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Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 138, 10 May 1930, Page 8

Ton degrees of frost, the lowest temperature experienced so far this winter, were recorded at Hamilton cn Wednesday morning. There was a dense fog in all .the low-lying parts;

It is probable that the All Black eight to row at the Empire Games to be held at Ontario, Canada, will train at Wanganui. The crow will go into training on June 10, leaving New Zealand on July 1.

It was capping day at Wellington yesterday. Few people cavilled at the pranks of the Victoria College students, who infringed upon public and private rights by little more than disorganising traffic for an hour and squirting water over unwary passersby. “Music is in a precarious position today,” said Mr J. Crossley Clitheroe, of Dunedin, the judge of the vocal and instrumental sections at the competitions, last evening. “In fact, a crisis has occurred and it is only by gatherings such as these competitions that we can keep it alive,” he added.

At the West End School Committee meeting last night, Mr F. W. Moore, headmaster, gave the interesting information that, in connection with the term tests, he had occasion to write between 10,000 and 15,000 words. His 6ta<f also had a large amount of handwriting to do in preparing the examination papers, so that the sum total of words would doubtless run into many thousands. Before the end of the year the building industry promises to make a notable contribution to the reduction of unemployment in Christchurch. Yesterday a firm of architects confirmed a report that it had in hand the preparation of building schemes which would involve an outlay of many thousands of pounds. Included in the work were comprehensive projects for two big drapery firms. “In view of the increasing cost of education, it is questionable whether school committees can hope to obtain increased allowances,” said Mr A. Burns, chairman of the Auckland Education Board, when a letter was received by the board from the New Lynn School Committee urging that the board should do all in its power to obtain an increase. It was decided to forward the letter to the Education Department. An interesting story is told by postmarks on the back of an envelope containing a letter written at Patea over 60 years ago to bo tent to a person in New Plymouth. The dates shown are; Patea, July 23, 1867; Wanganui, July 24; Wellington, August 2; New Plymouth, August 11. The roundabout journey is explained by the fact that there was no railway to New Plymouth in those days. The letter had to travel to Wanganui, then to Wellington and from there to New Plymouth by boat.

Indiscriminate shooting is going on in parts of the Wanganui district. A sportsman who returned from a deer stalking trip a day or two ago stated that a farmer had discovered the carcase of a run bullock with three bullet holes in it and a sheep with a broken shoulder, which had been caused by the impact of a bullet. “There is a flat surrounded by hills in this particular locality,” the sportsman said, “and the farmer is afraid- to cross it because of the amount of wild shooting which is going on.” “If the missionaries who sail in the mission ship Southern Cross are bad sailors, they must sometimes long for more creature comforts,” comments Bishop West-Watson in a letter describing a visit paid by him to the vessel at Auckland, and published in the Church News. “Except for the altar in the tiny sanctuary opening off the saloon, she is bare of adornment. If anybody imagines these gallant missionary souls cruising the bluo Pacific in a fine steam yacht with twinkling brass saloons, I should like a word with him!”

“The problem is so colossal that the setting up of tinpot boards to deal with it seems almost as absurd as it is useless,” remarked Mr C. K. Wilson (Waitomo) at a rural counties conference at Hamilton, and speaking with reference to a proposal to establish boards for the eradication of noxious weeds. Unoccupied native and Crown lands were, he said, the greatest breeding grounds for noxious weeds, and it would be futile to set up boards for their eradication while the Government remained the biggest offender. The problem was one for a national effort, and the best they could then hope for was to keep weeds under control. Nothing was done in the matter.