LOCAL AND GENERAL

Patea Mail, Volume XLVI, 29 August 1923, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Messrs Haworth and Keane have an interesting advertisement in this issue with regard to bargains they arc offering. A steam navvy, which weighs, with coal, 300 tons, has been built at Lincoln fpr irrigation work in the Punjab. It lifts 20 tons a minute, and does the work of 000 men. Mr Elliott, of the iirm of Elliott and Minuell, tailors, of Wanganui, notilles chat lie will bo in town to-morrow, and may be interviewed at the Albion Hotel. Ladies donating a basket to tomorrow night’s social are asked to Ipave same at the supper room by 5 p.m., if possible, so as to enable the laities in charge of the supper to be present at the presentation to Mr Strouts.

The newly-appointed engineers to the Now Plymouth Borough Council recommend that a loan of £20,600 bo raised to put the hydro-electric extension work in a proper state of repair. The recommendation has been adopted ’ey the Council.

A tombstone erected near Hamburg, Pennsylvania, is a reminder to motorists of the danger of careless driving. The stone, which is about four feet high, has the word “Dangerous" at the top. A skull and crossboues appear above the ominous words; “Fourteen miles to the nearest hospital."

A movement is on foot in Eactihi to establish an experimental farm in the district, and a meeting has been held of farmers interested to meet and discuss the proposal with Mr Deams, of the Agricultural Department. Prior to the meeting, the sub-committee inspected a farm property at Makaranui, and reported favourably on it. The president of the Waimarino branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Union states that there is every possibility of the farm being established in the near future.

At a football match at Pahiatua an amusing incident happened. On a lineout a player in the Bush team secure.! the leather, was swung completely round, and then dashed brilliantly for his own goal-line, some 40 yards distant. He had travelled some 25 yards in this fashion, when the referee, equally astounded with the onlookers, so far forgot himself as to deem it a case for the whistle, finalising immediately, however, that the mistake was his, he promptly awarded a free kick to Hawke's Bay.

The following story was told at the Invercargill competitions by Mr Temple White (says the “Southland Times"). Bruest Newman, one of the greatest musical judges in England, was judging a brass instrument competition in the north. After the award had been made, an unsuccessful coructist came to the judge and truculently asked: “What do you know about cornet-play-ing? Can you even play the cornet?" “No," was the calm reply, “I cannot, but neither can 1 lay an egg, yet I know a good one from a bad one.''

Giving evidence before the House of Commons Select Committee on Betting, James McLean, of Glasgow, said that he carried on a credit bookmaking Business. He employed a staff of 60. His takings averaged £SOOO a day, which, at six days a week for 50 weeks worked out at £1,500,000 a year r His telephones cost him £2300 a year, and his postage £1250.

The Governor-General of Australia told the members of the Eoyal Prince Alfred Hospital Committee (Sydney) that he was keenly interested in yachting. He had often attended races at Plemington at noon, and in order to be able to skip his yacht in the afternoon he had changed his clothes while motoring through the Melbourne streets in a closed car!

New York's fourteeu-ycar-old prodigy, Edward Eoghe Hardy, who has graduated from Columbia’ University and is said to be master of twelve languages, arrived recently at Plymouth. Apart from languages, his hobby is Assyrian and Babylonian history, during the study of which he deciphered ancient hieroglyphic tablets. He has studied a dozen sciences, and plays several musical instruments. He intends to become a clergyman.