General News.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18916, 3 February 1927, Page 8

General News.

Under the will of the late Captain W. P. Collins, who died nt Welling'ton in November, 1920, the Sailors' Home at Lytteltou has been bequeathed five largo paintings of sailing ships painted for him. many years ago in London. Opposition to the cash on delivery system of sending parcels of poods from England was expressed at the amum! conference at Auckland of the New Zealand ltotail Watchmakers' and Jewellers' Association, and a resolution was passed expressing the hope that tbe Government would shortly abolish tho prooedure.—Pbes* Service. For the week ended on Suuday last the level at Lake Coleridgo was 1670.40 feet (previous week 1670.25 feety, and the average flow from the Harper river 224 ensecs (121 cusees). Tho maximum load at tho power house was 14,160 k.w. (between 8.30 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Friday), (14,340 k.w.) and at the sub-station 10,600 k.w. at the same hour (10,900 k.w.). The designs of the illuminations for the Government Buildings in Christchurch, which are to bo decorated for the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York, are being assembled at present In tho workshops of tb« Public Works Department. In addition to the buildings mentioned in a previous issue, instructions have been received that a portion of the front of Warner's Hotel, where the Eoyal visitors will stay while in Christchureh, is to bo illuminated. A light delivery van and a motor-car driven by Mr V. M. Bee bo came into collision in Colombo street about 10 a.m. yesterday. One of the back tyres was torn off tho van. Botli vehicles were proceeding along Colombo street towards Cathedral square, and were on the north side of tho bridge. Mr Beebe was following tho van, which had passed him a few moments before. The van suddenly swerved, and before the driver of the motor-car could pull up ho had collided with tho back of the van.

As accommodation is limited in the Government Departmental Buildings, it has been decided to house the weights and measures, and unemployment branches of tho Labour Department in a portion of the Liverpool Chambers, Liverpool street. Tho Public Works Department is at present getting the new accommodation ready, and it is expected that the branches mentioned will be removed to their new quarters about the beginning of next month. Ho was an American, and he spoke English with n marked but pleasant American accent. He gestured with hid hands, and, when he ably defended himself in the Lower Court yesterday morning on a charge of crossing a railway line in a motor-car when a troin was approaching, he leaned against the dock and said: "Your Honour, I was over those rails and 50 yards beyond hefora that train swept over my tracks! I was only going sfc 20 to 23 an hour. I was with my wife, and believe me we didn't even get a kick out of it!" The Justices of the Pence smiled. "But the engine-driver says he missed you by inches," they reminded him. "Inches!" he echoed. "Why. if it'd onlv been inches I sure would have got a thrill. But I didn't even get that!" Ho waa fined 20s, however;

It is estimated that following on the v.-ocl sale to bo held in Christchurch next Wednesday about £400,000 should ho available tor distribution throughout Canterbury on the -Ith iiist.

Although assistance is often given to p-ooplo in distress, yet it is \erv seldom tfint such a>«istai!ce is repaid. Tiie Coal and Blanket Committee, wlii.-h has many calls made upon it. recently received an encouraging experience. One man, who was helped to purchase b'iinliet s, lia> written the committee endowing the first ii'.r-talnieni. of los towards the refund, and promising to -eiwl the balance later. The First N.Z. .Mounted Itifk's fC.Y.C.) will go into ramp at the Addition Trolling Grounds from March :<i»th until April Uth. and during that period the Military Pageant and Tattoo will ho held at the A. and P. Association's (irounds. The men of the C.Y.C. will take part in a musical ride, an illuminated may-po!e on horseback, the Lloyd-Lindsay competition. tent-peg-trinti. and jumping. The consignment ot *harp tailed grouse which recently arrived in Auckland from Canada for the North Canterburv Acclimatisation Society were brought to the Society's grounds yeslerdav morning by the curator D. Hope), who took charge of them upon arrival in the Domini""- The birds are in tirst (lass condition, and out of 21 shipped no fewer than -•> siir\i\ed the vovage. The Society has not yet decided when ai'.d where the bilds are to be liberated.

The swarm of bees which came to rot on Friday afternoon in a bowser pump outside Mr G. 11. Mobberley's garage in Kingsland, Auckland, was on Monday still in possession of the pump, and the bees exidently intend to establish headquarters there. They are peaceful enough tenants, for keep it*ide at night and, although they fly about in the daytime, thev do not interfere with nnvone working the pump. As the visitors have failed to po of their own accord. Mr Mobberley intends to call in the services of an expert to evict them.

have been made by the Tourist Department, for the immediate replacing of tlie hul> at Sandfly, Milford Sound, destroyed by lire recently. The necessary timber and stoics will bo sent round from the Bluff. A clean sweep lias been made of the huts and stores, and it will be n costly work to replace tlieni. The hut-keepers iip* reported to havo lost everything. Visitors to I lie track will stilfiK. able to visit the Sound, as the launches arc intact, but it will be necessarv to return to the Quintin huts at night.

