Local and General.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume X, Issue 17, 3 January 1920, Page 4

Local and General.

The New Reveille concluded in Napier last evening before a fair house. The producer (Mr. W. Lints) announced from the stage his indebtedness to Miss E. Bowan as wardrobe mistress, and Mr. Houghton as electrician.

The children of the Hastings church of England Sunday school with their parents and friends, journeyed to Mr. Nelson’s residence, “Waikokp,” Tomoana, on New Year’s day, when the youngsters had a great time by the lake side, in games, races and general enjoyment.

There is no question that people want to laugh in these after-war days, and the programme advertised for to-night at the Hastings Municipal Theatre will furnish ample opportunity. “Smiles,” according to report, is crowded with laughter. Also it has scenes that will send a cold chill through you —only to have you warmed up with a humorous ending. The Lee kiddies have never been seen to better advantage. Dorothy Dalton appears in a roguish, impish, full-of-mischief sort of play “Hard Boiled” a Th os. H. Ince production that has proved a tremendous success everywhere. Mr. P. Selig, chairman of theNewspaper Proprietors’ Association, has received cable advice that the position in regard to the supply of newsprint paper is already serious. He has also been advised that the Australasian representative of the Canadian mills is leaving by. the Niagara for Canada and will interview Mr. Selig regarding the matter at Auckland. Mr. Selig stated that it looked as if there was going to be considerable difficulty in securing supplies. - He counselled cutting down tike size of papers and the conservation of evenr sheet- possible. He - had interviewed the Prime Minister and Mr. Massey bad undertaken to cable the Pfemier ' of Canada immediately, pointing out the petition here with respect to stocks and requesting him not to stop supplies for New Zealand.

A meeting of the New Zealand Hockey Association delegates will be held at Palmerston North on Wednesday next at 10 a.m. Messrs. Goodman and Cowper, chairman and secretary of the 'Association, will be present at the meeting. Thames fishermen are having rather a hard time just now owing to immense quantities of jellyfish in the gulf. The fishing fleet went out on Bunday and Monday, but the fishermen were unable to do any-, thing on account of great numbers' of jellyfish clogging their nets. The oldest fishermen state that they have never seen' any thing like the present quantities of these things, j The tugboat named Lion, trading! between Te Aroha and Paeroa, was burned to the water’s edge at the | Puke wharf about eleven o’clock on Tuesday night. At 5.30 p.m. everything was apparently safe. A bargeman sleeping on board was awakened by heat and smoke, but was powerless to put out the fire. The tug belonged to the Northern Shipping Company. The Fanning Island New Year sports gathering at the Pacific cable station was an immense success, fwo hundred Gilbert Islanders enthusiastically competed in boxing, sprinting, mat-making, and the tug-of-war. The concluding event was the tug-of-war between New Zealand and Australian operators. In the final the Maorilanders secured a closely-contested victory.

For some weeks prior to the holidays, writes a Taihape correspondent the town was ' infested by an unusually large number of “topweights”—the Main Trunk designation of ne’er-do-wells and cadgers. Gn a recent evening the police decided to have a general cleaning up, and thirteen or fourteen of the unwelcome visitors were rounded up and consigned to fresh fields for exploitation.

At the annual conference of the New Zealand Educational Institute a long discussion took place on a remit to urge the Government to purify and elevate the standard of moviqjg picture entertainments. Eventually Miss Cbud, Messrs. Welbe, Garry, Wilson and McNaughton were appointed a committee to investigate the problem and report to the executive not later than the end of April. Writes a correspondent to the Manawatu Daily Times: —Among the most cheerful souls in Palmerston North at Christmas time, and indeed at all other times, is a dear old lady of 96, who lives alone and looks after herself in a -wee cottage. She came to New Zealand about 70 years ago, and during the hard times of those days, earned her living at gleaning in the cornfields. Subsequently she married a blacksmith, and used to take her turn at the heavy hammer. A different kind of “striker” to the modern unionist. Now she lives sumptuously and happily on her old age pension.

