Shannon News TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 1922.

Shannon News, 28 March 1922, Page 2

Shannon News TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 1922.

A special meeting .of the Borough Council will be held to-night. * The Buckley Drainage Board has let a contract for the cleaning of their big drain at 3/3. per chain.

The Minister for Public Works confirms his previous statement that the line through the Otira tunnel will be in operation about the end of the present year. \

A case of alleged excessive punishment of a girl by the head teacher of one of the Auckland schools was considered in committee by the Auckland Education Board. The / Board decided to request the headmaster in question to forward an explanation.

A man named Roger James Coyle, aged 23 years characterised by the Magistrate as “the laziest man in the Dominion," was sentenced at Auckland to 10 days on bread and rvatcr for re-, fusing to work while a prisoner in Mount Eden gaol.

The Waikato Times reports the case of a young returned soldier, a skilled accountant, who two years ago put his gratuity and his savings, £BOO in all, into a farm. He “went under' ’ during the slump, and for three weeks had been tramping about looking for a job. He had just 32s left out of the wreck.

- It is stated that the number of men to be met with daily on the look-out for work is increasing in the Waikato districts. An illustration of the keenness v of some to secure a job at any price has come to notice where one man accepted a position with an Ohaupo farmer at 10s a week and keep.

The contract's lor .the tunnelling work at Mangahao have all been let. except one very wet one at the Middle Camp. The price lor the other tunnel at this camp was £2 ID/6 per foot. The surge chamber tunnel was let lor £3 5/ and the outer two at this end at £3 5/ and £3 !)/6 respectively, £2 5/ being the price for the cross-cut leading to the latter tunnel. In the Supreme Court on Saturday Ernest ltobt. Ward, carter and carrier, at Masterton, was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment without hard labour lor failure to keep proper account books during the years prior to his bankruptcy and for contracting debts knowing at the time he had no reasonable prospect of paying them, together with his other debts.

A unique ceremony took place in Sydney recently, when Miss Myrtle Rose, who went to the assistance of Constable Pringle on January 16th while he was being attacked by men who resented the arrest of their companion, was presented by Inspector Young, with an oak cabinet of cutlery and a cheque. At the conclusion of the presentation three cheers were given for Miss Rose.

Another evidence oi hard times farmers are up against was manifested when a meeting of creditors in the estate of the fate H. V. Hammond was held at Wanganui. This estate was one of the most valuable in the listrict. The assets represented £210,000 and the liabilities £200,000. The liabilities, with the exception of about £3OOO were all secured. The secured creditors comprised various persons holding first mortgages over different portions of the real estate and D'algety and Co. holding a second mortgage over practically the whole estate, upon which mortgage there was due and payable at the death of the deceased about £77,000. The fact that an estate of such value was forced into bankruptcy is a reflection of the strenuous times through which farmers are passing.

The steamer Dorset arrived from Liverpool at Auckland on Sunday with 202 immigrants, including 37 domestics and 18 weavers for the Kaiapoi, Roslyn and Mosgiel mills. During the voyage a man named James Carter died and was buried at sea.

The Wellington Hospital Board had Defore it at last meeting a table which reflects the fall in the cost, of living. For flour, butter, sugar and meat in 1920-21 the Board paid £7493 and 192122 £6327. For 1922-23 the cost of these articles is estimated at £5045. Further dastic retrenchment are taking place in the Defence Department. Last week a large-: number cl permanent sergeant major instructors attached to the staff of the 'Auckland military district terminated their employment, while a number of officers have "been similarly retrenched. It is not generally known that practically every pound of tea which comes into New Zealand is subject to a duty of sd, of which the Commonwealth gets 2d and the New Zealand Government 3d. In the <rare cases when tea comes direct lrom India, the duty is 3d per lb, but generally it has to be transhipped at Sydney. It is reported that the recent decrease in the price of bread and milk means a saving of some hundreds of pounds to some of the largest public institutions in Auckland. Many large manufacturers are quoting very low indeed lor bread, anticipating as they do that as time goes on there will be a further decrease in the price of dour.

