LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 27 March 1915, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

The Wanganui Education Board fixed the annual meeting of householders for election of school committees on Monday, April 26th.

Advice has been received that - the English mail .dispatched from New Zealand on February 9th arrived at London on March 20th. It was taken from Sydney to San Francisco by one of the Spreckel's line steamers, which arrived on the schedule date. The mail was due at London on March 15, so that it must have been delayed on the latter part of the journey. From the" remarks passed at the Board of Education meeting, it would seem that there has been some trouble in connection with the use of schools at Eltham for election purposes in connection with the Licensing Committee election. It seems that the returning officer had desired to use the schools when other halls were available. Members considered it wrong to close the schools for that reason, and it was decided to draw the chief electoral officer.'s attention to the matter. "They did the same thing down at Foxton,'' remarked a member, "although there were three other halls available."— Wangaavi Herald.

Mr John Bonnie, a former wellknown resident of Wanganui, who is now on a visit there, has given five fully paid-up i'u shares in the Wanganui Freezing Company to be auctioned for the Belgian Fund.

Mr Harry Isaac, a well-known evangelist, is announced as the preacher at uospel Hall, Princes street, to-morrow (Sunday) at 7 p.m. A welcome is extended to all.

The Mayor of Blenheim, Mr J. J. Corry, has announced that he will give his honorarium ot A.IOU to the Belgian Kelief Fund.

A Marlborough '-esident states that it is estimated that the loss sustained by Marlborough on account of the recciit drought wiii approximate to £3UO,(KX).

Owing to the high prices ruling for all classes or feea, tnere has been a very sharp drop in prices or store pigs in Canterbury, anu at a recent sale good weaners made from 3s to Bs, and stores Ss (yd to 14s.

At the Presbyterian Church, Kaponga, to-monw (Sunday, 2bth) the services will be conducted by the Rev. Harry Johnson, of the Congregational (Jhureh, Christchurcn.

The following were successful in passing "tiie art of teaching" local examination, held last December m btratford, under the Trinity College of Music, London: Miss Clara Bischoft (81, associate), teacher, Mrs Goldfinch ; Miss Maisie Fennell (73, associate), teacher, the Convent.

While engaged in making a survey for the proposed water storage scheme last week, Messrs Allen and Waters noticed that clouds of steam were rising from an old crater at Ohakune Junction (says the Feilding Star). They are of opinion that the crater is active, and intend to make further investigations.

A French Foreign Office communication states that gi\eat efforts are being made in Germany to induce citizens to bring their gold to the public banks. The Gazette of Northern Germany says that business men are making a house-to-house canvas at Guben, near Frankfort, for the exchange of gold against bank notes, the gold being immediately forwarded to the Empire Bank. In opening the annual exhibition of the Canterbury Society of Arts, Mr McGregor Wright, one of the vicepresidents, formerly of Wellington, stated that since the war began the artists had had a hard time in disposing of their work, and, although Canterbury had subscribed well to the various funds for relief, the society's council felt assured that those who had the means would come forward this year and purchase even on a much larger scale than formerly, and it was hoped to have record sales. By doing so people not only helped the artists, but also the society,- as all profits and donations were spent in the ourehasti of works of art for

the permanent collection, which was open free to the public, excepting during exhibition*.

' 'There is a vacant space in the New Zealand library of Church histor.y for a cnildren's history of the evangelisation of New Zealand and of the islands of Melanesia/' said the Anglican Bishop of Auckland, Dr. A. W. Averill, in the

course of a sermon at St. Mary's Cathedral, Auckland, when memorial windows to the early missionaries were unveiled. "Such a book is wanted for

j children above the traditional age of Sunday school, and the compiler.of such a work would be owed a deep debt of gratitude if he set forth the noble work of the men and women who were instrumental in planting the Church in New Zealand. If the study of history is a tonic for drooping spirits, it is slum a .well, the waters of which will renew and revive our faith and hope."

With reference to the case referred to at the last meeting of the Taranaki Land Board, of a Crown tenant keeping a number of caged rabbits, which his neighbors feared would escape and eventually overrun the country, a correspondent writes to say that attempts were frequently made in the early days to encourage the spread of rabbits throughout Taranaki, but in. no case did the experiments succeed. There were a number of rabbits around the sugarloaf Paritutu at one time, but they gradually disappeared. It is considered that there is something in the Taranaki soil that does not agree with bunny; in any case, former experiences indicate that there is little danger from the peat in these parts.