Probably the highest speed attained hy man is that recorded by the Aviator Sadi le Comte m a recent flight in France. The extraordinary speed of 224 miles an hour was attained. For a short distance the highest automobile speed recorded >s R. de Palma’s flying start mile oh Florida. Beach, Daytona (U.S.A.) in 24 1-5 seconds—equal to 148| miles per hour. For a sustained effort on a motor car; recent performance of J. Boyer in negotiating 250 miles on the Cincinnati track (U.S.A.) in 2 hours 27 minutes—averaging nearly 102 miles jier hour (despite one stop) ranks as one of the finest speed efforts on the part of the motor.

From the doctor’s report at Mortlake that a man suspected of drunkenness was tested with the words “tonsilitis” and “artillery,” it seems that the fashion in police-court shib bdeths has changed, says an English paper. Neither of the new words* sounds half so severe a discouragement to inebriation as the old-fashioned “British Constitution,” or even such, non-official collocutions as “Cheshire Sessions” or “critical cricket.” Or for. Parliamentarians (if it were, possible to conceive of their being, in that plight) there might be Sir “ Henry Campbell-Bannerman?s sentence of 1906: “Strange faces in familiar places, and familiar faces in strange places.”

The sports social and dance, organised by Mesdames Tuohy and Maddigan, in aid bf No. 1 queen, in connection with the Hastings Catholic Bazaar, came off jn the Hastings Assembly Hall last night. Oyer a hundred couples were present' and everyone enjoyed himself thoroughly, under the supervision of Messrs. W. A. and H. A. Smith, who controlled the dancing. The supper arrangements, under the direction of Mrs. Moynahan and her committee of assistants, was everything that could be desired and, from first to last, things went as merry as marriage bells. The gathering was very successful, both socially and financially, a gratifying issue due to the hard work and enthusiasm of the promoters, Mesdames Tuohy and Maddigan.

A number of people on the wharf at Bluff lately witnessed a passage between the captain and mate of a wind-jammer leaving port that was redolent of old tales of the high seas. It is said that the argument had its genesis on shore, but by the time the two principal actors had reached the sea it had grown to quite a size. The comment of one man on the other was lurid and vigorous, if nothing else, and it could not have been expected that it would pass without being backed by something more substantial. Neither it did, and people on the wharf were the interested spectators of quite a struggle, which culminated in the persuading introduction of an automatic pistol from the skipper’s hip pocket. Comparative calm was restored by the time the police arrived, and the vessel was towed seawards followed by many curious eyes.

In the Victorian -Legislative Assembly a few days ago, states the “Age,” Mr. Toutcher asked the Premier whether he was aware of the present perilous condition of the pastoral and woollen industry, arising from the fact that the Japanese Government had been for some tim 6 past, and was at present, securing from Australia, ana New Zealand stud sheep for export to Japan, thus threatening the export of raw wool to the markets of the world, and also manufactured garments. Mr.. Toutcher stated that had the standing orders permitted him to move the adjournment of the House to discuss the question he could have shown that the menace was so serious that it spelt ruin in time for the country. If the policy was allowed to continue jt meant Japanese supremacy and a calamity for Australia and the Em? pire. The Premier said he had made mouiries of the Director of Agriculture, who said he had no official matter. Ot*.er moitiries were, however, being made.

The H.B. Motor Cothpany has a car leaving Napier on Bmijav xM 7 a.m. for Gisborne and Wairoa. A first offending inebriate at the Napier Court this morning was convicted and discharged. Mr. A. L. Beattie, J.P., presided. By notice in the Gazette protection is withdrawn from hawks of all species, the kea or mountain parrot, the black shag, the while-throated shag, and the sea shag.

From the commencement of thtf Christmas holidays, up to noon today, 8300 tickets were issued from thejlastings railway station. This total includes tickets issued between Hastings and Napier. The public are notified, by advertisement, that the box plan for the N.S.W. State Orchestra’s concert, which will be held in Hasting* on January 20th, will be opened in Don’s Music Store, Heretauaga street, at 9 o’clock on Monday morning. < ‘

The young married soldier, Walter Marr, who was admitted to the Waikato Hospital suffering from a gunshot wound accidentally received, died on Wednesday. Deceased was a native of Scotland. He wen* through four years of the war without a scratch and brought out aa English bride.

