LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXI, Issue LXI, 26 January 1911, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

On enquiry at the hospital this morning we learnt that a workman named Henry Evans, who had a leg broken on Tuesday at the Mokoia railway deviation works, was doing as well as could be expected.

The Dominion Year Book, published by Messrs Whitcombe and Tombs, is to hand. It is an excellently compiled annual, and contains a great deal of generally useful information.

A Gore telegram states that it is expected that arrangements will be completed thortlv enabling excursions to be made to the Waiau river, 1 between Lakes .Manapouri and Te Anau. The beauties of this river are said to rival those of the Wanganui river. Messrs Murrell surveyed the river lately, and they expect to be able to conduct parties between the accommodation houses.

A resident oi' Ashburton, in conversation with a Timaru Herald reporter, said that sly-grog is now almost a thing of the past in Ashburton. This, he attributes to the excellent way in which the police had brought^, offenders to book, and to the substantial fines imposed by Mr Day, S.M., He added that there had no +> been one sly-grog case in Ashburton .during the past two months.

An extraordinary acciden. is reported from Ivlillfield, in New South Wales. A young man named Jenkins, a resident of Broke, was shooting along the bank of a creek, an<?. brought down, a hare. He was about to pick up the animal, when he was bitten on the thumb by a death adder. He attempted to shoot the thumb off by placing it at* the mouth of the barrel of his gun, but the charge shattered a considerable portion of his hand. However, he is now progressing favorably.

Prince Leopold of Battenburg, at present in New Zealand, referring to the cabled report that the King and Queen are to visit India next winter: said: "That cablegram conies as a surprise to me; Nothing of the kind was mooted when I left England. Yos, of course, in view of the recent troubles in India, such a visit will be attended with some risk But, on the other hand His Majesty' visit would go far to allay any disaffection. Of course, a plucky thing to do, but doubtless His Majesty regards it in the light of a national duty."

The movement in favor of a universal Saturday half-holiday is growing, says the Auckland Star, and the Association which has been formed to bring about this objective intends making strenuous efforts to have special legislation dealing with the subject passed next session. At present agents are canvassing the city and suburbs, and at least 20,000 signatures will, it is hoped, be obtained to petition to Parliament upon the need for a compulsory Saturday half-holiday.

At the annual meeting of the Canterbury branch of the Amalgamated bociety of Railway Servants, to be held next month, the following motiuii will be cotnsiderea:—"That the members of this branch are of opinion that the time has arrived when nothing but the solidarity of Labor Unions will effect the redress of their grievances and the improvement of their position, and to give effect to this resolution we unanimously agree to act unitedly in supporting the coalition of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants with the New Zealand Federation of Labor. We further believe that in adopting this attitude we will defeat tne Hon. J. A. Millar's campaign of sectionalism as outlined in the attitude that that gentleman took up in regard to the dispute between the Engine Drivers and Firemen's Union and the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants."

The sale of oil paintings and water colors at Hook's sample rooms on Wednesday afternoon, conducted by Barmby and Cole, did not attract a large attendance. All the water colors were sold privately, whilst a number of the paintings sold at from five to eleven guineas. The auctioneers also expect to make other sales, having been made offers of twenty guineas each for two of the remaining pictures.

Some misapprehension appears to exist amongst the public regarding the provisions of he Educaion Act, especially as to the age limit. There has been no alteration m this last-named respect. A child must remain at a primary school till it reaches its thirteeiu i year, or until it passes the Fifth Standard. The amending Act, however, provides that School Committees whose schools are more than five miles from a technical college, may, on application to the Education Board, start compulsory continuation classes, the compulsory attendance at which affects those between the ages of fourteen and seventen. This last-mentioned provision has been confused in the public mind with the age limit at primary schools.

In attendance at a special meeting of the Hawera Borough Council were the Mayor (Mr Barton) and Crs Read, Sargeson, Barmby, Whittington and Easton. An apology was received for absence of Mr Trevethick. On the motion of the Mayor^ seconded by Cr Barmby, it was decided that Wednesday be observed as the statutory halfholiday for the current year. On the motion of Crs. Reid and Sargeson it was resolved to write to Taranaki Chamber of Commerce suggesting that a conference be held to discuss the holiday question prior to next year, and that the Hawera Chamber of Commerce and the Tradesmen's Association be asked to cooperate Some comments were made on the fact that the Council had Deceived no reply from the Tradesmen's Association on the question. An application from the Hawera Amateur Athletic Club for the right to use the sports ground and make a charge on February 1 was gra-ned on the usual percentage basis.