In reply to a request, from the NewZealand Farmers' Union Executive that tho royalty of Is per snout on wild pigs bo reinstated, u letter iroin the Commissioner of State Forest-, read to the meeting of tho executive day, stated that the royalty had paid for about three years and nl.nit 47,000 snouts had lieen paid for, but the pigs were apparently as had as ever and the bonus had been dropi>cd. 'I he Director-General of Agriculture was trying poisons, and he hoped to find 0110 which •would be an effective means of letting rid of this most troublesome pest.—Pit k.s-1 Service. Swans' eggs and tho regulations governing the taking of them were referred to in tho Lower Court yesterday morning by Mr It. Twvnehum, solicitor. •'lt is now ii general opinion," lie said, "that somo radical alteration should bo made in tho law governing the taking and receiving of swans' eggs. . . . Tho Acclimatisation Society has an absoluto monopoly over them. They are building up quite a little business, collecting the eggs and Belling them to pastrycooks for cakes and such things. . Tlio lakes around about are black with swans—there are multitudes of them. Very few people eat tho eggs, and the consequence is that tho swans aro increasing in numbers."

A paragraph which appeared in Monday's issue, stated a trial run of tho sleeping ear for tho use of tho Duko and Duchess of York through the North Island was made on Thursday. Tho Railway Department explains that this ear will not he used by the Duke and Duchess, for whom a special car is being constructed, but will ho attached to the Royal train for the use of other members of tho party. The car, which was tested on Thursday, has been specially designed by Mr G. S. Lyndo, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Railway Department, for use on tho Main Trunk line, avid is on improvement on tho "do luxo" ear which was also designed by Mr Lyndo. "Take a look at me. I am fit to do any kind of hard work," said an able-bodied mail tfho came from the public gallery at the City Council Chambers yosterday durinfe tho progress of a meeting hold to consider tho unemployment position. "I havo been looking for work without a meal for a week," ho added. "I have a wife and seven kids to keep. It is all very well for you gentlemen to sit round a table and discuss matters, but we want work. If you can show mo any, then lead me to it." Mr 11. S. S. Kyle, M.P., who was present, offered to give the man work if lie called on him to-day, the offer being accepted with alacrity. When a report dealing with tho vagaries of tho town clocks of (Jhriotchurch came beforo tho executive of the Canterbury Progress Leaguo last night several members mentioned instances of the inconvenience caused thereby. It was stated that a new system had been discovered whereby, by tho installation of a simple selfstarting synchronous motor of master clock at Lake Coleridge, tho alternating current or pulsations of electricity could bo so regulated as to operate on tho hands of clocks regardless of their number. The system had been adopted by many municipalities in America, and it was only a matter of time when it would be in use throughout tho civilised world. The New Zealand Government had installed master clocks in its principal power stations in anticipation of the system coming into general use. The City Council was to bo congratulated upon its having decided to adopt the system for the Clock Tower and for use throughout the Municipal offices. -.Reporting on tho position at Lake Coleridge, i\lr P. 11. Climie, organiser and secretary of tho Canterbury Progress League, stated at the meeting of the executivo of that body last night that he had made enquiries • into a rumour that serious trouble had been experienced in tho new tunnel. He found that owing to insufficient tightness or lack of consolidation of the packing above tho concrete lining in the tunnel some cracks had appeared of a size so small that a blade of a penknife could not bo inserted in them. The Public Works Department had, nevertheless, decided to fix tho defect, but the tunnel was now in service again. There was no danger of tho Inko level not being sufficient to meet all requirements in ordinary times, and at present lwlf of the Adw from the Harper was turned off. The surveys for the site of the next power station had not vet been completed, and it was impossible to state just now when they would. The chairman (Mr .1, E. Strachnn): That will do a lot of good towards allaying any fears there might have been.

No party is complete without a generous supply of Cooko's Quality Ice Cream. Cooke's pure ice cream is supplied in any quantity for dances picnics, bazaars, fetes, garden parties, sports meetings, and school treats, etc. Ring 'phono 8610 or write your instructions and Cooke's will do the rest New large, up-to-date t?n rooms are in course of preparation at the old address, W. R. Cooke and Son, 218 High etreet, Christchmch, 6