General News.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20413, 7 December 1931, Page 8

General News.

* . The Unemployment Board is to mees in Wellington this week. Good progress is being made with the- reconstruction of Madras street, the roadway having been opener up as far as -Hereford street, l;evond which it is not proposed to reconstruct the street at present. A thief who broke into the tobacconist's shop oi Mr J. Nunes, 202 Kilmore street, on Friday night, stole the entire stock of tobacco and cigarettes, valued at about £l6. Entrance was gained by forcing operi the front door. Tho back part of the shop, which is used as a hairdrcssing saloon, was not entered. It is unlikely that the Christchurch Drainage Board will be able to take on extra men on relief works for the period just prior to Christmas._ The Board has no big work on which it could employ a fairly large number of men and to put extra. men on to a number of small jobs would mean additional expenditure on tools and supervision. The final evening of community singing in the Civic Theatre en Saturday proved very successful. Tho takings ■will not bo counted until to-day, but it seems certain that tho Mayor's Relief of Distress Fund will benefit by a useful sum. All thoso who had led the singing at previous sessions were present, and the audience _ entered >vhole-heartodly into the singing. The 'Mayor, Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P., , thanked the song-leaders, the Radio Broadcasting Company, and the City Council staff for the help they had given, and also thanked the public for its response to his appeal. As a result of the co-operation, he said, many people in need had been provided with rood and clothing.

There are signs of a diminution, in the plague of grass grub beotles in the Manawaru and Gordon districts, near T<s Aroha, but the ravages of the pests have extended to almost every farm in the neighbourhood. Por the past month farmers have had an anxious time. At night, when the beetles do their scouting for food, they alight on the trees in swarms, and any cattle in their path become very frightened, racing, roundthe paddocks in an alarming manner. The presence of such enormous swarms indicates an even greater danger from both the grub and thq beetle next year, when the eggs deposited in the soil have hatched. It is feared that unless some effort is made to check them, the insects will prove a~ menace to the dairying industry.

Contrary to the usual practice, Training _ College students did • not receive their December salaries when the 'Wellington Training College closed down on Friday for the school year. Tliev will receive their cheques on December 18th, the break-up day for primary and secondary schools. It '9 explained officially that the principal reason is the difficulty of arranging finance. It has been purely'a courtesy measure to pay out on the day of disbanding, as the students are" not legally entitled to,their pay until the end of the month. Furthermore, this year the college disbanded exceptionally early, and the difference in time could not be overlooked by the Treasuty. To have paid on December 4th would have cost the State more money, and the necessity for economy is very great.—Press Association.

A four-clays' round oF local bodies in Canterbury was completed on Saturday by IVlessrs W. Bromley and P. R. (jlim'ie, members of the Unemployment Board, The latter told a Press reporter yesterday that the results of the interviews had proved very satisfactory as Jar as the provision of relief work-was concerned, and lie was sure that the exchange of views would result in a better understanding between the local bodies and the Board.

The'superiority of New Zealand journalism over the general standard in Australia is asserted by Mr C. P. Agar, who returned from a holiday tour on Saturday. "While tho Australian papers are mostly concerned with-spicy bits of news which they presented with arresting headlines, our papers seem to bo more in touch with the economic life of the community," he said. "Here we feel that there is an object to whatever is presented: there is more direction, and a greater sense of responsibility. ''

"I have been offering eight shillings a day for farm labour, and nobody wants it," said a Marton farmer to a "Dominion" representative recently. The fanner said l?e could give employment without found at tho rate of one shilling an hour, and a man could thus easily earn £2 a week. Unemployed men seemed to prefer to take their chances of getting two or threo days' work in the city, even if their weekly earnings did not total £2. "As soon as the men who say they want work hear that tho offer is one shilling an hour they retire," Said the farmer. "With the prices lam getting for my produce I cannot offer more. I object to paying unemployment tax when a man turns down £2 a week."

