LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 1510, 9 March 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

One of the leading: hotels in Palmerstoii North ha.s just boon oxchangcrl for a thousand acres of Waikato land.

Mr M. C. Reed, editor .of a Washington paper, and president of the Oregon Civic Federation, has consented to speak at the Luncheon Club to-day. The Campbell Street School annual picnic will be held at Plimmerton tomorrow. The train will leave the Palmerston station at 0.45 a.m.

At a meeting of the Palmerston North Licensing Committee yesterday, the transfer of the license of the Post Office Hotel from Albert Dennis Raines to John T. Brady, was granted.

A local buyer and user of hides, on returning from the hide sale, said the export cmbarpo was a. mere trifle to the American operator, who simply buys and stores, pending its removal. The exchange more than pays his costs.

Present, weather indications are for westerly winds, strong to gale, and unsettled "and squally weather, with rain following generally, but warm and sultry for a brief period in the East Cosat district. The barometer will fall everywhere, A meeting of home service men was held on Saturday evening last, when it was unanimously decided to form a branch of the Home Service League in Palmerston North. Members present took the matter up most enthusiastically, and a further meeting will be held shortly.

Intending competitors at the Rangitikei Motor Club's race meeting on the Marton racecourse, on Saturday, March 20, are reminded that entries close on Saturday, March 13. Programmes can be obtained on application to the secretary. Mr K. Fowler. Marton. Telephone 239 M.

The Karaka (corynoearpus laevigata) is now bearing its golden-hucd fruit among the shining dark cjreen leaves. It may be seen in perfection on the slopes near Paekakariki besido the railway. This berry formed a considerable proportion of the Maori food supply. The kernel is impregnated with prussic acid, which was eliminated by the old Maori people in the only way yet known to British chemists, that is by soaking in still water.

Says the " Lyttclton Times ": —No matter how the Government may pretend to control the. price of bread, so long as this is done by the payment of subsidies out of the Consolidated Fund, the whole thing is mere eyewash, for the money for the subsidy has first to be extracted from the pockets of the people by taxation. The Government is drifting further and further from sound economic and moral principles. In the process the long-suffering public is to have both its taxation and its bread bill increased.

The Welfare League has sent, a circular to the Canterbury Trades and Labour Council, urging efforts to bring about a better understanding between workers and employers, and asking for the council's help in inducing the Government to call a conference between representatives of the two industrial parties. The council passed the following motion: —"That this council cannot enter info any dealings or negotiations with the Welfare League, seeing its antagonism to Labour, as exemplified at the recent general elections."

Ladies will appreciate the now Gaberdine Motor Cloves sbowing at I'almerston's Fashion Centre. "Made with large gauntlet and soft leather palms, Miev are l ideal for warm weather wear. Price 11/6.—The C. AT. Ross Ltd., vlove section.*

""Education in my country," remarked Judge Aldcn at Chautauqua last night, " is about the only thing that has boon left free —everything else has boon syndicated."

Asked by a '" Times " reporter as to his opinion on the vexed question of motor 'buses or trams. Judge Aldcn said if he w'er- a citizen of Palmcrston North he would join up in the movement for good roads and motor 'buses. He. said it would be a pity to spoil our streets, and particularly the squares, with a tang!-' of overhead gear, and he would much rather have self-} ropelled noiseless vehicles than noisy Tram-cars. In America, he says, half the overhead corporations arc going into the hands of the receivers.

At Wanganui yesterday, W. .i. Williams, the licensee of the Aramaho Hotel, was fined £2i) for selling liquor to a native for consumption off the premises. The license was endorsed. Mr W. A. Stapleton. proprietor of Stevenson'.- Hotel at Reefton, and owner of the trotter Palmdale. was the victim of an assault about half-past three on Saturday morrin«r. He was staying wirh a friend at Brightwater, and his bedroom was entered while he was asleep. FTe received a severe* blow on the side of tlie head with a heavy object, which caused a large wound. He v:i> able to yet up and grapple with the intruder, but the Matter escaped. Robbery is believed to have been the object of the assault, but nothing was taken.

The follov ir.g were anions {he prizewinners at the Trades' ITiron picnic at Ashhurst on Saturday:—P.aby show, under 12 months, Mrs Simpson. Baby show, one t<> two years. Mrs Radford. Pillow fight. ('<. Persson. Painters' race, A. Astell. Ladies' nail-driving, Mrs Worsfold. Bandsmen's race. Tennant. Married women's race. Mrs Ponton. Sack race. Schrader. Tug-of-war, Foxton A. Apprentices' race, Ihle. Chain stopping, G. Persson. Married women's race. Airs Oillard. 100 yds handicap, Malneek. l-'iOyds open, Williamson. Young ladies' race. Miss Vortt. Roys' race, Le Quesne. Thread-the-ncedle. Mrs de Clone. Committee's race, Coates. Ladies' chain stepping, Mrs Timmins. Points prize. Mrs Benton. Single ladies' race. Miss de Clone. Girls' race. Miss Webster. "Boys' race. Lunn.

Says a more or less facetious contributor: —Dr. Carpenter says the sun

is 9.'1 million miles from the earth. If the sun were only !)0 millions of miles away Sunday would be a hotter day than it was. That would have been uncomfortable. The doctor also says that if all the known coal in the world could be tossed into the sun it would be consumed in the tenth of a second. (No " go-slow- " about'rho sun!) But. after all, says Carpenter, the sun is only an inferior star. Spica is fen thousand times more brilliant. But that ? s nothing! Rigoi. in the constellation Orion, is twenty million times more brilliant than the siin, and if he were in the location where our sun is now. this little territory whereon we dwell, would immediately crumple up and become consumed amidst gaseous vapours. So it is just as well that things are as they are. and not as they might be. Otherwise the Chautaqua people would find it inconvenient to hold their services in anything so fragile as a dim-lit tent!