General News.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18571, 22 December 1925, Page 12

General News.

The City Counc.l decided last night that an additional .charge of 10 per cent, will be added to all rates and water charges levied by the V n "f" church City Council at the expiration of six months and fourteen days Iroini the demand thereof. For some weeks there have been few cases of motor thefts, but car thieves have now a new plan. There has been an epidemic of thefts of spare wheels off cars, and -motorists would be well advised to fasten them securely to their vehicles. The collection taken up at the function in connexion with the laying of the foundation stone of the Masonic Hall, Cashmere Hills, on Saturday afternoon, amounted to £SB 14s od. This amount is to be devoted towards furnishing the hall. An election was to have been held veeterday to elect one trustee for the Halswell Subdivision to the Ellesmere Lands Drainage Board, vice Mr Owen MrGough, deceased, but Mr John Wood, of Halswell, was the .only nominee and he is elected unopposed. During the week-end, Mr L. R. Brunton, of Chxistchurch, landed a sixteon-pounder from the Selwyn River. The fish is of the brown trout species and was caught with, a big fly. Mr D. Hope, curator of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, estimates its age at eight years pr thereabouts. Mrs Gladys Sandford, who has been undergoing training at the Wigram Aerodrome, completed the course yesterday morning, when she made a flight of about 20 minutes' duration over tho City. She has now gained a pilot's certificate, and left on return to Auckland last evening.

From tho prize list of St. Bede's College was inadvertently omitted the announcement that the day school scholarship was "won by Jack Townsend, twelve years of age. It is noteworthy that his brother, Max, won the same scholarship last year at St. Bede's.

With-rejrard to a proposed recreation ground for Richmond, tho Abattoir and Reserves Committee reported to the Citv Council last night that, in view ot -the fact that this matter will take some time to bring to a conclusion, the Committee has decided to instruct Mr Albert Freeman to obtain options for a period of not less than six months over the properties for which he submitted valuations. *

In the list of surviving passengers by the first four ships, which was recently published, the name of Mr William Inwood, of Southbridge, aged 93, was inadvertently omitted. Mr Inwood is still enjoying good health and reads his newspaper every day. Ho takes a keen interest in the development of Canterbury, especially as regards wheat-grow-ing and flour-milling, as his family owned the original mill erected on the island in the Avon opposite the Public Library.

The New Brighton Surf-bathing and Life-saving Club made a good rescue about 6 o'clock on Sunday afternoon. Sydney Peters, of Kaiapoi, was caught by a strong current near the pier, and, although a good swimmer, he got into difficulties. The alarm bell was rung and a team brought Peters, who was nearly exhausted, ashore with a surfreel and line. The flag marking the safety zone was taken down about 5 p.m., when bathing had practically ceased.

Infectious and other notifiable dis-j oases reported in the Canterbury i Health District during the week ended noon yesterday totalled 23, as follows: Scarlet fever, 4; diphtheria, 7; enteric fever, 1; tuberculosis, 6; pneumonia, 1; septio abortion, 1; eerebro-spinal-meningitis, 1; infantile paralysis, 1; lethargic encephilitis, 1. There were two deaths from tuberculosis, and one from pneumonia. In the West Coast Health District one death from enteric fever was reported. The collection for orphan children made by the Rotary Club on Sunday in addition to a few notes comprised 380 half-crowns and 2s pieces, 613 shillings, 1133 sixpences, 1089 threepences, and 728 pennies and half-pennies. The club intends to collect cash and toys iff the Cathedral Grounds on "Wednesday and Thursday this week. As there are 1100 orphans to provide for, it is hoped the public will respond as generously on Wednesday and Thursday as those present at the Band Concert did on Sunday.

"Bookings are still very heavy," said Mr it. Chapman, District Traffic Manager of Railways, when asked yesterday if the holiday traffic was likely to constitute a record. He said that, until the figures were available, it would he impossible to make comparisons. The bookings at the central office -were a substantial proportion of the total, and Dunedin was apparently the rendezvous of the majority of the holiday-makers. In view of the large number of enquiries, the Department had decided to run a night train to the southern city on December 31st.

