LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 24 September 1925, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Another thunderstorm raged in the Hawera district during the early hours of this morning, torrential rain falling for a few minutes. The rainfall recorded at the Hawera post office for the 24 hours preceding 9 a.m. today was 42 points. Seven seamen from the s.s. Dorset, four of whom are classed as .labourers, are included in the applicants for work on the register of the Labour Department in New Plymouth. ft is intended to make a start with the foundations for the new wing of the Parliamentary Buildings immediately the House rises. There appears to have been some talk about shifting the position of the library, but it is understood that this useful adjunct will remain where it now stands. Pigs are troublesome in other parts than the Taranaki hill country. The Wmiroa Star publishes reports from Mahia to the effect that wild pigs are ntiving havoc amongst the lambs, especially at night. Wild pigs, like the deer, are increasing, and unless something is done to check them it will he a serious problem for the farmers in the next few years. The death under circumstances suggesting poisoning occurred at Masterton yesterday afternoon of Mrs. AY. Griffiths, of Lansdowne. aged 54. Deceased .hat; neeu in ill health and depressed spirits for some time. An inquest will he held, says a Press Association message from Masterton. OUTRED’S SALE. Closing down underclothing department. Corsets 2/6, 3/11, 5/11, 6/11; Brassieres, 1/11, 2/3, 2/11, 3/11; Winceyette Nightdresses, 5/11; Spencers, 2/6; W. Cream All-Wool Vests, 3/11, 4/11, 6/6; W. Cream Ribbed Vests, 2/9, 2/11, 3/6, 3/11; Cream Woollen Bloomers, 4/11, 5/11; Fleecy Lined Bloomers, navy and grey, 2/11; White Cotton Bloomers, 1/11; Tussore, Fuji and Jap Silk Bloomers, 5/6, 6/11; Cream and Natural Woven Combinations, 3/11, 4/11. Great reductions. - Watch windows for further bargains.— [ Advt.

In the .Magistrate's Court at Raetilii yesterday, J. Gnuleigh was given one month’s hard labour, Mrs. Gauieigli was fined CIO, and P. Mieholik was lined ~£3,0, for sly grog-seiling. AH were accomplices, says a Press Association message. . A young man named Harry Leo Higgar pleaded guilty at Pahialua yesterday to the theft of cattle at Ngaluri. Me was committed to the Supreme Co Art at Palmerston North, for sentence. Bail was allowed.—-Press Assn.

In the appeal lodged by Gordon W. Romaine. milk vendor, against a fine of £SO imposed for .selling adulterated milk and the sentence of one month’s imprisonment on a charge of selling milk with 80 per cent, added water, Mr. Justice. Alpers at Wellington upheld the fine of £SO and reduced the penalty of imprisonment to a fine of £35. —Press Assn.

“Can you tell me why it is the price of beef is so high?-” asked a housewife of a local butcher a few days ago (says the Thames Star). “YeS,” was tiie reply, “owing to the scarcity of cattle.” “Is"that it!-' And when is the price likely to come down?” she asked. ‘‘About- two years after farmers cease knocking the calves on the head. Next please,” said' the butcher, ajnd the housewife walked out c;f the shop very little wiser than when she entered. At the annual spring show held at Hit ham yesterday under the auspices of the Elthnm Horticultural Society, Mr. J. G. Weightman, of Feilding, offered to donate a cup for future competition among juvenile or novice exhibitors. The offer was accepted by the president (Rev. W. \V. Avery), on whose proposal a vote of thanks to the donor was carried' with enthusiasm, by the gathering. The position as regards wheat this coming harvest will be worse than last, as the area sown is much below the average. In some Canterbury dis. trict-s only twenty per cent, of last year’s average has been sown. The probable shortage will be between three and four million bushels. These facts were revealed at a meeting of the Farmers’ Union when the question was under discussion.

The statement by the Minister for Finance (Hon. W. Nosworthy) in the House of Representatives on Friday that the banks’ .holdings of gold had increased lately by £480,000 was apparently a slip of the tongue. Referring to the matter the other day, the Minister said the actual increase was £48,438, and his recollection was that those were the figures he had given in the House, although the newspapers had reported him as having stated the amount to be £480,000. A heavy gale last night did damage in Masterton. The roof of a large shed was blown off, and sheets of iron were lifted off a house in Cornwall Street,. A plate glass window of Scoullar’s premises in Queen Street was smashed. Much damage was done to fences and gardens. Rivers in the Wairarnpa were in high flood yesterday, but they are now subsiding.

During the very strong wind- blowing yesterday a large tree fell down on the farm of Robert Bruce,, of Kaiiakanaia, Poverty Bay, just as a youth named James Bradshaw, about twentyyears of age, was passing. ' The tree fell on him and killed him instantly-. Deceased was one of the public school boys brought o»t from Britain under the auspices of the Farmers’ Union, and came to Poverty Bay from the South Island.

