General News.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20086, 15 November 1930, Page 14

General News.

Commex-eial news appears this morning on Page 12 and Page 20. The Council of the New Zealand Aero Club met last evening, Sir Francis Boys presiding over a good attendance. It was decided to hold the" annual meeting in Wellington on December 17th. A mail for Great . Britain and America closes at Christchurch this afternoon. Copies of "New Zealand Illustrated" (the Christmas number of The Press) posted by this mail will reach the Old Country before Christmas. The Wellington Carillon Society has given the Prime Minister, full authority to deal with the request for a loan of its carillon to the British Empire Exhibition at Buenos Ayres in March and April, subject to safeguards against loss and damage. The society expects to open the carillon at Wellington next Armistice Day. According to Mr F. R. Field; an Auckland observer," New Zealand may expect an earthquake, or series of earthquakes, an» time between December 27th and January 16th next. The shocks, which will not be severe, will be centred in the southern part of the North l Island, more especially at Master ton. * The amount of sunshine recorded at Clifton, Sumner, for the week ending the 9th instant was 50 hours SO minutes, compared with 49 hours 20 minutes in the City. The total for twentyeight Weeks ending on the same date was 1004 hours 30 minutes at Sumner and 944 hours in the City. The suppression of the horse by the i motor vehicle is well exemplified by the ' fact that twenty years ago there Were no fewer than nine saddlers' shops in the 'Thames, catering for the horse-drawn coaches and the farmers in tho district, says the "Thames Star." Gradually they have grown fewer and fewer, until a few days ago the last survivor met his creditors, and now there is no saddler m the town. \ A powerful wireless telegraph installation of the very latest type has just been installed on the tug Dunedirf for the Otago Harbour Beard. The dimensions of the aerial on any tugboat are naturally limited, but in spite of this limitation the set which is in- I stalled on the tug Dunedin has a range | during daylight of 500 miles, while the night range is approximately double. | The public has paid good money at j Show time to see freak animals of appearance loss strange than that of j a horse arrested recently by the | borough, poundkeeper, says the "Poverty Bay Herald." The freakish characteristic of this animal is purely temporary, one would - imagine, for it consists of a coat, of hair up to ,6in in length, which it is rapidly casting for the summer. "Standing in the breeze, it presents a strange spectacle, with its luxuriant coat 'waving. and its journey to the pound was the occasion for much merriment among thos® who witnessed its passage through th© streets. . _

Tho Hon H. Atniore (Minister for Education) has informed the chairthe Board of Governors ot KJbury' College (tho Hon. G. J. tk* he will be -pleased to lL a n ew extension of the Avonsufe Girls' High School, next Wednesday afternoon. "Fishing at Waikaremoana this season is not nearly so good as it was last vear " declared Mr F. R. Ball rerentlv on returning to Gisborne after spending a few days at the . lake. "There were plenty of 4 opportunities for flv fishing, but the fish are not worth having, being much smaller than lißiml ' His party enjoyed better suctrolling, and at Wajkareiti Mr Ball hooked a fine 91b rainbow trout. An acknowledgment of tlie cablegram sent to tho Lord Mayor of Sydnev on the occasion of the opening of the new New Zealand Offices in Sydney has been received by tho Minister for Interna! Affairs (the Hon. P. A. de la Ferrello). "Thank you for your cable of th© 10th," Alderman Marks replied. "It gave mo great pleasure to open officially the new offices, of the Dominion in Sydney, and I trust that the additional facilities will tend to closer union between the Dominion and ourselves." Although it is reported that private nurses in Auckland and other centres are in many cases unemployed, «such does not appear to be tho position in Christchurch. Enquiries made yesterday from tjie Trained Nurses Club elicited- the information that there were only four nurses available there for duty at present. There were others on the premises, but they went there only to sleep, being employed elsewhere. Christchurch nurses were not experiencing any unusual conditions in respect of employment. A party of 120 excursionists'travelled to Otira yesterday, but they encountered unfavourable weather. The majority left the train at Arthur s Pass to walk over the divide, but met with rain before they were half way over and as thero was no improvement throughout tho rest of the day, thev were compelled to remain withm iho township. A party of Christ s College boys, who left town on Thursday and started yesterday to climb Mt Rolleston. wer© also disappointed, for' they were compelled to turn back after doing tli© asoent, and fog prevented any view being obtained. "I take my bat off to the service drivers on the Napier-Gisborne road, stated Bro. A. Martin, district chiet rider for N>w Zealand in the Order of Rechabites, speaking at a welcome function tendered to him bv Gisborne members of his order. The district chief ruler, who home is in Christchurch, mentioned that he had travelled a good deal in various , parts 01 the Dominion, but he had never experienced such skilful driving over hazardous roads, or such courtesy to other users of the highways, as was shewn by the drivers on this route. Good vaudeville in conjunction with talkies is proving very palatably to Australian audiences, according to Mr Humphrey Bishop, the entertainer, who was in Wellington recently. "It is a sign of the times," said Mt Bishop, "that the only theatre which is playing to capacity houses in, Sydney at present is the St. James, which is a vaudeville house. In London and New York most of the houses are showing half vaudeville and half talkie_ programmes, and that is what we intend to do on our present tour of New Zealand." Eels, as a rule, are not popular with salt-water anglers, but there are exceptions. A resident of Mercury Bay, fcr instance, is proud of the fact that last week he landed a silver eel, which is about the most strikingly coloured of the family. The fish was seven feet in length and was not more than 2in thick. It viras pure silver in colour, and its beak' was not unlike that of a bird. Inside the beak wore three rows of small, sharp teeth. Silver eels up to 14 feet in length have been /caught at Mercury Bay, l>ut. (says the "Auckland Star") it is somo time sinca one of this size was captured.

