General News.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20523, 16 April 1932, Page 14

General News.

Summer Time commences in England to-morrow at 2 a.m. One case of .infantile . paralysis was reported from Timaru yesterday. This is the first case reported from that town during the present mild epidemic.

The Government Astronomer (Dr. 0. E. Adams) advises that a comet has been seen by a Stratford observer with a five-inch telescope. With an inch and three-quarter telescope the comet was just discernible.—Press Association.

In connexion with the All Nations Fair, the donation of £SO from the Christchurch Gas Co. has been credited to the cooked food stall, and the donation of £SO from the Municipal Electricity Department has been credited to the cake stall.

The annual meeting of the Benevolent Fund Committee, which administers the Mayor's Coal and Blanket Fund, is to be held oil Wednesday next at the City Council Chambers.

At the first meeting of the General Committee of the Christchurch Metropolitan Relief Works Committee, to be held at the City Council Chambers on Monday, at 4 p.m.. about a dozen schemes for the absorption of unemployed labour will be submitted and will be referred formally to the Technical Committee for its report on each.

The white butterfly, which was reported in Thf, Piiess on April 11th to hare been found near Tirnaru, has been definitely identified by the Government Entomologist. The article ot April 11th indicated the seriousness of the introduction of this pest to the South Island.

Reports upon the condition of the following rivers have been received by the secretary of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society:—Waimakariri, not suitable for fishing; Bakaia, not suitable for fishing; Hurunui, slightly dise'oloured, but will probably be clear for fishing for week-end; Rangitata, still dirty, but clearing a little, not expected to bo suitable for fishing for week-end.

Lieutenant P. Hall, and Sub-Lieu-tenants P. Phipps, H. Ledger, and _W. Minchall, of the Canterbury Division of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, leave for Wellington this evening for a special refresher course. Senior officers will be allocated to H.M. sloops, and sub-lieutenants to H.M.S. Diomede. Lieutenant-Commander C. HKersley also leaves to-night for Wellington to join H.M.S. Wakakura for a course of mine-sweeping.

From the Canterbury group of the Institute of Pacific Relations, Mr J. Roy Smith secretary of tbo Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, has received a letter inviting all members ot the Chamber to attend the lantern lecture to be given by Mr J ; E. Strachan. entitled "From Shanghai to Peking," in the Lecture Hall at the Public Library next Tuesday evening, Tfie Selwyn Plantations Board has decided to establish a camp at Southbridge for the purpose of having the area of about 500 acres, recently purchased from the Broughton Trustees, cleared in readiness of the afforestation scheme to be carried out on it. The work is to be done under the No. o Scheme, and about 50 men will be employed. They go out to the camp on Monday.

His Honour Mr Justice IVazer, in the Arbitration Court at Wellington yesterday, said, with regat'd to making fixtures for the hearing of disputes, that the proper attitude to adopt was to wait till the 'Bill was passed, and, assuming its essential features were not altered, to make an order referring all disputes now pending back to the Conciliation Council. That was to say that it would not be necessary for anyono to appear and ask that that should be done.— Press Association.

Some amusement was caused in the Magistrate's Court yesterday when a Christchurch solicitor made a voluntary appearance on charge of cycling on the footpath. "Your client should have known better," said Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M. "That is so, sir, but he did not ride far," said the defendant. "I presume he is not out of work," added the Magistrate. "No, not quite yet," was the reply.

An ex-Taranaki man living in Sydney writes as follows: —Until such time as the political atmosphere clears over here things generally will remain unsettled and I would not like to prophesy when normal times will return to this country. Many people, would like to get out, but find it impossible to do so. Even with the return of prosperity if the Labour Unions continue to dominate the country and bring about continuous strikes then Australia is doomed to remain perhaps the most backward country within the British Empire. It makes sad thinking that sucli a bountiful country should bo so terribly mismanaged.

As ail economy measure, and also because the period of the year the second week in January in which the election is held is an inconvenient one, the Waimakariri River Trust has been in communication with other river trusts and drainage and river boards with the view of securing their support to a request to the Government to pass legislation to authorise the postponement of the election next January till 1935, and to provide that in that vear and thereafter the election shall be held contemporaneously with the county and power boards triennial elections. So far replies have been received ' from about twelve or the bodies written to. and the, majority are in favour of the proposals.

