranaki from this direction.

With the increasing popalarity of the motor car the number of people who spend their annual summer holidays under canvas increases in like ratio, and this, holiday season despite the unfavourable weather, a very large number have enjoyed roughing it in the open. A Cambridge resident, who spent brief periods at Mokau arid Tongaporutu, whilst touring the Taranaki Province, states that there were, canvas towns at these two popular seaside resorts. The campers had an unenviable time during the wet weather just prior tri the New Year.

“Our Maori friends who have more recently lived near nature than ,we .pakehas show a great knowledge of the habits of our native birds and know well how to win their affections,' ’ states a writer in the booklet issued by tha New Zealand Native Bird Pro-' tection Society. “Thus it would astonish many a shootist who is prone to wait carefully screened in order to even get within shooting range of a duck to see the wild ducks come sailing down to the call of the Maori on Kapiti Island, then pitch unconcernedly at his feet and be fed out of his hand. Let a stranger be present, however, and the bird will likely pass at a goodly distance."

A motorist who left his car standing in King Street, Dunedin, for a while had a curious experience, Oil returning to it he stepped into the driver’s seat in the usual manner. After driving some distance he beheld a woman gesticulating wildly on the road- in front of him. Wondering what was wrong, he pulled up. He then discovered that a little girl, aged between two and three years, had curled herself up and gone to sleep upon the running board opposite to that which he had used to step into the car. The motorist realises that had. he started suddenly dr turned a corner, the child would probably have been thrown off.

Approximately for every £2 we expend in the Mother Country she spends £3 5s with us. For every £lO we spend in the United States, that country spends £3 IQs- with us. The ease is worse as between Australia and the United States. As an Australian politician recently pointed out in a speech, in two years Australia purchased from the United. States goods to the value of £78,000,000 and sold to that country only to the value of £15,000,000 The more we purchase from the Mother Countiy the more she can purchase from us. Britain lajdmits our dairy produce free of duty. The United ISitates, whose policy is to sell much and buy as little as possible, imposes a very heavy duty upon it.

A portion of the Civic Square, Auckr land, is going to Australia, This unusual happening, the transfer of common soil from one country to another, is being made because a large sailing ship cannot go to sea empty and earth makes good ballast. The Finnish four-masted barque Olivebank, now at Auckland, will shortly leave for Australia, and the soil being excavated for the foundation of a new building on the Civic Square will be utilised for the Olivebank’s ballast tp help her across the Tasman Sea. No cargo is available for the vessel to take from Auckland, and owing to the enormous topharaper of masts and yards, she would be unable to go to sea with empty holds. To counteract the weight aloft, the barque will take aboard about 1200 tons of earth as ballast, and this will be discharged in Australia while the vessel is being loaded with wheat. Earth is being taken from the Civic Square in inotor-lorrier and is afterwards loaded .into the barque’s held.

The toll of life and property at railway crossings during trie past year has been great, in all 14 persons having lost their lives and 42 being injured. Forty-four vehicles of cliff event kinds have been damaged or destroyed, the majority of those being motor-cars.

While a motorist was journeying over Paekakariki on Friday he ran into the fence while passing another car. Three wires snapped but the car was held back by the remaining wires and thus prevented from going over a steep embankment. Mr. H. Lynch and other willing helpers placed the ear back to the road.

The surveyors who were engaged in making the trial survey of the inland route' of the proposed railway from Gisborne to Wairoa, have completed their field work,, and are now preparing plans and estimates. The field work was completed just before the Christmas holidays, and an early announcement of the route the railway will take is looked for. A Napier newspaper states that, everything points to the work on the NapierWairoa line being pushed ahead rapidly in the near future.

Mr Edmund Anscombe,. architect, of | Dunedin, ivhile in the United btates ot { America, during a recent world tour secured a moving picture film showing the eonsffUction of a skyscraper, which he intends exhibiting to architects, builders, and mechanics engaged in tha building business throughout New Zealand. The film is regarded as one of the most impressive pictures ever taken of building construction. The setting of the mammoth girders, the placing of the stone, and other details and hazards involved in the erection ox these towering structures of steel and stone, are all clearly shown. Mr Anseombe is the architect responsible for the design and construction off the Dunedin- Exhibition buildings.

Little, portly Amanullah, the Afghan moaarch who paralysed a London crowd by blowing his nose with his fingers while driving through the streets with King George, is not carrying his passion for civilised methods to his dealings with the rebel factions,, which have recently caused so much trouble in his kingdom. Forgetting his Saville Botv morning coats, he marched in the streets at the head of his soldiery and he countenanced barbaric methods of inflicting punishment as witness the fact that the heads of decapitated rebels wejj6. borne through the streets on bayonets. It takes more than a trip to Europe and a pair of striped pants to civilise an Afghau.-j-Auckland Sun.

Proceedings at the monthly meeting of the Taranaki; County Council were suddenly interrupted on Monday morning by a loud knocking on the door. Before any invitation to enter was given, a gentleman who had obviously been indulging not wisely but too- well, and had forgotten to shave himself for some little time, made 'his appearance. “I'm sorry, gentlemen," lie said, not a bit taken aback at finding himself in a room full of people. “I see you’re having a meeting." He had come to the wrong place, explained the inebriated one, who retired, promising to pursue his inquiries elsewhere. One councillor facetiously suggested that a bouquet of flowers, carried by the visiter was intended for some fortunate (?) office girl.

'Mr J. Linklater, M.P., scored heavily against a ceitain Bulls business man, who, during the member’s address at (Bulls during the election campaign was a. persistent heckler. He asked the. candidate if he would have his photograph taken and placed in ,a prominent place so that the electors of Bulls would- be able to recognise him when he visited the township. The sally caused a laugh at the time, but it was mild compared with the merriment which' followed when the member for the electorate forwarded an autographed photograph to the questioner. The 'latter was sport enough to see the joke, which was on him, and liis shop window now gives prominence to the photograph, which is inscribed with the following caption: “With the compliments of J. Linklater. ’ ’ —Herald.