Shannon News TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1929.

Shannon News, 3 December 1929, Page 2

Shannon News TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1929.

Owing to the boisterous weather no ten ms matches were playeu on the ]o. ::l courts on Saturday afternoon.

The friends of Mr E. Haley will be sc.rrv to hear that he is again having trouble with his leg and is unable to follow his occupation.

Two natives arrested in Vance street by Constable Blaikie in the early hours of Sunday morning, were charged before Mr W. Clayton, J.P., on Monday morning with drunkenness. They were convicted and fined five shilling each. The friends of Mr Geo. ITook, will be sorry to hear that he is laid aside with an attack of pleurisy. Yesterday his condition showed a slight improvement. All will join in wishing him a speedy recovery to good health.

The members of the Presbyterian Church Ladies ’ Guild will hold a sale of work in the Church on Wednesday commencing at 2.30 p.m. The proceeds are in aid of the Wellington Orphanage.

At a meeting of the Shannon Volunteer Fire Brigade last evening Mr W. Guy was elected Deputy Superintendent and Mr IT. Curran was appointed to succeed Mr 11. Hook as secretary, the latter, having been appointed Supeiintondeut of the Brigade. ■/.

About £IOOO of the £IO,OOO bequeathed by Mr Herbert Smith, of Hamilton and Wellington, for the encouragement of sports and physical development among children from nine to fifteen years has now been allotted. It will be of interest to Shannon residents to know that among this season ’s grants i? £lO 10s to the Shannon School which amount.is to be spent in trophies. ,

The public of Shannon are promised a rare treat on Tuesday, December 10th, when the newly formed Dramatic Society intends producing a vaudeville entertainment of light drama and humorous and interesting items. It will bo practically all humorous and patrons can look* forward to an evening ef laughter and enjoyment. The tickets, which are on sale, are selling rapidly and it is expected the limited supply will not last long. The entertainment this time is in aid of the Anglican Church.

On Friday afternoon at the Parish Hall, Mrs J. Hallam was entertained by the members of the Ladies’ Guild of Yen. Bedes’ Church, in recognition of the valuable services she has rendered to the Guild over a period of years, when opportunity was taken by the Mayoress (Mrs E. Butt) on behalf of the members to present Mrs Hallam with a bronze jardiniere and brass tray’ as a mark of their appreciation, while Mrs Cole presented her with a beautiful bouquet. The afternoon was devoted to games and music, during which the hostesses Mesdames Picard, Richardson and Mark served a delightful afternoon tea.

About ii year ago the London Daily Mail offered a prize of £IOOO for the production of musk with a scent of original type. It is understood that 50 claimants" from- the Auckland district have forwarded specimens to. the Auckland Council of the Institute of Horticulture with a view to having them sent to London to claim the prize.

A parent at the Wanganui Court a few days ago supplied a little unconscious - humour. He asked on behalf of his son that the ease be adjourned in order that lie might obtain a solicitor. A-solicitor was appearing for the other youth in the ease and the parent remarked: “I did not know that \ a solicitor would be appearing. I thought the case would be dealt with on its merits.”

“When we were coming back from the Wanton races,” narrated a northern delegate at the dinner-to* the grain merchants at Invercargill the other eveim mg, “\vc saw a wonderful paddock full of sheep. We stopped the car and asked the boy at the gate how many sheep there were in the paddock. He said there were 700 on 35 acres. Low, if any of you North Island blowhards can beat this, stand up on your feet.” There was no response.

Where are the earthquakes coming from? asks the Westport News. A resident. of Westport, talking over the telephone to a Reefton resident recently, remarked: “Did you feel that shake?” “No,” was the reply. “It was a good one,” said the Westport speaker. “We’ve got it now/’ replied the Reefton resident. On Wednesday at a quarter to 7 p.m. the Westport man was on the telephone again, and the Reefton resident remarked: “We have just got a big shake. Did you feel it there?” “No,” was the Westport reply, but a little later he remarked: “Yes, we’ve just got it now.”

