GENERAL NEWS

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6630, 8 June 1928, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS

Evelyn Anderson, aged 20, a single girl, lies in the Christchurch Hospital in a serious condition as the result of being knocked from a bicycle by a motor-car. It is believed that the base of her skull has been fractured.

The Mayor, Mr. A. J. Graham stated yesterday that under arrangement with the Returned Soldiers Association, live returned men who have been out of employment will be started on relief works at Milverton Park to-day. B. W. Jones was yesterday fined £7/10/- at Whangarei for being drunk while in charge of a motor truck. The Magistrate said that ho had made the fine light because Jones was a poor man and ordinarily of staid character.

“That the Government be asked not to allow any single immigrants and Flock House boys into the country for the next five years,” was the text of a motion that was passed at a public meeting on unemployment in Wanganui recently. At Gisborne yesterday Peter Elder Eamsay, aged 40, pleaded guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence for a nocturnal burglary at Adair Bros, drapery establishment. Accused was surprised by waiting detectives while entering the upper storey, and was chased over the roof.

At the Christchurch Supremo Court yesterday, Henry Patrick Moore, was sentenced to three years’ in gaol and declared an habitual criminal on six charges of house breaking and theft. Moore, who was a scissors grinder, went from house to house pretending that he was deaf and dumb. Mr. Justice Adams said that it was necessary to protect the public from the depredations of such men. Prisoner had boon previously convicted in Auckland, Palmerston N., and Napier.

An inquest on the body of Gus Irons was held at Masterton on Wednesday before the district coroner when a verdict of death from natural causes was returned. Deceased died in bed on Saturday night, and was discovered on Wednesday morning at Longbush. Ho was a returned soldier, serving for over four years. In the war he had been severely gassed. A lone mako-mako, or bell bird, has taken up its quarters in a clump of lucerne trees near the school (writes the Manutahi correspondent of the Hawera Star). With unfailing regularity the bird goes to the same place at intervals of about three, months. It is a wonderful mimic, one of its favourite sounds resembling the creak of a door. As the native birds are rapidly disappearing, few people are now conversant with the habits and appearance of. the bell bird. All the mutton birders have now returned from the islands south of Stewart Island, and are able to report that a successful season has been experienced (states tho Southland Times). The parties left about March 15 for their respective islands, and have thus spent just over two months in quest of the birds. - The mutton birds wore plentiful and in good condition, and it has been estimated that over 200,000 were taken by tho 300 birders who visited the islands.

Amongst the change in the fare box on one of tho Wcstown trams on Friday a counterfeit shilling was found. Tho edges were not milled, and the designs on either side, though good imitations of those on a genuine coin as to outline, where blurred and flat. When the spurious coin was compared with a real shilling the difference was quickly apparent. The coin, which was dented in several places, was made of a light, soft alloy resembling aluminium, and it did not ring when dropped on to a hard substance.

Discussing mushrooms as a branch of faming, the New Zealand Smallholder says; “Outdoor mushrooms have a season of about two months. Mushrooms professionally grown out of season have a monopoly marKCt measuring ton months long. Ten months of money! It is worth while cutting off a length, of that- to pay the mortgage with, isn't it? Out-of-season mushrooms depend on just a few things —warmth, moisture, darkness, nitrogenous manure, and the spawn. The optimum (best) temperature is about 57 degrees. The right moisture is just that which loose soil would hold in suspension without saturation. Darkness is acceptable to mushrooms, though light is not fatal. This is secured by planting in collars or in darkened sheds or on shelves; or in frames or on mounds covered with straw or sacks. Outdoor mushrooms wore retailed in Auckland shops early in the season at Is 6d, 2s, and 2s 6d. per pound, and only very poor ones fell to 6d in the height of the season.” One ton of stable manure, the magazine estimates to yield 4W* of mushrooms, worth £4.