Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1933 LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 4872, 18 February 1933, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1933 LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There are at present 13 business premises in the course of erection in Hastings to the value of £57,555 ami eight dwelling houses valued at £4G75.

At Brisbane on- Thursday, England won the fourth cricket test match against Australia and the "Ashes” by six wickets and three runs.

j Considerable damage, if not utter ruin, has befallen, grain crops in the Rangitikei district, owing to the recent continuous rains. Wheat is is growing in the stooks at Wangahcu.

"This man is the New Zealand champion pessimist —Cabinet Ministers excluded,” said a member of the Disabled Soldiers’ Civil Rehabilitation Committee, referring at a meeting on Wednesday to a request for help from a regular applicant (states the “Christchurch Times”). The left hand of a man, winch had apparently been in the sea for a few months, was found by a civilian assisting in a police search of New Brighton beach on Wednesday. The hand was seen by children on February sth, but the find was not reported to the police for some days. The hand was located again oniy after an extensive search. Attention is drawn to an advertisement in this issue, in relation to a dai re which is being held in the Masonic Hall on Wednesday, February 22nd. Claude Fisher and his Collegians, a talented combination of musicians, who are now on Australasian tour, 'will feature ail the latest and favourite dance hits A record attendance is anticipated. The 23rd annual conference of the New Zealand Municipal Association will be held at Rotorua, commencing on March 2. The order paper is not as long as in some previous years, nor are the proposals embodied in the 89 remits particularly arresting. There is no mention on the printed order papei ■of the vital question of the effect, of high exchange upon local body loan finance, but it is expected that the conference will discuss this new problem as one of the main topics. In reference to the clause in the Education Act giving- power to school committees to suspend teachers, the Minister for Education states that through misunderstanding, power is given to school committees to suspend teachers for neglect of duties, etc. This was not intended and steps are now being taken to amend the clause in the committee stage.” The principal Act gives power to committees to report teachers to Boards who deal with such complaints. A striking illustration of the effect of the raising of the exchange rate was provided in a transaction which took place the other day in a Dunedin hotel. An English tourist. who appeared at the office to pay a bill for £.l 4s, presented a Bank of England £5 note. The assistance of a bank employee was sought by the office staff, and after the necessary calculations had been made, it was agreed that the tourist should pay an additional ,3d. Then in return for his English £5 note he was given a New Zealand £5 note and a receipt for £1 4s.

Four specimens of a fish uncommon to New Zealand waters were displayed in a Greymouth shop window last week. They were Bonita, and were caught on the minnow off Wlestport. Their weight was in the vicinity of 141 b., but fully grown they have been known to reach 1201 b. and more. They are common in the Mediterranean and are splendid fighters. These fish are stated to flash through the water at a speed of 180 miles an hour. Torpedo-like in shape, it is stated torpedoes arc modelled on the lines of the Bonita, which are also the fastest fish at sea. The Bonita are natives of the Red Sea.

The mysteries of such an exclusive place as the eallrooin of the Auckland Stock Exchange, debarred even to leading business men, held no terrors for a small boy the other day, says the Herald. Brokers were engaged in the final call when proceedingsjvere suddenly interrupted by a lad, scarcely higher than the table-tops at which the brokers were engaged. Without hesitation or any sign of bewilderment, as the result of being suddenly confronted by such a large group of men, the hoy marched .triumphantly to the rostrum, ’and in response to the chairman’s query he said he was a salesman and desired to offer his wares.

They were swapping' "mean man” stories aboard the Rotorua express the other day. Presently the man in the corner said: '“I was travelling' from Lyttelton to Wellington awhile ago. In the smoke-room after dinner a well-dressed stranger asked me for a “fill.” I handed him my brand new pouch. Later, feeling inclined for a whiff myself, I ventured to remind this chap that he had not returned my pouch. Ho had the nerve to tell me he had given it. back ‘long ago.’ A barefaced lie, of course. But I couldn’t prove it. The pouch was full of New Zealand toasted ' tobacco. I smoke nothing else. There’s no tobacco like Cut Plug No. 10. And as I couldn’t get any on the boat, I had perforce to wait for my next smoke till I got ashore. Doesn’t always pay to be too obliging, does it?” The tobacco mentioned by this passenger is one of the four famous'toasted brands, the other three being Riverhead Gold, Cavendish, and Navy Cut No. 3. —Advt.

Wav clouds are looming in the Far East, and a clash on a big scale between China and Japan appears imminent. The m.v.'Foxton arrived in port yesterday morning with a general cargo from the South. This is the first visit the Foxton has made to the local port for some time.

A peculiar fish, which is believed to be an electric ray, was found on the foreshore of the Whakatane River on Wednesday. The fish resembles a stringrav in appearance, but had a flat, round body instead of the square-shaped body of the stringrav.

The monthly meeting of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union was held in the Methodist Sunday schoolroom on Tuesday, presided over by Mrs Jno. Ross. After the usual routine, Mrs Ross read a paper on “Alcohol as the ally of Microbes,” and also told a story of St. Valentine’s Day. The meeting closed with the Benediction.

It is expected that Sir Charles Kingsford Smith will resume passenger flying on Saturday, February 25. His brother, Mr. Wilfred Kingsford Smith, called at- Palmerston North when returning from Auckland on Thursday to ascertain what progress was being made with the repairs to the damaged monoplane, Southern Cross. He says the machine will be ready for a test flight on Friday, February 24. Sir Charles Avas expected to return to New Zealand from Australia on Februarv 25 or 26.

The eating of crayfish of uncertain age has caused'an epidemic of mild ptomaine poisoning at Pakotai (states the “Northern Advocate”). Last week several natives Averc very ill, but recovered Avithout medical attention. On Saturday afternoon further supplies of crayfish were received from Kaitaia, and the party Avhich participated in the feast at first suffered no ill-effects, being able to attend a boxing tournament at Kaikohc in the evening, but on Sunday the Avhole six of them, gradually became very ill, two of them, the Rev. Pon Ilemi (28.) and his cousin, Mrs Ilene fieri Rudolph (2!)) being brought to the Whangarei District Hospital by the ambulance, arriving at midnight, the condition of both Avas reported to be satisfactory on Monday.

Because of the railway freight it is more economical for the Wan-ganui-Rangitikci Electric Power Board to buy hardwood poles from Australia than to buy silver pine poles from the King Country and rail them from National Park to Wanganui. Even then the hardwood poles are the better article (says an exchange). At a meeting of the Board the buying of 100 Australian hardwood poles was authorised, the engineer saying that they Avould be needed for corner Avork in towns. The concrete poles would not stand the strain as they could not be guyed on the corners, and it Avas difficult to obtain suitable silver pine poles of sufficient length. The difference of freight was mentioned during the discussion, and it Avas decided to approach the Railway Department m the matter. ,