GOD’S GREATEST GIFTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 446, 11 July 1922, Page 4

GOD’S GREATEST GIFTS

As the time for the commencement of the Manawatu Competitions Society’s initial effort draws near interest in this comprehensive musical festival is beginning to quicken. The society’s claim for a generous measure of public support should register a many-voiced appeal to those who have the welfare of the community at heart, for there is more in the movement than a mere series of competitions. It is calculated perhaps more than .any other institution in the Dominion to stimulate the interest and elevate popular taste in matters musical—vocal and instrumental—and to revive the largely lost art, elocution. The charms of music are proverbial. One of the greatest of all God’s gifts, it is by a strange paradox one of the most neglected—the few’ cultivate it for the cheer and entertainment of the many, it is not until one strays beyond the beaten paths of civilisation and ifs concomitants, and is denied many of Life’s amenities that the beatihe joys of music are appreciated. “ God sent his singers upon Earth, with songs of sadness and of mirth,” and out in the stark solitudes music, even in its crudest forms, has by virtue of its subtle influences and its heart-diving power saved many a mind from snapping, reclaimed many a drifting soul, and, generally, put Man more in tune with the infinite. Its soothing powers might well he said to commence Svfth the cradle and stop short of only the funeral dirge. One’s tastes chop and change and undergo, often, radical reconstruction during a lifetime, hut through all'the seven ages of man the love of music and its fecundity of expression in one’s thoughts and actions remain paramount in the soul in which it has been implanted. In a word, there are manifold reasons why the torch of musical enthusiasm so auspiciously kindled by the Manawatu Competitions Society should be kept burning brightly in our midst; and for its fuel it requires a strong leaven of public support. The most practical means of exercising this is by attendance at the forthcoming musical festival, and by linking up with the membership of the organisation.

A Chinese fruiterer’s shop at Pallium;, was entered on Sunday and about it stolen A frost lifih six feet iri I( mgth y,m stranded at the Castlocllff beach on bin urday. The Hustings Borough Council received 113 applications for the position of maim g „r of the municipal picture theatre. Btmrlars are still active in Auckland, and rewntfy goods valued Wt. ««l™ from a private house, while £2j in cad. and about £BS worth of goods were taken from a shop. V Atf the hearing of a' case in the Auckland Police Court yeStMay ™e Official Assignee said the deficiency in the estate of Hammond and Cracknel!, solicitois, was about £45,000, nearly all the claims being for trust moneys.

The borough abattoirayreturn for the month of June shows that the following slock were slaughtered :—Cows 137, heifers 93, bullocks 127, calves % sheep 1643, lambs 166 and pigs 432. The stock coin demned comprised 3 cows, \lO bullocks, j pigs and 3 sheep. , . \ Earthquakes of a few minutes’ duration still continue to be experienced at Taupe. Visitors to the district are n<jt disturbed greatly by the tremors, looknig\upoii them rather in the light ' of interisting experiences, while residents in the distuct have become quite accustomed to the shakes. Some time ago an informdtlon was laid by the police against a \\ aipukiutiu taxi proprietor, under the borough by-law tor refusing to carry a pfrarnbulator oil a licensed taxi. The magistrate was of opinion that if the taxi-driver was of. the opinion that a perambulator would be likelvto damage his car, lie was justified in i® using to carry it, A ,

A resident of Georgetown, in Southland, got a nasty shock in the early hours ol a morning. The gentle opening of uu bedroom window awakened him, ana while he was awaiting developments an intruder climbed into the room, striking a match to look round. On being spoken to the intruder promptly departed the way he had entered.

The industrious Hindu has a very pleasing trait in character ■ (says the Ring Country Chronicle). A bankrupt told his creditors at Te Kuiti that a Hindu labourer, when he heard that his employer was insolvent, expressed his willingness to lend his brother white man his 15 cows in milk if he wanted them. “1 had a lot of time for that man,” declared the bankrupt.

A rather interesting exhibit has been forwarded to the Waikato Times by Mr R. Renwick, Putururu, in the shape of 16 ordinary pins, two inches long and very much discoloured, which he states be found in the gizzard of a fowl which be had killed, not because it exhibited any sign of illness, but for table purposes. These pins, and also the remains of a safety pin, were sticking through the gizzard about a quarter of an inch. The bird was apparently in the best of health wnen killed.

