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Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 62, 11 February 1936, Page 6

The Hoiwvhenua County Council has decided to build a bridge across a small, but deep, ravine on the Tokoniaru Valley Hoad, the timber being available there.

Chamois and thar are to be included iu the list of animals to be destroyed by shooting parties sent-out by the Department of Internal Affairs. This action is being taken by the GoA'ernment for the first time, and the shooters will operate this year in tho badly infested country south of Mount Cook. A philosophical outlook was shown by two fruitgrowers of the flooded area of Hawke's Bay, avlio were found by Mr J. Adamson, the Government orchard inspector, sitting on a gate amid a sea of storm-water, in which thousands of apples and pears floated. “Well, xve are the first to get our export fruit on the water, Mr Adamson,” remarked one of the growers, with a smile.

The annual conference of the Methodist Church of New Zealand is to open officially on Thursday, February 13, in the Durham Street Methodist Church, Christchurch, when Rev. Jfi. P. Blamires Avill be installed as president and Avill deliver his presidential address. It is expected that 300 representatives will be present, all circuits and home mission stations from the far north to the Bluff being represented. While on a visit to the Belt Road camp at New Plymouth, a Palrnerstoman was surprised to find luxuriant grass growing on the sandhills at the camping ground and, on making enquiries, he found that the grass was an imported variety, having been introduced from Rhodesia. The firm hold that it had taken—the roots .spreading in all directions —and the breadth of the blade of the grass made the visitor of the opinion that the variety would he well worth a trial on the sand dunes along the Manawatu coast.

It was reported at a. meeting of the United Kingdom Manufacturers’ and New Zealand Representatives’ Association in Wellington that a trade delegation from Lancashire headed by Sir Ernest Thompson, a former chairman of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce, was to visit Australia shortly. It was decided to invite them to extend their visit to New Zealand and, in the event of their not being able to accept, to send them full details of the problems met with by British manufacturers in the New Zealand market, which could be embodied in anv report and recommendations they might be making. The Orient liner Otranto, which is on a cruising voyage from Australia, bears the name of a former Orient liner which saw much active service in the Royal Navy during the war. Commissioned as an armed merchant cruiser in August, 1914, the first Otranto spent many months off the coast of South America searching for enemy raiders. She was in the line of battle under Sir Christopher Cradock in the action off Colonel on November 1, 1914, and escaped with H.M.S. Glasgow in the darkness when the Good Hope and Monmouth were sunk. She was at the Falkland Islands on December 8, when Von Spce’s squadron was destroyed by Admiral Sturdee. Subsequently the Otranto, when transporting American troops across the Atlantic, was wrecked after a collision with tlie P. and O. steamer Kashmir, 340 soldiers and 85 of her crew being lost.

“It may be that church folk saw that the Government had allocated £st> from an art union to help the Guest House,” says Rev. P. Revel 1, citj .niissioner at Christchurch, writing in the Church News. “The cheque camt with a very kind, appreciative note ol the work we were doing. Unfortun ately, owing to a resolution of Synod about gambling, I doubted if I should accept the cheque. I consulted the Bishop and the of the committee, and as a . esult I had the difficult duty of returning the cheque and explaining why It was a comfort to gel a nice note in reply from the Minister of the-Crown concerned. Now, I wrote that for this reason. I believe those folk who think I was foolish are sufficient sports to honour anyone who will stand by a principle, even on a debatable point concerning that principle. Put Ido not appeal to them. I appeal to those whose stand would be the same as the one I took. Can one or two of them replace the £SO I had to send back to the Government for conscience sake ?”

Sealed bottles each containing half a pint of milk took the place of bulk supplies to the principal Auckland schools to-day, when over 3000 children were provided for by this means. Boulders weighing up to twenty tons had to be rolled into the Manawatu Gorge from the blockage on the railway line yesterday to allow clearance operations to proceed. The work was completed at 4 a.m. to-day, when the trains resumed their normal running. Messrs E. Lilburne and M. Earle, Wanganui trainees of the Western Federated Flying Clubs, have received advice of their acceptance as members of the Royal Air Force. Their inclusion makes the number of, club members in the Royal Air Force seven. “I have only seen the Manawatu River rise as quickly as it did during the recent flood on one occasion —in 1884,” remarked a member at to day’s meeting of the Kairanga County Council. The retentive nature of the speaker’s memory occasioned much surprise.