Awakened by the barking of her dog early on Friday morning, a resident in Clifton road, Takapuna, went into the garden and found that “Darkie”. had tread two full-grown which were clinging together oil the top of the pole which supports the wireless aerial, stales the “Auckland Star.” The dog was wildly excited, and had to be shut *in the house before rescue could be commenced. The ’possums were reluctant to quit their precarious place of refuge, and it was only by shaking the pole vigorously that they could be induced to descend. No attempt was made to catch them, and they bounded off into the undergrowth.

House building in Palmerston North continues without any signs of pace being slackened. During November permits for 23 houses, to cost £23,695 were issued.

Bequests under the will of the late Dr. Levingc, formerly superintendent of Sunnyside Mental Hospital, aie.—Dr. Barnardo ’s Homes £SOO, St. Saviour's Homes £250, Salvation Army £250, S.P.C.A. £IOO. The residue of the estate goes to relatives. „

The Parliamentary Education Committee arrived in Dunedin this morning and visited the Boys’ and Girls’ High Schools, the Technical College, and the Medical and Dental Schools, states a Press message. Evidence will be taken to-morrow, and the committee will be returning north on Wednesday.

“I don’t suppose you have heard the story of the man who was asked the difference between a collision and an explosion," said Dr. Vaughan Thomas, examiner of Trinity College, to teachers at Invercargill. The native .of Erin supplied the solution by replying: ‘.‘Well, a collision is a collision. There you are. That is all there is in it. But, in an explosion, where are you?"

Speaking at the Manawatu Rabbit Board meeting on Thursday Mr •!. Gloyn said that- it was a strange thing that now rabbits were becoming-scarce in the Board’s district, broods were becoming larger. It was now a very common thing to find a doe with a brood of ten young ones, a thing practically unheard of a few years ago whop the number of young ones was confined to five or six in almost every case.

Observers have remarked upon the large numbers of shining cuckoos which can be heard daily in the shrub-

beries around Wanganui (says the Herald). These birds in some way place their eggs in the nest of the grey warbler, a little native bird, known also as the riroriro. When the

cuckoo’s egg is hatched the young bird 'ousts any grey warbler from the nest, , and it is a pathetic sight to see . the small foster parents keep going from dawn till evening to feed and keep quiet the cuckoo, who lias a tremendous appetite.

Evidently the standard set for the i examination held in September by' the Electrical Wiremen ’s Registration Board proved of an exacting nature (says the Southland -News). .’There were nine Invercargill candidates in the written part and eight in the practical, of whom none passed. In no less than twenty-three other centres no passes were recorded. The highest marks in the written part were secured by Mr E. If. Thompson, of Christchurch, who gained 87 marks out of 100, and the highest marks obtained in the practical part were secured by T. Hancock, of Wellington,- who gained 85 marks out of 100.

Some interesting observations on the state of affairs in the no-license district of Awakino fell from the lips of Bench and bar during the hearing in the New Plymouth Magistrate’s Court of a theft* case in which liquor played a prominent part. “It’s a great pity,” said the Magistrate, “that there is not a big lock-up at Mokau into which the whole party could have been shot.” “And social reformers might say it is a pity there is not a hotel in the district, ” rejoined counsel. “Probably two or three hotels would cure the evil.” “And then three of four constables instead of one,” said the Magistrate.

TTie first air .lighthouse in Australia erected on top of the new State Theatre was officially opened by Mr Scullin (Federal Premier) on Saturday night. The beacon is'placed 250 feet above the ground .and lias a visibility range of 50 miles. The State Theatre is a fourteen-story building, two stories being in the basement. The- stories over the theatre are occupied by business ■ remises The State beacon will be I-p first glimpse of Australia seen by ships approaching Sydney by night, while in the day time the arc of the great harbour bridge, nearly 500 feet above the water level, will show up first over the. horizon

In proportion to their size and weight, insects are by far the strongest of living things. A horse can draw about five times its own weight, but a bee can draw more than 20 times its own weight with ease. A caterpillar has been shown to be capable of pulling 25 times its own weight, while a “blue bottle” fly is able to drag more than 150 times its own weight. A small horn beetle weighing about two grammes will alternately raise and lower a piece of stick weighing 200 times as much as itself. In order to rival such a_ feat a man would have to lift a railway truck laden with about eight tons of coal.

