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Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 245, 13 September 1933, Page 6

A definite movement is afoot in Wanganui to endeavour to have a No-vember-December wool sale re-institut-ed. A conference of local bodies to help further the proposal is being held to-day. The first Wanganui sale on the present roster is set down for January 19. Three of the seven persons in Auckland who hold shares in the ticket which won the first prize of £6OOO in a sweepstake drawn at Hobart, Tasmania, are members of one family. They are Mrs Sarah Ann Hollings, pork butcher, of 245 Dominion Road, Mount Eden, and her two sons. As a result of their good fortune they will each receive £857, a total of £2571. ,

Another case of sleepy sickness has been admitted to the ltawene Hospital. The patient is a Maori boy, two years old. He comes from the Otaua settlement in the Taiheke district. The native boy Rawiri, suffering from the same disease, whose case was considered very critical a few days ago, is showing signs of marked improvement, and hopes are now entertained for his recovery.

An interesting address on old Maori customs relating to betrothal and marriage was given by Mrs R. Bennett before the anthropology and Maori race section of the Auckland Institute and Museum last week. Upon the birth of the first male child it was an old custom be betroth the infant to a <emale child, said Mrs Bennett, the arrangement being that the two children should marry when they grew up. This custom of' puhi was seldom infringed or annulled, but when it was atonement had to be made by the handling over of goods and possessions. Railing that, bloodshed or plunder, or both, might occur. The custom of asking for the hand of a maiden in marriage was called tomowahine. The young man usually despatched an envoy with a garment for the girl of his choice, after which an elaborate ceremony was arranged, with much feasting, singing, weeping, wailing, and speechmaking. The guests would not depart until all the food had been eaten —a matter of several days.

A startling claim that he had invented an engine which would obviate the entire use of petrol or steam was made to a representative of the Timaru Herald by a well-known Timaru citizen, wild at present is endeavouring to secure the patent rights and adequate protection for the design, which he stated would revolutionise the commercial and industrial world, “My invention,” he said, “is the outcome of an offer made by the Scientific American 30 years ago of a prize of £IOOO for a design of an engine which would take the place of steam. That was before the advent of petrol, and now I claim that, after all these years _ of study, l I have produced something which will replace petrol and steam.” It was explained that the Railway Department was at present interested in the device and was awaiting further particulars which should be furnished to the Inventions Committee at an early date. The redeeming feature of the engine, it was claimed, was that there were two speeds, one forward and ■one reverse. There would be no carburettor, commutator, or self-starter, and the machine itself could develop electricity. Twenty years ago, the inventor stated, a similar engine was in operation, but from a utilitarian point of view, was not suitable to a.ny degree. “The patent I have worked out was at the start quite suitable up to a point, but with the advancement of the years and the changes that have been effected, hard work has rewarded me with something which should now prove equal to the most stringent test.”

Fire broke out the other morning in the Hikurangi Coal Company’s mine at Hikurangi. After being partially subdued, a commencement was made in sealing up the area to prevent a spread of the fire, and to allow it to die out gradually. Some months ago, a serious fire broke out in this portion of the mine, resulting in considerable damage.

On Friday evening (writes the Otago Daily Times’s Kurow correspondent) a meteor was observed at the Waitaki hydro-electric works, travelling in a south-westerly direction. It lit up the hills in the neighbourhood of the works, and as it approached the earth a report like that of a heavy gun could be heard, the echoes rumbling like thunder. The Kairanga County Council, at its monthly meeting yesterday, decided to take action for the recovery of the cost of repairs to a bridge which had been damaged by a motorist. The acting engineer explained that the driver in this case had blamed a fault in the steering gear. After a short discussion as to whether motorists could be prosecuted in such cases, the council adopted the decision stated.

A member of the Manukau Licensing Committee for more than 30 years, Mr John Rowe, has forfeited his seat on the committee as the result of nonattendance at two consecutive meetings. There is no legal provision for the granting of leave of absence to a member of a licensing committee and, although Mr Rowe’s failure to attend meetings was due to illness, his seat automatically became vacant.

God wits have started to return to New Zealand after their long annual migration to Siberia, and already numbers have been seen in Manukau Harbour. They are apparently an advance guard for larger Hocks. It is customary for godwits. to appear in large numbers in October, the migration in normal years being completed by the end of November. In several weeks time it is probable that thousands of birds will be gathered on the mudflats of west coast harbours and other favoured spots.

The interest being taken by Wellington Rugby enthusiasts in the annual match between their representatives and Auckland in the northern city on Saturday is evidenced by the fact that there were, up to yesterday, 400 bookings for the special train. Among those in attendance at the game will be the North Island selectors, who will finalise the North Island’s combination for the inter-island game the following week. Manawatu enthusiasts are keenly awaiting the publication of the team, for they have hopes that this district will gain representation. The fifth anniversary of the first trans-Tasman flight, in the famous monoplane Southern Cross, fell on Monday. Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and three companions left Sydney on September 10 and landed at Christchurch the next day, their machine covering the distance of 1650 miles in 14 hours 25 minutes. The Southern Cross made a second flight to New Zealand on January 11 of the present year, the machine travelling from Gerringong Beach, New South Wales, to New Plymouth. The crossing of the Tasman occupied 14 hours 10 minutes on that occasion. Return flights to Australia were made by Sir Charles and his companions after both ventures.