LOCAL & GENERAL.

Franklin Times, Volume 14, Issue 193, 19 October 1925, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL.

Mr Ewen D. McLennan, M.P;, official Reform candidate for Franklin, will address his .constituents in. the Strand Theatre to-night at 8 o’clock. His Worship the Mayor (Mr John Routly) will preside, and ladies are especially' invited.

In Friday’s issue of the Times it was staled that as the result of a collision with a car driven by Mr Garland, Mr Kane's taxi had the windscreen smashed. Mr Kane states that this is incorrect. The only , damage done to his car was a broken running board.

During the course of his remark*; at the Strand Theatre on Friday evening, the Rev. J. W. Olphert said that it was now a well-known fact that the leopard, and her spots, was dead, and he (the speaker) hoped that the other “spots” would be just as dead before Jong. (Applause).

“Go on, Cookie, hop into it and show us what you can do,” shouted an excited barracker to A. E. Cooke, the All Black, on Saturday. Mr Cooke was acting in the capacity' of linesman at the N. Waikato-Grafton Rugby football match at Pukekohe.

II is said that a young candidate for an electorate in the vicinity of Wellington, speaking for the first time in public, began in this style: “Ladies and g-g-gentlemen—When I-I-I came here to-night, only t-t-two people knew my speech,’my f-f-father and m-m-myself. N-n-now only f-f-father knows it!”

The speakers at the prohibition open air rally at Pukekohe on Friday evening were frequently interrupted by interjections, most of these coming from a man who evidently had been imbibing too freely in the cup that cheers. After having had quite a lot to say he stepped into the ring and asked Mrs Lee-Cowic why she was asking the people jof Pukekohe to vote prohibition. Imagine his crushing defeat when the lecturer replied thus: “My dear fellow, you remind me of a farmer who once said that it was most difficult to harrow hard sense into a soft head.” (Laughter). The heckler was not heard again.

With reference to new season's potatoes, a reporter was informed on Friday that the majority of merchants are holding off Pukekohe supplies for the present, owing to the fact that the early tubers that came to hand were of very small size, says the Wanganui Chronicle. The unfavourable season had had its reflection on the, crops generally, and in the South Island the buyers were awaiting better quality samples. The price of South Island potatoes had again firmed, and whites were now quoted at £8 15s, f.o.b. Other markets were much the same, but there was nothing very stable at The moment.

In addition to the other evils il brought in its wake, the maritime strike has caused a serious disorganisation of the Dominion’s immigration arrangements for the next months. Advice has been received locally, says the Hamilton Times. I hat on account of the shipping trouble there will be probably fewer than GOO berths available for Government assisted migrants prepared to leave Ihe Old Country for New Zealand during November and December, instead of tho 1900 berths for which provision had previously been made. It is estimated that the dislocation brought about by the seamen’s breach of agreement will be responsible for the congestion of about 4000 immigrants ai Home.

During a speech on “Prosperity” at an election meeting in South Carolina last election the speaker eloquently said: “Has it ever occurred to you, Mr Chairman, that the cotton cloth made in South Carolina annually would make a sheet big enough to cover the entire face of America and Europe, and lap over the toes of Asia? ' Of, if all the cattle she raises each year were one cow, she could browse on the iropical vegetation, along the equator, while her tail switched icicles off the North Pole, and that her milk could float a shipload of butter and cheese from Charleston to New York? Or, if all the mules we market each year were one mule, it would consume the entire annual corn crop of North Carolina at one meal, and kick the spots off the sun without swelling its sides or shaking its tail? Or, if the hogs we, raise annually were one hog, that animal would dig the Panama Canal in three roots without grunting and its squeal would be loud enough to jar the cocoanuts off the trees along the canal zone?”