LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 453, 20 April 1909, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Subscribers are reminded that the Herald quarterly accounts are issued, and we should esteem as a favour prompt settlement of same.*

An earthquake victim has been rescued alive at Messina after being imprisoned for forty days. The local paper stated that the Patea Harbour Board, which has no rating power, has expended £20,000 on the construction of harbour improvements during the past six years.

The first radium cure in Masterton has just been effected by Dr W. H. Hosking. The patient was suffering from an ulcerated tongue, and after other forms of treatment had failed, radium was tried. The process of healing became apparent a few hours after the first application, and a complete cure was effected in a remarkably short space of time. A storm of correspondence has flooded the columns of the Christchurch papers in reference to the incident at the recent Navy meeting. The Press, which gave considerable prominence to the incident, slates in a leader;—“We do not now believe there was any intention on the part of those who engaged in this foolish, thoughtless melee to do any dishonour to the emblem of our nation, nor wilful intention to insult the Flag.”

A letter written by a resident of Pakatoa Island to Mr C. C. Kettle, S.M., of Auckland, speaks in high praise of the results of the Inebriates’ Home conducted on the island by the Salvation Army. A local paper publishes the following extract from the letter:— “Having returned from the island, where I was sent on account of my drinking habits, I beg to state that now, being at liberty for some time, I have not touched drink,and I feel sure that my being sent there has done me a great amount of good. lam now in better health than I have been for years past, and have entirely lost any inclination to drink again. In connection with the exchange of flags between Shepparton State School rVictoria) and Shepparton-on-Thames (England), the directors of Shepparton Butter Factory have decided to arrange for the export of about 3000 apples of the best variety in cases. Each apple is to be wrapped in tissue paper, bearing the following printed matter : “ This fruit was grown in the Goulburn Valley (Shepparton district), Victoria, Australia, and, like Shepparton butter, is famous as the best Australian. Both products are shipped to England every year.” The proposal is decidely novel, and as an advertising medium has much to commend it. The apples accompany the flag, and will be presented to the children in England.

The Wellington Trades Council has decided to support in every way any members of the Flax Employees’ Union who may be locked out owing to refusal to accept the contract system proposed to be introduced into the flaxraills.

The number of boys and girls who have emigrated to Canada under the auspices of Dr. Barnardo’s Homes have now reached 20,974. Their outfit and travelling expenses amount to ,£lO each and 98 per cent of them are doing well.

On a recent Sunday (says the Nelson Colonist) a large shoal of whales—to the number of fully fifty—entered the West Wanganui inlet and disported themselves in its waters for about six hours, eventually going out with the receding tide. This interesting and unusual visit was witnessed by several residents of the locality. It is estimated that the average length of the whales was not less than 30 feet. The Chinese gardeners in South Dunedin, hearing of the retirement of Sergeant Conn from the police force, presented him with a valuable pair of vases in appreciation of his attention to his duty in the district. In making the presentation, the spokesman said that while Sergeant Conn had had charge in South Dunedin the Chinese had been able to sleep without fear of their gardens being plundered by uiischevious youths.

In a paper read at the Chambers of Commerce Conference held in Wellington on Tuesday last, Mr A. B. Robertson, one of the Auckland delegates, said: —“Every effort should be put forth to prevent hordesjof undischarged bankrupts being distributed all through the Dominion. He had heard it said that at the present time there were hundreds, if not thousands, of such.

Jack Johnson, the boxing champiou, “talked big” on his arrival in Vancouver about the ease with which he had punished Tommy Burns, and about the prejudice Australians had shown against him. He found prejudice in Vancouver, too ; none of the good hotels would give him a room. Johnson lost no time in sending word to Jim Jeffries, offering to fight him any time at three weeks’ notice. Jeffries had been talking as if he were willing to meet the champion, so Johnson sent his attorney to see if he could get something in black and white. But Jeffries prefers to do without the black —especially in fighting. It is thought that all his talk about meeting Johnson is merely a device to popularise the vaudeville turn in which he is now appearing-

The travelling evangelist who writes his messages on fingerposts has managed to make a strong impression on a Minister of the Crown, says the Timaru Heralds During his recent motor tour the Hon. T. MacKeuzie and his party lost their way in the wilds. It was pitch dark, and the only thing they were positive about was that there was a sheer drop of some I,looft in the vicinity. The Minister, seeing a finger-post looming on the roadside, got down and began to strike matches and peer for the inscription. The match flared, and threw a feeble glow on what looked like a gibbet. Then, in the midst of all that dark loneliness, with the precipice yawning somewhere near, he read, “Heaven or hell , which is it to be ?”