When the steamer Mamari, which arrived in Sydney with 490 immigrants, reached Capetown, says the Sydney Morning Herald, a number of those on board, not content with having "a jolly time" there, laid in a secret stock of liquor on board for celebrating New "Bear's When the fatqjful night arrived, the liquor was produced, and a convivial gathering rapidly developed into a carouse, so much so that the Vteward appealed to the captain. Lights were turned out, but the din continued, and the captain threatened to drench the roysterers with cold water. The men openly defied him. "I'd like to see you turn the hose oh me," said one They refused to leavo the dining saloon, and as the room was in darkness, and they kept striking matches, thereby exposing the ship to the risk of fire, the captain's next order to the steward was:"Send for the boatswain, and tell him to get the seamen to connect the hose." Captain Holmes sSood on the stairway, and the second officer stood by him in case of trouble. The hose was brought, and the captain said to the second officer, "Tell them to turn the water on full as soon as my whistle goes." He took out his watch, and, adressing the men, said, "I give you two minutes. If you are not all in your berths in two minutes, I'll have the hose turned on you." The men took the hint and went, and their little watch-night gathering came to a sudden end.

The prevalence of yet another rural pest is disclosed by the Dargaville correspondent of the Auckland Star. It is the cricket, which most people have hitherto associated with the domestic hearth. The correspondent says everyone in the country north of Auckland knows what a pest it is during the late summer and autumn months. The Otamaea Council is the only local body in those parts that has made an effort on behalf of the settlers to deal with the scourge. Already that body has re ceived several letters on the matter, and the question was again referred to at the monthly meeting, when the Director of Fields and Experimental Stations wrote stating that enquiries had been made in various countries regarding the treatment of the cricket pest but none of the replies offered any special means of mitigating the nuisance. Most made the recommendation that the pest be dealt with by baits of poisoned brai>, etc. For the conditions prevailing in the council's district this would be inapplicable, however. From another source came a recommendation that the farmers should keep turkeys. Another suggested possible mitigation through draining and cultivation "of ground, thus destroying means of concealment The chairman said that crickets had been in the district for 40 years, having come originally in timber vessels from Tasmania.

_ Something like consternation was noticeable among members of the Waihemo County Council on Saturday when the annual balance sheet, returned from the Auditor-General, was put before them lhe source of alarm was an official "ta«-" stating that the item of £21 odd for entertaining his Excelency the Governor last year was 'Vithout authority of law and is therefore, disallowed." Obviously, the item must be met, and the question was how ? A rapid calculation showed that if each member of the council paid over rbout £2 10s the difficulty would be solved, but even the recollection of motor car rides and high banqueting with the royal representative faned to make this prospect an attractive one. "One councillor recollected with indignation that the Governor was never invited. "He sent us word he was coming," he asseited. "There must be some way of getting out of it," confidently affirmed another. "Surely the council's solicitor would be able to devise some means of escape." Another wanted to know what would be the position if members simply refused to pay the amount. \\ ho was going to force them to do so ? The district had been honored by the visit, and thej were there simply as representative men. It was suggested! that the chairman of the council ought to be on the same footing as mayors of bor- j oughs, who received grants from bor-1 ough funds on similar occasions. One councillor said he thought that the bill should be sent to the Governor, but the matter was finally left in the hands of the chairman for further enquiry before next meeting. Attention is directed to W. H. and A. McGarry's new land advertisement m this issue—"Straight leases." "Poor tailor' Poor men!" Look up George Davies' Ltd., advertisement today. So^ rilling new. See Fitzzell and >.iaw s advertisement in this issue. The programme of Kapuni Athletic Club's sports is published to-day. L. G. Grace are sole agents for the famous Brmsmead Pianos. * Nature's Embrocation. ROCKE'S Eucalyptus Oil. The finest that Australia pro? ices. There's "something" distinctive about "ROCKE'S " %

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