LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Thames Star, Volume LIX, Issue 16645, 16 November 1925, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Wairarapa Daily Times states that a Mastertonian. on going to record his vote in a Southern town on Wednesday last, found the polling clerk doubtful as to the existence of the town of Mast-erton, for it was "not on his list.” He eventually decided that there might be such a place "somewhere in the Manawatu,” and therefore, under pressure, allowed the vote to be recorded.

With the object of raising money to pay for the two new courts, the members of the Methodist Tennis Club with some outside assistance, are staging the three-act comedy, “French Leave,” at the King’s Theatre on Wednesday, 25th. inst. The demand for tickets has been keen, and as the production can be staged for one night only, intending patrons are advised to buy their tickets now from Arnold J. Brokenshire’s.

During the month of October the estates of Daniel Joseph Fitzgerald, late of Ngatea, and William John Johnston, late of Thames, were accepted by the Public Trustee for administration.

Dairy farmers and graziers on the Hauraki Plains who have suffered losses of stock during the recent wet winters will be interested in the solution of their difficulties offered in an advertisement on page 1 of this issue, in which a fine grazing run is offered for sale.

Without our humorous papers this world would be a very dull place indeed. The only trouble is that we have not time to read them all. This is just where that popular weekly, Humour, fits in nicely. The aim of Humour is to skim only the best of laughter from the world’s leading journals of wit, and it is truly a delectable dish that it sets before us weekly. Humour is on sale at all newsagents.

Aussie’s big Christmas number is a notable one, and is representative of the work of over 100 humorous writers and artists. Aussie lias drawn not only from its writers and artists in Australia, and New Zealand, but also from those who are far away from home in the South Sea Islands, New Guinea and Paraguay. .There is a fine spirit of cheerfulness about the issue, and some of the stories are real classics of humour.

The fact that Ohinemuri may gain Restoration as the result of the recent poll is having a strange effect in at least one of the Goldfields centres. The Morrinsville Bowling Club had asked one of the Goldfields clubs to make a visit to Morrinsville at a date in the very near future, the reply stating that everyone was so excited at the prospect of the restoration of the hotels that they had no time to think about travelling to Morrinsville. Advice has been received in Wellington that the old home of Samuel Butler, the author of Erewhon, who there wrote for the Christchurch Press the first part of his now famous book, has collapsed owing to a heavy fall of snow, and is now no more. A striking coloured picture of Butler’s old home is on view in Wellington just now, and Inis attracted a good deal of attention. Butler’s house was situated in the Upper Rangitata, on the sheep station owned by the Hon. Mr. Nosworthy.

Apparently snapping telegraph or power-line poles threatens to become a popular pastime with local motorists, as another pole was broken a few days ago, making the third within a few weeks. This time it was a lady motorist, who, while passing a lorry in her car, had the misfortune to skid in the loose shingle on the roadside, and ran into a pole, which snapped in two like the proverbial carrot. Extensive damage was done to the car, but the driver, an Arapuni lady, escaped without injury. Putaruru Press.

How a sheep-dog cured itself of rheumatism is told by Dr. M. 13. Ray in the English Review. The facts, for which he vouches, were related hy a Highland shepherd. One of the shepherd's dogs developed painful swellings in’'its joints, and disappeared. The dog was discovered huried up to its neck in a peat bog, whither it had betaken itself to obtain relief from its pain. The shepherd, rightly concluding that the dog evidently knew what was best for itself, left it there, and eventually it came back to its master perfectly well.

Two Auckland youths have suffered blood-poisoning in the last few weeks as the result of spider bites. In both cafees, it is stated, the spiders were an imported species that arrived in packages of goods. Accustomed from their experience with New Zealand spiders to regard the insect as a harmless thing, neither of the youths feared any harm from the innocent-looking spiders that came from abroad. One of the youths was bitten on the leg, and the other on the arm. The lastmentioned was an employee of a firm of importers. He was unpacking a case of whisky when he noticed a nest of little spiders, like miniature daddy-long-legs, brown in colour, among the straw. " Not regarding them as dangerous, he allowed one at least to get on his arm ; and the result, though it caused him no pain at the time, was a bite, similar to that of a. mosquito, which soon caused a painful swelling and led to a minor operation.

