LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 1 August 1924, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

When a draper s assistant, Wilfred Albert Wootton, appeared before Magistral Page at Wellington for sentence on a charge of theft of material from James Smith Ltd., the probation officer said he could not recommend probation . The magistrate, in sentencing Wootton to two months’ imprisonment, said public interest must be regarded. Accused bad been in a position of trust and committed a series of thefts from his employer. This class of offence was becoming too common.—Press Association.

Sir Hairy Lander vent to see a film, entitled "The Meanest Alan ill the World,” at the offices of the Associated First National Pictures, Ltd., in Oxford-street, says the London .Daily News. The picture showed a young man who failed in business because of his soft-heartedness. He made up his mind to be thoroughly ruthless and “mean” —and failed. “There’s nacbody ye could describe as the meanest man in the world,” Sir Harry told the Daily News. “A man’s only mean when he does tlr ’things that mean folk want him to dae, because lie’s afraid they’ll think him mean if he disnae.”

Some people are very absent-minded (remarks the North Otago Times). A lady walked into a shop in Oamai'u, purchased an outfit, paid for the goods, and left her parcel on the counter. Another went into the post office, purchased a stamp, and left behind a hand-bag containing quite a respectable sum of money.

A dairy instructor, reporting on the Waikato district, says that a striking feature of this season is that while the fly lias played havoc wth the turnip crops and the excessixe moisture has caused these and other root crops to rot to a certain extent, Nature has provided such a bountiful supply of pasture that the loss of crops has not been seriously felt, and the factory returns have shown the supply of milk given during the last few mouths to be a record for the time of year.

Countrymen, yet unable to converse in their native tongue! In conversation with Mr John C. Young, of the AManawatu Football Association, who met the Chinese footballers in Wellington, a Manawatu Times representative was interested to learn that the visitors do not speak to each other in Chinese because one cannot understand the talk of the other. To the man from the North the Southern Chinaman’s dialect is as a foreign language, and consequently English is used as a common medium which latter is absolutely essential. Peculiarly enough, the footballers can yet understand the other’s dialect when it is written.

An incident not without- humour and showing remarkable coolness and presence of mind happened subsequent to the recent burglary at the Nottingham Castle Hotel, Morrinsville, savs the Te Aroha News. The perpetrator caught the. evening train to Hamilton. Whilst on the train be changed some of his clothes, and this roused the suspicion of a fellow passenger, who on arrival at Frankton notified the police, who were in entire ignorance of the fact that a theft- bad been committed at Morrinsville, the fact, at that time not having been discovered. The. offender was interviewed and asked to explain bis actions. Indignant I v lie protested, giving his victim’s name' ns bis. and producing Ins pass book and other stolen papers in support, of his claim. The police, though doubtful. let him go.

Mi- A. Gould announces an auction sale at the rccins to-moiTO\v at '10.30 •1 in. ; also the details of the clearing sale to be held at Upper Moutere next Thursday, 7th insfc., at. 1 p.nn, in the -state of C. D C. Eggcrs, a bankrupt. See auction columns. The si ton lion of members is drawn to the. snooker tournament, to he held in the Returned Soldiers’ Cluhhouse this evening. We. learn on good authority that one of the largest oil companies doing business in New Zealand intend at an early date, to siiip the oil in hulk, and box their products in New Zealand.- J,h adclition to effecting considerable economies in freight and handling,- enormous quantities of local ; tun her will. be. -required for boxing. Piiius Insignia us ideal for the purpose. Plant Pinus lnsignis. H. G- Kingsland, Forestry Specialist, Wakcfizeld.* i) \ WSOW'fi Keeflca. ttiw leading Scn UI on the Went Cow*. Patronised >■? H R.H. ihn Prince of -Srsr-eiH sUwri^t.J; ’ Tourists I Look! Hound Trip! 75 n-.dea for 12s Ml Lnioyob e days outing—through beautiful upple lamdfl —by Emrap* Motor Service. Phone 527' Office *#» Hrrdy-ntreet.*

liit’ well-known Mount- Royal estate at Palmerston was sub-divided and sold in lots lor a lot a I of £63,000, excluding the homestead block ,a record land sale for Otago.—Press Association.

Evidently enterprise and accuracy do nut go hand in hand with at least one firm in England, whose New Zealand directory is somewhat antiquated. A resident of Palmerston North states that he was recently much surprised to receive from an English firm a circular letter which was addressed to a house he had not occupied lor 15 years past. 'Pile letter, which was forwarded last month, bore the initials of 11 local postmen, who in turn had endeavoured to locate the owner.

