General News.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19623, 20 May 1929, Page 8

General News.

The opossum Mason in the North Canterbury Acclimatisation District will be from June 15th to August 15th this year, according to a notification in the latest Gasette. The license fee payable is £2 10s. An Order-in-Conneil gazetted last week brings ordinary road tractors within the definition of a motor vehicle and renders them liable to the payment of petrol tax. Tractors used exclusively for agricultural purposes remain exempt from this taxation. Mr J. E. Brunt, Registrar of the Canterbury Justices' Association, is in receipt of the following telegram from Sir Joseph Ward: "Have received yonr letter of 16th inst., and desire to express my sincere appreciation of the honour of yonr Association's invitation to me to attend the patriotic social on Jane Brd. I regret exceedingly that as I have already arranged to be in Auckland on that date, I shall be unable to have the privilege and pleasura of being present on the occasion. My best wishes for a successful function." That At Is sometimes necessary for an Archbishop to know somethig about the manual side, as well aB the ecclesiastical, in laying foundation stones, was seen on Saturday afternoon, when Archbishop Julins performed a ceremony at the Phillipstown Church. He was entering upon the practiolpart of the service in placing in position the foundation stone of the memorial channel when it was suddenly discovered that the builder's trowel was missing. His Grace did the work himself with the silver trowel usually in evidence on occasions, and it was with a twinkling eye that he emphatically declared the stone "well and truly laid."

A novel feature, designed to further the team work in the railway service, which is the ideal of the General Manager (Mr H. H. Sterling) was decided upon at a conference in Wellington of officers, heads of branches, and Departments, including the Divisional Superintendent of the South Island (Mr CaseV). At future conferences, one or two members of the service will make short speeches dealing with phases of the work on which they are engaged, and a general discussion on that particular phase of the work will follow. The idea is to have interesting discussions on the various subjects. It was a principle, said Mr Sterling, which had been found productive of excellent results in his experience in private business. "I cannot conclude my remarks on the Sonth African tour without specially mentioning (which in my opinion should have been included in tha manager's report) the magnificent service which Mr Andy Mercer rendered to our boys while away from this country. He was the daddy of the crowd, and each one of the All Blacks hue particularly urged me to mention at this conference the excellent and vast amount of work which this man did in the special and general interests of the plnyers." Such was the tribute paid bv the president of the New Zealano Union (Mr G. A. Maddison) to th* baggage man and masseur for the New Zealand team at the annual meeting of delegates of the union in Wellington.

A little girl, aped three years, who has been totally deaf from birth, had a wonderful experience at Port Chalmers a few evenings ago. A friend of her parents brought a portable wireless set to the house, and the headphone* were placed on the child's head by way of experiment. She immediately showed eigne of an altogether new experience. After looking round the room she peered at the instrument, as though looking for something unusual inside, then, abandoning the quest, the child sat back and laughed heartily, displaying more pleasure than any toy had ever evoked. The parents were also pleased, for three doctors had proaotmeed the deafness to be insurable. —Puss Servio*.

4n Order-in-Oomicil, published in last weeks Gazette, grants consent to tha Lvttelton Harbour Board to raise £62.000, being the Redemption Loan, 1929. The term of the loan is 20 years.

The C&ristchurch City Council haa received the consent of the Governor-General-in-Council to raise £34,000, being the Abattoir Loan. 1928. The term of the loan is 36i years, the interest 54 per cent., and the sinking fund one per cent. A Hudson brougham motor-car, belonging to the Dominion Motors, Ltd., was stolen from outside the garage in Gloucester street yesterday, between 1 and 1.30 p.m. The number of the car, which is maroon in colour, and has' n spare tvre on each sid«, is 177-736.

The Secretary to the Treasury, m last week's Gazette, acknowledges receipt of the following amounts forwarded by persons unknown as con-science-money to the New Zealand Government: £lB and 7s 6d forwarded to the Railway Department; os and 8s 2d forwarded to the General Post Office.

During a discussion last week by the North Canterbury Farmers' Union of the Dominion's loss of a War Office contract for one million pounds of meat, Mr G. H. Judd said that it was "no doubt a question of quality." In our printed report the word "quality" unfortunately got converted into "quantity."

Only about one out of a dozen of the regular duck-shooters were sufficiently optimistic to venture out to Lake Ellesmere during the week-end, and those that did were again disappointed. There was practically nothing "on the wing" over the whole week-end, and sportsmen are still praying for the sou'-wester which will bring the birds into shelter.

