General News.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19814, 30 December 1929, Page 8

General News.

Children from the various orphanages will be the guests of Messrs Wirth Bros, at a special matinee perfortrurnee of the circus to-day. To relieve the congestion on the ferry serviee the Maori will make a special trip to Wellington nest Sunday night, leaving Lyttelton on the arrival of the 6.50 train from Christehureh.

Slipping on a path on the ftills at Charteris Bay on Saturday afternoon, Hazel Boakes, aged 22, of 83 Ruskin street, Addington, injured her back. She was admitted to the Christehureh Hospital at 1,30 p.m. yesterday, and her eondition last night was stated to be satisfactory. Two overseas liners arrived at Auckland yesterday, the Aorangi from Vancouver and the Rangitata from London. The large influx of visitors on board will add to the congestion at Auckland hotels. The Aorangi arrived in the afternoon and the Rangitata in the evening. The Rangitata will not berth until this morning. Press Service. At 3.45 yesterday afternoon the highest temperature this summer was recorded at the Observatory, the thermometer reading 80.8deg. The previous highest temperatures this season were 80deg on December 27th, 78deg on December 4th, and 77deg on November 20th. The wind veered yesterday from south-west to west-north-west. Rain shortly before midday did not make much impression on the ground, and a delightful afternoon tempted many out of doors.

The generally-improved conditions in the Waikato this year are reflected in the Hamilton bankruptcy returns, tor there were 16 fewer bankrupts this year than last in the district of which Hamilton is the headquarters, states the "New Zealand Herald." Fifty-four persons filed, as against 70 in 1928. It is unlikely there will be any further filings this month. The farming community was represented by nine bankrupts.

On Saturday a representative of The Prbbs made some enquiries with a view to ascertaining the extent of the employment given by the woo sales in Christchureh. He learned that for about 4| months of the year receiving the wool into store, checking, weighing, classing, baling, and handling generally gave work to about 150 men, independent of clerical labour. Then 200 to 250 additimal men get about three weeks' employment during the season on what is termed rush work after the sales. At the present time about 110 men are employed in Christchureh wool stores preparing for the coming sale. Breaking into the house of Mr W. G. Carrington, of Campbell street,. Waltham, at midnight on Friday, burglars stole £6 in notes. Mr Carrington had gone to bed at about 11 o'clock in a back room, but had hung his clothes in a front room. Awakened at half past twelve by noises from the direction of this room, he left hia bed to investigate. Both the front door and the back door were open but the marauders had decamped, leaving a £1 note and some silver scattered on the floor. A child's money box had been prised open and a purse examined. Neither had contained anv money. Hundreds of people visited Sumner yesterday, when alter an unpromising morning the remainder of the day proved ideal for those who wished to bathe. The water was thronged with people, especially in the vicinity of the surf club pavilion, and the heavy sea and strong undertow caused the surt club members to exercise especial care. Many bathing novelties were to be seen in the way of brightly-coloured balls, rubber swans and ducks, while at the Scarborough end of the beach the riding of the waves by some bathers in a light canoe was watched w.th great interest by those on shore. Many people remained on the beach until late in the evening, while numbers of car-loads were still arriving at a late hour. Lord Craigavon, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, who has been spending a holiday at Rotorua and Taupo, will arrive in Wellington on Friday morning. He will pay a visit to the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, at Heretaunga, and later in the day will visit the mausoleum of the late Et. Hon. W. F. Massey at Point Halswell. Lord Craigavon will leave Wellington in the evening for Lyttelton and will proceed to the Franz Josef Glacier, where he will spend several days. On his return journey the visitor will spend a day in Christchureh and will then go on to Dunedin and Invercargill. He is to pay a visit to Queenstown or Lake Wakatipu, and from there will go overland to the Hermitage at Mount Cook. This trip should give Lord Craigavon a good idea of the South Island back country. The tourist will return from the Hermitage to Timaru, and after a day there will continue his journey back to Christchureh and Wellington. His present intention is to spend a few days in the Wairarapa before leaving for Southampton by the Hangitata on February Ist.

Over 200 boys belonging to Cliristehuieh "Wolf Cub packs went to Chart'eris Bay on Friday for their annual camp, where a training programme will b-s gone through. The boys are camped in tents and marquees, and every care lias been taken that they shall be well looked after. New Year's Day will be devoted to inspection and sports, when visitors will be welcomed. Those hi charge of the camp are Commissioner W E. Desmond and District* Cub-Mistress K. Scotter.

