LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19443, 31 October 1925, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Only three Communists were elected to the Swiss Parliament out of 185 who stood.

A particularly severe frost was experienced at Hunterville on Wednesday night, and did considerable damage to vegetables in the township.

The Governor-General and suite leave for Christchurch this evening. On November 14 their Excellencies will leave Christchurch for Dunedin.

The Kailway Department advertises in this issue particulars of the issue of cheap excursion tickets to Palmerston North in connection with the Manawatu A. and P. Show on November 4,5, and 6.

At the Fete of Nations Bazaar in the Drill Hall to-day the luncheon room will cater especially for those who desire an early meal before taking part in afternoon sports. Luncheon will be served from 11.30 till 2 o’clock and patrons will find the menu first-class.

“If you hear any rumours of proposals to reduce the widows’ pension,” said Mr. C. E. Statham, at Dunedin, “I hope you will treat them as absolute nonsense. There is not a Government of any kind that will dare to re- | duce the pensions because they know very well that the moment they do so they will leave the Treasury benches.”

Conductor Watson, of the Wanganui Garrison Band, left for Wellington yesterday for the purpose of hearing concerts to be given in Wellington last evening and to-night by an Australian band which is en route to England. The band is under Conductor Bailey, who had charge of the Newcastle Steelworks Band which toured Britain some time lago with great success.

A wedding which was to have taken place in Hastings yesterday did not eventuate, as the bridegroom, Eric Reginald Jackson, alias Clive Oakenfull, had a more pressing engagement at the Police Court, where he was charged with intent to defraud by attempting to obtain £lO and £2 14s 6d by issuing two valueless cheques. A picturesque touch to the little tragicomedy came with the delivery at the Police Station of a bouquet for the wedding.

"Do you think that bachelors should be taxed,” was a question put to Mr. H. G. Dickie, the Reform candidate for the Patea electorate, by a lady - at Sandy Hook last evening, as she fixed a stern gaze on a member of tho opposite sex. “Certainly not,” was the reply of the candidate. He considered that a man should not be taxed on his misfortunes, and called to mind the fact that two bachelors had made handsome bequests to a certain hospital in his electorate some time back.

“Don’t be Uncle Willie,” said a witness in the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court, when closely questioned by the Maintenance Officer (Mr. P. J. Jones) as to the number of drinks he had had during the morning. His answers continued to be vague, and his humour of the best, so Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M., said, “Why, man, you’re half drunk now!” “Oh, no, your Worship,” replied the witness with a slightly injured air. “Perhaps not half drunk, but at least a proportion,” said the Magistrate.

Two city men who have had occasion to visit the Mangamahu district this week are very high in their praise of the wonderfully fine scenery of the Kauangaroa Valley at the present time. They believe that if it were better known large numbers of city folk would motor out to enjoy it. The long belts of poplars are in full leaf, the miles of large hawthorn hedges are covered in bloom, and the largo tracts of fertile valleys and the Wangaehu river are vistas of loveliness not easy to describe in mere words.

At one of his meetings, Mr. Holland, Reform candidate for Christchurch North, was asked a question concerning a suggestion that the Government treated districts according to their political colour. Mr. Holland said that the Government, though it might make mistakes in judgment, did not follow the spoils-to-the-victors policy. “But if it is true, as some of the Opposition people say,” Mr. Holland added with a smile, “that Christchurch would get better treatment if it returned Government members to Parliament, ought they not to be recommending you to vote for me?”

Several passengers on the train that left Wanganui on Thursday afternoon to connect with the north-bound Main Trunk express had a narrow escape from injury. Just after the train had pulled out of the Pukepapa station a stone was hurled through the window of a first-class carriage, and splintered glass was scattered in all directions. Fortunately no one was sitting before the window, and all the passengers escaped without a scratch. The matter was reported to the guard, and it is probable that the young offenders who perpetrated the foolish and dangerous act will be found by the police and punished.

A questioner asked Mr H. G. Dickie at Sandy Hook last evening if he would advocate the return of the old style of motor car number plates and the lettering “W.G.” “Anyone would think we did not know we were living in New Zealand according to the present plates,” he added. The candidate replied that the matter was more or less one of sentiment, but a certain amount of consideration should be given, and it would probably be attended to by appointing a certain set of numbers to each district. Personally he did not approve of the change in the number plates each year, which involved considerable expenditure.