General Items

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 92, 23 August 1923, Page 2

General Items

The severity of the climatic conditions on Monday (states the Manawatu Standard) was evidenced by the fall of snow which was observable on the hills surrounding Ashhurst and Pohaugina.

Tlio accidental upsetting of an oil lamp was the cause of two summer cottages and a motor car being destroyed at Hakatcre, a holiday and fishing settlement at the mouth of the Ashburton river.

A Wanganui lady recently sent to relatives in the Old Land a price list for beef published by a local butchery firm. By last mail she received a London price list, faring the following prices:—Fillet beef 2s Bd, rump steak 2s Bd, sirloin Is lid, ribs Is ,lld, top side Is Bd, flank Is, stewing steak Is 9d, gravy beef Is 4d, brisket lOd.

The Bev. W. A. Sinclair, who passed through Palmerston North on Tuesday received a wireless message from the Bov. J. P. Goldie in the Solomon Islands, which is the first received from this station. The plant, which was installed by the Methodist Church Foreign Missions Society, is, we understand, the first to be installed in any miission station in tho Pacific,

“I’m out of Parliament; I’m one of tlie unemployed, and I haven’t any dole; but I’m as happy as a sand fo mer M.P., whose plight urns mentioned at the Textile Workers’ Conboy,” said' Mr Alfred Davies, a feronee. “I have been out of work since I was defeated by Air CHtheroe in "November.” he explained. “During the four rears T was in Parliament T didn’t pay my unemployment insurance, so now I’m not entitled to the dole.”

The Pahiatua Herald reports: It is stated that one of the local fac-

tories will bo distributing to supp’io s next month something like £SOOO for bonuses. As other factories operating do-© to the town wt'll also be in a position tp make bonus payments it is quite possible for this amount to be doubled. Ten thousand pounds distributed to farmers who live within the district which Pahiatua so”ves should be of great assistance to business people, and iis an illustration of the townspeople depend upon the prosperity of the farmers.

The Manawatu Standard reports: Tlie wintry weather experienced on Monday at Palmerston North was responsible for small attendances of pupils at the primary schools. At ono of the larger dity schools out of a total roll number of ‘■ISO. there was only an attendance of 323—over 500 pupils being absent., A headmaster informed a reporter that the present winter has been the worst that he can recall for breaks in School attendance. The state of affairs this year has been oven worse than during the influenza epidemic year. Since the beginning of winter this year, he states, it had been nothing but a series of interruptions due to illness amongst the children.

Tlie office of both President and secretary of the Pahiatua Bowling Club went begging at the annual meeting on Saturday night (reports the Herald). Messrs E. Harrison and J. A. Walsh, though hard pressed to again accept office, were adamant to all overtures and coaxing terms In turn several in the room were nominated, but each and everyone made an excuse. Finally it was decided to ask Mr P. Thomson, absent from town, and a former President, to again accept the position. Mr Walsh consented to act as hon, secretary till the committee found a successor in the course of a few weeks.

f The Prime Minister, speaking at the complimentary dinner te ul.-red to him by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce on Saturday, pointed .out that during the war 21 vessels trading to New Zealand had been sunk by enemy ships, and stressed the fact that the one class of ships of which we were short at that time was the class of fast, well-armed cruisers specially designed for protecting our trade routes. It was for that kind of work, he added, that such vessels as H.M.S. Chatham and the oil-burning cruiser which was to succeed her, were intended. They were not!meant to fight battleships.