The petrified body of a frog has been recovered from a small lake on his property near New Plymouth by Mr C. S. Mayer. The body is somewhat shrunken, but is in a wonderfully good and complete state of preservation. Appearances indicate that the frog, in making a leap, had become caught in some flax, or similar obstruction in the water. Being unable to free itself, and being held there, it had succumbed, and its long immersion had petrified the body, which is now quite hard.

The decision of the Arbitration Court that it was legal for a man to lease his taxi-cabs to drivers, is regarded by the latter as a means of evading the award, and to consider the position a meeting of taxi-drivers was held last night in the Trades Hall. Proceedings were taken in committee, but at the conclusion of the meeting the secretary of the Canterbury Drivers' Union (Mr E. Parlaire") told a representative of The Press that it had been decided to approach the Minister with a view to getting all possible done to promote legislation likely to improve the present unsatisfactory conditions. In 'times of stress a humorist is worth his weight in gold, states the ''Wanganui Chronicle.'' A Wanganui farmer tolls an interesting story relating to the big Rangitikei flood of 1897. Everybody was downhearted. All Bulls settlers were apprehensive regarding the safety of their homes. One man, whoso four-roomed house was tottering on its piles, and was about to leave for the open sea, seemed not a whit disturbed. "People don't know when they're well off,'' he remarked to friends. "I've been away and T come home to find the larder well filled—a carcase of mutton in the parlour and a fish in my bed."

An Auckland returned soldier has drawn attention to the recent death in England of «i man to whom many soldiers in the Great War owe their lives. This was Mr Alfred Bates, who designed the headgear first issued to the troops in France in 1916, and later worn by the entire army. A member of the firm of Willis and Bates, wateh stampers, of Halifax, and a director of many companies, Mr Bates was found drowned near the pier at Bournemouth—a tragic fate for a man whose name will go down in history as a valued contributor to the Empire in time of stress. He was 52 years of age, and is survived by his wife, son, and two daughters. New Zealand is becoming increasingly popular with Australian tourists and the Government Tourist Department is doing much good work in arousing their interest in the Dominion, according to Mr W. P. Barnett, overseas representative of the Department in Sydney, who arrived at Auckland by the Ulimaroa on Tuesday. Mr Barnett's trip was largely experimental as it was made with the object of seeing whether an officer of the Department could be of assistance to tourists during the voyage to New Zealand. "I think the idea is likelv to prove popular," Mr Barnett said. "On this trip I was able to do a lot of useful work."

Is the record of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, in having repaid the whole of its municipal debt, unique as far as Australia and New Zealand are concerned? Kalgoorlie is considered by some as nearing the end of all goldrush cities —stagnation and decay—but an Australian writer says that the only signs of shrinkage are in the outer suburbs, where hotels have been delicensed and gutted, and houses abandoned save by a few old-time prospectors. "At this moment, the goldfielders have an example to offer to our capital cities in municipal economics : for one of the photographs on trie Mayor's walls illustrates the handing over of the cheque that repaid the Inst instalment of the municipal loan. The council owns many thousands of pounds worth of property, all clear of debt." The population of Kalgoorlie i.s about 5000, and it ranks fourth on tTie tist of Western Australian municipalities.

Bamlett British mewers. We have this season imported two speed models with a five-foot cut. These machines are specially suitable for both heavy and light work. The Bamlett is particularly light draught, but has strength to outlast two ordinary mowers. See this British mower before choosing a machine for this season Immediate delivery can be given of all models. Agents, Messrs Andrews and Beaven, Limited, Moorhouse avenue, Christchurch. —6

Taxi fares to Brighton 5s 6c], Sumner Ss, Governor's Bay Os, Lyttelton 13s, Mount Pleasant Bs, Kairaki Beach 14s, Woodend Beaeh 20s, Waikuku Beach 235, Leithfield Beach 275, Sanatorium ss. Only if you engage a Gold Band Taxi. 'Phones 35-572 or 34-075. Thank You. —1

A good Hot Lunch at Cooke's or the Tudor Tea Rooms, High street, will set you up for a hard afternoon's Xmas Shopping. —6 If you want the best Tractor Plough in the world, there is only one place to get it, viz., P. and D. Duncan's Tuam street, Christchurch. A farmer purchasing one of these will not have to sell it for half-price in three, six, or twelve months, as has been done in many cases. The following fittings are to be found, in combination, only on our plough: Murray Lift; U. and S. skeiths and buckles; double steerage and rear lever; tailplates; oil-well wheels; best hammered scrap beams and legs throughout. Any size and weight to suit the roughest country that is ploughable. —6