General News.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19026, 14 June 1927, Page 8

General News.

It is expected that the first of the new ''piffbox'' telephone cabmetswill some time this week either in Racecourse road 01 at Bryndwr. . J The conference regarding the improvement of Page's road between representatives of tho City Council, the few Brighton Borough Council, and fhe HeatEcote County Council, will be held on the 22nd mst. The late Mr L. E. Gunner, ot Clnistchurch, who died recently, made Se following charitable hereto under his will:-£10q to Nazareth House, £IOO to the Chnstehurch Competitions Society, £IOO to■ bt. Michael's Church, and the residue to St. George's Hospital. A man named D. McDonald, who lives at "Stonehurst," Gloucester street, was cycling along Ferry road last evening when he collided with a motor-car and received injuries , to an arm. He was taken to the Hospitnl, where he will undergo an X-ray examination to-day.

Although the weather of the past few days would seem to indicate otherwise it is a fact that tho winter has up to the present been unusually mild. Proof of this is to be seen in the blooming of a rhododendron ot the Marion variety in the Botanic Gardens. Last week an azalea was also seen in bloom in tho Gardens.

The first shipment of pipes for the extension of the Christchurch highpressure water supply system was shipped from Wanganui by the steamer Gale, and advice was received yesterdav bv the City Engineer, Mr A. R. Ga'lbraith, that, owing to stress of weather, the vessel is sheltering in Tasman Bay. There are sufficient twelveinch pipes on the Gale to lay through Tennyson street almost to Eastern terrace.

Infectious and other notifiable diseases reported in the Canterbury and West Coast health district during the week ended noon yesterday totalled 26, as follows: —Canterbury: Scarlet fever, 8; diphtheria, 1; tuberculosis, 4; pneumonia, 8; septic abortion, 1. West Coast: Scarlet fever, 1; diphtheria, 2; pneumonia, 1. There were four deaths in tlie Canterbury district—tuberculosis 2, pneumonia 2.

People who were out in the early hours of Sunday morning were privileged to witness a fine display of the Aurora Australia in the south. The sight was a particularly beautiful one and was at its best about 1.30. Mr H. F. Skey, officer in charge of the Christchurch Observatory, states that the Aurora was accompanied by a pronounced disturbance of the compass needle.

The recent rains have resulted in the ground about Christchurch being rendered soft enough for tree planting to be undertaken on a considerable scale, and a commencement has accordingly been made to plant macrocarpas at the Bottle Lake reserves. At a later stage cedars will be planted. Ten returned soldiers will to-day start to clear some land on the east side of Bottle Lake in readiness for planting next year. "The reason that the gates at Hagley Park are kept closed," said Mr James Young, Curator of the Christchurch Domains Board, to a representative of The Pbes? yesterday, "is not to keep out motorists or cyclists but to keep the sheep which graze in the Park from getting away." . He added that Mr \V. H. Winsor, a member of the Bard, and himself were now looking into the question of acquiring suitab'e gates to replace the heavy ones now in use. They exacted shortly to be able to obtain light gates which would oj:en from a pillar on which they wruld be hinged, the idea being that they should close behind any one passing through them.

Tli© season for killing and taking opossums in the North Canterbury acclimatisation district opens on Thursday next.

The goods traffic through the Ofcira Tunnel last week, from west to east, was 8792 tons, as compared with 8623 for the corresponding week of 1926.

A very quiet time is heing experienced at the railway goods sheds, D shed, the largest, being practically empty. Only about 60 or 70 men are working, this being about the minimum number obtaining employment in the sheds as casual labourers. Very few sheep are being railed iot this week's Addington sale, but there will be a fair number of cattle forward. Lyttelton is very quiet at present, and the demand for trucks at the port is being easily met. Not a great quantity of potatoes is moving, growers preferring to hold for an improved price. One would have thought the weekend was a good one for shooting, but it was only fair, as the sou'-wester, which is so welcome to sportsmen at Lake Ellesmere, did not make its presence felt until comparatively late in the morning. The result was that while some fairly good bags of swans were obtained only a small number of ducks was accounted for. The current issue of the "House," the official magazine of College House students, is well up to standard. Humorous sidelights on the doings of the students and smart sallies against individual shortcomings form the subjects of most of the articles. There are also literary contributions of merit and obituary notices to the memory of past members of the house who have recently died.

A party of South Canterbury farmers will visit Lincoln £ollege to-morrow, arriving: at Lincoln shortly after 10 a.m. The Department of Agriculture will have attached to the train an exhibition carriage similar to that included in the train that took the Canterbury farmers to Otago. It will be in charge of Mr It. A. Calder, Assistant Instructor in Agriculture. The South Canterbury farmers will return to Timaru the same evening.

