LOCAL AND GENERAL

Patea Mail, Volume XLV, 25 February 1921, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Try D. Jones, Egmont Street, for plumbing and tinsmithing repairs. Telephone 111. *

A number of settlers in Manaia have petitioned to have their properties excluded from the Manaia Town District, presumably on account of the extra rates that will be payable in connection with the loan that was recently carried.

The Prime Minister states that as a result of his visit to the Duller Gorge coalfield he is convinced that the West port-lnangahua railway line should be completed thus giving access to the coal The lino would actually touch some seams of coal of unusually good quality. The estimated quantity is about 70,000,000 toils.

Extensive swamp fires extending over a. wide area between Kerepcehi and Morrinsvillc, on the southern end of the Hauraki Plains, have been raging for the past few days. The area covered by the flame is covered with dry flax, raupo, and grass of phenomenal growth, hence the fires are larger ■than suaul, the roar of the flames being heard two miles away. There has been no damage.

Fir Harry Lauder is telling a good story that is worth repeating. “A friend of his purchased a horse of the dray species, which he took from Aberdeen to Glasgow. While going down Fauchiehall Street, the animal stopped and refused to budge. A crowd soon gathered, and there happened to be a veterinary surgeon in it, who promptly went to the assistance of the horse’s owner. He commenced to examine the boast's foot, and found that it -was firmly set down on a threepenny piece."

The special correspondent of the Dominion travelling with the Parliamentary touring parly on the East Coast gleaned some "impressive facteA* in the Whakatanc district. Ho cites one farm, for instance, of KlOacres which carried 111) dairy cows, while a carrying capacity of 80 cows to 100 acres over and above cultivation is frequent. It was stated that the return was tremendous. Exceptional crops of up to 110 bushels were quoted, and rarely was manure used on the land.

A magnificent compliment is paid to New Zealand in the official record of H.M.F. Renown’s visit. "A feature of made at each place," states the record, "of Children's Day, and something like .33,0(10 altogether came on board. Never have such children been seen in Europe. There was not a weed or degenerate among (hem. sill were the picture of health and happiness—and they were not a selection from the various schools but the whole crowd without exception. A good augury for the future of New Zealand I "

German men of science are swarming into Japan, and being very warmly welcomed there. The Tokio correspondent of the Federation of British Industries states that a regular colony of Gormans is springing up in Tokio, that Gormans arc being appointed to high scleW-lic posts, and that in nine such appointments the salaries ranged from £2OOO to £2500 a year. In iron and stool works, in the dye-stuffs industry, and in the manufacture of medical instruments "German lira ins" arc evidently preferred by the Japs.

Admiral Fir Reginald Bacon, in the preface to his book on "The Dover Patrol." states that between 1015-17 the Dover minesweepers swept a distance equal to twelve times round the earth. In two years and nine months the patrol passed 120,000 merchant vessels through the Narrows and only oue-twonty-fifth part of 1 per cent was lost by mines, and one-thousandth part of 1 per cent by the enemy’s night raids. As to the cross-Channel traffic 5.(300,000 troops were passed over without an accident to a single man.

•• I have .-een a great deal of the world during the last four or live years, but as a picture of agricultural prosperity the Canterbury Plains would be very hard to beat in any part of the world." said the Prime Minister in Christchurch. "I have seen nothing to beat them. Fo far as 1 am able to judge the wheat yield will bo an average one, and possibly a little more. If it is average, wc shall have enough, wheat in this country for our requirements. I do want to see sufficient whear grown in this country for ourselves. ’'

The annual meeting of the Kakaramca Sports Club will lie held in the hall on Tuesday next. March Ist. at S p.m. Messrs. R. P. Morrissey and Co. will sell at the mart to-morrow a large rpmutity of timber in lots to suit purchasers, and also a quantity of fruit. All persons having claims against the estate of the late Elizabeth Hodge arc asked to make same known to Messrs. Hamel and Horc before hist March next. When an egg laid by a hen belonging lu a poultry farmer of Btretcord Bridge, Herefordshire, was broken, it was found to con tain a penny. The coin was bright, but the yolk_ of Hie egg tv as discoloured.

