HALCOMBE NOTES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLII, Issue 11478, 5 March 1918, Page 5

HALCOMBE NOTES.

From Our Own Correspondent. „ Letters have been received lately from Lieut. Fred Huggins, who was before the war engaged in farm—iugjcperations with Mr L. Pleasants, of “Burnside,’ Stanwsy Road. Lieut Huggftis was in England on a pleasure trip when the Lusitania was sunk. The news made him itch to give Bill the Baby-Killer something of what was coming to him, so he went and tried to enlist, but failed to pass the medical examination. The trip back to New Zealand evidently improved his health, for on arrival in this country lie whs miepted ns a private. Subsequently he was transferred to an officers’ training school, got his commission, and has been in the thick of it now for several months.

On Thursday evening the Kakariki Glee Club, who gave a very successful concert in the meeting house, Kikariki, last week, will repeat the concert in the Foresters’ Hall, Hstlcombe. The proceeds are to ho devoted to' the Returned Soldiers’ fund, which badly needs money if the right thing is to be dona by our returned warriors. Private Charles Seigel, who ’was *• reported wounded some mouths »go, is now reported to ho in the firing line again. A feature of the landscape, which has always had an evil effect both on the appearance and utility of the land .round Halcombe, is manuka scrub. How anyone cun allow this pest to occupy laud—laud, too, that will grow anything when brought under the plough—is hard to understand. However, one of of our largest growers hitherto of this rubbish is now busily engaged clearing his land and by so doing is not only adding many pounds in value to bis property but is setting an example to others, who could easily “follow suit’’ with profit to themselves and pleasure to the community. Perhaps some day the Oroua Council will have the scrub cleared from our two chainwide road on the west side of the railway. At present only about 12ft wide is used by vehicles; the other. 120 feet is mostly dense manuka.

Mr Henry Cornfoot, who met with ti serious accident several weeks ago, is now getting about again, though wooden legs in theshape of crutches do not lend themselves to great agility ;