General News.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18264, 24 December 1924, Page 10

General News.

The- •I'res-" will not be published tomorrow (Christmas Day). The Hawcra Hospital Board yosterchiv let a tender for a. new. hospital _l<> T."C. Young, of Fcilding. at £87.6y2. Nine tenders wore submitted ranging Iron) £124.000 downwards. The tender accepted was the lowest. Our Grevmouth correspondent telegraphs that charges of misappropriation of funds jtotalling a substantial rmount were laid" last evening against a,i official of the West Coast Rugby League land the Greymduth League Football Club. An Ash burton telegram states that when "William Simpson was arrested lor drunkenness, the tvolice found throe tickets from 'Tattersall's for the Mooreficld Stokes. Sydney. Iu the Magistrate's Court vesterday morning teimpson was fined*2os on a charge of purchasing the tickets. The police stain 1 that thev also found the address of a ticket vendor in Australia, winch wousd ho forwarded to the PostmasterGeneral.

For the past two or throe seasons fishing in the Rakaia has been disappointing and comparatively few catches of any consequence'have been recorded. This season gives promise of a better state of affairs as is indicated by a report that during last week-end Mr C T. Dvnby, of Christchurch, and a friend caught fourteen fine' trout fishing near the month of the river. All were in good condition and the heaviest weighed I

A correspondent writes: —The recent demolition of an oat stack in Ttuapuna disposecsecd no fewer tlian between 25 and 30 voung stoats. It is believed all were killed, the parents escaping by taking refuge in an adjoining stone heap. How the animals live is a matter for conjecture, as no rabbits are to be found in any number within two miles of the stack. A farmer in the neighbourhood who lost in one night 47 choice pullets volunteers a few strong opinions which he thinks might help to solve the problem. "Tea drinking is an abomination of modern society," declared Mr C. I. Jennings at the meeting of the Christchurch Presbytery yesterday, ' 'and ministers who are compelled to go through this 'tea-drinking business are to be pitied. A man would need a cast-iron stomach to stand it. I always think, when the sermons are perhaps not quite up to the mark, that they are perhaps due to the tea-drinking that goes on during the week. Up in Rangiora the Anglican minister is getting a new curate, and he has specially asked people not to offer the curate tea. It's ruination to a young man!" Our Wellington correspondent telegraphed last night: Shopkeepers in Wellington have had bad luck with the weather. The last three or four days of last week were atrocious, and Christmas shopping was practically at a standstill. Monday gave promise 'of being fine, and crowds thronged the shops, and the shop assistants were kept extremely busy. The weather today is unfavourable, but people are braving the weather and getting through with their Christmas shopping. The main city shops will probably show satisfactory returns, but the small shopkeepers must suffer.

Thero is a man in a New South Wales •gaol who bitterly realises that fate can inflict greater punishment on a wrongdoer than »any man-made law (writes our Sydney correspondent). One night in October he was found lying on the footpath outside a suburban hotel. The manager of the hotel had beard a window being forced, then an explosion, and later had seen the prostrate man. The police were called and found a jemmy and other housebreaking material in the man's possession His right hand had been blown off, and his left eye destroyed. Reduced to pitiableness by his injuries, the roan admitted that these had been the result of tho explosion of a dynamite cap he was carrying with a plug of gelignite. Records showed that the man had previous convictions, and was even then out on license in regard to an unexpired sentence.

A voung man who turned his hobby to profit is Mr J. W. Robinson, the newly-appointed manager of tho Queensland Government's wireless station (writes our Sydney correspondent).-Mr Robinson was till recently a journalist, and as relaxation from daily news-gath-ering and writing turned to tho study of wireless telegraphy. The subject interested him so much that it excluded almost all other interests outside his daily occupation. He was one of the best pupils 'ever turned out of the Marconi School hero and he became one of the leading amateur experimenters in the State. When Farmer and Co., Ltd., started its broadcasting station over a year ago, Mr Robinson decided to change his career from pressman to wireless expert, and he was appointed assistant manager of Farmer's service. Io was largely his work that gave Farmer's broadcasting the good name it bears with "listeners-in" and now at an age well on the right side of thirty, Mr Robinson goes to a position where the emolument is more than double that he would have been receiving if he had re- \ mained in journalism. '.

The Sydney "Daily Telegraph." of the 16th inst. has the following:—Mr E. J. Pegg, at one time well • known in athletic and theatrical circles in Christchurch, New Zealand, has proved his title to a fortune of £BO,OOO in England. Mr Pegg, who has been a. resident of Sydney for somo years, met a young man on "the -boat coming from New Zealand, and found that he was the son of a London solicitor. He helped the young fellow to find work in Sydney, and told him jokingly, that if ever he got back to London he might ask his father to investigate an estate held in Chancery. To his surprise, a few months ago Mr Pegg received a letter from the solicitor, thanking him for his kindness to the young .man, and adding that the estate and his relationship to it were being investigated. He sent for the particulars, including birth and marriage certificates to London, and began to follow the matter up. The lwt English mail brought Mr Pegg a fetter which stated: "You will have no difficulty in proving your claim to the estate of the late John Robert Pegg. Its value is about £BO,OOO, chiefly property." Mr Pegg will return to New Zealand, and will probably go to London to complete, .detaik.

