LOCAL AND GENERAL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XX, Issue 2062, 3 January 1925, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

, The tolalisator investments at the concluding day of the Manawatu Racing Club’s fixture totalled £35,922, amt for tlie meeting £123,981. Vicar (to tiresome individual at parish meeting): “Really, Mr Hash, are you the vicar, or am I?” Mr Dash: “Oh, no, sir, I’m not tho vicar.” Vicar: “Very well, then, don’t talk like an idiot.” It was a comparatively easy, matter after the wool sale in Tlnuxru to sell motto r cars, and more than oue woolgrower who secured a big cheque took a now car homo with him, or arranged for its early delivery.

Owing to the jambing of tho accelerator, a heavy car, owned by Mr N. D. Robertson, and driven by Mr H. Drummond, capsized on the To RapaTo Ivowhai Road. A wheel was broken oil the car, which contained seven passengers, but beyond a severe shaking thev escaped injury. After refering to tho Department’s warning apparatus for level crossings and the scheme to spend £200,000 to further protect crossings, the Railway Commission in its report expressed the opinion that short of erecting gates and building gate houses, they could not see that more could bo done to give warnings at crossings. . A piece of unusual good fortune has just oefallen two very old residents of Timuru—bootmakers by trade, says tho Timaru Post. Mr James "Whitley, of Church Street, and his brother, Mr William Whitley, Osfipua Road, have received word nihat a very wealthy relative of theirs, who died in America, has bequeathed to them more than a million pounds The statistical depoajtmoiic of the city of Tokio has just- published a final report of the losses and damages caused by the earthquake and fire n Japan: Tokio, 1,900,000,000 dollars; Yokohama, 590,000,000 dollars ; other areas, 250,000,000 dollars. This does not include the losses of art treasures and personal property. It is believed T-hat if they were included the losses would total 5,000,000,000 dollars

The Chicago minister had dictated his sermon to his new stenographer. The subject was “The Joy of Youth,” and he quoted as his text a wellknown sentence from the 127th Psalm. Being better acquainted with modern transportation facilities than with ancient archery, the typist rendered the passage, “Happy is the man 'Shat hath liis fliver full of them.” Which, after all, expresses the sentiment in a more literal way.

Passengers in a crowded excursion train to Blackpool hud a liat-raising experience between Blackburn and Preston. Dozens of men were leaning out of the windows when the sudden blushing of the branches along the carriages gave rise to the fear that tlie train had left the rails. It was found that a party of lads on a lonely bridge had let down leafy boughs just ais ‘rihe train was passing. Apart from causing a mild panic, the youths had a ‘‘bag” of nine soft felt hats, three bowlers and five caps.

Three pounds twelve shillings for owes (shorn) and kunbs! Tho price scins incredible, yet this is what a Carrington farmer received for his sheep, and lie is only one of many participating in these big prices. He disposed of the lamb's at 32s 6d per head, and the saleyards obtained £2 each for the shorn ewes. Taking the wool at 2s per lb and averaging the fleeces at 101 b each, bis rat urn from the owe- and lamb for the season was in the vicinity of L‘| I2s.

Situations on farms haw- now been found for all tlie members of tlie .last quota of Fnglish public schoolboy immigrants, and at a meeting of The immigration commit too of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce it was reported (bat the lads were sotYtling down well, and few transfers bad taken place. 'Hie number of applications from farmers for boys for next season was considered, and although nominally the applications closed on November 29th, the maWer had not been finally divinised of.

"Has the lif o of bllto-gum trees been thoroughly gone into by the engineer.-, ! JM queried Air AlcMana-way at Lho last meeing of the Wangnnni-Bangi-tikei liileetrie Power Board, when tin* purcliase of a number of blue-gum

poles was under consideration. Tho consulting engineer (Mr Templin) replied in the affirimVtive and pointed out that tho life of the gtom-tides should bo up to. 124 years. His experience of the undertaking that ho was connected with was that poles used four years ago and treated with preservative, were just as good now as when they were put in. A man who has had 40 to 50 years’ experience with blue-gum poles had also assured linn that they were quite satisfactory.

