LOCAL AND GENERAL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XX, Issue 2064, 8 January 1925, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It is expected that the attempt to fly from Sydney to Auckland by seaplane will be made in May next. A rabibt shot near Knebworth golf course was found to contain two golf balls. A visitor from Aberdeen who, while playing recently on these links, lost three balls, has now demanded a re-count. The following players will represent United against Otorohanga at Otorohanga on Saturday. A bus will leave the Post Office at 1 p.m.:—Cook, Kitto, Fleming, Mclndoe, Bryden, Haughey, Sanderson, Neilson, Stanley, Hart, Wilson. The speedy increase in the population of Wanganui has been enhanced by the appearance lately of an unprecedented number of twins. No fewer than five pairs have been registered lately, and it is said that some of the parents have viewed their Christmas boxes with mixed feelings.

“How many lawyers have you here?” asked Hon. C. J. Parr at Whakatane recently, when discussing the erection of a new courthouse. “Ten,” answered the Mayor.. “Alas! Alas! I never dreamt that ten persons of my profession would grow fat in Whakatane,” remarked the Minister. The Mayor: “They do not grow fat.”

Death overtook a starling flying over a Napier subui’ban section in sudden and curious fashion (says the Telegraph. Several small boys were playing cricket, and a juvenile batsman hit out lustily at a short-pitched ball. The hit was well timed, and the ball whizzed away like a bullet. Suddenly it stopped almost dead in its course, there was a flurry of feathers, and a starling that had been flying across the course of the hall dropped to the ground, stone dead.

The attention of persons entitled to a vote at parliamentary elections is drawn to a public announcement appearing in this paper in regard to compulsory registration of electors. By the Legislature Amendment Act, passed last session, an obligation is placed on every person qualified to be registered as an elector to enrol, whether his name is already on the roll or not. A further obligation is that every person, after he has become registered, is to notify change of residence.

In conversation with a reporter a southern postmaster referred to the present “handkerchief craze.” The photograph and postcard crazes had practically gone out, whjle Christmas cards were much less popular than formerly. On the other hand, hundreds of handkerchiefs had been sent through the post this Christmas. It was a very useful craze, but it came hard on the poor mailroom officials, as each parcel had to be stamped by hand—they would not go through the machines.

While on tour with Ratana’s party, Mr Kirirangi Paora, of Auckland, made a profitable deal with a Japanese firm in connection with his railway inventions. There are two inventions —one an automatic apparatus for the purpose of warning pedestrians and traffic of the approach of a train to a road crossing by burning lights and horn-sounding, and the other a device for warning trains of landslides and washouts. These inventions were not taken up by the New Zealand Railways Department before Mr Paoro went away, and while in Tokio he signed a contract with a Japanese firm, U. Yamamoto and Co., which, he states, has manufacturing branches in all parts of the world, and holds rights to con struct and use inventions in Japan, China, and Russia. A curious fact was noted by Mr W. R. Lowry, chairman of directors of the Tatua Co-operative Dairy Company, Limited, in connection with the productive value of three farms he owns. The cows on one farm situated at Piako, which has been cultivated for many years, and is in first-class heart, have not done so well this year as cows milked on newly brought-in farms situated at Kiwitahi and Te Awamutu. Land in the vicinity of the Piako farm sold at £99 per acre, during the boom period. It is perfectly flat and low-lying and always I yields a prolific growth of grass. At a conservative estimate its value today would be from £4O to £SO per acre. It was well manured, the grass is as good as ever, and the cattle are : in first-class condition. Yet on the new farm at Kiwitahi, where the land , is hilly to undulating and worth up ] to £2O per acre, the production per j cow has been considerably -greater than that of the Piako herd.

