LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 10436, 6 January 1927, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A Japanese has perfected a method of taking snap-shots under water. It, seams that the old difficulty of locating the bath soap is now oil the way to a satisfactory solution.

Model'll rd. : “For rent, handsome bungalowette with a, grragette, kitchenette, bathette, parlourette, and porchette.”

In the month of December there was a rainfall of 6.10 inches m Eketahuna, with a maximum tall on the 12th of .9 inches. Ram tell on _U days.

Mr R. Hope, the Mnnawatu and New Zealand representative cricketer, who recently underwent an operation for appendicitis, has now quite recovered.

A letter, posted in 1911 to a resident of Uffculme, Devon, while serving as a private in the R.M.L.I. --t Plymouth, was delivered recently to him, after having been 15 years in transit.

Word has been received in Woodville of the death of Mr Al-oert Pickering, for many years managei of the Bank of New Zealand m that town. He was in the service ot the bank for 43 years.

An English newspaper, the Clifton Chronicle, recently contained the following paragraph:—“lt is easy to see how Mr Coates became 1 rime Minister of New Zealand. He has a charming personality, and is like an overgrown public, school boy.

“It is most unfortunate that we have a Minister of Lands who is trying to break the country away from the towns. I think he is making a huge blunder,” said. Mr H. Grierson, at a meeting of the Auckland A. and P Association, when the question of land settlement was being discussed.

Hundreds of Christinas weddings were celebrated in London. Nine wore conducted simultaneously in the Church of St. George the Martyr, Southwark, made famous by Dickens in “Little Dorrit.” The couples were lined up before the altar and numbered, to prevent possible confusion.

A certain Scotch merchant wets very anxious to increase bis trade. Just 'before Christmas he issued an advertisement stating that he would give presents to all liis customers. The presents were to be coat hangers and cigar lighters. Next day the store was crowded. The two presents, neatly packed in one bundle, were duly given out—a nail and a match.

“There is an automatic gauge in the Wanganui River at Castleclitf which does not always automat.”

One day last week (the Herald saVs) it cold the Kapiti that there were so many feet of water available when there was nothing of the kind, with the result that the Kapiti stuck, but came on to the town wharf next morning.

“If half the tuckshops close to the schools were closed, and a'great deal of the sweets now made were off the market, stated Mr J. Caughley, Director of Education, at Napier, “the children attending our schools would have far better teeth than they have. There were eight in our family, and not one of seven of us has lost a tooth. Illness was responsible for the ether not being so fortunate.”

An unusual specimen of the feathered tribe, a white starling was brought to the Mataura Ensign Office the other morning. The bird was caught at the Gore hostel grounds by Mr A. Smith, the caretaker, and lias made its home in West Gore for some time. The starling has had some of its feathers stripped from its wings and is not able to fly any great diet ance.

Those interested in angling know that eels prey on trout. Apparently they are not particular as to what comes their way. Fishing recently in Dore Creek at Tiratu Mr R. S. Redward, of Palmerston North, who was oil a visit to /his brother, had the luck to catch an eel weighing 1311 bs. It was nice and plump and on being opened was found to contain, amongst • other tilings, a weasel 13 inches in length !

A good golfing story is recounted by Air L. C. Friend, of Napier, who lias just returned from a business trip to Sydney. “I was asked by on Australian,” be said, “why it was all the golf links in New Zealand ran north and south and not east and vest. As I was unable to supply an answer, another Australian suggested that it might be because if the links ran east and west a good drive might send the ‘pill’ into the sea.

A London message says that the report of the International Missionary Conference records that a native African delegate was shocked at tli: sipectacle of women in bathing costumes on English beaches, and of men and women dancing on seaside promenades, with their arms around each other’s waists. The editor of the report comments that nothing was necessarily wrong with these tilings, but tlio African thought them wicked.

Offer the public a good article at a ridiculously low price and they will have their doubts about the integrity of the retailer. This in accepted by business men, and one Christchurch retailer recently showed an example of the truth of that adage. For the Christmas trade lie bad imported thousands of cheap mechanical toys. He had offered them at 6d each, but the public would not take them. The toys were trains, boats, and motor cars, ami could be wound up. They are certainly splendid value, hut they have been offered too cheaply to the doubting public.

During the visit of the GovernorGeneral to Waihi. an amusing incident occurred when the cars containing his Excellency arid the Mayoral party respectively were about to leave the Recreation Reserve An elderly lady approached the mayoral cal', and addressing a distinguished looking gentleman wearing a “hard knocker,” said “Good-bve. your lordship. 1 hope you’ve had a good ne.” “I'm not his lordship. You w find him in the next car.” The surprised member was no other than Oliineicuri s popular M.P., Major Samuel, who was in the Mayor’s car, and he immediately remarked that “it must hove been the ‘hard knocker’ that did it.’’

We don’t expect to supply you with everything you want but we aim at providing you with a valuable and prompt service in all motor chi accessories that will meet your requirements and deserve your consideration and future business a* Don aid’s Garage.*

Spencer Stratton, riding a 3J h.p. motor cycle at the Motordrome, Melbourne, smashed all records for the track. Travelling 93 miles an hour Jhe covered each of three* lap- in fourteen seconds and two miles 25ft yards in 1.36. Hie previous lap. record was 14 2-5 seconds.

