LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 14104, 2 May 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The usual meeting of the Patriotic Society will be held this afternoon at 4.30 o'clock.

At the Magistrate \s Court yesterday, before Mr A. Eliott, J.l\, John Downic was lined £l. with costs, for having been drunk and disorderly. A euchre party and dance in aid of the Club funds will be held at the Anzac Club rooms, Cuba Street, to-morrow night. Patrons are asked to contribute nut less than 2/ at the door.

The Wairarapa district is enjoying an extraordinary spell of fine, sunny, windless weather. The whole country is parched and brown, and a shortage of winter feed is threatened. Present weather indications are for moderate to strong northerly wind generally. The weather will be cool, cloud}' and hazy, and there will be a change shortly, with falling barometer everywhere. A fair number of local sportsmen were out in various parts yesterday for the opening of the shooting season. Tho weather was exceptionally fine, and several good bags of game are reported to have been made.

Messrs M. A. Eliott and Co. have been advised that the Corinthic, whicn was advertised to leave Wellington for London on May 15, will now sail from Auckland on May 12th. Intending pa&> sengers should note the change in the date of sailing and departure porf.

As the result of information disclosed" to the Auckland Education Board, it is expected that substantial relief from overcrowding in the schools will be provided by departmental undertakings which will involve an expenditure ol fiom £70,000 to £BO,OOO on new buildings.

The Kumeroa sheep dog trials arc to take place on May 21st and 22nd under N.Z. Dog Trial Association Rules. Valuable trophies and cash prizes will be given. Entries will close on May 14th with Mr G. L. Hart ridge, secretary, Kumeroa, from whom programmes can be obtained.

It transpires that the voting at the Terrace End School Committee election was as follows:—A. J. Yortt 101, S. H. Sncll 95, J. A. Nash 92. H. Hardy 90, G. 11. Styles 82, J. Davidson SO, A. VV. Sutton 74, \V. Kaye 71. J. Michie 71, Mrs May (59, N. H.*Nash OG, J. Hodgcns 04, G. Jarrctt 01, J. Howarth 30.

Tliere is a building boom at Masterton at present. Houses are going up on every hand, mostly of an ornate and expensive character. The residential part of the town seems to be outgrowing the business quarter, and the extraordinary prevalence of motor-cars makes locomotion difficult for the passing stranger in the main street.

The fact that the Government's Equalisation Fund scheme with regard to the butter trade does not operate on the butter sold on transports, although the price paid was the same as that for local trade, was commented upon by Mr C. R. Beattie at the meeting of dairy company representatives yesterday. He considered that the butter sold for transport use should come under the scheme, but for some reason the dominion Butter Committee had not included it. Several speakers supported Mr Beattie's contention, and it was decided to bring the matter before the Butter Committee when the delegates met in Wellington, and to embody the suggestion in the circular letter to be sent to the butter factories concerning the other business of the meeting. Mr X. Campbell at the meeting of dairy factory representatives yesterday complained of the treatment meted out in the Press to those in the butter industry. He said that the papers were continually attacking the butter people. The public believed what the Press said about them and as they did not contradict the statements made, the public thought they were true. He suggested the establishment of a fund to secure a man to write articles to give publicity to the arguments for the butter trade. Mr P. Hansen supported Mr Campbell. He said the establishment of a "fighting fund" had been mooted at the last conference in Wellington, but nothing had come of it. Messrs Ewington and Broadbelt also spoke in favour of the idea and it was decided to bring the matter up for discussion when the delegates met in Wellington.

The ways of the Base Kecords Office are hard to understand. A well-known farmer in this district went to Wellington to meet a son who arrived by the Kar&nga. The boat berthed at about 3 p.m. on Tuesday. On arrival it was found that the lad was on the sick list and was being sent out to Trcnthain; he was despatched there a 3.30 p.m. On arrival home the parents were presented with a wire, bearing the date stamp 4.30 p.m. at Wellington, stating that the boy could be expected home that night, when as a matter of fact at the time the wire was put in the lad was in hospital at Trentham, and Base EecorcLs must have known of the fact as they must have had the report of those who were to go to hospital as soon as the doctor came back from inspecting the troops. It was lucky that the parents had gone to meet their son and been able to see him, or they would have been put to the trouble of coming a long way in from the country on a wild-goose chase.

