General News.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19112, 22 September 1927, Page 8

General News.

After a long study of earthquake conditions and areas, Professor Schaffer (Vienna) is convinced that it is impossible to predict an earthquake. Americans had tried and had issued alarmist reports which had come to nothing. New Zealand was in the earthquake belt, but we had little to fear.

"In view of the fact that one may expect that the Daylight Saving Bill will soon be on the Statute Book, and operative this season, there should be a large increase in the number or cricketers," said the chairman at the annual meeting of the Wellington Cricket Association. He himself was thinking of taking up practice, and he was sure there were others who would "come out" again.

"Everywhere I go in your country I see water-power running to waste. Why not harness it and use it to run your railways ? The water costs nothing and it would be cheaper to export your coal. In Austria, where to-day we have no coal all our railways are electric. I believe that this will ultimately be the system in this country."—Professpr Schaffer (Vienna) in conversation with a Press reporter yesterday. v Speaking at the annual meeting of the Wellington Cricket Association, Mr M. F. Luckie said that a great impetus .would be given to cricket by the vei y successful tour "which had just been completed by the New Zealand team in England. Nothing but words of the greatest credit could be used in referring to the tour. The New Zealanders had scored about 50 per cent, faster than .their . opponents in England, and they had shown that the ball was meant to be hit.

The danger which lies in the practice of schoolboys carrying pens and pencils in their stocking tops was indicated when a fourteen-year-old boy met with an accident in a friendly rough-and-tumble in the Wanganui Technical grounds. The pen was forced into'nis leg for about three inches, and when it was extracted, the two points of the nib remained' in the wound. The lad was taken to the hospital, and the metal was located by means of X-rny photographs. The maximum load at the Lake Coleridge power station for the week ended September ,18th wa5'16,460 k.w., which was recorded between 0.30 p.m., and 7 p.m., on September 16th; the previous week the maximum load was 16,100 k.w. At the Addington substation the maximum load was 12,700 k.w., (12,240 k.w., the previous week) which was recorded between 7 p.m., and 7.30 p.m., on September 16th. The lake level was at 1669.02 feet, previous week, 1669.12 feet; the average inflow from the Harper river was 141 cusecs, previous week, 84 cusecs. . The petition to Parliament of Peter Roselli and others, of Westport, asking for compensation for flood damage from alteration of the course of the Buller river by the Public Works Department and the Westport Harbour Board was reported upon yesterday by the Petitions Committee of the House of Representatives. It was referred to the Government for favourable consideration. The petition of Caroline Sloan, of Papanui School, asking that back service be counted for teachers' superannuation purposes was referred by the Education Committee to the Government for consideration. —Press Service.

Those responsible for_ the maintenance of law and order in tlio Dominion have at times to utilise the resources of science in their detection ot crime. This is exemplified by the annual report of the Department or Scientific and Industrial .Research, which says: "Ten series of exhibits were examined for poisons at the direction of the Superintendent _of Police, and in four cases cyanide, veronal, strychnine, and sodium arsenat-e were respectively found. Medicine, ointment, naphtha, and various liquors were also analysed." What steps were taken after the results of these analyses were made known to the police the report does not state. Yesterday afternoon members of the Canterbury Land Board, sitting in the Provincial" Chambers, adjourned for a few minutes to the lawn, where they were meb by a representative of the l"autifying Association, who asked the members each to plant au ornamental maple tree, which was dedicated to the memory of each of the four Superintendents of the province. The trees were dedicated and planted as follows, the first-mentioned being nearest the Gloucester street gate:—: Fitzgerald (planted by Mr David Stowell), Moorhouso (Mr Tlios. Geo), Bealey (Mr Robt. F. Henderson), Rolleston (Mr Ernest Macdonald).

The Minister for Defence (the Hon. Mr Rolleston) stated in the House ot Representatives yesterday that the Defence' Department sympathised with tlio aspirations- of the Legion or Frontiersmen and appreciated its in the interests of defence, but there were difficulties in giving to them the recognition which they asked. _ "Speaking generally," said the it is undesirable to have in New Zealand a military fighting force not under the control of the Defence Department, and in regard to the arms asked for the Department lias scarcely sufficient for the training of our existing forces." —Press Service.

A story showing the ingenuity of the rabbit in protecting itself in time or flood comes from Mat-aura Island during the heavy rains of last week. A district farmer who liad some sheep in a paddock subject to flood shifted his flock overnight to a safer paddock. Included in these were ten ewes with lambs which broke from their place of safety during the night and returned to the home paddock. During the night the field was submerged, and when the farmer came on the scene next morning he found _ the sheep huddled together on the highest point of the section in about two feet of water, their lambs drowned, and a rabbit safely perched on the back of each sheen.

As a regult of two months' operations in the bush near Marsden road, Grey r mouth, an opossum trapper secured skins to the value of £2OB. states a message from our Greymouth correspondent.

"Advertising is not a panacea," saiil Mr "Will Appleton, of Wellington, in an address given by him under the auspices of the Canterbury Advertising Club last night. "No article can succeed with advertising that cannot succeed without it."

A diploma, issued by the authorities of the Canadian National Exhibition, was received by the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society at its meeting last night, for an exhibit of stuffed fishes. No silver medal was asked for, as it was thought that the authorities had been put to sufficient expense in the matter.

