General News.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20274, 27 June 1931, Page 16

General News.

The lambing season has commenced in the AVaikato. During the last week lambs hare been born on properties at Rototuna and llotokauri. Although rain fell/at the Arthur's Pass settlement yesterday, there was a fall of snow further up the Pass, and ski-ing conditions promise to be excellent for excursoinists on Sunday. . "The pian who says New Zealand has nothing to learn from British breeders is .living in a fool's paradise," declared Mr D. Marshall, of (southland, at the annual conference of the Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand. Britain was still the stud farm of the world, he maintained. Illustrating the force of the gale at Wellington between noon and 1 p.m. on Wednesday, a pigeon flying in the vicinity of the Grand/Opera House was swept against the windscreen of a motor delivery van with such force that it killed the bird and smashed the glass screen completely. "Probably the next Judge of the Arbitration Court will be a mathematical master drawn from the ranks of the schools," said his Honour Mr Justice Frazer in the Arbitration Court yesterday after he had made several attempts before being successful in assessing the amount of compensation /to be paid to a worker who had been injured in an accident while employed by the Public Works Department. "The work of the Department has been very* much increased by the depression." said Mr D. Rodie, Business Manager of tlj.e Railways, yesterday. "The .necessity for safeguarding our business is much more pressing than ever before. Conditions in business are changing so rapidly that what is offective to-day may be useless to-mor-row. So keen is competition that business men are out to save every penny in transport charges." Ten pounds in cash and a number oi account books were inside a safe which was stolen from a small office at Pearson's coke yard, 77 Palsgrave street, on Thursday night. An unsuccessful attempt was made to remove a larger safe which contained many crossed cheques. The double gates in the yard leading to the office were Broken and the office door, whrcli was securely padlocked, was burst opc-;i.

"Money, here is actually pretty tight, but people do not make quite such a song about it as they do in New Zealand. They are really more contented and do not consider their lives a desert waste because they do not possess a car and a twelve-valve wireless set. The average tradesman's wage is about £3, rather under than over, and they have to work pretty hard for it," states a letter from a New Zealand business man who arrived in Plymouth (England) six weeks ago. When a bailiff arrived to effect tlie eviction of a family living in Nelson street, Auckland, a number of unemployed men, who described themselves as "the Anti-Eviction League, met liim and hejd a discussion on the proposed eviction, the upshot being that the bailiff stated that he would return another afternoon, allowing the family three days in which to move. A crowd of about 150 people gathered in front 6f the house/ while a keen interest in the proceedings was taken by the neighbours. A police party, under the command. of two sergeants, wae present, but there were no signs of disorder,

The first of the season's new potatoes have reached the Auckland city markets, the few sacks offered being quickly sold at about 3d to 4d a lb. The season proper will start about September or October. "I do not think many scientists would deny tho possibility that the sea-serpent exists,'* said Mr W. R. McGregor, in a lecture on snakes at the Auckland University College, while referring to those species that live in the sea. "We have not explored the surface of the land yet, and the time has not arrived when anyone can dogmatise about what does not exist m the depths of the ocean." Since the system of parcels delivery was instituted by the Railway Department, Mr D. llodie, Business Manager, told a reporter yesterday, the number handled had trebled in the four main centres of the Dominion and a similar result had been achieved in the other leading towns to which it applied. The system was being constantly extended, and would be applied to smaller towns as the demand arose. Firms having a large parcels business, which had formerly used other means of transport, had discovered that it paid them to use the railways. While riding a motor-cycle in Tutanekai street, Rotorua, Mr B. Harvey sustained painful injuries in an unusual manner. A kite, which evidently had been flown bv some children, had descended and entangled its string in trees on each side of the street, the string stretching across the roadway. Mr Harvey approached on his cycle, but did not see the string across his course, and rode into it. The string caught him on the mouth, inflicting a nasty cut across his face from ear' to ear, necessitating medical attention. "You treat y.->ur people better in this country than we do at Home,' commented the Governor-General, in reply to a speech of welcome at th>! Cook Hospital at Gisborne. Lord Bledisloe was referring to_ the care.ol sick people who wer-3 not in a position to pay for treatment in the public institutions, having been informed by the cliairmar of the Hospital Board (Mr M. T. Trafford) that the hospital was under an obligation to take in cases regardless of the ability of the individuals to pay. Lord Bledisloe expressed the view that there was ft danger of • exploitation under the New Zealand system, and that the hospital boards and other institutions must be on their guard against this evil, which the tolerant attitude of the public and their representatives might encourage. An assurance was given to his Excellency that malingerers were not common among the oeopln dealt with in the hospitals in New Zealand.

