LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 4 May 1922, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A tourist who came down the Wanganui River during Easter slates that the trip was glorious, and so was the charge of 4s 6d on the houseboat for a meal, more especially after reading the recent Government statistical figures of how the cost of living had fallen. The tourist (states the Dunedin Star) also states that visitors from other countries will think that the spelling of the New Zealanders is frightfully bad, as evidenced on the door of the houseboat, "Dinning Saloon."

Truly the sneak thief will stoop to anything (writes a correspondent to the Dunedin Star). At a jumble sale held in the old Post Office for the purpose of raising funds to assist the poor people ministered to through the Men's Mission House, the amount of pilfering which went on reached considerable dimensions. Shirts, blouses, and underclothing of all kinds were spirited away by women who had already received great bargains for their money. It has long been known that the shops suffer from this kind of thing, but it "is hard to believe that there are women so lost, to a sense of honesty as to rob an institution .that exists for the sole purpose of assisting those in need.

"We built the bridges on the Manawatu Railway in 1882," said Mr A. Falknor, at a meeting of the Mauriceville County Council on Saturday. "That's 40 years ago, and they are still good, despite the fact that the locomotives are getting heavier every day." He was advocating (reports the Wairarapa Age) that the straining blocks on the top cords of the county bridges should be "flashed" with zinc to prevent the water getting underneath and causing the wood to rot. All the railway bridges on the line he had mentioned had been "flashed," and he attributed their longevity partly to this.

"Thanks; pay you next time," was the confident farewell salute on Saturday afternoon of a Feilding resident who had engaged a taxi to get to the station in time to catch a train, but the taxi-man's terms were cash, and he said so with emphasis, at-the same time detaining his fare, who was apparently a perfect stranger (relates the Manawatu Daily Times). The would-be traveller made another dash to get aboard the already moving train, but the man at the wheel leaped over the gate, and the old question, "cash or credit," was still being discussed when the guard's van disappeared in the distance.

I A publicity scheme to advertise Wellington for the information of travellers is being embarked upon by the Central ( Progress League. The League is going to issue a pamphlet, giving photographs and interesting details concerning scenic resorts, the principal public buildings, and the chief industries carried on in the city and province. At the meeting of the executive of the league recently it was stated that the cost of printing 20,000 folders with a coloured cover and a pictuer on each page would not exceed £100. The preparation of the folder was left in the hands of a committee and it was intended to approach the various local i bodies for the purpose of obtaining contributions towards the cost of tbe I folders. Members of the Kapuni and Auroa Public Hall Societies are reminded that the annual meetings of the societies will be held on Saturday evening next. Just Opened—Smart Costumes, also Coat Frocks in all colours; prices suitable. Also arrived, a beautiful assortment of Millinery; special rnee models. —Outred's, High Street.—Advt. Stout ladies and gentlemen can really reduce without Drugs. Simple home remedy, endorsed by doctors. "Write for free particulars.—H. S. Harrison, Box 3387, Wellington. Enclose six penny stamp 3. tu,th,s

An extraordinary fact was mentioned at the unveiling ceremony at Meremere on Tuesday that a bugle used by a soldier from that district who fell on active service, and sent to his people, was found to have a bullet hole right through it. Apparently the soldier was shot while in the act of sounding his bugle.

Reported missing during the fighting in German East Africa in 1917, and believed to he dead by all his relations except a sister, who held to her faith that he was alive, Harold Hooton, a Grimsby man, returned to his home a few weeks ago. He had been a prisoner in German hands, and since his release had been on a voyage round the world.

A small sunspot, first observed on Sunday, has rapidly developed since then, and now shows as two spots of considerable size, connected by a chain of relatively minute spots.. Mr. G. V. Hudson, of Karori, estimates that the total length of the group is about 50,000 miles. At present the group is to the <*ast ofi the tsun's '■central meridian, and it will be favourably placed for observation during the rest of the week.

Primary school football promises to be very successful this season throughout Taranaki. The chief difficulty in the competitions is transport of players. In South Taranaki parents and others have been -very good in the past, and it is hoped that this season supporters of school football will again help. The annual meeting of the Otakeho Public Hall Society is advertised to be held on Saturday evening. !