A horse’s miraculous escape from death (writes the Southland News correspondent from the Milford Track) occurred a few days a got The horse was engaged carrying stores from the Pass. While godug between Mount BaUuou it slipped on a narrow ledge of rock,. balanced itself for a moment, and then fell over a clear drop of 30 feet and rolled over and o\ver for about H)0 feet down the hillside. To tho astonishment of the man in charge it struggled to its feet, and, though very nimh bruised and shaken, it was able to be led along the hillside until a suitable place was found to let it on the track again. The tussock nature of tho growth evidently broke the hardness of its fall, but it was a remarkable performance to go. through without serious results.

in receipt of the following cable fnH their head office, London, under 29th inst.—Ritter: Since our last wifflS prices are 4s lower. The third party of boys, 29, for Flock House ist.due. to arrivM from England by the Coriythic on January. Already 29 b&ys who received their training at Flock have been sent to farmers in districts to continue their career. “How long have you been horses through the town ” asked H. Y. Widdowson (coroner) of a witness a*t an inquest at Christchurch. “Oh! an long as I can remember,”.re- i plied witness. “How long is that? ’ asked the coroner. “I don’t know, was tho reply. “What?” “Oh! well, about two or throe years!” Ono of the best informed and keenest of men connected with the dairying industry in Taranaki has informed the Hawera Sdar that lie has been exexperimenting for some time past with the use of salt as a. weed-killer, and had found that none of the weeds upon which he had used salt had been able to resist it, not even blackberry. Fine salt was not effective, but the very coarse kind, in appearance like rice, was proving very satisfactory. The application, of about a tablecpoonful was sufficient. The salt did not disappear with the fitet shower of rain, but ‘‘"dissolved slowly for about three weeks, during which time it destroyed the weeds effectively. A man j could do abo.ut an acre a. day, and the# cost would not be very heavy. •: 1 Di>cassing the state of affairs Uir'V Germany, officers of the White Star line steamer Zeailandic, which arritecKg at Melbourne last month from United Kingdom, said "that they not as bright as had been stated. Stevedores at Hamburg worked only from 8 o’clock in the morning because uf tho restricted number of vessels in port. Commodities were highly priced, and £1 was woiifh only 18 marks under the stabilisation system. The port authorities had endeavoured to cope wtWli wharf pillage by issuing passes to members of the crews of incoming vessels which admitted them to the docks. All of these had to be accounted for" before the vessel left, or £1 forfeited lor each missing pass. This novel method had proved efficacious without being at all cosily. Last week (says the Waipa Post) Mr C. Stewart, of Oparau, received a handsome all-wool at a Scottish _ *»• ; is the G l "'. • V [Tom^jB 1 ;" ■ A;.’-#." *' t tifW > li-w B ra t e mg, “l -/j ways _ ■*' 2..' >. # ’■ .-V man, V c"-w#?;#’-’." ; Y A I)utied.y\■ V from a wS • V Commonweal a Wonderful seasur|HBBBHHHHHHjHB been great, prices and there is a promis^^HHHnHHHHBHS vest. tY lie a I was ago business men were butt now the whole oiitI<^^H9HHHHHB| Everybody appears tq^RA'bV, ‘‘ q"j and it is a good fair’ barometer—are doing big of common tralians have monfIHHHHHHHHgSH shall be muchJ9pPHHHHHRH| do not come over in miJn Dunedin Exhibition and send over ex-_ M hibits in quantity.” .• ■

New Zealanders have frequently reminded of the lack of AmericjSsggß knowledge concerning New ZealanaTj geographically, and this was aptly il- * lustrated by Sir Lindo Ferguson. «iE Dunedin, by an experience he had in New York. Explaining this, he said: “While I was in New York I had occasion to obtain some tobacco. I asked a tobacconist whether lie had any tobacco of the same class that! we had! in New Zealand. The tobacconist replied : ‘Why, I have customers in New Zealand and I sent a case of cigars a few days ago to a min in Bourke Street-.’ t said: ‘Why. Bourke Street is in Melbourne,’ and he immediately retorted, ‘Yes, yes, Melbourne in New Zealand.’ ft seemed useless i*o offer any explanation 10, the New Yorker.” According to an English i\iimy paper a.popular and talented pen-and-ink art-, ist not long ago received the following oircular from a lirm of motor car dealers: “You are cordially invited to participate in our grand £220 prize-draw-ing contest. Each participant* may submit one or more drawings.-advertis-ing our motor ears, and the winner will .receive a grand prize of £2u' Drawings must be sent prepaid, thcVy must bo original, and all unsuccestsfutl drawings will remain the property '.’of *t|he ’undersigned;.'’’ Now, the autisSt, who can scarcely be persuaded to make drawings at £2O a-piece, smiled over printed circular. Then he took a sheet of ttolepopor and wrote to the motor-car firm: “You are cordially invtf'A'd to participate in my grand £2 prize motor-ear contest. Each participant may submit one or more motorcars, fully equipped, of his own 'manufacture, and the winner will receive a grand cash prize of £2 in notes. The motor-cars submitted should be brand new, and must be shipped freight prepaid. The unsuccessful motor cars will remain the property of the undersigned.”

