LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 1561, 17 June 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Owing to the breakdown of its engine the New Plymouth express was yesterday delayed for a considerable time, and steamed into Palmerston North about an hour late. The Palmerston North Orchestral Society has gone into recess until more players are available, when the Society can be placed upon a stronger basis. There has been a particular shortage of strings lately. The following Terrace End Boy Scouts have passed their First Class Scout Test, in the recent examination: —Allan Robbie, Owen Coles, Chas. Baker, Tom Ware, Jim Tier, Jack Tier and B. McGee. The boys were trained by Scoutmistress Coles, and Mr J. Smith conducted the examination.

A strange story of the recent flood in the King- Country is told. A Maori boy travelling on horseback to Pio Pio was carried away by the current, his horse becoming- entangled in the wire of the fence, and the boy reaching a willow tree a chain or so away. The horse ultimately freed itself and swam straight for the boy, who mounted, and after a hard tussle, got safely through. Recently an old man died in Auckland who had passed by a year or two the allotted span of life of threescore years and ten. His life had been a very full one, and he left many children and grandchildren to mourn his loss, but a very remarkable and almost, unprecedented event at the funeral was that his aged father of over ninety years of age was one of his chief mourners.

The old Maori idea regarding tapu still prevails in some districts, notwithstanding the spread of education. In the north, a Maori woman had been engaged by the local constable to scrub out the Police Court. When the constable inspected the job before making payment, he noticed that the dais on which the majesty of the law is represented by the magistrate had been carefully left untouched. Upon demanding the reason, he was informed by the woman that she dare not touch that because it was "tapu," that she feared to approach the spot where the magistrate sat to dispense punishment.

A flig-ht from Christchurch to the North Island will probably be made in the spring by Captain E. Dickson. D.F.C., of the Canterbury Aviation Company. The flight, if it is attempted, will be made via Kaikourn and Blenheim, a stop being made at each point. From Blenheim Captain Dickson will come across the Strait to Wellington. The preliminary arrangements required are fairly extensive. The pilot needs a level space of about ten acres, without surroundingobstructions, at each landing place. Captain Dickson is now in Wellington interviewing the Government on aviation matters.

In the charges of profiteering in Christchurch, in connection with the "Bier Ben" alarm clocks, Brown and Bureau entered a plea of not guilty on all charges. Mr Skerrett characterised the cases as trivial, and suggested that activity in prosecuting- in respect of a negligible class of goods was intended to cover up disinclination to take action in regard to goods in basic lines. Mr McGregor said that the decision in these cases would practically determine whether the Act was a dead letter, and whether traders were to be allowed to make what profits they liked. The Magistrate reserved his decision. The case against the D.I.C. will be taken to-day.

The scenic attractions of the MotuOpotiki road, declared by Mr T. M. Wilford, M.P., to be equal to anything in Kurope, are threatened with destruction. This fact was pointed out to the Hon. J. G. Coates, Minister for Public Works, during the overland trip from Gisborne, by the Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald. who urged that the Minister should con for with the Minister in charge of scenery preservation on the subject. Mr Coates acknowledged that the destruction of the virgin bush was utterly unjustifiable, as disclosed by the unprofitable clearance that had been effected at several points. He said immediate steps should be taken to stop any further felling.

We offer All-British Linoleums in a big range of designs at competitive prices. Also Congoleum Art Squares fully uuarantced for service. .Sec our demonstration Bug after five months' wear in Main Entrance. The C. M, Ross Co., Ltd., the Store for Value.*

The picture theatre was referred to by Mr Justice Sim, in Napier, as a place where crime was glorified. Sir Thomas Lipton has presented the Ponsonby Cruising- Club, Auckland, with a handsome silver cup for competition, says a London message. An' aeroplane flight from Gisborne to Napier is to be made on Friday by a De Haviland piano, with Mr E. M. Hutchinson as passenger. The plane will call at Wairoa en route. It was stated that a raid was made a day or two ago on the premises of an alleged sly-grog seller in Masterton, and that the matter will shortly be given further publicity in the S.M. Court.