In thanking the members of the Selwyn Plantation Board, by whom he was made a presentation yesterday morning, the retiring Commissioner of Crown Lands and the chairman of the Board, Mr G. H. Bullard, said that before he came to Canterbury his work had been largely connected with the destruction of forests, not with their preservation. He had seen many a fine forest giant come down. Canterbury should be grateful to early settlers, who had had the foresight to plant shelter belts—a work whicn should be continued, particularly along valleys near the Port Hills. Mr T. M. Haslett, formerly director of the Boys' Gordon Hall, Chrißtchureh, and now on the staff of the World's Student Federation, has written as follows from Geneva to a friend in Christchurch: —"Life here is such a contrast to New Zealand. The life of the people is French, with a good many improvements. Somehow these Swiss folk seem to have acquired a solidity from the mountains around them. Food, sports, business customs, and hours, city control, police, transport systems, farm methods, all are strange to a heathen from Polynesia. I nearly ran over a gendarme yesterday oh my bicycle in a 'one-way' road. Even cyclists are not allowed to ride both ways in such a street —a good example of the logical mind of the Swiss French. Certain streets regarded as steep are also closed to cyclis^—l have not yet been able to discover whether for the protection of the cyclist or the other traffic, as in one case I have found even perambulators are forbidden. I have included it must be to protect the lives of motorists J ,s

A meeting of the Poultry Club was ield lut evening, Mr J. D Bidine. Tho schedule of the annual noultrv, pigeon, and canary show of the New Zealand Utility Poultry Club was considered, and it was announced that the Bantam Olub had decided to hold a young bird show in connexion witn the Utility CluVb function. The Railway Department has decided to run a night train to Dunedin on December 31st. This train will leave Christchitrch at 10.25 p.m. and arnvo at Dunedin at 6.53 a.m. the following morning. A night train will also learo Dunedin at 9.45 p.m. on December 3lst and arrive at ChrJ3tchurch at 7.22 a.m. the following morning. "It looks to me," said Mr J. M. Coradino, chairman of the Masterton Technical School Board, "as if there is Eoinc to be a run on technical education from now on, as there was with the academic. The Minister for Education is preaching it and so did Mr Frank Tate, the Yictorian educationist." When a proposal to get an aerial survey of the City carried out at an outlay of £B7 came before last night's meeting of the City Council, Cr. A. McKellar opposed it on the grounds that the Council ought to take every opportunity of keeping down the rates this year. Tho City Engineer (Mr A. R. Galbraith) stated that the survey would give ©very satisfaction, and that it was desirable that it should be made as soon as possible. Eventually it was decided to refer the matter to the Works Committee. The Clock-Tower at the corner of Manchester and High streets will not be removed after all. Last night the Works and Sanitary Committee reported to the City Council that as instructed, the suggestion to remove the tower had been given consideration, and tho site inspected. After due consideration the Committee had to recommend that the structure be left as it is, but it was suggested that the Electricity Committee be asked to report on tho question of the Tenovation of the clock. The report was adopted. Cr. Cook at last night's meeting of the Citv Council asked if anything was being done with a view of causing the Christchurch Tramway Board to improve the state of the roads over which tramcars ran. He stated that in many instances there were ruts about four inches wide beside the rails, and ho understood that in consequence several accidents had taken place recently. It was stated in reply that tho Works Committee and the City Engineer were in almost daily communication with tho Board oh tho matter. Speaking at last night's meeting of the City Council with regard to a proposal to rename certain streets so as , to avoid confusing duplication, Cr. h. \ H Andrews said that someone recently sent a bag of wheat to his. house. 1 thought that it was a Christmas present " he said amidst laughter, "until a man came and took it away again, owing to his having made a mistake in the address." A list of proposed new names of streets prepared by a subcommittee set up for *e purpose was held over, to bo discussed at a subsequent meeting. The present shark scare has no terrors for some of the youth of Devonaort (savs the Auckland "Star"). lh« has been demonstrated by some of the. swimming enthusiasts who make use ol tho pontoon anchored off the Windsor Reserve,close to the Devonport wharf, where the big fish were caught last week. These young fellows have done their best to reduce the number ot tho cenus carcharhinus by laying a couple of lines off the pontoon, and to make sure that their fishing is getting a fair chance, they make a practice of swimming out into deep water just to hnrt out if the baits are still all right. A flashing movemeut on the overhand stroke of one of these swimmers the other night was, on closer inspection, revealed to be the family carving knife, evidently carried for probable use _ if "wanted on the voyage" had the swimmer been molested by one of the wolves of the deepNo one can get better service than that given by J. M. Heywood and Co., Ltd., either as furniture removers, Custom House Agents or General Carriers. —fi For show cards and commercial art consult Claude Dunford, room 12, Carey's Buildings. Expert and reliable workmanship guaranteed. The price is right—try us. . ~6