LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXII, Issue LXXII, 24 May 1917, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

Rabbits iri Southland have again advanced in price, and are now selling at 8d per pair on the* fence. One 'trapper informed the Alexandra Herald that his cheque for tbe month was about £50. According to an estimate in the Employers' Federation Industrial Bulletin the nefr agreement- with Waterside Workers' Unions wi} 1 result in an increased cost of at least £100,000 per annum. The Hastings branch of the' New Zealand Farmers' Union has adopted a re. j solution in favor of steps being ftaken to obtain direct representation of the Farmers' Union on boards dealing with carpenters and kindred trade awards. At Gisborne the other day a young man was fined £2 for failing to enrol in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force reserve. The Magistrate said that if any similar cases were before the Court in the future he would impose a heavier penalty. A Gisborne citizen recently had an unpleasant experience. He was tired and yawned, with the result that hej dislocated bis jawbone, and med;cal as- • sistance had to be called in.

Another consignment of 1500 crates I of cheese has been taken from tk« Winter Show Buildings, leaving only about 300 in store. These, however, will also be. moved shortly. Farmers report that the small birds are particularly adtive amongst the wheat crops which have been recently sown in the Ashburton district, doing considerable damage by pulling up the seed. An Order-in-Council, dated May 14, has been issued fixing the maximum price of milk for the borough of Wanganui and neighboring town district. The maximum wholesale price has been fixed at ,lld per gallon and maximum (retail price at 5d per quart. "We, as a Union, must look to (the j schools for our future champions," said a delegate at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union. "Many of our players of two years ago have gone te the war. and there are some who will never return. In any case, we will have to do our utmost to keep *Me game alive, and it is to the schools we must look for help." A Masterton soldier, writing to a i friend narrates the following war incident: ' An old sergeant-major (67 years of age) told me the other day that he was going over No Man's Land with, his son, and they came across a wounded German officer. The son gave the German a drink from his water bottle. The Hun drank all the water, and then shot the boy dead, under his father's eyes. Well, the father went mad for exactly thr.ee minutes, and, grabbing a rifle bashed the Hun's head to a pulp. When the Hun saw what the ojd man was about to do. he cried for mercy. An Ashburton farmer told a Guardian reporter that in his opinion a large quantity of meat was lost to the public of the Dominion through stock being sold as fat which could at least carry lOOlbs more in condition. Some farmers could not afford to keep calttle too long before realising on them, but there were others, again, wno "had plenty of feed and money, and who oould afford to wait and finish off their cattle properly. If there was a tightening up of shipping only $he primesb of cattle would find their way into the yards. *Tt has been decided to employ about 100 men in home service positions in Featherston Camp. The authorities have resolved that the men to be selected must have been classed by a District Medical Board as medically unfit for active service, but otherwise eligible for home service positions to be filled. If possible, they should be First Division men, but where Second Division men are selected in no case will a man with more than three children be taken. Each man accepted will rank as a private to commence with, and promotion will, depend on his own ability and any vacancy that may occur. Preference will be given to returned soldiers. It has been ' arranged that enlistment for home serI vice positions will take place at the local recruiting office. An inventor has come forward with an idea by which it is hoped to save valuable and important papers from shipwreck. Menotte Nanni has devised a non-sinkable vault which is not only large enough to hold the purser's safe, but which also provides ample storage space for registered mail, gold bullion, and valuables owned by passengers. The inventor plans to install several of his floating safes in a large vertical, cylindrical steel casing placed in a well amidships, the top of the well being flash with the upper deck and covered with a loose-fitting easily-removed cap. If a ship equipped with such a system of floating safes should sink, the cover of the well would float off and water would enter the steel, casing and force the safes to rise to the surface. The inventor has also provided for hermetically sealed floats to be placed at the extreme bottom of the well under the last safe. Attached to this float is a cable which serves to indicate the position and identity of the ship. There was an amusing anti-climax to an appeal before the Third Military Service Jt*oard in Wellington (says the N.Z. Times). On behalf of one of its mechanics, the Singer Sewing Machine Company lodged an appeal for exemption. In support of this lengthy evidence was given as to the nature and the quantity of the work done by the mechanic in question. The work, it was stated, was of a kind that could, not be carried out by other mechanics; in fact, it took several years' training before a man could carry out such work. The mechanic had to work sometimes day and night. Machines of all types —machines with complicated and confusing names —were mentioned as requiring the attention of the expert in question. Then came an innocent query from Captain Baldwin, military representative. "And what salary does this highlytrained, indispensable mechanic draw?" he asked. There was a moment's silence, and the exnert answered for himself, "£3 5s a week," he said. The appeal was dismissed. A remarkable instance of family service came before the Military Appeal Board at Invercargill last week. The appellant was a young bushman. He was supporting his aged parents and sisters. His father was 73, and his mother recently had one leg amputated at The thigh, as well as all the toes oi the Vemaining foot, as the result of a burning accident. Appellant's only foui brothers had voluntarily gone to th€ front. Two "of them had been killed, and one other wounded four times, but he and the fourth brother were still at the front. Appellant himself had enlisted with the Main Body, and been 'turned down. Now, through one of his forefingers poisoning, he required tc have it amputated. The patriotic euchre party and dance promoted by the Hawera Friendly Societies Social. Club, in conjunction with the Red Cross Assemblies, in aid oi the, funds of the Returned Soldiers' Club, held in the Foresters' Hall last evening, was a pronounced success, and was in every way thoroughly enjoyable. Twenty-six tables were used for the card tournament, and the prizes were won by Mrs Walshe, Miss Dunn and Mrs Barns, and Messrs Wicksteadt, Hearne and Mander.- Mr C. Leighton supervised the tournament. About sixty couples took part in the dance held afterwards, when excellent music was supplied by Mr N. Kirk. The duties of the M.C.'a were in the capable hands of Messrs C. J. Cummings, Henwcod and R. Roberts. f Two extraordinary fine lines of men's overcoats are being offered at the Melbourne. Lid., just now. One is a good heavy blanket dark tweed double-breast-ed coat, Italian lined, and with belted back and strapped cuffs suitable for motoring, at 49/6. The other is a new make of famous Hydrotite rain ooat, deep brown shade, all pure wool and shower proof; a very smart and serviceable coat at 55/-. —Advt. "The weak I will make strong." —Wilcox. Such is the message of Baxter's Lung Preserver to those who suffer from coughs and colds, sore throat, or weak lungs. Its unique medicinal properties have proved of the utmost value in building health and strength. Quickly overcomes ooughs and colds, heals throat soreness, promotes the health of the lungs, vitalises the whole system. Popular for fifty yuars—a sure guarantee of its efficacy. Is lOd could not be better invested than in procuring % big bottle of Baxter's Lung Preserver. Sold everywhere.-— Advt. 4

