General News.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18302, 9 February 1925, Page 8

General News.

The St. John Ambulance Association's annual appeal for £IOOO for humanitarian work, will conclude on March 6th. The Railway Department excursion to Otira, arranged for Saturday, February 14th, has been canoelled on account of ihe infantile paralysis epidemic. The Pioneer Sports Club held its second reliability trial and social motorcycle run on the hills on, Saturday, the course being to Governor's Bay via Sumner and Lyttelton, returning via Dyer's Pass. Thirteen solo machines and six side-car outfits participated and all, with ono 1 exception, gained certificates for reliability. A Wellington Press Association telegram published on (Saturday stated that, the income-tax returns showed that 41 persons had averaged £IOO,OOO yearly, paying tax on tho total of nearly £5,000,000. The word ''persons" was a slip. ' Obviously the payers of tax on incomes of £IOO,OOO are by companies and firms. On Saturday evening a deputation of lticcarton ratepayers waited upon Mr H. S. S. Kyle and requested him to sanction his nomination in connexion with the forthcoming Riccarton Mayoral election. Tho leader of the deputation was Mr J. Reynolds. Mr Kyle stated that he would leave tho matter with the deputation, and his nomination as a candidate for the mayoralty will bo sent in within the next few days.

In a small wooden box measuring only a few inches each way, a quantity of radium valued at £.5000 reached tho Ohristchureh Hospital on Saturday. The unpacking of the needles, plaques, and tubes in which the material is contained was undertaken by Dr P. C. Fenwick, assisted by a nurse, Mr H. H. Holland, chairman of the Hospital Committee and Mr W. S. Wharton. score tan' of the Board, witnessing the operation. In all there were some 150 needles, six nlaques and 15 tubes in the sheet-lead lined casket, the smallest of tho needles being valued at close on £l5O. "I have' to draw attention to the heavy disabilities imposed 'by the matriculation examination upon the principal who is endeavouring to frame a curriculum which shall meet tho real lieds of tile pupils, the district, and yet permit them entranoe .to their chosen occupation," stated tho director of tho Greymouth Technical High School in his annual report. "Under the present conditions, the schools are chained to a curriculum that is, as far as most pupils are concerned, long outworn and not suited to the present needs. The commercial course seems to be meeting the needs of the district because there is a greater demand for our pupils than we are able to supply. Many pupils are unfortunately induced to leave school and take up positions before completing their course of training. The trades course this year has been designed to suit the requirements of boys who intend to enter the woodworking trades as -n ell as those destined for the engineering trades. It would appear that the district offers considerable scope to tho£e who take up their work in earnest."

The Arbitration Court will commence its sitting in Christchurcli on Febmarr 18th. Tho death occurred suddenly at. Riwaka, Nelson, on Friday, of a wellknown "Wellington resident, Mr Thomas Shields, of Oriental B-:y. Mr Shields, who was visiting Riwaka on holiday, rarriod on a tailoring business in Wellington for rnanv years, and was in hi. c < earlier days a first-class swimmer and Association football player. Mr Shields always took a keen interest in tho management of swimming locally. He was ever ready to give his time to teaching children tho art of swimming. Respecting the ear-wig nuisance, tho director of t&e Cawthron Institute wrote to the last meeting of the Kaikoura County Council as follows : —Referring to enquiry ro ear-wigs, which infest the shingly ground near tho sea, the insect was a native of New Zealand, and the Institute knows of no method of dealing with it except bv means of poisoned bait. The insects aro partial to slices of apple, which, ii: Peppered with arsenate of lead, would kill them. The director knows of no instance where ear-wigs had been imported from other countries as enemies to other pests. The War Pensions Appeal Board will begin its next sittings in Christchurcli during the first week in March. It will be presided over by Mr S. G. Raymond, K.C., the other members being Dr. P. Ardagh (Government nominee), and Dr. A. J. Orchard (R.S.A. representative). The sessions of tho Board will be held in Dr. Orchard's surgery, Latimer square, and appeals will be heard from soldiers dissatisfied with their present rates of pensions, and also from returned men who hare been declined pensions by the Board on tho ground that disability was not due to war service. Mr W. E. Leadley will appear on behalf of a number of the applicants. A fine tiger skin rug adorns the floor of the Mayor's room at' the Auckland Town Hall. This is a permanent reminder of Molly, tho tigress which resided at the zoo for some months. Hey death was reported at the time to be due to hedrt failure on account of age, but it is now believed that, along with other animals, she was poisoned. The skin was sent to London for treatment, an,d the taxidermist lias made an exceptionally fine job of the head (says the "Herald"). Its appearance has an almost startling effect, the eyes glaring, the ears back and the mouth open, disclosing the beast's ctruel fangs. These are warn with age, and probably performed their last lethal task when Molly murdered the. young tiger which was "brought from Sydney to be her mate.