“Two saloon keepers wore in opposition to each other. Out pue up a sign ‘We are open ail night.’ The other replied ‘We never close.’ A nearby Chinese laundryman, who was also out for business, followed with ‘Me wakoe too. ’ ’ ’

It is intended to establish an aerial mail and passenger service between Napier, Wairoa, and Gisborne, and for this purpose an airplane of IMO h.p. ■was landed at Napier on Saturday. Besides carrying mail matter the machine has been built to carry a pilot and two passengers.

Excellent progress is being made by Mr. Pulley with the improvements at the hydro-electric works. The tunnel and steps leading to the power-house site have been completed, and the dam is well under way, and should be ready for a trial of the turbine in about six weeks’ lime.

A minor's wife walked into a shop in one of the Mouth Mait.and (X.M.W ) coalfield towns the other day with a complaint—one that she n\gardel as quite serious. “Isn't it a nuisance," said the good woman, rather testily, “the company always pays in 10pound notes now. They're a nuisance to cash.”

Schools under the Wanganui Education Board will close on Thursday, March 24th, for the. Easter vacation, and will re-open on Tuesday, April sth. It has been customary in the past to re-open on the Monday, but this year an extension of one day lias been granted, so that teachers may have the benefits of the second week-end and return to their homes on the Monday in readiness for commencing duties next dav.

There arc now ten 2,00(1 gallon cows in Gtrcat Britain, all of thorn British Fviesians. The last addition to the select roll is a cow belonging to Lieut.Col. L. E. Monaco, of Wilts., Wigginton Geraldine by name. She Ims given to date in 503 days, 2,053 gallons of milk, and is still producing six gallons daily. The cow is 10 years old and has produced seven calves since 1914. Her previous lactation yields hav been SBi, 1143, I")2(>, and 1221 gallons.

Because young men refuse io dance with girls wearing corsets, whom they call “old ironsides,” the young women of Indianapolis, Indiana, are discarding the unpopular garments In cloak rooms, before beginning to dance. The fact was revealed at a meeting of 'the Indianapolis Women’s Club, at which perturbed mothers discussed what action they should take in face of this situation. A mother described how she had chaperoned her daughter to a dance the previous night. On visiting the dressing room during ■the evening she found every chair filled up with corsets.

A remarkable example of the prickly pear’s tenacity of life was given in the oiliccs of the Metropolitan Moat Board, Sydney. Bully a year ago a large leaf of prickly pear was cut: in Mexico and sent to Washington, D.C., and thence despatched by the Department of Agriculture of the United States to the Metropolitan Meat Board. Mr Cramsie is making experiments with a view to combining prickly pear mead and certain abattoirs 'by-products in a drought time food for stock. The big leaf was unpacked, examined, and nine months ago laid away on a dark shelf. A few days since Mr Cramsie happened to pull out the dry and hard old leaf, and found at one end a vigorous, young, green shoot, four inches long. “What do you Blink of that.’” he asked. “What can be done with a pest that will grow even in the dryness of a Government office.’”

A sensational court-martial of a major in the Royal Aair Force mas concluded at Cairo recently, when the officer mas acquitted of charges of murder and manslaughter. The major and his wife mere domiciled at ismalia, where a Jugo-Slav named Aot, an employee of the .Suez Canal Co., paid persistent attention to the major’s wife, necessitating finally a decision that the major and his wife should leave the country. The transfer mas sanctioned by the authorities, Init three days before their departure, the infatuated dugo-Slav. hearing of the intention lo depart, took the wife homo from a dance, and threatened the husband with death if he came near. The husband demanded the release of his wife, hut Aot made as if to draw a revolver fromh is pocket. Thereupon the major shot him, and he died later. The defence was self-preserva-tion. and the court found the accused not guilty.