General News.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20383, 2 November 1931, Page 8

General News.

The Post Office officials were kept fairly busy for a while on Saturday morning receiving unemployment levy, due on November Ist, but it is anticinat. J that there will be a larger number paying in to-day.

A child of twu years and six months, Betty Sands, of Sydney, is travelling alone on the steamer Ventura to Los Angeles. She is said to be the youngest passenger the Matson Liu© has ever carried, olio is an orphan and is in charge of the chief steward. At Los Angeles she will join her aunt. —Press Association. Bell-ringers, who have been connected with the Christchurcli Cathedral since it was erected, have gatbored in Christchurcli for tho jubilee celebrations. On Saturday they rang the same peal as that used on October 31st, 60 years ago. They will ring another peal at 8 o'clock to-night, and later will meet at an informal social.

At to-night's meeting of the Christchurch City Council two deputations will be received, one from ti lG Canterbury Industrial Union of Employers concerning its application for a. refund of abattoir fees, and tho other from the Iliccarton Borough Council regarding the cost of maintaining Riccarton avenue. Tho Reserves Committee will make further recommendations in reference to the uso of Victoria squaro for sales of produce and public meetings. A report from the Works Committee with regard to tho balance of works to be carried out under the £220.000 roading loan will bo considered, the report containing a recommendation to the effect that the reconstruction of the following streets be proceeded with immediately: Madras street (Moorhouse avenue to Hereford ' street), Opawa road, Shakespeare road, Wordsworth street, and Swaxm's road.

Concluding tho IJ>3l University session, the examinations for degrees and diplomas commeueo to-day. They will continue until November 18th, and will be held both at Canterbury University College and at the Y.M.C.A. The chief supervisor for the Christchurch centre is Mi- C. J). Hardie. Members of tho Canterbury Horticultural Society and of the Canterbury Jlistice3 of the Peace Association, at the invitation of Mr Edgar F. Stead, visited his property, "Ilam'' at ltieearton, on Saturday afternoon. The beautiful azaleas and rhododendrons made an impressive showing for tho many peoplo who attended. Mr J. W, Baty, registrar of tho Association, conveyed to Mr Stead the thanks of those present for his kindness in allowing them an opportynty to see tho garden. At Wednesday night's meeting of the executive of the Canterbury Procress 'League it is probable that further discussion will take place regarding the proposal to find a more satisfactory and permanent outlet to Lake BUesmcre. Highway matters also are likely to engage tho attention of members, especially with respect to the reconstruction of the RollcstonRakaia stretch of the South road, and also of part of the ChristchurchAkaroa road. The reduction of railway fares has been followed in the Auckland district bv a remauirtblo increase in passenger traffic. In the hist week of tho old farps 10,482 tickets were issued :-,t Auckland. Tho' number has since steadily increased and in ilia week ended October 21th it was 27,830. Every part of the system shows an increase, but it is greatest in the suburban area. It is understood that the increase in revenue is not as great as tho figures would suggest, one reason being tho greater use of workers weekly and other cheap tickets. —Press Association.

Nearly 200 men, under Commander R.~ Ramsbotham, who is to take over If.M.S. Laburnum from Commander b," C'! Hot ham, arrived at Auckland by the Rnnhiue yesterday to join the Laburnum and her sister ship Veronica, Crossing the Line, the men participated in the time honoured ceremony aLfcaehed to tho visit from King Neptune. The New Zealand cricketers acted as policemen and bears, and any victim of tho court's sentence that got into their hands was well and truly ducked Neptune's wife was impersonated by T. C. Lowry, and C. S. Dempster was the doctor.—Press Service,

As tho main cloek was being lowered from its position outsido the Wellington Technical College recently for repairs, tho ropo by which it was suspended broke and the clock was smashed to pieces. The work of lowering the clock was being carried out by the college earctaking stall' aud two men from a firm of city watchmakers. At a subsequent meeting of the College Board the principal, Mr 11. G. llidlhig, stated that the responsibility for tho accident had yet to be determined. It might be necessary to import another clock.

As a result of negotiations with the Railways Board by tho Canterbury Chamber of Commerce and tho Ashburton Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with the North Canterbury Grain Merchants' Association, advice lias been reoeived by the secretary of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce that certain classes of meals used in the manufacture of £>tock and poultry foods aro to be placed in the same category as other cereals, such as wheat, bran, and pollard. This alteration should not only help to reduce present costs on these lines, but will attract additional traffic to tlio railways. When the adjustments made in the tariff some months ago were applied in Canterbury, it became evident that certain lines were subject to an unduly high rate and the Railways Board, after going fully into the question, has removed the anomaly.

During tho Ruahine's run from Panama, a match was played between the New Zealand cricket team returning from its English tour, and chief petty officers of the Royal Navy, who were travelling bv tho vessel to Auckland. Although New Zealand won the match tho credit was chiefly due to Vivian, who appearod to be tho sole member of the team to grasp the trickv requirements of deck cricket. The bat used had a batting surface lfin narrower than the standard, and, as a handicap, the New Zealanders were obliged to bat left-handed. Under these awkward conditions, Dempster, Weir, Page, and Talbot went out ior u "duck," and two of them met an oxactl.y simiiar fate when_ they went in to bat in tho second innings. Lowry captained his own team, while the Koval Navy took its instructions from Commander It. Ramsbotham. —Pnisss Service.

Tho derating of farm lands proved a lively topic of discussion at the meet>irsg of the Dominion Executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union in Wellington last week, tho question being whether remits carried at the last two conferences were to be interpreted as asking for total derating or merely exemption from general rates for road; ing purposes. Tho consensus of opinion was "that it would be useless to ask for total derating at the expense of the rest of the community through an increased petrol tax. What was desired was that farm lands should he relieved of general rates for loading purposes, since the roading system had now become a national system, and it would be just as fair to ask the farmer to piy a rat© on the railways. Special rates for the purpose of providing bridges and access roads to properties were tho farmers' own concern, and it out of tho question to geek relief from them.

Following closely on the discovery of a promising gold-bearing reef on the Oolville side of the Tokatea Range, Coromandel, a further discovery has been made which it is hoped may give an impetus to the revival of goldmining in the Coromandel district. A party, working as tributers in the Four-iu-Hand area, have staked a claim, the first crushing from which is stated to have produced an encouraging return. The area is in the vicinity of Mr James A. McNeil's recent find, on the Huruhuru 3STo. 1 block, which caused much interest on its discovery early last month. A large area on the run of the new reef has been pegged out. Tho district in which the recent finds have been made is heavy bush country, and has probably never before been thoroughly prospectod. It is considered that if more systematic prospecting is induced by the recent discoveries, it will result in more payable claims being opened up in this almost virgin country. The comparative inaccessibility "of the reefs is a difficulty, the nearest motor road being on the other side of the ranges. However, it is understood that small batteries are to be taken from Thames to the claims.

Visitors to Sanatorium on Sundays please note that you can got a Gold Band Taxi right opposito the train terminus by the petrol bowser at cheap rates and 6d a head right into town after closing time, 4 p.m., so why pay more, and make sure it's a Gold Band Taxi. Thank you. —6

P. and D. Duncan. Ltd. 1 find your chilled cast iron shares equally as good as tho imparted—if not better. As for genei'ul wear thev certainly stand up to the work. 1 liuvo not hud any breakages with thcui.—Domett, June--1931.