I A good deal of correspondence has latterly appeared in the papers regarding British war brides of New Zealand | soldiers, but there are yet to arrive in the Dominion some German -women who have been married to our soldiers. In a letter to hand from Bernsberg, Germany, a New Zealand soldier writes: — '' I saw in the paper the other day the announcement of a wedding between a New Zealand soldier and a German lady. They must evidently understand each other in the universal language," he adds. "What kind of a reception he thinks his wife is going to get when lie brings her back to New Zealand is more than I can say; yet this is not an isolated case, as there are quite a number of others in the same boat, the Husbands being New Zealandcrs, Canadians and British. How they will treat these women under the new alien laws is another question. They Avill look pretty if they are not allowed to take the little maidens home with them. As I saw a "Digger" strolling along the street beside a frauleiuf a German friend pinched my arm and said in a quaint slow way: 'The language of lovo is universal. 7 " Special one-piece display. Filet Val. lace, edgings and insertions, in suitable widths for blouses and underwear, many dainty designs. Price all 6<l yard to clear, or 5/9 per dozen. See windows.-—The C. M, Ross Co., Ltd.*

The Court of Arbitration (Mr Justice Stringer, and Messrs Scott and McCullaugh) will hold a sitting- in Palnierston North to-day. The Saturday half-holiday was carried by 2444 to 877—a majority of 15(37 —at Napier; by a large majority at Hamilton; aud by a fair majority at Te Kuiti.

The fortnightlv meeting of the Loyal Manawatu Lod'ge M.U.1.0.0.F. last evening was presided over by N.G. Bro. J. Barsante. A welcome was accorded P.G. Bro. A. G. Horn and Bro. A. E. Anderson, who had returned from, active service. The welcome was duly acknowledged.

The Mangahao hydro-electric scheme is to be completed in four years' time, according to the promise of the Minister for Public Works, said a candidate for municipal honours at Wellington. When that scheme is completed, he added, the city will be able to purchase at the sub-station, which is to be at Ngahauranga, the whole of the present power for the tramways and electric lighting for £25,000 a year less than it costs to produce it to-day.

Says the Feilding "Star":—There was much speculation as to what was to become of the imported bull, President Wilson, purchased at the Levett sal© for 2220 guineas. It was hoped that the animal, which had a splendid record, was not going to Australia. The announcement has now been made that it stays over here—that it was purchased for his own Ivai Iwi herd by Mr Frank Moore, perhaps by the way, the most eligible bachelor in the Dominion. Mr Moore added to his wealth the other day by the sale of some land that brought him £BO,OOO. Referring to hydro-electric schemes yesterday, Sir William Fraser, speaking at Auckland, said the work of sinking experimental shafts on cither side of the gorge in connection with harnessing the Waikato Paver was now in progress. Provided the test proved satisfactory, construction of the dam would be pioceeded with. It was estimated that a plant with a capacity of 1(32.000 horse-power would ultimately be installed at this station. To fulfil its function in the general scheme proposed by Mr Parry, plant capacity of 9(3.000 horse-power was required. Work was also progressing in connection with the Mangahao scheme, near Palmerston North, which was considered capable of developing 24,000 horse-power, and which would be the other main North Island generating station. Sir William Fraser added that there was no intention of proceeding with the Lake Wai- •

karemoana scheme for some time. The cost of completing the Waikato and Mangahao schemes was estimated at between five and six millions:

Mr Fascoe moved that it be an instruction to the incoming committee of the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Association immediatel}' to establish a guild that would contract to buy groceries, etc., from the firms that would agree to give the best discount to members. The present cost of living — (laughter and a voice: "High cost of living!")—justified them, he contended, in getting to work" right away. They had 2000 members, and 2000 sure customers meant a lot to a tradesman. They should be strong enough to get a rebate. Mr W. D. Seymour questioned whether it u as wise for the Association to take such action, when, unlike the Public Service Association, they -were not a homogeneous body. They had sellers of goods as well as buyers amongst them. Mr Badger asked such action wise in view of the fact that man}' firms had given largely to patriotic funds, and the association might want to raise funds to establish a permanent club. Other members urged that it would be an advantage to tradesmen to secure 2000 buyers on a cash or even a monthly credit basis. The motion was carried by a large majority.