It is understood that the fishermen operating from Nugget Bay have taken steps to ascertain whether the Dunedin or Port Chalmers steam.trawlers working Port Molyneux Bay for flat fish, are doing so legitimately. Though these steam trawlers are providing a plentiful and regular supply to the Dunedin public at the wharves, it is asserted by the Nugget Bay fishermen that groper and other fish secured by line have moved their haunts further afield. While this may be so, it cannot be gainsaid that the initiative for trawling the banks adjacent to dead water mark out from the mouths of the Molyneux Diver, was taken first by the local men. It is generally acknowledged that the size and quantity of soles and flounders obtained from the waters of the Bay are much better than supplied further north. Why this is so is a matter for explanation by marine experts in fishing, nor will the public exercise any worry over the question so long as the standard is well maintained.

Bobbed hair and short skirts are getting some of the married ladies of Auckland into unexpected situations. The other evening a lady who lives in an Auckland suburb arrived homo rather annoyed, and said: “Here, how old do I really look?” She was told that on an affidavit her age would be assessed at probably 25. “Well, this is what the tram conductor gave me,” she said, and threw on the table a child’s ticket for the first section. As a matter & fact she is petite, girlish in figure, has bobbed hair, and wears the fashionable short skirt. Moreover, she admitted she was not looking up when she held out sixpence to the conductor. When she found in her hand fivepence change and a halfticket, she nearly wept. She, a married woman for at least two years, to be taken for a chit of a girl ! However, she bottled up her indignation until she got home, and then told her folk how she had been insulted. “All right,” said the husband, “we’ll go down to the theatre and see if we can get the ticket office to insult you again in the same way.”

Isolated cases of infantile paralysis continue to occur, and a young man of 20 has been sent to the Wnipulcurau Hospital suffering from the disease. The sufferer had hen ailing for about 14 days before his illness was diagnosed as infantile paralysis.

The Chairman of the Thames Valley Power Board (Mr. Claxton) made a statement at Te Aroha that there are 3500 electrically-supplied farms in New 'Zealand, and of that number the Thames Valley Board supplied 1307 with electricity, which was something to be proud of.

The main items of expenditure by No. 2 Main Highways Council during the present season, totalling £157,000, include: Matamata County, £30,000; Piako County, £9000; unmetalled portions of Pokeno-Waihi highway, between Koheroa and Haley’s corner, £10,000; Haurald Plains, £8000; Waihou River bridge, Kopu, £52,000.

The Wanganui police have been looking enthusiastically for a young, neatlydressed man with a glib tongue and charming manners, who has been introducing something new in the matter of high finance, although some of his victims have described the get-rich-quick method in much more pointed language. One of the unfortunates was a well-known solicitor.

The indications are for southerly winds, strong to gale at times, but decreasing shortly. The weather will probably prove cold and showery. The night will probably be very cold, and indications are for a temporary improvement. Barometer rising. Seas rough, tides good. Barometer 29.83, thermometer 58.

For a fine mixture of sentiment and business (says the Dominion), the honour must go to an old school friend of the Minister of Education, who resides in a backblock settlement. Out of hundreds of messages received by Sir James Parr congratulating him on liis return to Parliament, the following •from his old friend in a rural district does not appear to mince matters: — “Dear Jimmy,—Congratulations on great all-round victory. Labour has gone to the pack. Our roads and postal arrangements are rotten. Sending vou a petition.—Your old friend, Jack .”

A horse harnessed to a light lorry which was loaded with steel bars for use in the construction of Messrs. T. Armstrong and Co.’s new premises, provided people who were in Armagh Street recently with a little excitement (states the Christchurch Press). Something caused the load to slip, and the vehicle became “light on,’’ with the result that the pole to which the horse was harnessed shot upwards, taking the animal with it. He remained struggling in mid-air, until the/ bystanders pushed the load forward, and released the horse from his predicament.

“Old Nathan,” a Maori, died at the Picton Hospital last Wednesday, at the age of 107 years, which is in all probability a record for that part of the Dominion. The age, although doubted by many, has been certified by respectable persons of his own race, from hearing what their grandfathers had told them about him in the days of “Hauhaus.” Reputed to have been bred among the heathens of the race, Nathan has admitted on many occasions that he has seen white men victims of the tomahawk and the roasting process. He was quaint and popular to a degree, and when Lord Jellicoe was at Picton, he visited Nathan and another centenarian, also now gone, the late Mr. Fortesque? In a low tone Lord Jellicoe remarked to Mrs. Parfitt, who accompanied him: “I wonder if the old chap has ever eaten anybody?” Nathan heard the query, and, smiling, held up two fingers. Nathan fought in the Maori War against the Europeans, and originally went to the South Island from Waikanae. He owned Blackwood Bay for many years, where he buried a wife. It is not known whether he had any family. For a long time he was a pensioner, and under the charge of the Picton Hospital Board in the Old Men's Home.