Experiments are now being carried out on German warships with acetylene shells, which, it is believed, will take the place of the electric searchlight used hitherto by warships. Those shells contain calcium carbide, and the water can reach it through a tube. The shells are fired by a gun built specially for the purpose. On being fired the shell goes under the water, and then rises to the surface, and the action of the water upon the calcium carbide produces the acetylene light. Each shell is said to have 3000 candle-power, and will burn for three hours. The great drawback of the ordinary searchlight is that, although it affords some protection from the unobserved approach of torpedo boats, it yet makes the warships using it an excellent target. The new acetylene shell referred to will have the great advantage of lighting up a given space, while the vessel that fires it will be left in darkness.

Chatting to the Mayor of Palmerston North yesterday, he gave us some idea the progress Palmerston North is making in the matter of street construction. He stated that about three years ago the then Council arranged for the purchase of a complete plant for this work, consisting of a steam roller, stone crushing machine, etc. Since then a tram line has been laid down from the beach at the Manawatu river at Hokowhitu, up to the old gravel pit situated in Scandia Street. The stone crushing will be carried on now on the bank of the river, and t he metal brought up to the pit for treatment where it will be tarred for use on the streets and also in the construction of water channels in preference to concrete. Mayor Nash considered that the acquisition of this plant and completion of the whole arrangements will bring Palmerston, so far as street work is concerned, into line with the larger cities. The tramway will be .officially opened in the course of a few daj'S. It is anticipated that the cost will be about half of the price hitherto paid for this work, and a great factor in connection with the channel construction will save much expense incurred by the borough in keeping them cleaned out.

Mr Chrystall is down 160 feet with the artesian bore in the triangle. He is still driving through sand. Last night’s train from Palmerston arrived 40 minutes late. A facetious passenger remarked that the local Chamber of Commerce should urge the Railway Department to attach a sleeping carlo this train. The train left Palmerston five minutes late.

Great Britain annually imports over two thousand million eggs—roughly speaking, about an egg per week per head of population.' She further spends something approaching thirty millions annually on imported beef and mutton, and tens of millions on other food stuffs.

Last year was a record one in the Argentine with regard to immigration, as nearly three hundred thousand souls entered the Republic, a very large number of these being sent by the Government to the agricultural regions. “ I have learned wisdom lately, and what I know of mining, I am, in fu(u:a, going to keep to myself,” the Auckland Star reports a sha'eholder to have said at the Talisman meeting on Thursday. “ 1 wish to Heaven you’d kept it to yoursell long ago,” ejaculated another dealei in ‘hares who was present. A powei fully-built man of about 45 years of age is causing some anxiety in the. Poverty Bay district. He has a strange mania for climbing hills and traversing mountainous country, “ irrespective,” says a correspondent of the Auckland Herald, of precipitous cliffs, rivers, gorges, and bush.” He is possessed with the one idea of seeing “beyond yonder range.” He hung about Tiuiroto for .weeks, and is now said to have made for the Motu. Though he is inoffensive, he will descend upon a homestead after a long tramp and ask for food, and he has been known to go foodless on an erratic tramp for days. His feet are reported to be raw with hard and constant travelling. When questioned, his mind appears to be a blank, and instructions are being issued for his apprehension. A judgment of great interest to contractors and timber merchants was read by the Registrar at Gisborne in thfe case of Peacocke and Co. v. Williams (says the Poverty Bay Herald). The plaintiffs, timber merchants in Gisborne, supplied timber to the contractor who was building the defendant’s house, and who gave them an order for addressed to the defendant. The order was in much the usual form, and was accepted and signed by the defendant. The contractor became insolvent, and the plaintiffs then sued the defendant in the Magistrate’s Court, for the amount of the order, but were non-suited. They appealed, and Mr Burnard, who argued their case in the Supreme Court, endeavoured to show that the order was a bill of exchange, and that the defendant was therefore liable whether he had any funds of the contractors in hand or not. This argument has now been upheld in the judgment of Mr Justice Edwards, delivered recently, which would appear to impose a wide liability upon the acceptors of orders.