The shortage of bottles in "Welling- ' ton may be judged from the fact that a vessel widen recently arrived there from America brought amongst other cargo some 50 tons of "empties." The Hastings branch of the New Zealand Farmers' "Union has resolved, "That it be a recommendation to the Government to organise the aliens in this country for the purpose of employ- J ing them in agriculture." I "We should get rid of petty feelings and aim for the big objects, and every farmer, whether he is a, small farmer or a millionaire farmer, should drop his own petty difficulties and work together for the benefit of the whole community of farmers. It is only by united .efforts that great objects can be achieved," said Major Lusk at a meeting of farmers at Waerenga-a-Tiika. The manufacture of new iron from old scrap is being carried on at Addington with success. This industry has sprung into existence as a direct result of the war. The difficulty experienced in securing a supply of iron and steel had been severely felt by manufacturers for some time past, and to meet the difficulty a company was formed, with headquarters at Aldington. Hundreds of tons of old scrap iron, collected from gravel pits and lumber heaps, have been cut up in suitable lengths and stacked in heaps about Sin square. The iron is placed in a blast furnace and heated to almost melting point. It is then withdrawn and welded into a solid mass by a heavy steam hammer. Next the iron is drawn between massive rollers, the -hot metal being pressed into square pieces. Tho process is repeated several times, each process reducing the diameter and lengthening the bar. Eventually a bar of iron 10ft by 4in by lin is produced. The bars undergo a further process which transforms them into iron of first-class quality. The waste heat from the furnaces, of whicn there are two, is conveyed to a steam boiler, and this provides the powei for the steam hammer and rollers.