LOCAL & GENERAL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 26 September 1933, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL.

Miss Jessie M. Fendal, the teacher of the Otekaike Special School, who was found seriously injured at the foot of a cliff last Sunday week, died in the Oamaru Hospital at 6.30 a.m. She belonged to Ponsonby, Auckland.

Additional donations to the Babies’ Milk Fund are acknowledged by the lion, secretary, Mr J. V. Dolan, as follow: —G. H. Collie 10s, Mrs T. T. Denbee 2s 6d, Mrs Gray 3s 2d, Mrs Cornick 2s sd, Mrs McCord 2s 7d, Borough gas stokers Is 6d, Borough gas fitters 6d, Borough office girls sd, boxes 5s 6d; • ■ c j

A shop day under the auspices of the St. Vincent de Paul Society will be held on Friday next in the premises next to Messrs Hugo and Shearer’s. The proceeds are to be donated to the relief of those in distress irrespective of denomination. Donations in cash or goods may be left at Mr J. Bradbury’s, jeweller, or Robinson’s plant shop, opposite Regent Theatre. The Flower Queen Operetta, preceded by a short programme by popular local artists, will be staged in the Methodist Sunday School Hall on Wednesday next, 27th September, at 8 p.m. The operetta depicts the Howers in a forest glade, when several flower characters urge their claims (in song) to the title of Queen of the Flowers. A recluse enters their bower and they decide to leave the choice to him. Attractive soli and chorus are a feature of the Operetta, and all patrons are assured of a treat.

So far twelve entries have been received for the Y.M.C.A. billiard championship for the' Kinvale Gup, and as the entrants represent the best of the players in the recent tournaments, some good games should be witnessed. Play will commence at 7 p.m., in the Association’s rooms, and any player unable to, attend by .8 p.m. is required to advise - his opponent accordingly. Games will be i>la-yed in the form of a knock-out tournament, and will be for 150 up for the first round. The final games will be played on Thursday night next. The draw for the first round is as follows: —J. Nicholls v. R. Boys, F. Pinkney v. C. Devenport, T. Ihaka v. Dr. O’Connor, 11. Keen v. R. Sexton, F. Walker v. A. O’Leary, W. Finnerty v. A. Williams, F. Keen a bye.

The fortnightly meeting of the Druids’ Lodge was held in the Foresters’ Hall last night, the A.D., Bro. Thorpe, presiding. A vote of condolence to the relatives of the late Bro. W. Rosson was passed,' the members standing in silence. Favourable reports were received by the Lodge on nine brethren on the Lodge sick, benefit. It was reported that Totara Lodge had appointed Bro. R. Smith, P.A., and Bro. H. J. White to act as judges for future ritual competitions. Sick pay and accounts amounting to £9 10s 7d were passed. Several brothers have signified their intention of attending Totara Lodge next Monday for the ritual competition. Bro. J. Fenton, P.A., presented the Lodge with the Friendly Societies’ Card Shield, which the Druids were again successful in winning.

Consideration of the, correspondence and representations made by the Mount Holdsworth Club to the Minister of Internal Affairs regarding the club’s request for an allocation out of art union funds for the erection of a hut at Mitre Flats, in the Tararuas, occupied the attention of members of the club at a meeting held last night. The secretary, Mr F. Norris, was asked to request the Minister to make a grant available before Christmas if possible, so that the material required could be conveyed to the site of the proposed hut. It was stated that the Wairarapa South County Council had metalled the Mt. Holdsworth Road right up to Mr Thomsen’s gate. If funds permitted the club, would endeavour to complete the metalling from the gate to the edge of the bush. The name plates for affixing to trees in the resrvo were reported to be ready.

A Presbyterian Church service will be held on Sunday, Ist October, at Kopuaranga at 2.30 p.m., and the Sunday School will begin at 2 p.m.

Mr Ewcn McGregor, of Hamilton, will be the speaker at the British Israel meeting in the Municipal Social Hall this evening, at 8 o ’clock. ‘ ‘ The Economy of the British Empire, as Practised by Our Government, ’ ’ is the subject to be discussed. Mr J. McGregor will be in the chair. A Timaru telegram states that Messrs Robert Bell and R. B. Bell have disposed of their shares in the “Timaru Post” Company, Ltd. Mr E. Darroch, who has been manager for the company for a number of years past and who has now acquired an interest in the new business, has succeeded Mr R. B. Bell as managing director.

Another small farm of 14 acres 2 roods has been occupied in the vicinity of Pahiatua in connection with the small farm scheme (says the Herald). The paper learns that the department is experiencing considerable difficulty in obtaining offers of suitable land for the purpose. The response to appeals for areas suitable for the scheme has been most disappointing. From inquiries made of observant fishermen in all parts of the Welington Acclimatisation Society’s district, it would appear that it has been an exceptional winter as far as the rivers are concerned. There have been no floods, and consequently no disturbance of the food supplies; nor lias there been any disturbance of the ‘ ‘ runs ’ ’ of the fish. All this seems to point to conditions conducive to an excellent season. The fishing season will last for seven months —from next Sunday, Ist October, 1933, until 30th April, 1934.

Man is no “recent experiment” on this earth, as many anthropologists have believed. lie may, in fact, be 20,000,000 years old, instead of a mere million or so. This, according to “The Literary Digest,” is the opinion of Sir Arthur Smith Woodward, eminent British anthropologist, who told the International Geological Congress at Washington recently that human fragments found a few months ago by Dr. L. B. S. Leakey in Tanganyika Territory, south-eastern Africa, not only indicate great antiquity for men of modern type, but also suggest that the birthplace of human beings was in Africa. Both of these ideas run counter to opinions formerly held. It had been believed that mankind first reached human or semilxuman status shortly before or during the glacial periods about 1,000,000 years ago. The age of the Tanganyika find is determined by the bones of other animals, now extinct, associated with them.

Old reminiscences were exchanged by a number of Wellington’s oldest identities —persons who were very largely responsible for what Wellington is to-day —when the regular Dominion Day reunion of the Early Settlers and Historical Association was held yesterday afternoon. The Oddfellows’ Hall was filled for the re-union, and the afternoon was given mainly to the renewing of acquaintances and friendships of many years ago. Their Excellencies the Governor-General and Lady Bledisloe were present at the gathering. The oldest member; <Mrs Fanny Cornford, of Karori, who is-mow 100 years old, was unable to attend this year’s re-union, but the personl who is known as the oldest settler tin New Zealand, Mr George Judd, was there as usual and looking very well, in spite of the fact that he will be 99 in May. A settler who came out in the Minerva in 1854, just in time to be in the Hawke’s Bay earthquake of ’55, Mr John Rice, was among those present. He will be 92 next Christmas Day. Another interesting attendant was Mr Joel Foley, the first New Zealand circus man. His mother was an acrobat, and he was born in a circus tent in New Plymouth 81 years ago.