Appreciative references to the newspapers of the Dominion by visitors, ami especially by visitors from, the Utility! Suites, are frequently made, but few have been so spontaneous and •so sincere its the remarks inaue by H. L. Kussell, Dean of the Agriculture, College of Wisconsin University., to a rejfIHHHH tile course of n>> >v ' l f ’ie uuahtylH’ l n>> ' M,,: Dr®. ' 4 V'A by'” *‘ \ say "that they ; 0 A?-*i,£■ iS experience- i v. .■ •'A;.f O -i*’Vo/P'' *' UU have gol more ■ Press in New own papers. >■’ of sensation 0 not much 1 ’ b Professor T 1 'jv'* \ r _ of Agricu‘l- K^'*' Uni vers: m , < ‘ '■P. '•*• )i, 11 | | i ' 'j i 1

People going to church in Dannevii'ke were regaled with the unusual sight of a swarm of bees which had become attached to an awning of one of the drapery establishments in the main street. Subsequently a lady, who evidently knew all about bees, captured the swarm without beingstung.

Arrangements are being made to broadcast the result of the All Blacks test match against all England as promptly as possible. It is expeoted that Auckland will first receive tho news after 7 a.m. From thence all telephone exchanges open on Sunday will receive the result. Telephone subscribers may ascertain the result from their local exchange soon after the aforestated horn 1 .

if traffic in motor cars and cycles is any indication of the prosperity of a community, then this must be a very prosperous one (says the Wanganui Herald). During the first eight days of December tho registration of motor cars numbered 97. Of this number there were 54 new cars and nine new cycles, while 21 cars and 13 motor cycles were registered.

In accordance with the regulations nominal ions are now being called for producers’ representatives to the Fruit Export Control Board. One member is io lie elected for the provinces of Auckland and Taranaki, one for Hawke's Bay and Wellington, two for Nejison and Mailborough, and one for Canterbury and Otag<l The election will be taken by post, and will close on January 27.

A curious fact, hut one which is thoroughly substantiated is that the game of bowls is good for the eyes (states an exchange). Hardly ever do you find a bowler who has lo wear spectacles for failing sight. 3he eyes are kept in splendid training by the continual alertness they learn in pursuit of this pleasant game. Fortunately in nearly all towns now bowling greens are available. As eyetrainers they are nearly equal to rifie ranges. leg; in the course a HI!, was il.o racehorse War the horses dash - C | Bfs land that swingin g the ani- , tiald for ■■Hwas std>inquiry, that > den t a i. '-'Vjurred \vlaei \ health uffilocked within appears that all HB^^^catainilia v e a Biblical name and these are locked by gate-keepers during devotions. The inspector had been looking round, and as he had much to attract his attention, his stay was somewhat prolonged and in the meantime Ratana had arrived. The gate-keeper had left his post to join in the thanksgiving and as the departmental car is not a hurdler, the inspector had no alternative but to set off and look for the man with the keys. As he set out on his mission he was heard to refer lo all sorts of penalties under the Health Act for obstruction of an officer in the execution of his duty. “Back from Ratana, Honi?” “Yes, me and te wahine have le great time. Plenty of rain, wind and prayer. Py corry. that te clear place, te sardine twopence a tin more than in town, and te herring in te tomato him eightpence more. Te tuna much cheaper if you catch him yourself and take him along in to sugar bag. 1 hurry home now,” added Honi. “You know, I forgot to milk le cow since before Christ max. Dim haw te bag full * it* butter now, 1 link.” At the annual meeting of the Wanganui Chambei of Commence t lie Chairman said that the tourist traffic was coming very much to the fore just now. “Whilst our primary industries demand,” he said, “our closest attention, we must not lose sight of the fact that as far as scenery is concerned we stand almost ‘preeminent.’ and we can by judicious propaganda add considerably to tlit* steady stream of tourists who visit our shores.”