A case of “tarring and f- ti ering” is reported from the Mureliison :is—trict (reports the Nelson Evening Mail). It is alleged that a settk-r. of foreign extraction, made uncomplimentary remarks about some women folk, whose friends waylaid the man, stripped him, and applied the “tarling” process, substituting k::|>oc for feathers. The man, it is said., was rather roughly handled, and hail subsequently to receive treatment at a private hospital.

Kite-flying is still not infrequently indulged in by young folk, as is pioved by the remains of a tail often seen stranded on the telegraph wires. Now that lines carrying high-power electric current are making their appearance in many parts of the country since the hydro-electric schemes were started (states the Auckland Star), it behoves kite-flyers and those who have charge of them to take care their kites do not get foul ol the dangers hidden in tlie electric pouor lines.

The Westminster Gazette states that, following the success of photographic transmissions by bea.ui wireless, it is likely that the British public will be enabled to follow tlio I)uke and Duchess of \ork's tour of New Zealand and Australia by [►holographs published a few hours after the cameras have been locus, d on the Royal party. A beam message sent to Australia in the ( liretmas week was answered in a few seconds. The Marconi Company does not expect any difficulties to be experienced. a feature of the service being a reflector by which, in the event of atmospheric disturbances, messages can be diverted round tlie other half of the earth’s circumference.

Mr G. Purdy, manager of Branscorobe Station, Akitio, writing bo a contemporary, says: “Your pcifter published recently a shearing record of 1673 done at Rototalii. The shearing tally put up in the Ilranscuinbe Station shed on New Year’s Kvo might possibly interest your country readers. J. Hojie’s contract team of si.\ shearers, in mine hours’ work, cut out 1760 ewes and lambs, tlio ewes being four-tooth, well-grown, and having 14 months' wool. This team shore till 5.20 to cut out the shed, doing for nine hours and twentv minutes, 1831. Tallies per man: 326. 321, 280. 334 . 291. 279. 'Hie sheep were shorn perfectly. - ’

The Duchess of York is rather under the Queen's sway regarding her dresses. The older Royal lady at - ts.«ncourse compelled the women cf her party to put on their coats at once, because tlierr dresses were sleeveless. The Duchess is to have no knee-length skirts—all must be a few inches below. When away from mo-ther-in-law. will she do a" little shortening' She is alleged to have suffered “severe disappointment” because. owing to the length of the voyage, she cannot include, in her cramped space, gold and silver issueand diamante, which would gefc spoilt. Her favourite hat is said UI be a helmet shape completely surrounding the face.

“We have received a letter from the Billingsgate markets stating that consignments of frozen eels are not a. success.” said Mr C. A. Whitney at a meeting of the Auckland Acclimatisation Council. He went on to say that it might yet be- passible to establish markets at Manchester and Birmingham. If tlie trade war - once started, be thought good business would result. There was a great market tor eels, and they were sold at as much as Is per 11). New Zealand had at present to compete with HolI nd and Belgium. A 'ter discussion it was decided to bring the subject up again next March. Meantime, negotiations for another trial shipment will be entered into.

A few weeks ago a farmer living a few miles out of \\ averiey was visited by a “knight of the road” in search of a meal. This uas given liitu and he lett in due course, informing his bcnetactor that lie was on his way from Hawera fo Wanganui. in search of work. A few days ago the tanner who was busy getting in ensilage, required extra labour, and. seeing a tramp on the road, hailed him. Whom should it lx- but. his acquaintance of several weeks ago. "Mdl. here's a day's work for you.” he offered gladly oil being informed that the swagger was now tramping back to Hawera. having xen unable to obtain work anywhere. "Sorry, gov-nor. but I'm in a hurry to roach town and get a shave,"’ was the amazing reply. Ail interesting discovery, which may lead to an important enterprise, lias just come to notice in the l«vin district (says the Chronicle) This ih nothing less than a discovery of pearls of commercial quality in mussel shell from the Hokio beach, which only a tew miles from the town. Ibe find woe made by a «bov, who g.ivo some of the gems a wav. and showed others to Ids school teacher, as a result of which inquiries were instituted to ascertain their probable value as a marketable commodity Hie opmion ol a jeweller, who now holds halt a dozen of the pearls. i» that they are a nromising collection I wo ot them, although of small size arc of fine colour and shape, and i oi. d not he difficult to match. All aie bigger than seed pearls, the :-\eri:r°, °£I n K i» s * under that ot Bit shot. The colour of the largest .►carl lias a tendency towards buff, which would make it difficult to match twit , it were a little larger it would have some value for a solitaire eflcct. It may be anticipated, thereloie that the mussels inhabiting' imal shores arc im for a had time in tlio near future. Cln Friday and Saturday. January 14th and loth Thomas Mcighan wiir appear in “Irish Luck,” a pi-ture screened entirely in Ireland. Air F G, Bourke will give a -.eh-ctic i of Irish songs and special m rj.ngciaent* are being made for a complete programme of Irish music. Lull or ’ai* and orchestra.*