It was decided at last night's meeting of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society that a permit be obtained for the ranger to destroy fifteen or twenty mallard ducks on the Avon and its tributaries. It was pointed out that the mallard ducks were harmful to the other ducks on the river.

A further meeting regarding the proposal to establish a cereal laboratory in Canterbury is to be held this afternoon and will be attended, amongst others, by Dr. E. Marsden ; secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, and Mr J. W. Collins, secretary of Industries and Commerce.

A retired contractor, commenting on the prices obtained for draught horses at the sale in Christchurch last Saturday, expressed the opinion to a reporter that in a year or two he would not bo surprised to find five to.seven year old geldings being sold for as much as £IOO each. The new tariff has not had any very appreciable effects in the revenue collected so far -in Christchurch. The only vessel of any consequence which has discharged cargo under the new rates is the Karetu, but most of her cargo is Australian and rates for goods specified in the 1922 agreement stand. Clearances of tobacco and spirits have been lighter than usual owing to previous heavy clearances in anticipation of higher duties.

As a result of tho decision of the Transport Appeal the Tramway Board will discontinue the bus service between Ascot (North Beach) and Pleasant Point (South Brighton). The Board will run a bus service between Burwood and the junction of Bowhill road, Rookwood avenue, and Park road by a ■ similar route. A separate service will be run from Pleasant Point to and from central Brighton. "If it were not for the newspaper advertisements you would not get the high class news or articles you do," said Mr Will Appleton to the Canterbury Advertising Club last night. "The. newspapers of New Zealand compare more than favourably with those of any other country in the world and you can get a message to the public in a few hours from Whangarei to the Bluff, whereas any other form of advertising might take'weeks of preparation." Mr Appleton added that one of the reasons why/newspaper advertising was so Buqcessful was that people look up a paper in a receptive state of mind.

"What counts most in English schools is efficiency," declared Miss D. W. Edwards, when relating to the Education Board her experiences m England as an exchange teacher, says a Wellington Press Association message. She said that there was no questi&i of man versus woman. Large mixed schools usually had a, man as principal and a woman as vice-princi-pal, although many headships were filled by women. Efficiency was what counted. It should not matter whether tho teacher were married or single. "It is a loss to New Zealand that women are not given an opportunity of holding executive positions."

The necessity for research in respect of the Dominion's sea fisheries was emphasised yesterday by Mr A. S. Hefford, Government Inspector of Fisheries, during a visit to Ohristehurch. Supplies, he said, _ were showing signs of marked diminution, especially tho sheltered inshore waterg that had been intensively fished. They did not know the extent of the resources not yet tapped. The comprehensive survey of the marine resources of the Dominion would be a big and job. Regarding poaching on tne Dominion's oyster beds, Mr Hefford said that undoubtedly poaching went on; but not to an extent, that made any appreciable difference to the output.

After being delayed for 20 hours owing to refusal of the Marine Department to permit her to go to sea without wireless equipment, the Mission steamer Southern Cross left Auckland yesterday morning for the south-west-ern Pacific £ till lacking wireless,_ but with tho permission _of the Minister. The Melanesian Mission Boaijd submitted that the vessel was too small to come under the Imperial Act, of 1919, and it was unlikely that she would .be retained in her present commission for much more than a year. The Minister sanctioned her clearance, but the matter of wireless installation is not settled. —Pkess Service.

According to Mr A. S. Hefford, Government Inspector of Fisheries, who was in Christchurch yesterday, the time is ripe for better regulations in regard to whitebait. No fishery was so varied and complicated as the whitebait one, and that was causing them to hesitate till more definite information was available. He would have to study the times, the methods, and intensity of fishing, and also investigate the country in which the whitebait fared best at all stages in its life. They were not seeking to regulate the fishery simply for the sake of regulating it. The real beneficiary would be tho fisherman himself as he would be assured of a better supply. Trout were an enemy of whitebait, but so also were other fish.

A survey has been made by tho Department of Scientific and Industrial, Research of the losses incurred in the' Dominion through plant, diseases, and a special committee is arranging for the establishment of a reseaieh station in conjunction with tho Agricultural College at Palmerston North. In order to make the work of Empire-wido significance, contact with the Welsh Plant-breeding Station at Aberystwyth is being maintained. Research, breeding, and selection work connected wjth cereals will be centred at Canterbury Agricultural College, and in other matters connected with this branch of investigation co-ordination of effort will be closely maintained between Palmerston and Lincoln. Where conditions demand it. subsidiary out-stations will be established to facilitate the research dono at the main centres.

The Hotel Federal's new diningroom, with accommodation for 200, is now complete, and specialising in casual luncheons. Six-course luncheon (including grills) 2s Cd. Ring 1040 to reserve tables. —6

The Claw Harrow is revolutionising lots of set ideas in agricultural work! They can be put into ground too hard to plough, and will break it up—making deep ploughing easy. They also get twitch to the surface better than any implement yet evolved. They will do all work that any wheeled cultivator will and they cost about half- the price. Hundreds in successful use all over New Zealand. Booth, Macdonaid and Co., Ltd. 0512