GENERAL NEWS

Manawatu Times, Volume XLXI, Issue 3490, 27 December 1926, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS

The Patca meat works put up a record last week, when 2400 lambs were put through the works in one day. "When wa s the second time?” asked counsel of a Native witness in New Plymouth last Wednesday. “After the first time.” was the unhesitating reply. "That's all X know.” Pie explained subsequently that he could not remember the date.

“The young woman, who was to appear before you this morning has not arrived ,sir.” remarked a clerk to the Magistrate at the Wanganui Court on Thursday. "Well, seeing that she is a modern flapper, I suppose we should wait half an hour," replied the Magistrate. In Ohura people are telling visitors about the seam of brown coal 20ft. in thickness, plans for the working of which by a company were announced some little time ago. So far, it is understood, step s have not been taken to commence the construction of about ten miles of private railway necessary to give access to the proposed mine.

“I only went there out of curiosity,” said a yobng man In the Wellington Magistrate’s Court on Thursday in pleading guilty to being found in a common gaming-house in Haining Street. "You should satisfy your curiosity in other places,” observed Mr. I. Salek, J.P. “Keep away from such places. They are no good for young men.”

The Municipal Band contributed two concerts yesterday in aid of its funds. The first was at tho Esplanade, where there was an excellent attendance notwithstanding the inclement weather, and the second at the Palace Theatre in the evening, when tho spacious building was comfortably filled. Both programmes were greatly appreciated. When a steamer arrived unexpectedly at Terakohe, near Nelson, one day last week, and heralded her arrival by vigorous blasts on her whistle it was little thought that the noise would be the indirect cause of saving a man’s life. The whistling aroused a workman, who got up and went to the boat. During his absence a huge stone fell from the hill on to his tent and buried the bed where he had sleeping just before. It was a providential escape.

A new and Important arrangement has geen made between the Senate of tho University of New Zealand and the hospital boards of the chief centres by which selected medical students from the Dunedin University shall spend their sixth year—the last of their training—in' the principal public hospitals, returning at the end of that year to Dunedin for their degree examination. In Dunedin, the practice of allowing students to take their last year’s training in the Public Hospital has been in existence ror some time.

A protest against the appearance of policemen in uniform in Children's Courts was made in Christchurch a’ few days ago by Mrs A. E. Herbert a member of the Court there. Her remarks were supported by Mr. E. V. Mosley, S.M. He said he thought the title “Children's Court,” was a misnomer. Anything which tended to make children think that they were going before a Court should be dropped. The Children’s Court should be a place of correction and advice to children and parents alike. In the other Court it was necessary that police should be in uniform to make an impression and that all the formalities should bo observed, but the socalled Children’s Court should be apart and he felt strongly that the police should appear out of uniform.

A proposal that the New Plymouth Borough Council sot up a sub-com-mittee to consider providing tepid bath s for the town was made by a deputation representing the Npw Plymouth Swimming clubs and allied bodies this week. The council agreed to set up a committee, and it was suggested that the ratepayers might be given an opportunity of considering a loan proposal for baths at the time of tho municipal elections next April. Referring briefly to the last returns of the Taranaki swimming centre’s activities, one speaker stated that of the four chief swimming centres in New Zealand Taranaki led the way with an increase of 73,39 per cent, in membership, making it the third centre in tho Dominion as far a s membership was concerned. There wore eleven clubs in Taranaki.

The Palmerston North railway employees intend holding their annual picnic at Kakarikl on January 9. *

The marketing of early tomatoes in the Otahuhu district has been considerably affected by unsatisfactory weather conditions. Several growers lost a considerable number of plants owing to the November rains and me boisterous winds caused damage to the fruit. One grower said the season was the most adverse for many years, and he estimates the loss at hundreds of pounds. The showers of the past few days have had the effect of throwing the plants into greater growth ,and prolonging - the ripening of the fruit. Mr T. K. Sidey, M.P., the persistent sponsor of the Daylight Saving Bill, may be pleased to learn that he has at least one ardent supporter in Dannevirke who. puts his theory into practice. Well past the allotted three score years and ten—in fact in his S2nd year—this ‘‘boy of the old brigade” started work at 3.50 the other morning with a scythe in a hay Held o.nd was still going strongly when other folk were thinking of rising from their slumbers. Then some people wonder why he ha s a little spare on his hands to view the sights of the town in the afternoon.