A lotter from the Internal Affairs Department, suggesting that the length of shot-gun cartridges should not exceed 21 inches, in view of tho increasing tendency to lengthen cartridge cases, raised an interesting discussion at the meeting of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society, says the "Evening Post." The writers stated that, while there was a doubt as to the sportsmanship of 23-inch "long range" shells, they Bad Gradually come into general favour. There were now 12gaugeguns, which did not exceed. 101b in weight, and therefore not contravening the regulations, but which took 31-inch shells, and were guaranteed to kill wild fowl •at from 80 to luJ yards. Members were of the opinion that 2-2-inch shells were amply nowerful for any snorting purpose. Longer shells permitted the use of heavier charges and a closer "pattern." "If a " man cannot get his ducks with a 23-inch shell." said a member, who exorcised the gener»l opinion, 'ho should let them alone," Weddings are specially catered forby the Gold Band Taxis We have two classes of Bridal Cars from 7s 6d per hotir. and every one of our brides have had good luok. so why pass us and risk bad luck. 'Phones 34-075 and 35-572 and book earlv. —4 For 'Xmas Gifts, the sweetest and happiest thought is a Steffano Webb Portrait. The recipient will treasure ! such a picture, because it is you-—on paper. Steffano Webb, Photographer, 252 High street (Petersen's Buildings). 'Phone 35-457. , ■ —-6 | John Johnston, Ltd., merchants, I established 1863. Direct importer? of , British and American hardware and machinery. 'Phone 4. P.O. Bo* 1, Rangiora. —1 Railway passengers will be pleased to know that they will be able to get a Gold Band Taxi at their Branch Garage, opposite the Station, as from November Ist, but in the meantime keep on 'phoning 34-075 or 35-572. Thank you. —7 The P. and - D.D. Perfect Potato j Planter. With our improved Machine j and two or three horses, one man. single-handed, can plant from 3 to 4 acres a day. with fertiliser*- up to scwt« per acre, making a better lob than hand planting. Using one ol these machines, Mr E McCarthy, last year, got a remarkable crop at Prebbleton Another fourteen purchasers*got excellent results: P. and D. Duncan. Ltd.. 196 Tuam street. Christchurch. and at Aahburtcm: —6 British Fordston Tractors—built in Ireland—now definitely in the 6-horse team equivalent class, i.e.. 3 furrows deep ploughing, 4 furrows skimming, and all top work of similar team power From "a value viewpoint, there's no other Farm Tractor proposition tha!t begins to compare with the new British Fordson. £215, f.0.r., Timaru. Booth, Macdonald and Co., Ltd. OS