General News.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18968, 5 April 1927, Page 8

General News.

A prominent Christchurch musician has undertaken to prepare for the City Council specifications of a suitable organ for the Municipal Concert Hall. With the object of providing more local loading a rearrangement of the railway sidings is in hand at Waikari. A loop which formerly served a floxirmill is being converted into a siding. Enquiries are being instituted by the West Coasters' Association with a view to running, shortly after Easter, a week-end excursion to the Franz Josef Glacier. The declaration of the winning queen in connexion with the military pageant and searchlight tattoo, is to be made at 1 p.m. to-morrow (Wednesday), by Mr J. J. Dougall, from the balcony o.f Warner's Hotel. Tho successful tenderers for the construction, fo r the Drainage Board, ot cvlinders for pumping stations Nos. 9 (Chelsea street, Bromley), 12 (South's road, Woolston), and 18 (Richardson terrace, Woolston) were Messrs P. Graham and Son, at £3460. The petition to the Christchurch Tramway Board asking the Board not to proceed in their intention to lift the North Beach tramway rails has been signed by 1600 ratepayers, and it is hoped that the signatures will total 2000 when the petition is presented to the Board on Friday afternoon. Infectious .ind other notifiable diseases reported in the Canterbury and West Coast health districts during the week ended noon yesterday totalled 18, as follows:--Canterbury: Scarlet fever, 3; diphtheria, 2; enteric fever, 2; tuberculosis, 6: puerperal sepsis, 1; eclampsia, 1. West Coast: Diphtheria, 2, puerperal sensis. 1. There were four deaths in the Canterbury district —three from tuberculosis, and one from enteric fever. Heavy supplies of coal are now arriving in Christchurch from the West Coast, and the timber trade also has evidently received a fillip. The transport of'grain is still proving a good source of revenue to the Railway De-" partment. All stock waggons will be in use to-day and to-morrow for conveying entries to the Addington market, in connexion with which four special trains were run yesterday, and six will run to-day. Only a few trout were'eaught during the week-end in the Selwyn river. Mr H. Webb was the most successful angler, getting eight fish of an average weight of five pounds, and Mr P. Molioy caught live, of an average weight of three and a half pounds, all being got with worm bait. There were very few fish caught on the fly. Owing to the Waimokariri and the Rakaia being dirty, no fishing was possible in those streams during the week-end. In view of the great increase in the number 0 f amateur meteorologists in the Dominion within recent years, Mr H. F. Skey, of the Christchurch Meteorological" Observatory, is "of the opinion that it would lie advantageous •* the Meteorological Office at Wellington wero to publish daily its _ synoptic charts, showing the distribution of atmospheric pressure and temperatures as well as tho direction of the winds throughout the Dominion. The remainder of the present year should be a busy one so far as meteorological happenings are concerned. On June 29th, there will be a total eclipse of the sun, which will not, however, be visible from Christchurch. A fortnight prior to this (June 15th) a total eclipse of the moon will take place, commencing at 5.4 p.m.. and reaching totality at' 7.45 p.tu There will bo a partial eclipse of tho sun on December 24th, but again there will be local disappointment, for it will not be observable from Christchurch. The planet Mercury will pass across tho face of tho sun 'on November 10th, but as tho period of transit will commence at 5 p.m.. it will not be visible to the naked eye. The collection ui New Zealand insects at the Museum is about to be augmented considerably, and among the latest acquisitions is a collection from tho Cawthron Institute at Nelson, which will be placed in drawers in cabinets so as to shield them from the light, which has a bad effect on the colouring matter of insect wings. The photograph of Mr Coates will be added to the collection of Nov/ Zealand's Prime Ministers which grace tho walls of the Museum. Mr 15. J. Howard, M.P., has presented a set of tho first issue of coins at the Pretoria Mint; Mr Snow has given two fans, one from the Ellice Islands and one from Samoa, and two fossil specimens have been forwarded bv Messrs W. IT. Wheeler and F. B. Best. To improve traffic conditions at tho Bank of New Zoaland corner, the City Council referred to the Tramway Board a suggestion that ail north-bound cars should stop at" Hereford street, and that the stop should be a compulsory one. Reporting on the suggestion, at yesterday's meeting of the Board, the General Manager (Mr Frank Thompson) said that under present conditions about 50 per cent, of north-bound cars were stopped at Hereford street by the traffic policemen, with tho result that passengers were uncertain as to whether they could alight. From many points of view it would be quite all right to make it a compulsory stop. but as to its effect on traffic generally, that was another matter, and he was inclined to think it would have the effect of congesting general traffic.The suggestion was referred to the Works and Traffic Committee. "My experience of municipal concerns," said Mr John Wood at last night's meeting of the Riccarton Citizens' Association, 'is that you can get a private individual to do the work more cheaply. All municipal concerns are pretty expensive." The matter under discussion was the question of sewer connexions, Mr A. D. Ford having asked if the Borough Council intended advancing the money to contractors, or would .do the work itself. Cr. It. H. Rankin said that he thought they could get the private man to do the* work more cheaply. Quotations could bo got lower than the Drainage Board's prices, and the Borough Council had no hope of competing with outsiders. Cr. H. Mnnhire said that the Council recognised that many would require financial assistance, and it would make provision, the money being raised as required. The bitumen surface which is being put down, on the Dyer's Pass road, Cashmere Hills, by the Heathcote Comity Council, was criticised at last night's meeting of the council of the Canterbury Automobile Association. The chairman (Air F. W. Freeman) said that the road was too high in the crown, and if a motorist did not wish to become involved in an accident when proceeding over it he would have to go slowly. It was stated that the value of the new road would lie in the fact that owing to its steepness it would cause motorists to slow down and thus make conditions safer for pedestrians. It was decided to thank the Heathcote County Council for the work it was undertaking in improving its roadway system, and to draw its aC tention to the uncompleted state of the Upper Dyer's Pass road, with the hope that this portion would be finished at an early date. It was also decided to wait on Mr F.Langbein, District Public Works Engineer, with a view to the Department assisting in work on the Upper Dyer's Pass road for the relief of unemployment. "No one can get better service than that given by J. Heywood and Co., Ltd., either as furniture removers, Custom House agents, or General Carriers. _6