A number of Wanganui ladies are beginning to wonder if they have been “had.” Some time ago a quietlyspoken little woman of homely appearance called at different houses in tlj.e city and said she represented a stocking firm (says the Herald). She exhibited samples of women’s hosiery, and collected \deposits, promising. to return' with the stockings selected in less than a fortnight, when the balance of the money could be paid. The canvasser loft the address of her headquarters in the city, but When, 'after (three weeks had elapsed and the woman and the stockings had not put in an appearance, she could not be found. The “office” has been besieged with women, who find that, if the bird has not flown altogether, the cage has been deserted for the time being, and there is nothing to indicate that she will return.

A splint-maker has been appointed by the Wellington Hospital Board at a salary of £3OO a year.

The primary schools in this district will close for the summer holidays on December 20th and re-open on February 3rd.

Authority was given by the Hospital Board yesterday for the expenditure of £ls‘from the Brown Me'William fund for the purpose of providingextras for the patients at the Otaki Sanatorium, during Christmas.

Negotiations have been completed for the sale of Warner’s Hotel, Christchurch, with the Liberty picture then tre adjoining, to a Palmerston North syndicate, headed by Mr J. L.. Bennett. The price is reported to be £BO,OOO.

A present of very fine altar linen has been given to St. Margaret’s Church, Te Horo, by Miss Steele, and handwork by Miss Stcbbings, of. ‘ Glenside," Jolmsonville. The gifts are very much appreciated. 4

Return of Customs’ and excise duties for the quarter ended September 30th, shows the Customs revenue totalled £2,399,853, compared with £2,109.090 for the corresponding period last yeai. Excise duty totalled £205,284, compared with £176,103 for the same quarter of 1928.

Norman Smith and Don Ilarkness, driving a specially built car on a concrete country road near Sydney on Sunday, registered 121 miles an hour. They hope to beat this at the next test, which they are making shortly at Kaitaia (Ahipara Beach) New Zealand.

Cars equipped with balloon tyres de--i-elop fewer rattles and ,because of this fact, owners are loss aware of incipient troubles. To be on the safe side it is as well to inspect bolts and nuts that hold vital parts. They may have worked loose without giving any warning noise.

' In connection with a Thames telegram in reference, to an insect attacking the blackberry, Professor Easterfield, Director of the Cawtliron Institute, states all he can say is that a very large nuumber of blackberries suffering from various fungus and insect attacks have been forwarded to the institute from all parts of New Zealand, but up to the present nothing lind turned up which was able to deal with the problem as a whole in any district. Without having Thames samples before him the professor said lie could not make' any' comment thereon.

The kindly clergyman was presiding at a Sunday School anniversary. He lectured very brightly on the value of observation. He illustrated his talk with apt references to things he himself had observed, such as the occasional juvenile habit of holding up telephone posts instead of going to Sunday School, ill manners in the bus and unkindly deeds. "How many of .you," asked he, "are keen observers? For instance, is there anything about me you can observe?"A hand shot up. "Yes?" asked the padre. "Please, sir, you’re got your collar turned the .wrong way round." said the youug observer.

The usual serenity of the Hikunai (Thames district). School Committee meeting was broken when a woman member threatened to box the chairman’s cars. The trouble arose when a member complained about a committeeman pulling down the school fence and using it for firewood. The chairman said that her statement was not correct, and that she was under a delusion. There had been no fence there for five or six years. This roused the member 's ire, and she wanted to know what the chairman had done for the school. Tim retort was that the member was inquisitive and interfering. With some spirit, she retaliated, and the persona! element was freely introduced. Finally, a remark by the chairman exploded the gunpowder, and his opponent vehemently' declared that if he dared to repeat the statement she would box his ears. The incident was closed by the committee dispersing. Hikunai village is wondering what will happen at the next meeting.