Seeps will bo taken to put a storj to the "'cracker nuisance" at New Brigtiton during the holidays. Last Christinas two iircs were almost caused by the fireworks, and a man was nearly blinded. The poUce 'intend to take the rames of all per>ons found letting off ciackers in the streets and to prosecute them. J The Hon. G. ,!. Coates. in ti:e pre- j senoe of a large assembly on Saturday night, performed the ceremony of switching on the electric light in the borough of W;'.ihi. The Minister, in the course of his address, predicted that New Zealand, wiih its natural resources, would l>e one of the greatest electrically s.ervod countries in the world and the cheapest. If she's just a friend, or '•more" than a friend, no lady can resist a gift of choice perfumery or some other article for her toilet table. The best selection and biggest values in the. world's best perfumes: face powders and creams; manicure sets; toilet soaps, hand mirrors, and toile.t brushware arc now offering at McAithur's. the Chemists. See Christmas display. Me Arthur's, Chemists. -McArthur's Corner, entrance from Colombo street. Me6o0!)-8047 Christmas. Santa Clans, and holidays are magic- words to the youngsters. With what joy thev plan and ask. Even the adults cannot resist the fever that's in the air. The grand display of toys end goodies take them back to the time when they, too, were children. An event of unusual interest to both adults and children is now having a merry run at Armstrong's two big stores. This great value spot is well to the fore with the grandest display of gifts and toys Christchurch has ever" seen Just imagine 20 tons of toys, and each offering at an unheard ■ of' price. And in addition, great reductions are being made daily in each department on holiday wear and general drapery. Sho D early and share in the great savings and be sure to bring the "kiddies along to meet Father Christmas, and take their pick from the thousands of inexpensive toys. 6 A Jewellery Gift is a lasting one. A Pearl Necklace, a Gold Armlet, or a Wristlet Watch would be an appreciated gift for Xnias. Wo invite you to inspect our window display and compare prices, which are shown on every article. B. O. Priddis and 00., Jewellers. Cathedral square, for Quality and Better Values. —o" Rear hitch hay sweeps, our new folding for transport pattern, horse rakes and grass strippers. All three the very best of their kind. Immediate delivery. P. and D. Duncan, Ltd., Tnam street. P.O. Box 124, Christchurch. D 2817-8165 J. Johnston and Son, Merchants, Rangiora. (Estd. 1863) Solicit North Canterbury Farmers' orders for Littles, Cooper's and McDougall's Sheep Dips. P.O. Box 1, 'phone 4. 12 Record hay crops assured. Gather them with the latest and best appliances : Osborne Mowers and Rakes, Ransome Rakes, E.B. Stackers and own make Hay Sweeps, constitute the best range of Hay Harvest Tools. Big demand mean's shbrt supply! Order early. Booth, Macdonald and Co., Ltd., Christchurch. —6574 A choice picture, the ideal gift, from Gibb's, Cashel street, opp. Ballantyne's. Inspection invited. —6

OPEN TO-NIGHT. ADAMS, LTD.'S—THE PLACE TO BUY USED CAES. ' Adams, Ltd.'s, garage-will be open till nine o'clock this evening' to suit the convenience of prospective purchasers of used cars. They carry just now a particularly large' and wellvaried stock of second-hand motors, and because tho stock is large and a clearance is absolutely imperative, to make space for new cars arriving, prices have been fixed at a lower level than ever. Easy terms can be arranged. These are a few of the cars now available: — £6s—Touring car, American make, full road equipment. £l25 —Humber, 5-seater, electric lights, wire wheels; finished in dark green. . £lso—Maxwell, 5-seater, ' two-unit electric lighting and staiting set; newly finished in buff. Looks new. £ 200—Buick Eoadster, electric lights and starter, good appearance, finished in dark blue. £2O0 —Studebake* Light Four, 5seater, electric lights and starter. Latest model. £23s—Dodge, o-seater, late model, electric lights and starter; newly finished in cream. £250 —Hupmobilc, 5-seater, electric lights and starter; finished in grey; very superior. £26s—Dodge, 3-seater, late model (high radiator), electric lights and starter; finished in cream. £395 —Fiat, late model, electric lights and 'starter; finished in buff; collision bars, etc. ADAMS, LTD., Garage, 219 Tuam itreet, just east of High street. A 2661-8215