At present there are nineteen returned soldiers working in three separate gangs employed on the constructing of concrete channelling in (lie borough, reported the engineer to tire council last night. The work authorised by the council was practically completed and he submitted a list of streets which might be undertaken next. The Mayor, in commenting on die matter, asked that the engineer submit a report on the quality of the work when it was finished, and as to the desirability of proceeding with further work at the council's own expense.

“It is becoming a bad practice among motorists to drive on the wrong side of the road when nearing another car, and then to swerve suddenly on to the proper side in order to get past,” said Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, when giving his decision in a case concerning the alleged negligence of a driver. “Four out of live times, - ’ he continued, “the traveller can see an approaching car on the wrong side of the road. Sometimes a driver endeavours to cross when it is too late, and then there- is trouble. Drivers should form the habit of keeping to the correct side of the road all tlie time.”

That there are other ways of killing a oat than by drowning it in milk, was brought out at the Magistrate’s Court in Christchurch recently (says the Lyttelton Times). The case in progress concerned a bicycle which had been taken from an auction mart, and the auctioneer was giving evidence as to the precautions he took against theft. “Why, there was a lady who came in and ‘pinched’ sixteen eggs,” he said, “and my man saw her. He did not want to bring any proceedings against her, so he purposely bumped into her until the eggs were all smashed. She went out with the mess running down her skirt,” he concluded. Allegations that he was an inveterate gambler were (says an exchange) brought against a defendant in a judgment summons case at the Magistrate’s Court in Christchurch recently, and it seemed they were well founded when he admitted to counsel for the prosecution that he had a collection' of totalisator tickets which represented a value of £1154. It was pleaded, however, that defendant had made a hobby of collecting them. “They took a long time to collect,” he said. "No, you don’t,” interrupted his wife, “they are one year’s tickets.” The Magistrate, Mr Wyvern Wilson, said he thought they showed where defendant’s money went to. lie would be ordered to pay the money owing, in default thirty days’ imprisonment. In the course of an address at a public meeting at Levin in connection with the soldiers’ carnival, Sir Andrew Russell, president of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association, said that it was unfair to blame the Government generally for the position in which many returned men found themselves because if the Government had net purchased land there would have been a howl from end to end of the Dominion, but if the same foresight and wisdom had been shown in regard to land settlement as was shown in the case of repatriation to trades by the setting up of boards of experienced men to ensure that no soldier went'on the land without a fair chance of success there would not now be such urgent need for action.

At the inquest in Auckland yesterday concerning the death of Nathaniel Hayden, the victim of the fire in Grey street on the morning of June 16, the coroner, Mr Wilson, complimented Constable Wilson on the part he took in endeavouring to save deceased. The coroner, addressing the constable, gaid: “You went into the burning building on three occasions at the risk of your own life. For a very long time I have had a great respect for the deeds of members of the police force, which is a force the public should be proud of. I feel that by your efforts on the morning of the fire you have added something to the honours list of the force. I will mako a special representation to the Minister of Justice concerning your brave act, which I trust will be suitably recognised.”

Particulars of the Waverley sale to be held on Friday next at one o’clock are announced in our auction columns by the Farmers’ Co-op. (Hawera About 1500 head of mixed cattle will be submitted, also sheep, pigs, sundries, etc,, and a petusul of the firm’s announcement will be of interest,—Advt.

Premises open all day Wednesday: selling children’s winter weight ribbed cotton combinations in nice, wide, well-cut shapes for 2s 4d pair any size. Sizes 5,6, 7 and 8, eleven dozen in all, well worth 5s lid. This is one of Collinson-Cunnmghame’s specials for all day Wednesday, 9 to 5,30; a timely opportunity for mothers of girls—Advt.

This week you can have any tiled work made by Collinson and Son fitted into its place by experts free of charge. Two of their tiling experts being off country vork for a few days this offer is possible. Why not inspect their beautiful tiled fireplaces, surrounds, kerbs, hearths, etc. ? Fitted free if bought this week.—Ad\t, For children’s hacking cough, Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure.—Advt. Wherever you find a grocer busy meeting all demands for “No-Rubbing” laundry help and “Golden Rill?” soap, you can safely regard him ai a public benefactor.— Advt. r

A potilion in bankruptcy lias boon filocl with (lie Deputy Oflicial Assignee by Mar.'hall Knight, farmer, of Palmerston North.