A supposed hoax, which nearly turned into tragedy, occurred in Central Park, Whangarei. Two bank clerks were sitting under the trees eating thoir lunch when another young man arrived. He stripped and appeared in tho latest bathing costume. "I -can't swim," ho confided to the others. In his togs he looked so athletic that they did not believe him. "You jump in there. It isn't very deep," they said, pointing to tho main channel. In he jumped. He was in difficulties immediately, his hoad bobbing up and down, and he called for help at oach emergence. For q, spaco the boys on the bank thought he was joking. Then, realising the true position, thoy jumped in and rescued him. '

Among the strange objects picked up by motor tyres, the live rifle cartridge which pierced a motor-car tyro in a Wellington street on Wednesday must be alone in its novelty. The motor-car had been used extensively during the day for tho conveyance of electors to polling booths. The bullet of the cartridge apparently pierced tho side wall of tho tyre without puncturing the inner tube. The projecting base of the cartridge was worn down by friction against the road, and the percussion cap was unprotected when the discovery was ma£e. Tho driver of the car considers that ho was lucky, as the cartridge might have detonated at any time, shuttering the tyre, and perhaps causing loss of control of the car. Tho cartridge was one of the regulation .303 calibre.

The subject of closer economic relations among members of the British Empire was discussed at the conference of the Australasian Institute of Secretaries, hold in Auckland last week, and a resolution emphasising the importance of promoting such relations was unanimously adopted. The resolution, which was moved by Mr G. W. Hutchison and seconded by Mr H. R. Best, of Christchurch, was in the following terms:—"That this Institute, comprising over 2000 professional and business men actively engaged in tho trade and commerce of Australia and of New Zealand, urges that steps bo taken by the Governments of Great Britain, tho Commonwealth of Australia, and the Dominion of New Zealand to promote oloser economic relations between the members of the British Empire, along lines similar to tho trade treatv recently established between Australia and Canada."

Describing Norfolk Island as "an admirable place for New Zealanders who wanted a winter holiday cheaply and in an ideal climate/' Mr C. P. Agar, who recently spent twelve days there on liis way from Australia, was greatly impressed by the easiness of life under comparatively primitive conditions. It was surprising, he said, to go to an island where tliero were not a lot of Government costs, and to find that the people lived quite well without any State services. The average store account for a family of four people was £2 10s" a month, and it seemed that a retired man with a few pounds a week could hardly find a better place to go to. On the island people were isolated and dependent on themselves, for there was no telegraph, and.no electric lighting or municipal water supply—in fact practically none of the things people elsewhere had come to regard as indispensable. Yet after a few days there a visitor began to wonder whether the speeding-up process of modern life was worth all the human energy and strain expended on it. Tho police have been advised of the detection of four forged Bank of Now South Wales £1 notes which have been passed at shops in Auckland during last week, says the "New Zealand Herald." It is believed that the notes were some of those circulated in Auckland last April. They bear tho same number, "E931885," and have the same differences from the . genuine note. Tt is thought that a man, aged about 40, is circulating the notes. He is said to have visited two shops in the city area, one in Newton, and :i fourth in Newmarket. In each case the forced note was not discovered until after he had made a purchase and left the shop. It is believed that the nptos have been held since Easter by the person now passing them. The law views tho uttering of notes as seriously as actual counterfeiting. Both offences carry a maximum penaltv of hard laoour for life.

Messrs David Crozier, Ltd. have an announcement appearing in this issue informing the public that the Austin Seven is the lowest-priced Saloon Car in New Zealand. . The Austin Seven Saloon is now reduced to £205. —1 ChutcU peoplo should always remember that it does not matter v.-hat church you belong to. we have drivt.rs in the Gold Band Taxis who belong to your church, so please put all the work you can their way by ''phoning 34-075 or 35-572 for a Gold Band Taxi Lowest fare Is for 5 passengers and luggage. Sava your money.- Thank you. v ■ —5 The drill tests, held at Lincoln College, 1930-31, showed that the two and D. Duncan Drills (one force feed and the other spoon feed) were both superior to the orher four entries ui evenness of discharge, the coulter per- ! centage of variation in both drills being I.7'only against 3.3, 3.6, 4.3. and 3.4. The yield per acre also showing the effect of even discharge being by our spoon drill 24.8 bushels per acre-, and by our forco feed 23.4. the others bein<* 17.7, 21.8, 21.7 22.9—P. and D. Duncan. Ltd.. Box 124; Christchurch, and at Ashburton. —6 Lodge parties specially catered for by the Gold Band Taxis, so why go elsewhere, our N fares are the lowest ? Our fleet the largest, and some of our drivers belonz to your lodge, eo kind* ly 'phone 34-075 or' 35-572 when you go visiting your sister lodges. You will save money by doing so, Thank you. ~6