LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1983, 29 May 1919, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The (urni|) crops in (lie Wairarapa have boon a partial failure this year, and them is very little hope of fattening sheep for local consumption.

Mr J. Colvin, M.F. for Puller, announces that he will not contest a seat at the next election. It is thought in political circles that Mr Colvin will be called o the Upper JJouse.

There are good grounds for saying that the National Debt of England to-day has reached the colossal tot Ml of 17,(>50,1)00,not). On February Ist last the Government admitted that the total debt then was £7,3114,000,000, and the country has had to borrow between four and five millions a dav since then.

Owing to unseasonable weather, (he vintage in all vine-growpig parts of the Dominion was fully a month late this season. The make of wine is estimated at 48,000 gallons, or about one-tilth less than that of the previous vintage. The production of table grapes has also been less this season owing to the same causes. The yield from 850 glasshouses is estimated at a total of 457,-105 lbs.

.Mr William Feet, an old resident of the Oamaru district, has died at the age of SI years. Mr Feet enlisted for the Crimean Campaign, but: was drafted into (be marines, and went on foreign sea service, principally oil' the South American (•oast. lie came to New Zealand in 1859 in (he ship Henlmry. ;,nd served against Die Maoris in the Auckland district.

As showing the shortage of teachers in the Wollinjil<m Education (lis)ricl, it may he 'men! ioned that fur .seventeen positions in country schools, which are to he dealt with hy the Education Board, there are only two certified applicants. The salary tor these positions range from .€ 1 (SO to £220, with house allowance added. For eight positions for which the maximum salary is £1.(10, some of them will) house allowance, there is not a single applicant. For three schools with a maximum salary of £220 and £‘3o house, allowance, only two certified teachers have applied.

The spokesman of a deputation to a Taranaki hoard of factory directors urged, in support of a forward move in the direction of sugar of milk manufacture, that pioneering was not altogether a thing of (he past. It hud only changed its nature. Pioneers were wanted today in adventuring on new lines, and they had to take risks. AVitli everything the farmer had to buy advanced to double or treble its former price, he had to seek new methods of increasing his receipts. The directors were sufficiently impressed to decide upon convening a general meeting of shareholders to Imld a kdvero on the subject. A new postage stamp of llireeeent denomination lias been issued in the United to eonunomorate the successful outcome of the war. This design presents a standing figure of Liberty Victorious, with a background composed of flie Hags of the five countries which were most -actively engaged in the cause. The figure of Liberty Is helmeted, the upper part of the body is encased in scale armour, and a flowing skirt falls to rhe feet. The right hand grasps a sword, the point of which rests on the ground at the feet of the figure. The left arm is partially extended, and the hand holds a balance scale, representing Justice. Back of the figure appears the American flag, at the left are draped the British and Belgian flags, and at the right the Italian and French flags. The whole design appears upon a shaded panel, and is reproduced in a purple tint.

An idea of the force of the impact in the recent Main Trunk train smash may he gathered from the fact that a horse in a van five trucks behind the engine was found thrown 100 feet over it. The van in which the animal was being conveyed was also thrown right over the engine, and the latter was embedded 42 feet in the bank it ran into.

The Natives of this district are .organising a social and dance, to be held in the Town Hall on Thursday, June 19th, in aid of the Peace Celebrations Fund. This is the second of a scries that will be held, and there is at present a balance of .Clin hand from the one hold a few weeks bade. The prices of admission are, gentlemen Is fid, ladies Is. The local Seoul troop held a very successful parade last night, in the supper-room of '(lie Town Hall. Sixty boys were iu attendance, and are becoming proficient in elementary and physical drill, knotting, semaphore, etc. Two practices have been held with the trumpet band, and Captain Collin hopes to give the public of Foxton a chance of hearing them shortly.

Attention is drawn to (lie children’s party, to be held in the Town Hull on Tuesday next. No effort is being spared to make the function a great success. Mrs Grant and other helpers have been most energetic in training tin* children for different: items. At 10 p.m. the floor will be vacant for adults, and dancing will bo indulged in until, midnight. At the last meeting of the Palmerston North Borough Council the Mayor brought up the question of the advisability of (he various local bodies in (lie district combining to purchase a steamer for the purpose of conveying coal to the port of Foxton. A meeting has now been convened, to be held at the Council Chamber, Palmerston North, on .Monday next, at 3 p.m., (o further consider this question. A]\ County and Borough Councils are being asked to send representatives, and an invitation is extended to all interested to attend.

It is not every day that the Post and Telegraph Department is presented with a post office, yet this is what actually took place in Hawke’s Bay recently. Mr Jonathan Holden, of Makotuku, staled that ho would be pleased to defray the cost of a new post office for the township, so the Department found the site and erected a very comfortable combined residence and post office, with its own staff, that is quite a credit lo the place. A brass plate has been engraved sotting forth the fact that the building was presented by Mr Jonathan Holden.

- One of the earliest settlers at Fox ton was Mr David Hughey, who (ondaeted a general store here fifty years ago, and subsequently opened the Awahou, Delaware, Salisbury and other blocks in the PoImngina for settlement. Mr Hughey, who resided for a number u 3 years at Pohangina, subsequently removed to Waikanae. He is now in his 90th year, and lias become so frail of late that he is unable to leave his room. Despite his physical infirmities, Mr Hughey’s menial faculties are unusually keen for his, age, and in conversation with a Palmerston resident the other day he alluded to many of his early experiences on (his coast, and sent greetings to some of his oldest friends In the Manawalu,

There was a (’airly good muster of members on the local bowling green yesterday afternoon to assist in (opdressing tbe green and the general improvement work, and good progress was made. The green was thoroughly raked over and sown, and a fair portion topdressed. There is still a lot of work to be done both on the green and in connection with the erection of the verandah. The material for (he rustic summerhouse is on the ground, and a start witli the erection of same will be made as soon as the green is topdressed and the verandah completed. The Committee also contemplates other improvements, which will be carried out before the new season opens. The Secretary desires to acknowledge several donations towards the cost of the improvements, and will be pleased to receive'any further donations that members may feel disposed to make.

At a meeting of the Horowhenua Fruitgrower*’ Association. the scarcity of timber ami the question of planting trees for fruit cases was discussed. Mr G. IT. Cunningham, biologist at the Central Development Farm, said (hat if planted four feet apart and thinned at* the j/roper time, a block of pinus insignia in ten years’ time would generally reach 50ft. in height, with one foot diameter, and lie instanced a belt of trees along the Foxton railway line. The pines would he Jit for cutting at any time provided they reached one foot in diameter; the cost of planting would he about £3 per acre. As to the capacity of trees one foot in diameter, Mr Cunningham said that if they averaged a height of 50 feet, they would cm from 20 to 30 fruit cases. After an animated discussion, it was decided unanimously that the Associ-,. ation take steps to arrange a conference of local bodies, Farmers’ Unions, dairy companies, and others interested to discuss the timber question and the matter of future supplies.