The Mayor of Auckland (Sir James Gunson) says there is absolutely no autlimitv so lar as lie is concerned for the report in Wellington that he will contest the Auckland East seat at the next election.—Press Association. Ravages of the wood borer came in for consideration at the meeting of the Selwyn Plantations Board, when tlm existence of the pest,-in an exceptional size was announced in trees on land at Ruapuna. Air W. G. Ross wrote stating that ion his farm there was a belt of pine trees about IS chains long and from three to four rows wide. Lately, several had been blown down, and on investigating the cause lie had found that they were badly riddled with a borer, a large white insect, about two inches long and as thick as a. man’s finger. “I have seen them in old dead logs here,” continued Air Ross, ‘‘and also in the back country. 1 do not. know their correct name. There are more trees here infected and they are partly dying, and I have seen them in the green, growing trees, namely pines •insigms.” The superintendent was instructed to inspect the trees and report on the matter. The laying on of the ‘‘juice” at Palmerstonians’ residences has meant to many the discarding of all gas fittings and 'globes. With an eye to economy and a decided bend toward ingenuity, a resident of the town has obviated the necessity of dipping in his pocket for the wherewithal to procure attractive electric light shades by converting to further service those gas shades merely with the aid of a small tin lid attached to their tops. —Times. The pile-driving at the new outer wharf at Waikokopu has practically been completed, only the raker piles requiring to be driven, states the Wairoa Star. " Much of this work will not be finished until the warmer weather comes, so that- it will probably be nearly December before the structure is finished, according to the department’s plans. The main wharf is 200 ft-. long, while the approach is about the same length, making about 400 ft. in all. On the inside of the wharf there is a depth of 14 to 18ft. at low tide, while on the outer part there is 23ft- at- low water.

The meanest man, according to a Palmerston North resident, has been discovered in that town! The other evening the resident in question paid a- visit to some friends, and left his bicycle standing against the fence. When he went- for the machine a little later he found that the light had gone out. Upon investigation he discovered that someone had removed the generator from the acetylene lamp, taken every bit of carbide from it, and carefully replaced the fitting. The Medical Superintendent of the Hospital for -Mental Diseases acknowledges receipt of £25/6/6 from the Evening Mail Office, being the amount subscribed by the public for the Alental Hospital Gramaphone Fund. The: gramaphone records sent- in have also been forwarded to the Mental Hospital. The secretary of the Stanley Brook branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union forwards for publication the following resolution passed at the lastmeeting:—“That the members of this branch of the Fawners’ Union, as ratepayers. respectfully wish to assure the Council that our member of the deputation represented the opinion of practically all the ratepayers in our district who were entitled to' know the reason why their rates were so much increased; also to thank the councillors for the patient hearing they gave the deputation, but wish to take strong exception to Cr. How e t son ’ s remarks.” An “electric” beehive the invention of Air R. Borlaso Matthews, which has been described to the Gloucestershire Chamber of Commerce, is claimed to have resulted in an increased output of honey. A number of beehives were erected in an apiary, both lighted and heated by electricity during the winter months, with the result that strong broods of bees started to collect honey much earlier than usual and so obtained supplies from the early blossoms of the fruit trees. The output of each hive was greatly increased in this way. Charges of erecting wireless radio receiving stations otherwise than in accordance with the official license were preferred by the Post and Telegraph Department, at the Auckland Police Court last week against three persons. Ah- F. K. Hunt, S.M., was on the bench. Senior-Sergeant Rawle said that many owners of wireless equipment were under the false impression that they could use their sets as soon as they had applied for licenses. Evidence was given by the district .radio inspector to the effect that defendants bad small receiving sets in working order before tljev received their licenses. Witness said that t-he onus was on defendants to have made the applications in advance of erecting the sets, as there was often some delay in the issue of the license. Each defendant- was convicted and discharged. The Nelson Savage Club hold the last korero of the season on Saturday evening next. Sub-Chief Stiles, who has been displaying great, energy in arranging a special last night programme, will preside. Air J. Davis, of Seymour Avenue, has applied for a patent for an economic gas cooker which 'should prove very valuable to housewives. It is made of sheet steel, the size being 13 inches by 12 inches. There is room inside for three shelves, while the top can be used for cooking scones, etc. The cooker is heated by an ordinary gas ring, and experiments show that an oi'dinary dinner, including a roast, vegetables and pudding, can be cooked for the insignificant- cost of -2d. Ml- Davis will shortly put. the cooker on the market, and there should he a ready market for such an economical contrivance.*

Tlio Anchor Company notify shippers that Monday being a holiday (Spud Monday) they will accept cargo for shipment up to 11 a.m. only. Blue’s Store will be open for business as usual to-morrow, Saturday. w It is said that a man who causes two; blades of grass to grow whercyonly one grew before is a. public benefactor. If that he true —anil true it. assuredly is—what is to he. said of those who established a successful local industry, which finds employment, for many hands in the. country? Book at. what the poor gum lands of the North and t>ho barren clays of Nelson, at one time considered worthless for agricultural purposes, art now producing. They furnish the manufacturer* with the raw' material for our local brands. And so excellent is this produce that no smoker should fail to give it a trial. He is in for quite a. new type, a toasted tobacco, more fragrant, less nicotine, and therefore healthier. A wonderful improvement compared with the non-ton.sted tohaoco. There are threo grades; Riverhead Gold very mild, Toasted Navy Cut (Bulldog) of melium strength, and those who prefer a. full body wall appreciate Cut Plug No. 10 the Bullhead label.*