To assist country people who usually come to Christchurch for the stock sales on Wednesdays, the Railway Department is introducing next Wednesday mid-week excursion tickets which will be obtainable at country stations by passengers to Christchurch. The special tares will be only about half the usual fares, but the tickets will be available only on the day of issue. Whether the scheme will be made permanent will depend on the support whicli it receives from the farming people. The tickets will be issued at stations from Asliburton to Weedons, inclusive; at stations on the Midland line from Springfield to Sandy Knolls, inclusive; at all stations on the Metliv<en, Southbridge, and Little River branches: and at stations from Havarden to Kaiapoi, inclusive.

The report by the Department of Health on the analysis of the water taken from the proposed Huntsbury water supply, from the artesian boro at St. Martins, was received and discussed at last night's meeting of the Ileathcoto County Council, and as a result 'it was decided to let the bore run for a period and have a further analysis made. Dr. T. Fletcher Telford, Medical Officer for Health, wrote stating that in his opinion the degree of permanent hardness, together with that of a temporary nature was sufficient to give grounds for complaint by apy of the prospective users of the water. He considered the Council would be well advised to put down a prospective bore in some other locality with a view to obtaining a more satisfactory supply rather than do anything further with the present bore.

A glowing description of the English countryside is contained in a private letter front a New Zealand business man who is making a tour of England, having arrived in Plymouth six weeks ago. "It is wonderfully lovely country," he states. "The house is on a ridge sloping down to Itomney Marsh, and we" have a great view across the flat to the sea, about seven miles. At night we can see the lighthouses flashing round the coast from Dungeness to Folkestone and Dover. The woods round here are the finest I have ever seen and the bluebells are unbelievable. When you come to the edge of the wood you see an unbroken haze of blue stretching away under the trees, as far as you can see, just one continuous carpet, so that it seems sacrilege to step into the woods. I have never seen anything quite so perfect. It has also been a great year for primroses and the hedges round Plymouth were simply smothered with them." In this issue the Railway Department advertise specially reduced fares to Christehurch each Wednesday, commencing from July Ist. The tickets will be available for day of issue only. A Mass .Temperance Rallu in connexion with Churches and all Temperance organisations is being held in the Civic Theatre on Sunday at 2.30 p.m. Doors open at 2 p.m.. Community Singing at 2.15 p.m. Be aarly to secure a seat, —1 Christehurch made taxis. The only taxis in New Zealand with local built bodies are those of the Gold Band Taxis; this has given work to a large number, so keep on 'phoning 34-075 >»r 35-572. as by doing so you will create work for more men. Gold Band Taxis fares are the lowest, why pay more? Thank you. —2 If anxious or uncertain about your health, write Mail Order Druggists, Box 531, Christehurch. Advice and lists free. Suppliers of all- reliable remedies .and hygienic necessities. —6 Men. women, and children photographed perfectly, inexpensively, satisfactorily. See samples of our finished work. Steffano Webb, 252 High street. 'Phone 35-457. —6 Johnston's N.C. Motor Co., Ltd., representatives: W. C. Wilson and F. # Meyer; manager, A G. Prestney, 'authorised Ford dealers. Travelling ttangiora. 'Phones 87 and 88. —2

Danger, beware of Gold Band Taxis as their lares are the lowest in New Zealand; it was the Gold Band Taxis that brought the fares down to one shilling for five passengers, so don't 'phone for one if you don't want to save your money. . We never sleep* two shifts day and night drivers —Nuff said. —4 Farmers intending to lop-dress this season should be sure to see in. our yard the latest pattern grid machine, an English patent, made in England. A substantially built machine, a perfect spreader, which deals effectively with any qua* cities and all varieties. Demonstrated to anyone interested. Only a limited number of machines in stock We have two tight slag sowers for hire to do a few acres fr-i" those wishing to test their land. P. and D. Duncan, Limited, 196 Tuam street, Christchurch, apd at Ashbuxtoa» ■—§