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Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 131, 4 May 1934, Page 6

Primary schools in Palmerston North to-day broke up for the first term holiday. A West Coast remit “that the Government be requested to repeal the Daylight Saving Act,” came before the Dominion executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union yesterday. In view of the importance of the issue it was decided to postpone consideration until the annual conteronce in July next.

Writing to the London Times on strange Church customs, a correspondent says:—“lt would be interesting to discover the extent and antiquity of the custom of eating figs, and particularly of having fig pudding for dinner, on Palm Sunday. It is still deeply rooted in Hertfordshire, where the sale of figs on the previous Saturday is enormous, and I believe in adjoining counties such as Beds, Bucks and Northants. But I cannot find that it is known in the sounthern or the western counties; it may be confined to the Midlands. One might expect dates rather than figs on Palm Sunday, but the custom extends to figs only.” “This little ceremony throws a flash of light on my past,” said Professor J. Macmillan Brown, chancellor of the University of New Zealand, at the unveiling of a new honours board at the Girls’ High School at Christchurch. “This year is exactly the sixtieth since I came to New Zealand. When I left the Old Country I made up my mind that I would go back in two or three years, but hero I am 60 years later, still a resident of Christchurch.” He explained later that he had become so deeply attached to his work at Canterbury College, where he was the first professor of classics, that he soon gave up the idea of returning to England, and refused a new chair of English literature at Oxford, which was offered to him in 1885.

Mr F. Purnell (chairman of the Wan-ganui-Rangitikei Power Board) and Mr G. A. Ammundsen, accompanied by Mr Purnell’s two daughters, when proceeding to Wellington by car on Tuesday morning, had a startling experience when threading their way through a mob of bullocks on the main road beyond Otalci. When about the centre of the mob an overtaking train running adjacent to and parallel with the road startled the animals, which bunched and milled round the car, carrying it bodily along the road for about a chain. It was a novel experience to be propelled by “bullock power.” Both door handles and one lamp were cleanly shorn off, mudguards flattened, the windscreen cracked, two windows jambed and much paint removed.

With a view to curbing the serious increase in the number of street accidents, most of which are caused by carelessness, an Accident Prevention Week is to be held in Wellington.

A case of strawberries were picked at Parilcino, near Wanganui, on Tuesday and were disposed of in the city. The mild weather experienced this season has resulted in the fruit ripening on the plants even as late as this.

The Palmerston North Technical School closes this evening for the term vacation and the opportunity is being taken during the vacation to replace the roof of the engineering workshop at the rear of the main building. When a Maori was charged at Paoroa with taking absolutely protected native game his counsel pleaded not guilty under the provisions of the Treaty of Waitangi. The magistrate, however, ruled that the Ti-eaty offered no defence.

The unemployed registrations at Dannevirke on Wednesday totalled 267, 153 of that number being on the No. 5 scheme. This week’s total is the lowest since April, 1932. The highest point was reached in August, 1932, with a total of 448.

The season just closing of the Bay of Islands Swordfish and Mako Shark Club (Russell) has been one of the most successful of the club since, its inception in 1924. In the number of big game fish caught the season has been the second best experienced by the club, the total catches, by club members and visitors, being 207 fish.

An unusual sight in Wellington streets yesterday morning was a Snetland pony, eight hands high, being led from the Queen’s Wharf to Lambton Quay. This pogy is of pure Shetland Island blood, and has been imported by the Barber Estate of Himatangi to act as junior stallion in their Shetland pony stud. It is many years since a purebred Shetland stallion has been imported into this country. A gruelling ride on horse-back with a broken leg, followed by a rough allnight journey by launch from Great Barrier Island to Auckland, was the lot of William Grant, aged 21, a Maori resident, of Great Barrier Island, who was admitted to Auckland Hospital yesterday as the result of an accident when hauling firewood in the bush. He was pinned under a load of wood and,, despite the painful nature of his injuries, retained consciousness throughout his journey.

The barrack system of cadet training was this week resuscitated by the Technical School after a lapse of several years, the boys concluding their training this afternoon, the period haying commenced on Wednesday. The director of the school (Mr G. G. Hancox) was in charge of operations with the rank of major and associated with him were Lieutenants 0. S. Steverson, W. F. Goddard and N. A. Frye, with members of the permanent staff of the Defence Department. The boys have been trained in machine-gun and rifle work.