The present weather indications are for easterly breezes, backing to increasing northerlies. The barometer is falling everywhere soon; cloudy to overcast conditions are likely to prevail shortly with rain following in many parts of the country. "Parliament looks very nice from the outside, but it is a great deal different when you get inside —as a member. It is like marriage—the glamour wears off afterwards."—Mr R. A. Wright, M.P., at the P. and T. smoke concert last night.-—"New Zealand Times." A case in which Jessie Watson, of Palmerston North, claimed from Jessie Maddison, medical practitioner, of Waipawa, the sum of £1135 7/ damages for alleged unskilful treatment, was to have been heard at the present sitting of the Supreme Court in Napier, but has been adjourned. It is stated that a local resident carefully locked away a portmanteau containing a number of bottles of whisky in an outhouse, and a short time later, on going to "broach" a bottle, discovered that the shed had been broken into and the portmanteau and its contents removed. —"Wairarapa Age."

"In view of the high cost of living-, I ask you not to inflict a heavy fine," said a .solicitor appearing' on behalf of hi.s son in the Magistrate's Court at Christchurch. The charge was one of driving a motor-car in a manner dangerous to traffic. "The cost of petrol has gone up, and if fines are to go up,

! we won't be able to live at all," coni tinued the father. "I can't thrash the j boy; he's bigger than I am." The j penalty was fixed at £1 and costs.

At a meeting of wholesale dairymen in Christchurch yesterday a resolution was adopted: That the price of milk fixed by dairvmen, namely 1/6 pqv gallon wholesale, should continue until the end of September. The meeting pledged itself not to supply any milk for the city supply under that price, and stated that it regretted the unwarranted interference of the Board of Trade with one of the worst paid industries, without lull enquiry into the cost of production.

In a charge of theft at Christchurch against a man who was the victim of drugs and drink, evidence showed that he had been in an inebriates' home for six months. Mr Day, S.M., remarked that it was useless to send such a man to a home for less than two years. He added: "It is becoming useless, in my opinion, to send people to Roto lioa, as they are let out too soon. If the relatives bother the authorities, the line of least resistance is to let the patient out. Medical testimony shows that two years is the minimum time required to rid the system of drink."

There has been comment lately on the difficulty of obtaining competitive tenders, or, indeed, any tenders at all in Wellington for workers' homes, public or municipal, or private buildings. The Dominion is not alone in this respect. In the Tasmanian note of the Australian magazine, "Building," there is this paragraph:—"'A Sign of the Times': It is not so long ago that any Hobart architect could be sure of at least a dozen tenders if he cabled for prices in the local press. At the present time, however, owing to the, amount of ' private ' work obtained by builders and the shortage of materials, an architect considers himself lucky if he obtains any competitive tendering at all. In some quarters it is becoming the practice to give work to a selected builder and allow him to do the work on a percentage basis."

At a meeting of the committee of the Christchurch Members of Parliament yesterday, a deputation of the Returned Soldiers' Association brought under the notice of the members the following: remit: In view of the acute shortage of houses this Association urges the Government to continue the protection given to returned soldiers by the War Regulations Act of 1914. against ejection from tented dwellings for a further period of twelve months, as from the 2nd August next. Opposition to the ingress of Chinese and Hindoos, and also of white immigrants , was expressed in the following remit: That the satisfactory adjustment of the problem of repatriation shall be the determining factor in deciding an immigration policy, and that the general policy of a White New Zealand be adopted.