- A pen of two-year steers offered at the Levin stock sale were found hard to quit (states an exchange}. Al length 47s 6d was offered, and the auctioneers looked inquiringly at the vendor. The latter was anything but cheered. "They are all off fern country," he said to all within hearing. "Right," shouted the auctioneer. "Had nothing but fern and scenery!" That decided it. The price jumped by 55,. the purchaser evidently considering the animals must at least have been good doers. i Eighty-one years ago yesLerday New' Zealand was officially declared by pro- j clamation, duly recited in Auckland, j to be a separate colony from New South Wales, and to be capable thenceforth of attending to her own affairs. The

total expenses of government were then estimated at £19,300. To meet this duties totalling £10,000 weie to be levied upon 4000 Europeans, land sales were expected to provide another £5000, and £5000 was to be voted by the British Parliament. The first session of the Legislative Council was opened on May 24. 1841.. The Executive consisted of the Governor, Captain Hobson; the Colonial Secretary, Mr. Willoughby Shortland; the Attorney-) General, Mr. Francis Fisher; and theColonial Treasurer and Collector of Customs, Mr. George Cooper. Then there were the Commissioners of Land Claims, Messrs E. L. Godfrey and Matthew Richmond; the SurveyorGeneral, Mr. _ Felton Mathew; the Sheriff and Clerk of the Council, Mr. James Coates (father of the ex-manager of the National Bank, Mr. J. H. B. Coates); the Protector of Aborigines, Mr. George Clark; the Colonial Storekeeper, Mr. Henry Tucker; the Super, intendent"" of Works, Mr. William Mason; the Colonial Surgeon, Mr. John Johnson; the Harbourmaster, Mr. David Rough; the Postmaster-General, Mr. Thomas Paton; and the Registrar of the Supreme Court, JVIr. R. A. Fitzgerald. In emphasising the necessity for getting rid of impure air in the lungs !in the course of his lecture to Senior Cadets in Wellington recently, Dr J. •M. Mason gave an interesting illustration. "To give you an idea of the im-. portance of this getting rid of the waste," he said, "I remember when in Manahiki (a small coral island belonging to the Cook Group) many years ago, the natives were good enough to give us an exhibition of shark catching.^ The reef surrounding the island

is several miles wide, and the sharks sail in from the Pacific Ocean, with all Its dangers, to lie 'doggo' in the hollows and caverns in the reef, sometimes 30, 40, or 50ft deep, just for a rest from all their enemies. The shark lies head-in in the cavern, and through the clear wafer you can see his tail lazily wagging from side to side, much the same as a horse standing in the sun switches flies off his back. The fisher, quite unclothed, dives down, passes a noose under the tail of the shark, swims clear, and brings up the end of the line, and then the boat's crew try to haul him up. The diver attached to our boat was a grey-haired old chap, who all the time he was waiting for his signal to descend k&pt coughing out. I said to him in Maori: 'You will never reach the fish with that cough.' 'I'm not coughing. I'm putting out the dirt,' he replied. With that the old man slid into the water. We could see him working away, and his stay under was nearly two minutes! He had been getting rid of the bad air, so that he could fill his lungs with clean, wholesome air." At a meeting of the Women's National Council in Wellington this" week, Mrs A. Hodson, a visitor from Dunedin. who, for 21-J- years had been president ot the Society for the Protection of Women and Children in that city, made some interesting remarks when pressed to speak. Speaking of the position tnat

women occupy in public affairs m New Zealand, or rather, do not occupy, she expressed the opinion that women' had lost ground more than she cared to think. "Man," she said, must be the head, but how deficient Miat lead sometimes is. Woman is the nec-k that upholds the head. It is inne now for v*** to go forward and take our f.arr in affairs. Men are deteriorating; they are growing weaker, and if the A\mighty has put brains and abiHiy :nto a woman to help along the work of the world, why, we ought to help her to do it as much as possible. The man or women who has brains ought to be allowed to use them. Things are happening now that make it absolutely necessary that we should come forward and help to <rule the country and help to make the laws that we'-fcnow are needed. There are things where the women and children are concerned that men do not know and cannot legislate for. That is where women are reeded. All the same," said Mrs Hod-son ••<• conclusion, "women must know what they are talking about before they lake up public life."