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Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 134, 7 May 1928, Page 6

The warm rains of the past fortnight have produced a plentiful supply of mushrooms in the district. It is expected. however, that with the colder weather of the late autumn the season for this delectable fungus will shortly terminate. The question of reticulating Tangimoana with electric power was discussed at a meeting of property owners on Saturday evening, when it was decided to request the Manawatu-Oroua Power Board to supply an estimate of the cost of the reticulation and the revenue required. The matter will be further dealt with at a meeting to be held when the whole of the property owners, who are scattered over a wide area, have been circularised in connection with the scheme. “I’ve never .had rheumatism in my life,” .was the emphatic retort of a labourer in the Arbitration Court at Auckland on Thursday morning, when counsel for the City Council suggested that the trouble for which he claimed compensation had been aggravated by rheumatism. “But surely the doctor would be a better judge of that than you are?” pressed counsel. “Oh,” said Mr Justico Frazer in his dry way, “I suppose the man thinks he knows, lie has probably seen the illustrations —‘Every picture tells a story’—and that sort of thing!” (Laughter). The plaintiff in the case was a muchbroken man. He told the Court that he had two stitches put in over his eye some years ago. At a later date he had collapsed when lifting a concrete block, and still later lie had been struck ou the chin with a shovel. Ho could not remember having broken two ribs four years ago, although a doctor had reported that such was the case. Dr. Bruce Mackenzie said the man was suffering as the result of an extremely rare type of accident, the processes of tho spine having been fractured. The specialist in radiology said ho could find no authority for an un-united fracture of this sort.

The cost of all the foodstuffs at the Auckland Hospital varies from £IB,OOO to £20,000 a year, while £IOOO is spent yearly on wines and spirits. The Limited express from Auckland arrived in Palmerston North this morning an hour and twenty minutes behind schedule time. The delay was due to various causes along the route. Refunds of motor spirits tax totalling nearly £I2OO have been made to claimants in the Auckland postal district in connection with petrol used for non-motoring purposes during the first quarter of the year. At midnight on Saturday a collision took place between two motor-cars at Lower Hutt, resulting in E. MeVicker, of Lower Hutt, being taken to tho Wellington Hospital suffering from a. fractured lower jaw and wounds on bis face.

Shortly after 10.30 p.m. on Saturday a single man, named Thomas Wilkie, 42 years of age, employed at Seacliffo Mental Hospital, was knocked down by a train near Kensington and died on the way to hospital (states a Dunedin telegram).

The new Government steamer Maui Ponmrc is due to arrive at Apia on her Maiden trip shortly, and will then come on to New Zealand. The vessel was delayed on her voyage through a leak developing, but it! was remedied, and no further trouble was experienced.

A large motor lorry, containing tents and other equipment, belonging to a travelling circus, capsized in the Waimamaku Gorge on Wednesday when going from Rawene to 'Waimamaku.' The lorry had to be turned aside to allow another lorry to pass. Its breaks failed, with the result that it backed over a bank. A Jajianese performer was injured.

The first steps are being taken by the contractors with the building . of the new Auckland railway station. Material is being assembled :n anticipation of over a thousand concrete piles being driven to a solid foundation. The intention is to employ a staff of about 50 men at the start, and then to increase the number, until at the peak of activities about 300 men will be engaged. The ‘•Standard’s” Foxton correspondent states that the Minister for Justice (Hon. F. J. Rollerston) will visit Foxton to-morrow for the purpose of inspecting tho old courthouse. The Minister is making the visit at the request of the Foxton Chamber of Commerco and will be accompanied by Mr Ji Linklater, M.P. A conference will be held at the courthouse after which tho Minister will be entertained to morning tea. “I differ from those who assort that immigration is the prime factor in distress,” said Mr E. Aldridge, Mayor of Devonport, at a meeting of the Waitemata Chamber of Commerce during the course of a discussion on economic problems. Ho expressed the opinion that the trouble lay, not in excess of population, but in currency and finance. An important factor in preventing distress and putting the country on a sounder financial basis would be control by the Government of institutions which dominate wealth. Deer-stalking "in New Zealand is better than anywhere else in the world, said Mr G. H. Williams, of AberI pergwm, Wales, who has returned to I Christchurch from an expedition in South Westland. Mr Williams said the stags were almost twice .as heavy as those in English and Scottish herds, j and their heads were unmatched anyI where, unless, perhaps, in Austria. He was taking back five heads, the smallest of which was bettor than the best head shot in Scotland in 50 years. One was a 16-pointer • and three were 14-pointers, all 42in. or 43in. long, and measuring up to 10fin. in circumference at the base.