With the £646 5, allocated from the profits of the T. J. Macarthy estate by the Trust for distribution amongst the various charitable and industrial institutions in the district of Wellington vesterday, a total sum of £41,2 22 has been distributed under the terms of Mr Macarthy's will. Yesterday's allocations include sums of £IOO to the Convent of Mercy, Palmerston North, and £SO each to the Brigidine Convent and St. Mary's School, Foxton; £IOO to All Saints' Children's Home. Palmer.ston North; £SO each to St. Matthew's Catholic School, Marton, and to the Convent of Mercy, Marton; £75 to bt. Patrick's Parochial School. Marton; £<> so to the Roman Catholic School, Otaki; £BO to the Feilding Convent; r .O to St. Joseph's Convent, Otaki, and £IOOO to Victoria College, Wellington, the latter being the fifth thousand paid against a £IO,OOO grant (£IOOO annually) to that institution.

At the risk of disappointing the scandal-mongers, who are apparently working overtime in Wanganui just now, we deem it. a pleasure to be able to "scotch" the particular scandal to which such free and widespread circulation has recently been given. No good purpose is to be served by the publication of unauthenticated rumours; but once publicity has been given to a scandal it is desirable, in the interests of all concerned, that its truth should be publicly established at the earliest possible moment. To that end we yesterday sought to ascertain the basis of this much-talked-of scandal, and our inquiries were not in vain. The nett results of our investigation may be summed up in a phrase—"No girl, no twins, no doorstep, nothing- but a tissue of wicked, cruel, and unfounded fabrications!" presumably having their putrid origin in the contemptible author of a series of vile and filthy and threatening anonymous letters. —"Wanganui Chronicle."

Among the urgent needs of life, Without which we could ne'er endure, Ts one when coughs and colds are rife. And that, is Woods' Great Peppermint Cure. Tt meets the need in every case, It clears of symptoms every trace, In gastric ailments just as sure. Is peerless Woods' Great Peppermint Cure. 14

Sea-going wireless operators have struck for an increase in wages to £7 weekly, says a London message.

A very successful euchre party and dance was held in the Empire Hall last night. _ The euchre tournament provided much enjoyment, and the winners were Miss Lomax and Mr Fitzpatrick. Mr H. Spencer supplied the dance music.

A deputation, representing the retail bootmakers, waited on the Minister of Customs in Wellington yesterday, and asked that the 2d per lb import duty on sole leather be remitted, in view of the shortage. It was stated that New Zealand did not produce sufficient heavy hides, and bootmakers had been compelled to use unsuitable leather. This remission would not affect local leather manufacturers, as in pre-war times sole leather had been imported from England. The Minister stated that tariff revision was now before Cabinet, but it was improbable that anything 1 would be done next session. A Board of Inquiry, consisting of Customs experts, would go into all tariff matters, and an opportunity would be given the trade of placing its views before the Board.

A plea for the A. and P. Association was put to the Mayor by Mr Johnston at the Chamber of Commerce meeting last evening. He intimated that the Association would be hard hit by the deviation of the railway route. At present their grounds were within ten. chains of the station. They were now faced with a considerably longer distance for people to come to the show, than they v>*i before. The distance might be'reduced by coming down at the back of the grounds from Wood Street. There was no greater factor for the success of the town than the show. If tennis courts and bowling greens, whose members were composed of retired farmers with nothing else to do but throw a little black ball after a white one —(laughter)— could get off their rates it was just about time the Borough Council came along and said, "We are going to let you off your rates." (Laughter.)

A Hamilton Borough Councillor was awakened at an early hour the other morning by an irate resident (the "Waikato Times" reports). Upon going to the door he was met by the query: "Do you know that my house is under water?" The councillor sympathisingly replied in the negative.

"You are a borough councillor, ain't you?" The councillor admitted that he occupied that exalted position, but pointed out that he was not thereby endowed with control over the elements, and that under the circumstances he could do nothing to relieve the position, especially at the hour of 4 a.m. The resident left evidently thinking that he had a grievance against the councillor, and the councillor returned to bed convinced that a seat at the council table is fraught with some drawbacks, not the least of which is having to bear with the menaces of inconsiderate and irate electors.