The death occurred in Wellington oil calumny oi Mr W. jYI. iiannay, aged 74. Mr Hannay was for many years, General Manager of the N.Z. Railways and later became Manager of the ManavVatu Railway when it was owned by the Company. He retired when the Government took the line over.

One of the arts taught, at the Wellington Boys* Institute —and a remarkably fine art to the person who tackles it for the first time —is boot repairing. Some of the boys have become highly proficient. The boys are taught to do as much for themselves as possible, and thrift is further encouraged by/ the institute savings bank, where the old proverb of keeping an eye on the pence is put into actual practice.

A Foxton Press Association wire states that a Wellington car containing seven persons including two women, collided with a local car at the intersection of Norbiton and Russell Streets on Saturday evening. The Wellington car turned over twice and the occupants were pinned in. Sinclair, die driver, had an arm badly cut. The hood being up saved more serious consequences. Both cars were badly damaged: It may come as a surprise to many people, especially those who have ever experienced doubts, perhaps qualms, as to the age of an egg that it takes about six weeks lor the first flush ol youth to pass off one kept, in a reasonably cool place. “An egg is fresh enough to hatch after that time, let alone to eat,” said a prominent pouf tryman to a Chronicle representative this morning. This being the case, poultrymen foresee few difficulties in conducting an export trade of’ lucrative markets can be found.

The Wunganui Clironicie reports mat a badly damaged motor car Was found *at Putiki on Friday, with i:o trace of the driver. It had evidently collided with a telegraph post. The force of the impact may be judged from the fact that the chassis gave way, and every part of the body was buckled, but the most curious thing about the accident was that the steering wheel was broken by coming in contact with the driver’s chest. As a matter of tact the driver's mouth also struck the wheel, one of his front teeth being found imbedded in it.

It is not generally known (says a contemporary) that in cases where a native is charged with or suspected oi murder, his condition .is made far worse by the operation of the tribal laws than if he were hanged. Such a matt becomes puhururu—he is made an outcast, an Ishmael, rejected of his own people. Not only so, but every member of his family comes under the puhururu operation—they are all outcast. It is reported that the reason why the other Maori in the latest case gave evidence regarding a conlession of guilt by the accused was because the law of puhururu was already in operation. What is a perfect lady? The question has received many and varied definitions, but one of the best definitions was elicited by an American. A woman witness, asked a question as to what had been the conduct of a plaintiff in a divorce case towards her husband, replied: “She treated him like a perfect lady, to be sure.” The judge, who admits that lie dislikes the distinction between “women” and “ladies,” thereupon asked from the perfectly self-possessed witness a definition of a perfect lady, and she gave it without hesitation: “A perfect lady is a lady who stays at home, keeps her home clean and minds her own business.

' ilorowhenua County ratepayers are reminded that their rates must he

paid immediately if they wish to avoid incurring the 10 per cent penalty- '

A Cambridge motor cyclist was charged with exceeding me speed limit on a motor cycle and with leaving the “cut-out” open and so- disturbing the peace. Fines amounting to £7 and costs were imposed.

While Sir William nemes, Mr R. L. Somers, Mr D. Waddell and Mr J. Somers, jun., were .-reiumlng by motor-car from the races at Paeroa on Saturday evening they hud a verynarrow escape of losing ilieir lives. The driver, Mr Somers, jun., pulled on one side to- allow another ear to pass, when the car rail into wiiat appeared to be a grassy patch, m stead of which it was a large hole. This caused the car to turn a somersault. Strange to say, each occupant escaped injury, excepting Mr Somers, who suffered minor injuries. Each passenger received a.severe snak.ng, hut- is little the worse. Sir William, being 17 stone in weight, was the most- difficult to extricate lrom me upturned car (says the Waikato Times).