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Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 308, 26 November 1932, Page 6

The spring just past has been the driest experienced in Dunedin for 20 years or more. Despite regular attention, the road between Eketahuna and Pahiatua is said to be in an extremely rough condition at present. As the result of pulling a pot of boiling water over 'himself, Desmond Stead, aged 14 months, whose parents reside in Hamilton, received painful scalds to the face and chest. It is reported that negotiations are in progress for the opening of a sawmill at Eketahuna, and that if these are successfully concluded the mill will be in operation early in the New Year. During the week the traffic inspector’s office in the City Council's bus shelter in the Square was entered and a quantity of concession tickets taken, together with sixpence, which was all the money on the premises. At a meeting of Maori people at Waitara, it was decided to erect over the vault which contains the ashes of Sir Maui Pomare, at Manukorihi Pa, a suitable memorial, which will probr ably take the form of a life-size or slightly larger figure of the late chief. It will cost up io £ISOO, a third of which is already in hand.

A full report of the trial of Hubert Cedric Jepson, who was sentenced to death for the murder of his wife and two children at New Plymouth, has been received by the Minister for Justice. The papers, together with the jurv's recommendation to mercy, will be considered by the Minister, and the question as to whether the sentence will be confirmed or commuted will be brought before the Executive Council in the near future.

Of particular interest to antiquarians is a Maori flute found by Mr S. M. Hovell in connection with his investigations on a property at Thornton’s Bay, near Thames. The flute, or. as the Maoris know it, a “koauwau, is a hollow piece of stone, about four inches long, and has three stops. The instrument, which is beautifully carved at one end, is made of what appears to be sandstone. Mr Hovell states that he has found eight flutes on the property he is investigating, but such finds are very rare.

The Railway Department advertises in this issue particulars of train arrangements and excursion fares in connection with the Feildins races.

The Eketahuna butter factory is disposing of its output in the Dominion this season.

Owing to a prolonged drought, set-tlers-on the llangitaiki Plains in many cases are in urgent need of water both for domestic and general farm use. Rev. Jasper Calder has sent an individual letter to the members of the English board of the Melanesian Mission strongly urging that the new vessel for the mission work at the islands should be built in Auckland. Mr Calder has forwarded samples of heart of kauri to the English members, and particulars and photographs of Auckland building yards and vessels built here, and has drawn attention to the special facilities that Auckland has for supplying a new vessel. Grandfather, father and son are employees of one firm in Wanganui. Thirty years ago the firm brought Mr J. Coney beer tram Sydney to till the position of collar-maker. "Three years later a son, Mr A. J. Coneybeer, followed to enter the employ of the same firm. Father and son have been employed by the firm for 30 and 27 years respectively. Now a son of Mr A. J. Coneybeer has joined the service of the tail, making three generations of the family with the one firm. This must be almost unique among trading firms in the Dominion. After 50 years of service the old railway bridge over the Opihi River at Temuka was closed after the passing of the Dunedin-Christcliurch express at 2.10 p.m. one day this week. Immediately after the passing of the train five gangs, comprising 40 men, assisted by three cranes, began the work of dismantling. Two cranes detached rails with sleepers • attached and placed them on the ground, from where they were transferred by the third crane to the new bridge. So quickly was the work carried out that shortly after four o'clock the spans were ready for bolting. The first train to pass over the new bridge was the 5.20 p.m. goods train from Timaru.

Students of Maori history in Hawke’s Bay have probed into the past in an endeavour to establish a link with the discovery of a large number of skeletons near Waimorama on the coast, a short distance south of Cape Kidnappers and nearly’ 30 miles from Napier. The skeletons have no skulls and it is concluded that they are those of warriors who fell in tribal Sghting even many years before the arrival of pakehas in the district. This contention is supported by the knowledge that it was the custom among Maoris to treat the heads of victims to a curing process by which even details' of the features were retained. The discovery was made by a ranger during a visit to the gannet sanctuary at Cape Kidnappers.