“The yards in the borough are in a satisfactory slate,” reported the borough inspector (Mr J. Lissington) to the meeting nl the council last night. Ho added that Juno had been a very good month as regards sickness, there having been \eiy little.

At tho Auckland Police Court yesterday Mr J. W. Poynton, S.M., decided that the games, “prize dart” and “help your neighbour” wore wholly games of chance and fined a showman 20s for conducting them at tho Winter Show. Leave was given to appeal.

Speaking at tho meeting of the Borough Council last night, Cr./ Canton complimented tho engineer (Mr J• R- Hughes) on the excellent work lie had done m connection with the Kawau dram, which, he said, was the most complete and. up-to-date since tho borough’ drainage scheme was undertaken.

The charge against William Alexander Crossiin of having attempted to imitdei Detective C V Lambert at Hamilton on June 9 when the accused had boon arrested on charges of burglary, will he heard at Hamilton to-morrow. Detective Lambert who was shot in the abdomen, has now’ sufficiently recovered to give evidence.

Elizabeth Margaret Aishor, a married woman aged 58, died suddenly at Wellington on’ Saturday. At tho inquest yesterday evidence was given that the deceased had just received a present from her son, who had been absent for some years, and tJie became excited. Tho medical evidence was that death was due to heart failure, caused by excitement.

As a sequel to the bankruptcy of the Auckland firm of Hammond and Crackncll, three charges of having made false declarations in respect of that firm’s trust account wore preferred at the Police Court at Auckland yesterday against James Waring Jamison. Accused pleaded not guilty and reserved Ids defence, being committed for trial. Bail of £IOO was allowed.

Jn the South African Assembly, in introducing the Coinage Bill, the Minister for Finance stated that for the present gold would not ho coined. When it was, it would be the British sovereign with the South -African mint mark. The same coinage would be adopted as at present, except the crown and the farthing, which would be dropped. There was no intention of adopting decimal coinage. Our Karere correspondent states that an enjoyable social evening was spent at the residence of Air and Mrs John Calleson lust evening when a number of friends welcomed them on their return from their honeymoon. Songs and games were indulged in to a late hour. The health of Mr and Mrs Calleson was proposed and the singing of ‘Tor They' are Jolly Good Follows” terminated a happy gathering. In the course of his address to delegates at the New Zealand Trotting'Conference at Wellington to-day, the president pointed out that whilst largo fields constituted a dangerous menace to safety, there was grave danger of racing in a- failing light. Several _ instances had been brought under his notice during the past year where it, was almost impossible to distinguish the hoTses competing. He considered that the last race on any programme should be set* down for decision at least half-an-hour before sunset, and no programme should: otherwise be passed. Racing in a lead light was not only dangerous to drivers and riders, but was distinctly annoying to racegoers. Officials could not closely watch the running, whilst the unfortunate judge was not given a square deal.

Tho monthly meeting of the directors of (he Starr-Bowkett Budding Society was held last evening. Mr M. A. Eliott presided. The chairman referred to the loss the society had sustained by tho death of the late Mr George Woodroofe and re- 1 feired to the long and valuable service s ; rendered by deceased since the inception of the society and for the past ten a director. A resolution of condolence with the widow and family was duly passed and recorded. Arrangements were made lor tile holding of ballots at the annual general meeting, which was fixed for August 30: Tenders for loans having been invited; offers of £3O per cent, and £27 10s per cent, for two lots of ££oo each were accepted.

Addressing members of the Trotting Conference at Wellington to-day, the president stated that whilst it was true a number of horses had been sold for exportation, it was satisfactory to note that many valuable animals had recently arrived in this country, and he understood that negotiations wore in progress for the purchase of a considerable number of American-bred young horses and brood mares. Another point he made was that during the past season New Zealand horses were repeatedly challenged with some success by animals bred and owned in Australia. Whilst New Zealanders welcomed their opposition, and trusted that their friends across the Tasman would still continue to throw down the gauntlet, he hoped the glove would idways be lifted on behalf of worthy locallv-bred horses.