General News.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20085, 14 November 1930, Page 12

General News.

Only a little over £IOO,OOO of the City Council's roading loan of £220,000 now remains to be expended, £ll-5,923 18s Id having been utilised to date.

A reminder that the Koyal Show will be held in Christchurch next year was given by several members of the Canterbury A. and P. Association at the Show yesterday. The Sumner tram 'service was interrupted yesterday morning at 9 o'clock when the overhead cable broke. The delay occurred on the "in" line a short distance on the City side of Wilson's road, the trams being held tiy (or about ten minutes.

No passengers went to Dunedin by the air service yesterday but three made the return trip to Christchurch. 'I ho weather was a little rough on leaving Christchurch but it improved later and was good for the return journey. ...

Only £21,553 13a of the Citv Council rates for the ensuing year had beencollected up to Wednesday evening. The total amount of the levy was £358,704 lis 3d, the Council's general rate being £138,81)2 9s lid.

. Rats in and about the River Avon arc apparently sustaining their depredatory reputation this year. A keen observer of Nature remarked to a reporter of The Pbesh yesterday that the morning before he had noticed by the Worcester street bridge a'brood of eleven ducklings. He had, taken an interest in these ducklings. Yesterday morning the brood had been reduced to five. "Eats or -eels, but most probably rats," was his sad comment. i

"The big contract threshing mills get the cream of the labour, we only get the skimmed milk," said a farmer in the Arbitration Court yesterday njomihgp resisting an application that he be included as a party under the threshing mill employees' award, be* cause he had allegedly used a "tin" mill outside his own farm. "Later this farmer said he was rushed with men, had had some of them for nine years, and paid them well. Mr C. E. Baldwin (employees' representative): "Then whv do you say you get the skim milk. You get the butter. ' The new research station at Nelson, which will be. the heAdqnarters of the work carried out. bv the Forest Biological Research Station, will b© (jpened next Wednesday, when a meeting _or the committee controlling the station will, also be held. Mr. C. E. Foweraker, lecturer in charge of the Canterbury College School of Forestry, is chairman or the committee, while Mr Owen Jones, Forestry Administrator to New Zealand Perpetual Forests, Ltd., and Mr N, G. Gribble, secretary qt the New Zealand Timber Growers' Association, are member,? representing timber interests. These three will leave for Hnnnler this morning, where they will inspect the plantations, travelling thence to Blenhoim and Nel;son. ■ > '

1 Kahikatea pilea that driven into the old harbour tied on the waterfront "SO years ago we to be found in the foundations of the Auckland Harbour Board 'a building. An expert witness in the Supreme Court at Auckland said that they began to show signs of decay about 20 years ago, and the rear part of the building was' underpinned with concrete piles. Many pf the oldor buildings of Auckland were built on wood pUos and no trouble has been experienced. In the Harbour Board's case, however; the piles were affected by the rise and fall of the tide, and decay set in "betwon wind and water." If air had been excluded and the piles kept, wet, it is contended, they would have' stood indefinitely.

Visitors and residents at the Chateau i National _ Park, have been puazled 'by the midnight appearances of a phantom motor-car (says the Wangnnuj. 'Herald"). On several occasions recently the powerful head lights of a swiftly-ijpproacliing car, the beams of which flash now into tne sky and now across the white expanse of snow lying in front of the Chateau, havo been seen by people waiting for the night train#. After showing vivid, ly for a few minutes the lights disappear, and no further sign is seen either of headlights or car. Bo real is the apparition that one of the Chateau service drivers on his nightly run to the National Park'station, seeing das?B* linse headlights on the narrow road, nulled aside to allow the car to pass. He was astonished ,to find that no car came and that, the lights vanished, and although he watched carefully, he saw no car at all right to the end of the road. So fnr no natiiral explanation has been found for this phenomenon, which is all the more incredible as there is no habitation at all on the road, nor any aide roads which » oar could cam* stud g». -

"The Government is adopting a very vigorous policy in connexion with the deer menace," said the Minister for Internal Affairs (Hon. P. A. de la Perline) to" reporter last evening. "We hope to reduce the herds in the various districts where they have a nuisance by their large numbers."

Numerous applications for enrolment on the supplementary roll have been received during the past few days by the Christchurch Tramway Board, 5 p m yesterday being the closing hour, and the number of people entitled to vote at the forthcoming election should show a considerable increase on the total eligible on the last occasion.

No less than ninety-seven frosts havo been recorded in the neighbourhood of Rotorua this year, Mr Owen Jones, Forestry Administrator to New Zealand Perpetual Forests, Ltd., told a reporter of The Press last evening. Thi s district, added Mr Jones, was generally regarded as warm by those who did not live there, but the frost indicator did not lie. Low temperatures affected the growth of trees.