In this issue Alessrs Wall, Bogle and Pavne, civil engineers, of Wanganui, are by advertisement inviting tenders for some 44 miles of road formation for Mr. J. Beard. The location of the required work is the Mataimaroke Road, Tutaeariari block, near the Patea river, and distant about 15 miles from Hawera Plans, and specifications may be seen at the" Star office as well as the offices oi‘ the engineers. The Maoriland Bazaar was brought to an extremely conclusion last evening, when a delightful concert was given. Before the closing of the bazaar the stalls bore, a very forlorn appearance, having been stripped of their goods. All the items of the conceit were well received and encored, especially .several Maori poi and haka dances. The following contributed to the programme: Vocal, Miss. Joan Tonics, -Mrs. Bigham, Maori girls’ duet, and AYaiata quartette; elocutionary, Olga. Laidlaw and Miss Joan Tonics.

Dairy stock are bringing poor prices in Gisborne at present, and many good cows have been purchased recently at prices averaging about- £5 a head. A local auctioneer attributes the reason for the low prices to the fact that there are now more dairy cows rin the district than are necessary (says the Herald). He says that in the majority of dairying districts farmers cull) their cows regularly and fatten off the culls, whereas in Poverty Bay dairymen continue to milk their cows until they are too old to fatten. Meantime young stock are coming forward, and. many of these have to find their way on to the various markets.

An important step in the campaign tp reduce maternal mortality in New Zealand wi’l shortiv be taken by the Department of Health, which is establishing ante-natai clinics (in. the four centres of the Dominion. Arrangements have been almost completed, and the date of the opening of the clinics will be • announced shortly. The clinics, which will be free, will be under medical supervision and staffed by nurses who have had special. training in antenatal work. Each nurse will act in the capacity of assistant to the patient’s medical attendant, and under his instructions.. She will send a duplicate of each patient’s clinical history record to the practitioner and will report to him any condition sufficiently important to • require special attention, working alwavs under his directions.

There was a tragic ending to a walk bv three schoolboys at Rose Bay (says a Sydney paper). Percy Frederick Dyne Osborn, aged 13 years, lost his footing whi’o descending a perilous cliff, and fell a distance of about 100 ft into the water below. At about 11 a.m. Osborn, with his brother Basil and a hoy friend, Peter Leslie, students at the Cranbrook College, walked along Lancaster road and down PaVner street to a high cliff known as Pirates’ Peak. There are ledges in this cliff, and the three hoys attempted to reach the lowest. They descended to the first ledge, a distance of about 40ft, hv a oath, and went a further distance of 40ft by means of a ladder. Tin's landed fhc hoys on the second ledge. They were standing there admiring the scene, when suddenly the other boys were horror-stricken to see Percy ®Vp over the cliff and fall a distance of 100 ft to. the water and rocks below. The rock on which he had been standing gave way, and he lost his footing. .'The other two boys noticed the tide sweeping the body southward, out, to sea.

Commencing from Saturday next, September 26, the S.O.S. motor passenger and parcel service will run daily a 20-sea ter charabanc between Hawera

and New Plymouth, leaving Hawera at | 9 a.m. Full particulars are advertised in this issue.

Buried at Sydenham cemetery on Wednesday, the body of a man who had died under an anaesthetic in Christchurch hospital had to he disinterred because the coroner had not given his sanction and wished a postmortem to be held yesterday, says a Press Association message. An examination was conducted later in the day and the body was returned to the grave. The alleged neglect of the driver of a milk cart proceeding yesterday to the Mahoe dairy factory to observe the usual courtesy of the road and ofFer assistance to another driver who was held up owing to a broken piece of harness led later to recriminatory passages lietween the two drivers. A whip and a straight left are said to have helped in emphasising the discussion, with the result that inquiries were made by Constable J. O’Donoghue, of Kaponga, and the incident will probably have a sequel in court proceedings.

The development of what Life calls ‘ The New Capitalism’’ in the United States is arousing wide interest amongst students of economics and of labour questions everywhere. One of its marked features is the establishment since Prohibition. of no fewer than fifteen “Labour Banks.” Mr. Will J. French, of California, and Mr. C. H Poole, ex-M.P. for Auckland West, will deal with this and related questions at the Grand Theatre, Hawera, to-night- at 8 o’clock. As an early iioll is generally anticipated, interest in the question of Prohibition is growing, and a big gathering is expected to-night. The coroner’s inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Archie- Thomson, who was knocked down and fatally injured by a motorcar driven by George ' Waymouth Cooper, at Lower Hutt recently, was held at Wellington yesterday. Frederick Bolton, a farmer, said- he was driving along the road. He had dimmed his lights for a few 'seconds, but had switched them on full again. Sergeant McKelvey: You consider it a dangerous practice to dim lights? Witness : I shall never dim mine again. A. solicitor: Have you ever been blinded bv light? Witness: Whenever I see bright lights coming I look straight down on the road. The driver of the car said he was almost blinded by light. The coroner said motorists should dim their lights. A ' verdict of accidental death was returned. The Athenic. which arrived at Auckland yesterday from Southampton, brought 380 English, Scottish, and Irish immigrants. An epidemic of chicken-pox broke out among the passengers during the voyage, but fortunately its ravages were not of a very serious nature and were limited to ten children. The disease has now almost run its course, but in all cases in which traces still remain orders have been given for the quarantine of the patients on the ship until the danger of infection is over. It is expected the period will not be longer than a few days. Included in the immigrants’ list are forty domestic servants under the charge of Mrs. Lisle Price. Twenty-one public school boys arrived by the vessel to go on the land.