The Central School Committee lias made application to the Wanganui Education Board for a special grant to cover the cost of repairs necessary through damage by the recent hurricane, which tore the roof off the dres-sing-rooms at the baths, smashed two windows in the school, and broke the wireless pole. During a discussion on the question of noxious weeds at the monthly meeting of the. Morowbenua County Council, Cr A,. M. Colquhoun stated that complaints had been received of extensive growth of blackberry on the side of the railway lino at Otaki. It was decided to draw the attention of the railway .authorities to the matter. During a discussion at to-day’s meeting of the Kairanga County Council on the necessity oi including additional weeds in the schedule of noxious weeds, it was mentioned that the wild parsnip, wild turnip and convolvulus were becoming increasingly evident in the county. It was decided to take steps to enlarge the county’s list of noxious weeds. The Main Trunk express from Auckland, which is due to arrive at Palmerston North at approximately 4.50 a.m., was over 90 minutes late on arrival at this centre this morning. Though definite advice as to the eh lice of the delay is not yet to hand, it is believed that a mishap to a goods train at Mangaweka was responsible. At to-day’s meeting of the Kairanga County Council a Treasury voucher was received crediting the county with £1763 18s sd, being its portion of k the 121 per cent rebate paid on rates. The clerk (Mr N. I. Nielsen) mentioned that the amount represented the council’s full claim on its total of £14,111 7s 8d on which the rebate was payable. “As you calling the liorsp as a witness?” asked His Honour Mr Justice Blair of Mr G. I. McGregor, when counsel was explaining, in the Supreme Court, at Palmerston North to-day, that a horse had been near the scene of an accident. Counsel intimated that the animal had not been subpoenaed, whereupon His Honour said it was unnecessary to mention the presence of the horse. “Do you blow the liorn at every intersection in Palmerston North?” asked His Honour Mi- Justice Blair during the hearing of a motor collision claim in the Supreme Court to-day. There must be pandemonium if that was the case, lie added. If a driver was on his proper side of the road and driving properly there was no need to blow the horn. However, some drivers thought, when they blew the' liorn, that all others must clear out of an intersection and givo them complete right of way.

Temporarily at least telephone and telegraph services in the Ala.nawa.tu area have been brought back practically to normal by the P. and T. Departnient alter the damage done, by the recent hurricane. There are still some rural subscribers to be connected, and this work is proceeding in the Long-buni-Karere and Fitzherbert districts. There will be months of permanent work to be done on main lines, where some poles have to be jacked up and rammed, and others replaced. Nineteen poles were brought down or forced out- of alignment at Linton by the hurricane, 16 at Awapuni and about 30 altogether on the Napier Road.

“It is negligence for a motorist to fail to stop should he become so dazzled by the lights of an approaching vehicle that lie cannot see the road ahead,” stated His Honour, Mr Justice Blair, during the hearing of a motor collision case in the Supreme Court yesterday. His Honour further explained that it was the duty of motorists travelling at night to observe a speed which would enable them to stop within half the length of the road within their range of vision should the necessity arise.

Designed to foster in the younger Native generation an instructed appreciation of characteristic Maori arts and crafts, the Raukawa Meeting House, Otaki, which has been in process of construction and decoration for about five years past, is now approaching completion. It is to be officially opened, with lavish.and befitting ceremonial, oil March 14, by the Maori “King” Koroki, of the AVaikato tribe, in the presence of representatives of Maori tribes from all parts of both islands of New Zealand, numbering,' it is anticipated, between 4000 and 5000. Among prominent pakelia personages to whom official invitations t-o attend the ceremony have been forwarded is the Prime Minister, Hon. M. J. Savage, together with other members of the Cabinet.

Although certain sections of the province of Taranaki suffered by the recent cyclone, road travellers between New Plymouth and Palmerston North at the week-end failed to see much evidence of it along the main highway until approaching Wanganui where, at Kai Iwi, the largest slip was encountered, a heavy fall of earth having reduced the road to little more than one car’s width at the point. However, there was plenty of evidence of the rivers having been exceptionally high, a film of silt having been deposited over the adjoining paddocks, . while willow trees had been torn up bv the roots. However, the nearer the travellers got to Palmerston North the greater became tlie evidence and from Mount Stewart onwards fallen trees were encountered in increasing numbers.

“There are many influences which affect the rate of consumption of water per head of population of any given town or city,” remarked the Mayor (Mr A. E. Mansford) in the course of an address to the weekly gathering of the Palmerston North Rotary Club yesterday. “One of these is the actual population of the town. The nature of the industries is a large factor, and the habits of the people and the extent to which water is employed for gardens, street watering and other such uses, are further influences. It is probable, however, that the most important factor in determining the consumption is the degree of care taken to detect leakage or waste and the fact of whether the water is sold by measure or otherwise. Good quality, hi<di pressure and abundant quantity tend to increase the consumption. As an instance of consumption in different cities of the world, in London it is "42 gallons per head per day, in Marseilles 202. in Rome 264, in New York 100, in New Orleans 35 and in Palmerston North 85 gallons.