Mr Cholmondeley, the Inspector of Noxious Weeds, had_ a batch of Cape and Parihaka Maoris "up'' at Opunake Court for not clearing noxious weeds. The Maoris had recognised their responsibility, and came to the Court (reports the Times) with a clear report that they "had cut him" (the ragwort). The Inspector did not press for a penalty in these cases. In two instances where the natives rode about in motor- cars whilst the blackberry flourished' a £5 fine was the penalty. The "Wellington Hospital Board, with the idea of securing a reliable source of milk supply for the hospital and other institutions under its control,, has heen negotiating for the purchase of a farm. One was secured and the purchase practically completed at a cost of something like £8000. However, at the last meeting of the Board, the chairman reported that the Minister for Public Health had

refused to sanction the purchase unless the scheme were submitted to the contributing bodies for approval. The Board is to hold a further meeting to consider the matter.

Auckland farmers (says the Star) are rejoicing at the recent satisfactory fall of warm rain, which proved of so much value to their crops. Already -a marked change is noticeable, especially upon the grass plots," which have again assumed their natural ver r dure, a contrast upon the withered brown caused by the drought. The total amount of rain for the week' was 2.55 inches, which, falling on five days, is considered very satisfactory. To be of any appreciable advantage after a drought such as that lately experienced, about three inches of warm and steady rain is required, but the recent rain, althought it falls below that mark, is bound to have a good effect. The total for the current month to date now stands at 3.62 inches, nearly an inch above the average, and 140 points above the fall for the whole of the corresponding month last year. In a case at Opunake S.M. Court in which recovery was sought on a bill of exchange, Mr McDavitt raised the question that under the Bill of Exchange Act in dealing with a native no bill is legal unless it is translated into Maori before the native signs it. The promissory note should have been translated before being attested. He quoted a Supreme Court ruling to that effect in the case Andrew Given v. Waiata Wiremu Hipanga, l.r. vol. 5, page 825. The Magistrate's Court defined natives and half-castes, but the Bill of Exchange Act only mentions "Maori." Mr Marshall replied that it did not apply to half-castes living as Europeans. After argument the Magistrate said (the Ogunake Times reports) that the question has been raised in the Taumarunui election petition, and they would have the decision from the Supreme Court. However, he would take a note of the point raised, and find if "half-caste" was defined "Maori" in respect to the Bill ef Exchange Act.

Through pressure on our. space, we are obliged to hold over correspondence till next issue.

A Gazette notice further prorogues Parliament till Ai>ril 2isl next.

Wednesday, March 31st, anniversary of Taranaki, has been appointed a special bank holiday throughout the province. April 6th will also be observed as a special bank holiday throughout New Zealand.

A final reminder is given of the combined church parade of Hawera Veterans and the Defence Rifle Club to-morrow. The men will assemble at the Defence^ Office at 10.15 a.m. and march to Wesley Church, preceded by the Hawera Band. Old settlers are also invited to join the procession.

At the Hawera Presbyterian Church to-morrow anniversary services will be held. Special sermons for the occasion will be preached by the Rev. J. R. Shore, M.A. In the morning he will speak on "The Christian's inheritance, a land of hills and valleys." In the evening he will preach an Imperialistic sermon on the sea from the text "Yonder is the sea, great and wide, there go the ships." There will be special prayers ana hymns for the men of the navy.

Intending exhibitors are reminded that entries for the Stratford Gymkhana close to-night at 8 o'clock. Already good support has been afforded this popular fixture. R-ecord entries in all classes are expected. All that is wanted is a fine day, for there is certain to be a record attendance. The Stratford Home Defence Corps is erecting a miniature rifle range on the grounds, and some trophies have been presented for a competition, which will be open to the general public, and should prove very interesting.

Dr. A. A. Martin, of Palmerston North, who went to the front with a field ambulance attached to the sth Division and saw strenuous service through the Marne, the Aisne, and Ypres, is now surgical specialist to* No. 6 General Hospital at Rouen (writes the Post's London correspondent). He has taken advantage of his exceptional experience of active service to write for the British Medical Journal, perhaps the most useful and capable paper which has appear-ed on the lessons of the 1 war from the medical point of view. It was read at a meeting of the British Medical Association on January 10th. Dr. Martin says the R.A.M.C. has in this war been treating wounds of an eighteenth century character with twentieth century methods. The wounds of the eighteenth century, like many of those of to-day, were inflicted at close range.