A reciprocal pension scheme for teachers between New Zealand and other parts of the Empire was advocated in a resolution passed by the Secondary Schools' Association at its annual conference in Wellington. The Association also passed a resolution suggesting that in computing the retiring age, years of service in a reoognisedT educational service within the Empire be reckoned in fully. The southern side of Aberdeen street, from Manchester street to Madras street, is by Gazette notice exempted from the provisions of Section 128 of the Public Works Act, 1928, subject to the condition that no building or part of a building shall at any time be erected on the land fronting the southern side of Aberdeen street, within a distance of 20 feet from the centre-line of the street. The arrangement recently made to send a cadet to Sandhurst to commence duties at the Royal Military College in July has been altered and the departure has been postponed until the end of November. The selection of the cadet will now be delayed, and applications will not close until Atigu t Ist at Command Headquarters at Auckland, Palmerston North, and Christchurch. As the result of the inspection of the City Council's bitumen plant, and of similar plants of the Tramway Board and of British Pavements, Ltd., by officials of the Health and Labour Departments on Friday, authority will be sought from the Council for the installation of apparatus to deal efficiently with the problem of the dust nuisance. As soon as bituminoas concrete work on Milton street, Sydenham, is completed, the Council's bitumen plant will be closed down for the winter.

Sumner was again the obective of hundreds of motorists yesterday, and, in the afternoon particularly, large numbers of cars passed both in and out of the Borough. Parking space on the Efc planade was at a premium, and the side streets were also utilised as parking places. It is particularly noticeable that presumably owing to the activities of the traffic inspectors the line of traffic proceeds at a very orderly pace, and it is the exception, rather than the rule, to see one car attempting to outdistance the other. "Superannuation up to £3OO is as much as anyone should expect from the State, and personally I think it is enough for anyone," remarked a delegate at the Technical Teachers' Conference at Wellington. Another delegate said the object of supperanuation was not to provide for widows, but to provide an allowance in old-age on retirement from the service. Widows were already provided for in that they could receive their husbands' contributions, without interest, or the allowance.

The question of the reduction of the price of electricity to City consumers is to be considered by the City Council's Electricity Committee, according to Cr. Elizabeth E. McCombs, the chairwoman of the Committee. Cr. McCombs is of opinion that the maximum benefit to the consumer can be attained best by making sueh reductions as will induce an increased demand. A flat rate, however, would not produce the effect desired, and the committee would have to go into the matter carefully, in order to secure the maximum benefit for consumers, and especially householders. A rather unusual incident occurred at the recent Poverty Bay sheep dog trials (says the Poverty Bay "Herald"). A well-known dog was attempting to yard the three sheep in the "pull, head, and yard" event, when one of the sheep showed signs of rebellion and charged him. Without barking or attempting to bite, the dog raised one paw and repulsed the sheep by hitting it on the nose. The sheep tried again, and was held np in the same manner. At the third attack, the dog, still with his temper well in check, stood on his hind legs and cuffed the sheep on the nose with both paws, after which all three sheep admitted defeat and went docilely into the pen. Urgent Notice.—On Saturday, May 25th, at 5 p.m., Mr A. W. Martin, the well-known Rupture Specialist from Dunedin, will bring his twenty-fourth annual visit to a close at the White Hart Hotel, and will leave for Greymouth. Sufferers will do well to have a consultation with the Specialist, who has made a study of this ailment for the past 30 years. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. _<3

Do you get hungry about 10.90 a m * Well pop into Cooke's and have a 6d morning tea- large variety. Cooke's Tndor and High street tea rooms. —6 «, Grai . n ™ gro r erß ~ "Rod River* Special Threshers represent the 6nest threshing machines proonrable, and have features which have established them as the finest, fastest, and clean est threshers. If yon are experiencing difficulty in arranging for machines to do your work, we have still a .machine available for you for immerfiate delivery W t should be happv to post vou the latest "Red River" Catalogue, illustrating fully this uo-to-date machine Andrews and Beaven Chnstrhnreh. _. New pattern tractor and horse non* ehokable Grubber for twiteh working and genera] purposes; all hard steel frames and tines. Any depth 2in to Bin. Shoes 3in, 7in, and lOin wide-flrst-elass automatic lift with ample range, mad» in three widths, five, and a six and a-half, and eight feet. Before buying a Grubber or Cultivator see this one—it beats them *IL It deals effectively with any condition of soil, grass land, stubble, turnip, or ploughed ground. Photo on application. P. and D. Dunean, Ltd., 196 Taam street, Christchurch. . —o