GENERAL NEWS

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 31 May 1923, Page 7

GENERAL NEWS

The Wairarapa “Age” states that the soldiers’ graves at the Featherston Cemetery are kept in beautiful condition. Whoever is responsible deserves the greatest praise.

“AVhat has your married life been like?” queried Mr F. K. Hunt, S.AL, during the course of a maintenance case at the Wellington Alagistrate s Court, “Well, I simply can’t describe it,” emphatically declared the wife.

It is proposed to spend £IO,OOO m advertising New Zealand dairy produce at the Empire Exhibition, to be held m London next year. The money will be raised by a levy of Is per ton oil cheese and 2s per ton on butter exported.

The Secretary of the Chief Post Office advises that the mails which left Auckland on April 3 via Vancouver arrived in London on Alay 10. Mails which left Wellington on April 25 via San Francisco arrived in London on Alay 27.

The rangers of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society have transferred >SOO pheasants from North Auckland, with the loss of only one, which was killed by a deck-hand on a steamer at Helensville. This is considered to be a record considering the distance the birds had to be transported.

The annual provincial conference of the Farmers’ Union will be held in the C.F.C.A. Rooms to-day, commencing at 1L a.m. Among the visitors to the conference will be Air AY. J. Poison (Bpminion President of the Union) and Mi li C Cameron, who was at one time in’ charge of the Produce Department in the High Commissioner’s Offce, Loudon. Mr Cameron will address the conference on the subject of the immigration of farm labour, a work m winch lie was at one time engaged.

During the hearing of the claim against the Borough Council yesterday in which a AVanganui swimmer is suing for £44 4s 9cl in lieu of valuables which went missing from the custodian’s office at the Bay bathing slieds, last yearls caretaker stated in evidence that he had as much as £2OOO worth of property left in his care by people using the bathing sheds. A former caretaker stated that he had been given a wallet with £IOO, and in another instance the sum of £7O to keep.

At the Alagistrate’s Court at Timaru vosterday, before Air E. D. Alosiey, S.AL, judgment by default for plaintiffs, with costs, was given in 1 the following claims: —England, Aleßae (Air L. AI. Inglis) v. T. AI. Corlett, claim £2 12s 4d; N. M. and A. Co. (Air Inglis) v. J. Stratford)" £1 12s 6d. On a judgment summons Bert Edwards agreed to an order to pay 5s a week to pay off a debt owing to T. H. Baker .(Air Inglis), the alternative being 13 days’ imprisonment. It often happens that people assembled in public meeting demand all manner of tilings, regardless of cost, si long as they have not to do the paying. But a meeting of Alackenzie Country runliolders which was held at Tekapo last week set a very laudable example. A resolution was passed calling upon the Alackenzie County Council to provide suitable appliances for clearing the roads of snow in winter time, and those present showed the sincerity of their request by adding . that they would pay interest and sinking fund on a loan of £3OOO for the purpose named. The resolution was moved by Mr \\. Black (Alount John Station) and seconded by Mr T. D. Burnett, AI.l. ( (Alount Cook Station)j A Greymouth correspondent states in an exefiange: “There recently occurred near Gronadun one of tlie worst forms of cruelty. A valuable horse ,in the pmk of condition was taken from a, padaock. It had been newly sfiod, and was left in a well-secured paduock, but the shoes were removed by the miscreant to evade any trace of its exit from the paddock. Five weeks later the horse was discovered where it had been chained to a tree. It had eaten the tree through, and had been, living entirely oil tfie wood. AVhen found it was a mere skeleton, and its hoofs were worn past bearing shoes for some tuue. The poor animal had been taken seven miles from the paddock to whereat had : been secured with heavy chains. -

The passengers by the 8.55 a.m. train from Onristchurch to Lyttelton on Tuesday were startled by the sudden of the train at the weitham crossing. A man, carrying a brief bag in one hand and riding a bicycle was seen to swerve from the engine towards the rails next the gas works, and, after steadying his machine, he rode away quickly, without looking back to ascertain if any damage had been caused by the sudden pul-ling-up of the engine. The unknown peddler had a narrow escape, as the engine touched the mudguard of his machine. The engine-driver brought the train to a standstill exactly within the distance of the engine and two carriages. It was a splendid feat, and the crowd of onlookers gave him a hearty cheer. i

An old resident of Central Hawke’s Bay, who recently visited Wellington, is quite pleased at scoring at the Government’s expense (states the Napier ‘ ‘Telegraph’ ’). The unsophisticated traveller asked for a ticket to Wellington, failing to mention that he intended going via Wairarapa, which trip costs about two shillings more than by way of Palmerston. On being asked to pay the extra cost by the guard the tourist indignantly refused to pay stating that his ticket was for Wellington, and to Wellington he would go. All explanations proving futile, the guard impounded the return half of the ticket, explaining that the same could be obtained on application at Wellington and payment of the small balance due. “But I was too many for them,” said the veteran on returning. “I never paid 1 went and bought another ticket back home.” Both the Department and the traveller are quite satisfied!

A resident of one of the Auckland marine suburbs had occasion on Tuesday to approach the mate of one or the ferry steamers to ascertain whether he had either seen, or had handed to him, a lady’s purse ■ containing besides other things, a sum of ■ been lost on one of the boats (states the “Auckland Star ). .It all depends who picked it up, said the mate. “There are very few honest people about these days, and you will be lucky if you receive it back. Of couise, lie explained, “we are frequently handed articles found by passengers, hut l some cases they are not given up. l will give you two instances. Ihe other night I laid a trap. I packed an empty chocolate box with small pieces or coal, and wrapped it in brown paper, addressed to a lady in Rotorua. I watched near a window of the ladies’ cabin, and presently a lady passenger came in, saw the parcel, looked around, and quickly placed the box under her arm. I waited to see if she. would hand me the box on arrival at Auckland, but she walked off hurriedly, and did not even leave it at the Ferry Company’s office. The Jollowing day she again came on board, when I told her ‘that the price of coal had gon& up.’ This sally met with no response, save a deep blush, which suffused her countenance. On another occasion some fish offal- was neatly wrapped up and left on the scar, and was taken by another lady. Jler surprise on opening the pared on arrival homo can be more readily imagined than described. But, of course,” Ibe mate added, “the majority of passengers who find left parcels band them lo us when leaving the boat.’!