TOWN EDITION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11839, 20 April 1909, Page 6

TOWN EDITION

A large octopus, its tentacles measuring sft* in length. was caught off Kilbirnie Avharf, Wellington, recently.

. Eltham County Council decided that their solicitor be interviewed in reference to a £100 subsidy Avhich it is claimed is due from Waimate West County Council.

The warship Avithout funnels has come in the British Indefatigable, which "will be propplled by internal rpnibostion engines.

Mr Alexander Anderson, of the Bank el New Zealand, Reefton, while closing the door of the safe, got his left thumb jambed. and the member Avas severed at the first joint.

Tlie first children's donation to the Dreadnought Fund Avas received at the Borough Council 6ffide this afternoon, being £1 13s 6dl from the Catholic school.

Anxious enquiries A\-ei;e being made to-day for a small Avanderer, a little hoy, aged 18 months, having strayed from his home in Kahutda street. It was not until 3.30 this afternoon that his Avhereabouts Avere discovered.

The number of boys and girls who have emigrated to Canada^ under the auspices of Dr Parnardo's Homes has now reached 20,973. Tlfeir outfit and travelling expenses amount to £10 each and 98 .per cent, of them are doing AA'ell. Government valuers of the Levels County (South Canterbury) have recentIv advanc.d the value of the* land all round. An overage increased value of £3 per acre is reported by the Press. On April 1 the English Children's Act of 190S came into operation. Chi and after that date it Avill be illegal in Great Britain to sell cigarettes to boys under 16 years of age, and policemen and park-keepers are authorised to confiscate such articles if found in their possession. A yoiiTij man of Carterton is deeply interested in the progress of the poultry industry, and is making arrangements

to put a pen of twelve hens — broAvn leghorns — through a twelve montlis' test, for the pur-pcee of satisfying himself and others wliat such a number of birds can do for their owner. '

The Manawatu County Council is in nn excellent financial position. It has of late yeais been gradually reducing the overdraft, until it ended the year ending March 31st only £600 to the bad. Even this is a paper debit balance, as there is £300 rates to bank, and- the Foxto'n. Borough. Council .owes £300 to the Council. In his recently printed lectures before tho University of Copenhagen, President Butler, of Columbia University, writes : "Almost without exception the men "who to-day cccupy the most conspicuous positions in the'United States have Ayorked their way up, by their own ability, from Aery humble beginnings. The heads of the great universities Avere every one of them not long ago humble and poorly coirpensiitcd teachers."

'T have got the church on one side doing nothing," said an aggrieved property- owner in the Auckland Assessment Court, in endeawring to impress the Couit Avith reasons why the A-aluation of his property should be reduced. "The church," he added, "is a bad neighbor and a poor farmer, and to make matters "Avorse.* I haA-e got Chinamen on the other side." After this tecital of his tale of Avoe, the objector avos granted a- reduction.

One speciality on the SJoa Flat Estate, w;hich has recently been cut up (says the Tapanui Courier), that has succeeded admirably is sugar beet. lhe seed was

•secured from the Agricultural- Department, and roots sent to Wellington were pronounced exceedingly rich in sugar, * containing a larger quantity of saccharine matter than any otlier plants reared to date in New Zealand. No : manure is required for sugar beet, and it is of coimderable value as a fodder plant, and the bett is easily grown-. Melba can scarcely liave a valet, but fihe has a butler, described by an Australian writer as a grim, vigilant, blackclothed being, who is in evidenca at 'every concert, and has a systematic way of* carting ctf the superfluous vegetable heaved at his employer. The Melba entourage is small and concise. It includes Secretary Agnes Murphy, Undersecretary Annie Moore, Baritone "Ranalow, with his Irish smile and pretty wife; also the grim buried -looking butler, and Fifi, the FreHch maid.

A witness in a case at Wellington last Aveek said that he had been poisoning rabbits for about 26 years, ■ and was beginning to know sometliing about them. A pair of rabbits, h^suid, would in one year multiply to a thousand, and he had known a hare to travel over seven miles to a parsley patch. He asserted that it Avas no good putting down poison near tihe rabbits' \vaterholes. It ought to be placed on places where they assemble to play.

Th? Carterton News -thus describes an Easter picnic:— "A party of fourteen •picnickers Avho went to Palliser Bay returned last night. They hid a splendid time, and were all very sorry to leavo for home and Avork. 'The firtft thing that happened in the way of excitement Avas when the coach was going over the Wharepapa hill. The party AviiS walkinij, and tlie wind blew th_ heavy coach right over. The A^ehicle

Avas straightened up again, and the party eventually reached the camping place.' On Saturday night and Sunday heavy rain fell, and Mr Davidson, who manages Wharepapa for Mr Matthews, went t6 the camp and took the whole (party up to his house, Avhere they lived like lords. •_ E-veryone seems . to ' be heroes. Some shot goats, one climbed u precipice and got stuck half-way up, three swam *,out to a rock to fish and

two of them got washed off the rqck and nearly drowned. One had a race with a cow, just winning by a length to th? nearest fence, and so on. Taking the trip all round, it Avas one of the most pleasant imaginable." An employer's faith in the unemployed was temporarily shattered 1 at "Wellington under pecular circumstances. It appears the Dominion saya, that two unemployed men applied for. work. The Avork was forthcoming, the* orders being to proceed to an unoccupied house %nd remove the roof as the house was to be rebuilt on top. "I don't knoAv whether you want Avork," said the new employer eyeing the Avorkers suspiciously. The toilers were glad to get the Avork. They found two unoccupied houses, and at once decided on the house which" they were to operate on. They plied their implements Avith unusual vigor. Later they were proceeding to town to claim their remuneration, when they met their employer. He had in thejneantime been

up to the house he had sent the men to, and had noticed that nothing had been . done to it. He upbraided the men with considerable force. Further inquiries showed that (he two unoccupied houses had ]ud to complications, lhe workers had gone to the wrong one, and had lifted the rwf off the house next door to tho ono in which the contractor was interested.

The annual communication of the New Zealand Grand Lodge of Freemasons is to be held at New Plymouth a; fortnight hence and a big programme has been arranged for whati the local papers term "Grand Lodge week." The Governor has intimatedi that he proposes to arrive at New Plymouth early on Wednesday, tho Sth prox., per steamer Tuiaflekai, from Kawbia, and will remain until the morning of Saturday. Tbe Communication of Grand Lodge opens on Wednesday, at 2 p.m., and the installation of the Grand Master and Pro. Grand Master and investiture of tho grand officers will take place the same day. Grand Lodge sits ;igain on Thursday-) and if tho business is not concluded by 1 o'clock, it will then adjourn until next morning. On Thursday afternoon the (hand Lodge will be entertained at a garden party at Acjtea hy the De Burgh Adams Lodge of Irish Freemasons. The same evening the Freemasons of Taranaki will entertain the visitors at a .social or ball. On Friday afternoon his Excellency the Governor will unveil tlie monument erected! on Marsland Hill m memory of those who fell in the Taranaki wars, and will leave on Saturday morning by the mail train for Palmer-j-(on North. ;