The growing popularity of boxing as a scientific sport, and its advancement from the crudities of half a century, and even of 25 years ago, was demonstrated at the ClabbyUren fight in Hastings by the fact that there were several clergymen, of various denominations present and they enjoyed the contest .very much.

The pupils of the Hastings Methodist Sunday B.school, with their teachers, parents and guardians, journeyed to Mt. Erin, in several motor lorries, as well as private conveyances, on New Year's day, for their annual picnic. A most enjoyable outing resulted and the large party arrived home about 6 p.m., after a . happy time. .

The board whluh was set up some weeks ago, under fhe presidency off Mr. Justice Stringer, to consider the question of the rate of wages paid to railway servants, will b*oin its sittings almost immediately' dfter the holiday season. His Hondtir doe* not propose to allow the loiy law vacation to interfere with hut engagements in connection 'with .the board’s business.

The fire bell rang .in about nine o’clock last evening, and the Fire Brigade turned') out promptly, only to find that the alatei was a false one. A parcel of rubbish was being burned in a tank, unddr supervision, at the rear of Mr, W. Kershaw’s premises, in Heretaunga street, and the smoke caused Some one to think that an outbreak of fire ■had occurred.

Fault was found with the School Journal by delegates to the Women Teachers’ Association Conference in Wellington, and it was stated that the English in the journal was often “appalling,”' and that instead of interesting the children the lengthy articles sometimes merely bored’ them. Several considered that the journal was quite unsuitable as school reader, and it was to be hoped that a much needed, improvement would be brought about..; Soldiers who were in the Featherston camp at the time of the _armistice would hardly recognise it now as the same place. All the flower plots, so carefully attended by fatigue parties, are overgrown, with weeds, and the white-washed atones are scattered about in all directions by cattle. At the Cl camp at'Tau- .. herenikau the buildings were last week. All the patients have now been removed from Featherston, and the camp will in future be used for storing equipment. In view of the fact that the Christ-mas-New Year period is one? <«. jubilation, and of material enjoyments which find satisfaction in the creature comforts, Hastings may be congratulated on there being little or no drunkenness in evidence during this festive season, although there were several merry souls who became jovially exhilarated. The season also passed without an accident and, considering the immense traffic in the town during the race meeting, the police deserve mention for the effective manner in which they handled the tangle of vehicles.; The use to which Sir Francis and Lady Bell’s residence, Taumaru, Lowry Bay, was put as a soldiers* convalescent home has been commemorated by a number of expatients at this delightful home in happy fashion. In token of their gratitude to Sir Francis and Lady Bell, the returned soldiers in question have erected on the lawn at the home a sun-dial of quaint design, suitably inscribed. This little token is supplementary to an illuminated address recently presented to Sir Francis and Lady Bell, as owners of the property.

The box respirator, so much used by our troops who had to face the deadly German gas, saved many lives. It is interesting to learn that the same appliance had been found of great benefit to a “fighter” of peace times —namely,, the fireman. The Dunedin City Brigade (says the. “Star) possesses one of the latest types of these masks, and on the occasion of & recent nre the appliance was put to an exhaustive test, and as a result of the highly satisfactory results attained Superintendent Napier intends to apply immediately to the Home authorities for a supply. The mask can be quickly adjusted, which is the most essential point for a fireman, .when lives may be in danger in a building ' filled with smoke. The appliance is a most valuable acquisition to firefighters as compared with the old style of smoke helmet. Superintendent Napier hopes to equip every man in the brigade with a mask. It is not generally known amongst the travelling public that their excursion railway tickets do not entitle them to travel on every train. A few nights ago when the through express from Christchurch to Invercargill left Dunedin it carried away a number of passengers who learnt this lesson by experience. About ten minutes before the train left the guard announced, through every carriage that those holding excursion tickets would have to pay full fare to travel unless they waited for the next train. A few joined the express after the information had been given, and others lay back in their seats with the declaration to their friends that, so far as the official’s words of warning were concerned, they wete quite deaf. But no assertions of such‘a kinxlavailed when tickets were collected, tad, if the same procedure is followed in connection with every train when “reliefs” are running, the concessions should not involve the . monetary loss to the department which gxey appear to do.