' Mr W. Miles writes: —"AH interested in tho matter of erecting a soldiers' memorial to commemorate our men who fell in the Groat War. and by all interested, I hope) we may include every household in New 'Brighton, will Ijo pleased to hear that since the proposal was definitely nut before the public by our Mayor at the meeting in Jovlands on November 4th, it has been kept steadily in view by the committee aupointedj and although it was decided to refrain from activo operations until galas, holidays, etc., over, the committee has not been idle, and the necessary preparations are now so far advanced that all will be ready for carrying out what we trust will prove a successful raid upon the residents in tho borough on February 14th." Tn the meantime a band of Scouts has undertaken to distribute <wl.v in the week circulars to every household explaining the object of the committee in calling for donations. Precautions against Infantile Paralysis—lodised Throat Tablets 2s, Formalin Throat Tablets Is 6d, Lysol Is fid and 2s 6d, Condy's Is 9d, Joyes' Is •Id, Listerine Is <sd and 3s, Permanganate of Potash 6d and Is. • Large assortment of Throat Sprays from ss. McArthurs, Chemists, McArthur's Corner, entrance from Colombo street. 6 ■The- woman who has not yet visited Armstrongs' Great Summer bale should lose no time in doing so, lor she is mis&ing the greatest moneysaving event of the tames. Armstrongs' Prices are unusually low at all times, but the. reductions that are being made during Sale time are simply astounding. For example, 401 Marocain Is 9dr yard; Children« White Mercerised Sox, | 6d. pa.ir; 20in Art Silk Hose, 2s 3d, and similar bargain?. — 6

A Jewellery Gift is a lasting one. A Pearl Necklaoe, a Gold Armlet, or a Wristlet Watch would bo an appreciated gift for Xmas. We invite you to inspect our window display and compare prices, which «re shown on every article. B. O. Priddis and Co., Jewellers, Cathedral square, for Quality and 'Better Values. o We lay ourselves out to do repairs to all sorts of machinery including motor-cars, trucks and lorries, gears, spindles, pistons, rings, clutches, springs, dum irons, main frames, bushes, wheels, rims, wind screens, pte. New truck and lorry bodies on any make of chassis. In those lines as in Implements we make only the best. — P. and D. Duncan, Ltd., 196 Tuam stroet, Christehurch. D2817-23L'2 A straightforward statement of facts always appeals, and readers cannot fail to be impressed by the second bargain list of Strange's salo issued to-day. Every item is now on sale just as stated, and you can be sure that tho liberal reductions quoted are absolutely genuine. —6 I MAKING MOTORING SAFE. A PERFECT BRAKING SYSTEM AT LAST. Motorists whose nerves are not as good as they used to be, men as well as women, have often sighed for a really powerful and quick-acting braking system —something that would grasp the rushing car asjn a gigantic hand, and bring it to a walking pace or a dead standstill in a fraction of a second. A reporter who recently rode in one of the new 102-5 Studebakers, equipped with 4-whcel hydraulic brakes, says that whenever the brakes were applied, whatever the speed, the car seemed to run into a rubber cushion. There was no jolt or bump, but the car stopped. and stopped within such a surprisingly short distanco that risk of accident through collision is ruled out of the realm of possibilities. When tho hydraulic brakes show their power people expocfc to see the tyres of the car torn off or burnt up by suction, but they don't skid an inch. Studebakers have made the motor-cr.r safe for humanity. A 261-2950