“A girl’s mental and physical strength counts a good .deal, hut a girl’s domestic capabilities count a very great deal.” With this remark (states an exchange) Miss Allen invited those present at the breakingup ceremony ad the Hamilton High School to partake of afternoon ten. made by the girl students. Eastbourne residents were not waiting long for the score in the All „ Black test match. When tfhe result had, been broadcasted an energetic individual ran the main streets of Muritai shouting hhe score, and by 6 o’clock the very ends of the seaside suburb knew that the All Blacks had maintained their reputation to the end. Newspapers in the Dutch East Indies report that strange creatures, half-man and half-animal, are being seen bv the natives of the Poulou Islands. ‘ Some authorities believe thati they may be the “missing link,” as they consider them to be the lowest form of human life, while o tilers declare that they are not men, but a species of rare monkeys. An expedition has been sent to investigate. At Ratana last week, a Wanganui city councillor, who tips the beam af 21 stone, jocularly remarked that he supposed he was the heaviesti man on the ground. It wat> not long before a native was brought along who could claim 22 stone as his weight (relates the Wanganui Herald). The latter was quite modest about it, and said that there were at least six Maoris in the camp whose weights ranged from 25 atone upwards.

* The streets of Carderton are now in darkness at night, owing to the cutting off of the electric supply consequent upon the recent flood, and many residents have gone back -xio the earlyday method of carrying lamps and torches to protide them with light while traversing the streets of the town.

When a patient is admitted to a hospital he is required tip answer several questions, including one concerning his religion. At a local district institution an incoming patient was asked the usual question, says the Wanganui Herald. This appeared to he a puzzler. “I’m blowed if I know,” was the reply, and then as a bright idea struck him lie immediately asked, “Are you shout of any?”

Signs calculated to induce tourist and motor traffic generally to pass through the town of Hawera instead of through the outskirts, as is at present often done, have been erected. The scheme includes the erection of notices “Welcome do Hawera” at suitable points, as well as tho clearing of ground for parking cars beside the main entrance to King Edward Park, and the installation of a peimy-in-the 1 slot gas ring for the convenience of picnickers. The whole programme has been approved by the corporation, and in a short time it will probably be completed in detail.

Paralysis Ims been prevalent among pigs in the Morrinsville district this season. One farmer recently lost 11 out of 30, both young and matured pigs being affected. He oKtpined advice from an official of the Stock Department, who advised the farmer to feed his pigs upon slack coal. This has been done with a distinct improvement in those which are still affected. When an inquiry was made of the stock inspector, in Auckland, he said it was not an uncommon thing oil find paralysis among pigs. It was generally caused by too sour skim milk and by keeping the pigs under dirty and insanitary conditions. A little slack coal would act like a ionic, but it was only a palliative and not a cure. The cure was to feed and house them better.

There were some strange happenings in South Canterbury during die recent flood (states the Timaru Herald.) A settler at Pareora saw liis five milch cows marooned in the river bed, and lie was without milk, and without prospect of getting any unless one of liis cows swam ashire. Fortunately one of the eohvs did this; a second one attempted tp follow suit, but was carried down stream and under the traffic bridge. Her chances of life seemed very small, but she kept swimming, and finally landed well down stream, apparently none the worse. The remaining three cows then decided flo essay the task of reaching the shore, and they all succeeded.

When Ratana and his party were in Japan a young Japanese of good rank seemed to take quite an interest in the Maori visitors, and as a result liis parents agreed that he should accept an invitation of Rattfina to come to New Zealand. The Japanese is about 20 years of age, and since he linked' up with the Maori -travellers he has devoted himself to learning the language. He lias made wonderful progress, and at Ratana is now almost) like a native, so quickly has he adapted himself to Maori customs and conditions. He is quite liappy and well, and it seems doubtful if he will go hack to Japan aftter Easter as intended. Ratana’s daughter, and a member of his party, were married in Japan by a Japanese bishop. It is Ratana’s intention to publish a book on his* travels. There will be both Maori and pakeha editions.

! Easy money was made by a Southi land man at a certain local regatta [ during the holidays. It occurred at a i sideshow where the enterprising showman was offering untold gold to anyone who could ride his wild huckjumper. The Invercargillite had never ridden a horse of any description in his life, but taking a sporting chance he offered to “have a go at it,” and was l duly introduced otf the spectators as I“a well-known local horseman.” A few minutes later the horse appeared, j and he prepared to mount inside the tent where throngs of people waited to see the result, when to his amazement the showman approached and whispered-: “I’ll give you a quid to fall off.” “Make it two,” returned • the local man, but after a whispered argument he agreed to fall off for £l. Iti is unnecessary to complete* the j story, but it may be added that after | the exhibition was over the Invercar- ! gllite wandered away the richer by £1 earned by a tumble from the back of a beast he could not have possibly have ridden for more than a few seconds.