A recent arrival at the Wigram Aerodrome was a D.H. 50 aeroplane, which is intended for aerial survey work. The 'plane will not, however, be seen aloft for some little time yet owing to the tailplane having been broken, in consequence of which it will be necessary to wait for the arrival of a new one from England. It is announced that a fast 'plane, a single-seater fighter,i has been ordered and will be seen here within the next few months.

At one time a white hare was regarded as a novelty in Canterbury, but of late years the breed, which was found originally in the Waipara district, has increased to a considerable extent, and may now be located in various parts or the province. This information was given to the representative of The Press yesterday by Professor J. Speight, curator of the museum, when announcing that among the most recent acquisitions to the museum was a white hare, sent in by Mr P. W. Cleeve, of Highbank. After the revolution Russian paper money was produced in enormous quantitiesj not only in Russia proper, but also m the Ukraine, Siberia, and China. Mr Endicoff, of the J. O. Williamson Proprietary, Sydney, was able to get together a large collection of such notes, some of which were issued to General Deniken, while he also secured paper money in use at the time of the Tsars. These he has presented to the Museum, and the collection makes an interesting exhibit.

While the Lyttelton Fire Brigade was being inspected by the Mayor and Councillors of Lyttelton last evening, a realistic touch was given when the tirebell commenced to ring. The brigade made a record get-away, the motor, fully manned, leaving the station in less than 15 seconds. However, on arriving outside, it was found that the alarm was a false one. A Councillor, arriving late for the inspection, had taken a practical means of testing the brigade's smai-taess in turning out by ringing the bell.. When willows reach a certain age they frequently become decayed, although their appearance would not indicate that such had taken place. A good erample of this was to be seen yesterday morning in the Gardens when a large tree at the rear of the Townsend House was cut down. The diameter at the base was 4 feet 6 inches, but there was little sound timber in the tree, most of the centre of which was in a very bad state, although until recently the tree was as green outwardly as any other of its kind.

Mr D. Reese, chairman of the Management . Committee of the New Zealand Cricket , Council, stated in reply to a reporter's query yesterday that, at his request, Mr W. H. Atack, manager of the United Press Asociation, had cabled to England twice in tho last fortnight asking for attendance figures to be included in the cabled reports of the matches. Nothing had resulted from the first cable, and the second had been sent to England on Saturday last. "1 do not know why the information has not been sent," said Mr Reese, "but I hope that, as a result of tho representations made, the figures will commence with to-day's cabled reports." Protests against the proposed alteration of electoral boundaries must be in writing as the Representation Commission does not receive deputations. Protests will be teceived up to noon on the 28th inst. and will be forwarded to the chairman of the Commission, Mr R. S. Galbraith, Con> .missioner of Crown Lands. Dunedin. Objections in respect of proposed alterations of South Island electorates have been lodged from Ashburton, New- Brighton, and Kenepuri Head, Marlborough. New Brighton objects to a part of the borough being taken out of tho Avon electorate and added to Kaiapoi; and the Kenepuri Head objection is against its inclusion, in the Nelson electorate.

A serious epidemic of distemper is raging nmong dogs in Auckland. "The outbreak is the worst I have seen in Auckland during the past 12 or 14 years," said a veterinary surgeon. "The mortality rate is very high, and dogs belonging to all sections of the community are being attacked by the malady in its most serious form-—the pneumonic type. Death often takes place quickly, but in its other forms the affected animals may linger for three weeks." The veterinary surgeon udded that vaccination was believed to be a safeguard against infection, but it was no use for treating an animal once it was attacked. Dog distemper will not affect other animals, or human beings, said a surgeon, in reply to a question.—Pees? Service. No one can get better service than that given by J Heywood and Co., Ltd., either as furniture removers. Custom House agents, or General Car riers. —6

Mr A. W. Martin, the well-known Rupture Specialist from Dunedin, is now on his twenty-second annual tour of New Zealand. He will be at the White Hart Hotel, Christchureh, from the 6th to the 17th of June, and may be consulted free. Hours, 10 a.ni to 5 p.m —6

Winter top-dressing with the Booth Double Drive machine is "good business"! The Booth, besides driving from both ends, has all the worth-while refinements known to "ie trade. They distribute all commercial fertilisers, in all practical quantities. It is expansively built, but sells at very moderate price. Let us send you particulars. Booth, Macdonald and Co., Ltd. 0512