.The Mayor (Mr J. K. Archer), Crs. J. W, Beanland, and D. G. Sullivan, M.P., and tho Town Clerk (Mr J. S. Neville), representing the Christchurch City Council, will -act as a deputation to the Minister for Internal Affairs (Hon. P. A. de la Perrelle) this morning with a request that the Government should validate the voting of a donation to the relief depots in the Cit^.

The trade coupon system was brought under the notice of the council of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday evening by Mr M. M. Heincinann. In the course of a short discussion which ensued, it was stated that the matter was an important one, and should be regarded as one of urgency. The question of the legality of the system was raised. Several members stated that enquiries had been mad# on that point, but no definite information had been received. The question was referred to a committee for consideration and report.

Arrangements are in band for the attempt Norman- Smith, the Australian racing motorist, will make on the sands of Ninety-Mile Beach, North Auckland, early next year to lower the world's one and ten-mile land speed records. Mr Smith expects to arrive in Auckland towards the end of January, or the beginning of February. He will bring with him his "Anzac" model, as well as his new machine, which is now being assembled. The new car will be used "or the attack on the mile, and tho "Anzac" for the attempt on the ten-mile record. The Auckland Automobile Association is taking the necessary steps to have the conditions under which a world's record can bo claimed complied with.

Tho Fairey lIIF. aeroplane, which has been on loan to the Wigram aerodrome for the past three or four months, is expected to return to Hobsonville about the middle of this month, and will later participate in the co-operative exercises to be carried out by the Navy and Air Force in tho Hauraki Gulf, during the first week in December. The aeroplane has been engaged in aerial survey work in the south, one of its principal tasks being in connexion with photographic work over the Maniototo Plains, Central ■Otago. The Faireys, which have a,flying range of ten hours when fully loarled, arc considered to he the only machines in the Dominion -i.illy suited for this class of worlt.

A ten-year-old boy living at Cheltenham (Auckland) caused considerable consternation to his family and friends by failing to return to his homo on Saturday night (says the "New Zealand Herald");. 1 " The boy,had booji punished., hy his mother and decided to show his disapproval by spending tho night in n cave in the cliffs on the city side of Cheltenham. Before leaving home he obtained a supply of potatoes and dripping, and ho succeeded in cooking his supper and making a very, comfortable home in the cave. Meanwhile tho boy's mother and father thoroughly alarmed, had enlisted the aid of several neighbours and the local police ;tnd made a thorough search of the district. Although tho search party passed the entrance of the cave twico during the evening, it was so well concealed by vegetation that no one suspected its presence. The father searched until daybreak and at 7 o'clock, to his groat relief, discovered his son chopping wood in the backyard with the idea of appeasing his parents with au early cup of tea. '

When a defendant in a maintenance case stated in the Police Court at Dunedin, that although he was working at the time he had procured goods at tho Trades Hall relief depot, the Magistrate .(Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M.) expressed great surprise. In answer to a question from his Worship tho defendant said that Mr Bryan O'Donnell had authorised the issue of the goods. "Did Mr O'Donnell know that you were working?" asked hid Worship. The defendant answered that he had explained the circumstances, and had been given the goods to carry him along until he received his pay. The Magistrate remarked that it was a scandalous state of affairs that a man in employment should receive relief intended for those who were destitute. "Surely, in view of the fact that you had pay to draw you could have made other arrangements," lie added to the defendant. "That the authorities at the depot should allow you to have goods under those circumstances appears to me to bo too astounding for words."

That he hoped to have an Italian opera company touring Australia • and |New-. Zealand in 1932 was the statement made on his arrival in Auckland this week by Mr , John Fuller, managing director of John Fuller and Sons, Ltd. Mr Fuller said he was certain that as far as his firm was concerned, "flesh and blood" artists would again be seen on the boards. There was no .possibility of this taking place till the financial conditions in Australia had improved. His Arm was now negotiating for a number of new talkies. He thought it was a great pity that so many English artists wore going to Hollywood, but, after all, there was no national barrier as far as entertainment was concerned. If there were, New Zealand and Australia would not have the pleasure of seeing and hearing, tor example, Italian Opera. There was no doubt that English artists had greatly improved the production of American films. They had awakened the entertainment-loving people to the fact that there was such a place aa England, which could produce artists of so high a standard.

If you see a Gold Band Taxi return ittg to the Square or Depots empty, hail it. and it will only cost you 6d for one Or four passengers except from Races, Matches, eto., when you will find that our fares ate the lowest. 'Phones 34-075 and 35-572, Thank you. *

, TraveUm Iff l V»ll be able to sot a Gold Band Taxi at their Branch Garage, opposite the Railway Station, a* from November Int. In tho meantime, 'phone 34-075 or 85-572. It will pay you handsomely. Thank you- —8