Pursuant to its policy of fostering a better feeling between town and country, the Hamilton Rotary Club is inviting fanners .to certain of its special meetings. On Wednesday night about 100 persons assembled to boar a very interesting lecture on the progress of agricultural science' by Dr. Annctt, an English scientist. The most important feature of his address was the emphasis lie placed on the necessity in grass land farming for keeping the feed eaten down. He said it should never be allowed to grow more than sin high. After that stage the feed lost a considerable amount of its nutritive value. The benefit was entirely, in young grass. Dr. Annett made special mention of the growing faith in nitrogenous manuring which experiments in England and Germany had proved highly successful. “I wish we had tho Minister of Public Works here now ” jocularly remarked a member of the party when the car containing the Minister of Lands (Hon. A. D. McLeod) got into difficulties on Friday when negotiating the crossing on to the punt which serves as a connecting link across tile Mauawatu Itiver between Foxton and Shannon. The passengers had to vacate the car in order to allow it to proceed up the wing of the punt which was at anunusual angle owing to the swollen river. On tho trip across the river the destroyed bridge and erosion of the river banks were pointed out to the Minister by Mr W. S. Carter, chairman of the Mauawatu -oro u a River Board, and the Minister also was keenly interested in the new structure which, at a cost of about £23,000, is being erected further up stream. New Zealand being classed as an “earthquake” country has earned a reputation among timid people 1 abroad which it does not deserve. The earthquakes of America and of j Europe slav their thousands, but in | New Zealand (says the Auckland j Star) there have only been seven | deaths front earthquakes in 75 years, i The tourist authorities should fairly j blazen this fact abroad. The little I list so far is:—-The shock of October,{IS4S, threw down a wall in Wellington and three people were killed. On January 24, 1855, a death occurred at - Wellington, recorded as “accidental death from the falling of

a chimney.” ' On November 16, 1001, a child was killed by the Cheviot earthquake. On April 12, 1913, a Maori was killed at Masterton by material falling from the post office, due to an earthquake, in another earthquake one life was lost. “Give'while you live” was the advice tendered by the Mayor (Mr George Baildon) at the official opening of the enlarged winter gardens and courtyard at the Auckland Domain on Wednesday. The Mayor said that the city had been endowed with generous benefactions, citizens had remembered the city in their wills, while others had given during their lives. In handing over tho key of the new building to the Mayor, Sir George Elliot said that his brother had intended to leave enough money in his will to duplicate tho winter garden. “1 happened to mention the fact to my old friend, Mr T. E. Pearson, superintendent of parks,” continued Sir George. _ “The latter had been playing bowls with my brother for 25 years, and one day on the bowling green Mr Pearson mentioned that he had heard that somebody was to leave £4OOO for the purpose. Mr Pearson said that it was a pity that the city would have to wait, and my brother then decided to make the gift in his lifetime.” Special at the C. M. Boss Co., Ltd s— — New Zealand flannel in creme, _ pink, Shetland, grey and natural. 27in. wide, all-wool weave and only Is lid yard; also plain, white flannelette with velvet finish. 35in. wide. Usually Is 3d yard. Special now at 13s 6d dozen yards. See manchcster section. —Advt.