GENERAL ITEMS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 19033, 10 June 1924, Page 8

GENERAL ITEMS

A dastardly affair is rcponea uy the Opotiki Herald, which states: “The local police are looking for an individual who a few nights ago perpc trated a brutal attack on an old and highly-respected lady settler. The miscreant entered the house between 11 and 12 o’clock, whn the old lady was alone, and treated her in a most outrageous manner. The police, we belive, have a clue, and it is to be hoped that they will follow it up successfully.”

A Tauraarunui Iradesman, while checking his cash sales at closing time, discovered (says the Press) that he had been presented with a split £1 note. The two halves, however, had evidently only been passed as one note, as the day’s takings tallied correctly with the sales. The note had been split very neatly, and, being appartnely an old issue, t f hc flimsy nature to which the paper h»\d been reduced would be hardly noticeable. Unless the plain side were turned upwards, the fault would not be easily detected.

Mr. A. W. Croskery when arguing the question of musicians’ wages in the Conciliation Council in Wellington, in support of his contention for higher wages, quoted the Australian award, where musicians were paid nearly £2 per week more than in New Zealand. Mr. Royle (employers’ representative): But why quote Australia? In Japan you can get musicians to play all day for a few pence. Mr. Croskery: ‘Yes, and now they are committing suicide there because they can’t get out of the country.’

Between dances at a fancy dress ball one is liable to overhear very amusing comments. The scene was in the Gisborne City Hall, and the occasion was the fancy dress ball in aid of the public bath fund. From a vantage point a well-known publican and his spouse were intently studying the quaint costumes in which the youth and beauty of the town had attired themselves. Said the *good lady: “Look, Teddy, that cowboy is only wearing one spur’’’ “That’s all right,’’ he replied, “if one side of the horse goes the other side has to go with it!” The merriment from bystanders had not subsided when the jazz band ushered in the next dance.

The Wanganui Ministers’ Association arc distributing a circular amongst businessmen in town urging them to support a petition protesting against the Government’s proposal to increase racing and trotting facilities in the Dominion. They point out that New Zealand has already 453 more races a year than Great Britain, with its population of 50,000,000, and that the gambling figures have risen from £2,000,000 to £8,000,000 in fourteen years. They believe that it is inimical to the prosperity and well-being of the country than any further facilities should be granted, and that restriction rather than extension seems to be demanded.

A visit was paid recently to the Thames Valley Power Board’s district by the engineer of the Manawa tu Power Board, mainly to enquire into rumours circulating in the Manawatu district that many of the Thames Valley farmers were taking out their motors on account of ex cessive charges. Mr. Claxton, chairman of the Thames Valley Board, reported that these rumours were with out foundation. The Manawatu engineer went into the conditions existing in the Thames Va’lev u*e:», 8"1 before departing said that the power boards of New Zealand owed a deep debt of gratitude to the Thames Valley Board, and if this board failed it would have been a bad thing for the power boards of the Dominion.

“He-harems” was the expressive phrase coined by Captain R. Camp bell, of a South Sea trading barquentine', who has been describing the matrimonial habits of the Amazons of the unfrequented Marquesas Islands. These bulky brown women, unspoilt by assoc ation with Oriental ideas, collect half a dozen husbands or more. The collection is done by the simple expedient of driving the man with a bamboo pole into the harem, thrashing him well to make him thoroughly understand who is in command, and setting him to work on the cocoanut plantation or at the housework. These conditions only obtain in the islands that arc unvisited by steamships. The windjammer trader is the only white man who finds the natives in their primitive condition.

“The loss of the Ngahere should not encourage recriminations, but should be accepted as a lesson from which much good can be derived,” remarks the Grey Star editorially. “It was most unfortunate that the Ngahere mishap occurred just when the board is considering schemes to attract more s'aborne traffic to Greymouth. Shippers may remember the loss of the Ngahere without also recalling how it ‘was brought about. Efforts must be made to emphasise that Greymouth is quite safe for ships, if Nature’s vagaries are always prepared against. Nothing should be permitted to induce a sense of false security, and it is better to be too careful than to risk further wrecks. The question of a little extra expense should not bo a deciding factor in the stay of vessel at the wharf, nor in the use of the tug, when the bar is not On its best behaviour.”

“You ought to get a copy of the Old Age Pension Act. and study it, you want to take some interest in the future,” remarked Mr. J. S. Barton S.M.. at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, when a drill delinquent named Gordon Pidwell appeared before him. Capt. Wales stated that the defaulter, who was 19 years of age, had been previously convicted for a similar offence, and had been deprived of his civil rights. In the past his fines had been paid for him, but that source of assistance had now been cut off. Pidwell had been out of work for some considerable time, but he had shown no desire to obtain it. His Worship convicted and fined Pidwell £5 and costs, and deprived him of his civil rights for a period of five years, the term to be concurrent with the present reprobation. Lionel E. Mosen (23) for failing to fulfil his military obligations, and who had three previous convictions against him, was deprived of his civil rights for a period of two years, and fined £5 and costs. Others who failed to attend drill were fined as follows:—Vincent J. Ahern, £5; Robert Wilkinson, 255; Henry M. King, cists 7s. Hector N. Martis, for failing to notify his change of address, was mulcted in the sum of £3 and costs

Whoever is responsible for the placing of the Patients and Prisoners’ Aid contribution box in front of the witness stand in the Dunedin Police Court must surely be a sublime optimist (says the Otago Daily Times). The spirit of cheerful giving can hardly exist in the soul of a witness, who after a severe crossexamination by the sub-inspector or the senior sergeant, and perhaps one or two caustic comments from the bench, during which he is generally made to feel about half his natural size catches sight of the slot in the top of the box. One could almost forgive him if he were to hurl it sud denly across the room, for to the harassed witness it appears to be a brilliant example of nerve.

The first draft of orphaned sons of British seamen to be trained as farmers at Flock House Station by the N.Z. Sheepowners’ Acknowledgment of Debt to British Seamen Fund, will arrive from England by the Remuera towards the end of the present month, and the trustee will be very pleased to receive gifts of books (agricultural, technical, historical, travel and fiction), indoor and outdoor games, musical instruments, etc., for the use of the boys. Gifts could be sent to: Mrs. E. M. Kitcat, matron. Flock House Station, Bulla; Mr. H. A. Goodall. Bulls; Mr. E. B. Watson, secretary of the fund, Young’s Buildings, Palmerston North; or to any of the branches of Messrs Levin and Coy. Ltd., Dalgety and Coy. Ltd., or N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Coy. Ltd.

An unpleasant experience befel a lady member of the Con Moreni Musical Comedy Company, shortly after a matinee performance in Christchurch last week. Miss Winnie Edgerton, who had just, finished her part in the performance, had taken her seat in a motor-car in which she was going for a drive. The self-starter was not in working order and this necessitated the cranking of the engine by hand. By some mischance the engine had been left in gear and as soon as the crank was turned the engine started and the car began a mad career down Tuam Street toward Manchester Strefet. Not being under control, the machine crashed into the verandah posts of a bootshop situated on the corner of Tuam and Manchester Streets, razing them to the ground. The driver pursued the runaway vehicle and scrambling on to the running board, he was able to guide the car into Manchester Street and bring it to a standstill. Miss Edgerton escaped with a slight shock and a severe shaking.