"It is at the outset one and the same impulse which sends a man to church and to the theatre," said Mrs L. Bennett, during the course of an address under the auspices of the AWE.A. in Palmerston North the other evening, when she dealt with tho oiigins of drama. "This statement, which seems paradoxical and even irreverent to us," added Mrs Bennett, "would have been a simple truism to the Greek of the fifth and even of the fourth century B.C. Greek plays were free, because they were a religious duty, and were only given at certain high festivals, when the city was under a taboo, no distraint was allowed, and at6ault waa deemed a sacrilege."

'Mfc is strange that yoa have a hard task to induce farmers to take up anything good, but any old thing that is not good tiiey will invest in," stated one of those present at a meeting of the North Taranaki Executive of the Farmers' Union in New Plymouth recently. "Have the farmers been offered any 'good things' in the past few vears?" asked a member. "The farmers Lave no money to invest nowadays, anyway," remarked another member.

A suggestion has been made that a fish ladder should be constructed to ena'bla trout to climb tho new Arapunx Palls. The completion of the hydroelectric scheme has destroyed all meaiu of access to and from Lake Arapuni for trout, owing to the obstacle constituted by the falls, up which it is impossible for the fish to climb against the large and swiftly-flowing volume of water. Summer time all the year round was suggested at a meeting of tho Mana-watu-Oroua Power Board on Monday, find its reception by fanner members was so favourable that Mr J. Linklater ?1.P., promised to ask in the House of Representatives whether the half-hour could not be retained all the year round. The matter was brought up consequent on a passage in the report of tho chief engineer (Mr W. A. Waters). "With tho finish of summer time," he said, "all the time switches have been reset to standard time. This changing of the time in New Zealand involved over 300 C miles of travelling for tho Board's vehicles, and involved the services of four men and cars for the best part of a week."

A complaint of the widespread use of bird-lime in New Zealand was mado by Captain E. V. Sanderson, secretary, at a meeting of the New Zealand Native Bird Protection Society in Wellington. The use of bird-linio for catching birds, he said, was very prevalent in the suburbs of the larger town*, and was encouraged by bird dealers. Captain Sanderson considered that bird-lime should be sold only under the supervision of the Department of Internal Affairs. It was decided to make representations to the Department mi the lines suggested by Captain Sanderson.

A statement that fifteen .bellbirds taken from Little Barrier Island to the Waitakere Ranges, Auckland, were doing well, and singing in their new home was made by Mr W. R. B. Oliver, at a meeting of the New Zealand Native Bird Protection Society, in Wellington this week. The honorary secretary, Captain E. V. Sanderson, said that the birds were transferred only two months ago, and a year would be necessary before anything decisive could be learnt. Rare birds, he said, choose some place to make their last stand against man. One did not know what food and conditions birds needed all the year round, so he did not support the idea that birds should be transferred to a sanctuary, but believed that tho spot in which they lived should be declared a sanctuary.

At a time; when the taxpayer is inclined to look a second time at every grant lor public works construction and road-niaking, tho character of the work that is being carried out on the Te Anau-Milford road should be of special interest, states the "Otago Daily Times." Even-thing, with the exception of expert bujs.li work, is done by unemployed labour on a co-opera-tive basis. The largest number of men that has ever been engaged on the job is 230, and at the present time there aro 125. Even the layman visiting this road is struck by the absence o costly and complicated plant, and the convenient sources of all the materials required for tho construction of the road. It is nt once obvious to the observer that an unusually large percentage of the cost of the road goes in the payment of wages to the men, so that it may reasonably be regarded in that respect at least as an ideal unemployment relief work. The cost has been estimated at £I7OO a mile.

Most of the deer-stalking parties In the southern sounds have now returned, and good sport appears to have becu encountered. At least two heads of outstanding merit were obtained. On Bald Hill, at the top of the Longwoods, the Rev. Mr Rodger, of Orawia, shot a magnificent 14-pointer. The head was beautifully developed, and had t%e phenomenal spread of 44Jin. The quality of this trophy will be realised when it is stated that a good head is regarded as having a spread of 36in to 38in, and a "super" head 40in. Another fine head was secured in the Takitimos, near the Beaumont Station, by a Riverton party, Mr D. C. Robertson being the successful shot. It was a 17-pointer with a spread of 39Jin and a beam of lOAin. In the Manapourn district good sport was obtained by various parties, but no remarkable heads were secured. Mr Murrell (of Manapouri) is of the opinion that though the deer in this district aro fewer they are in much better condition. In the Matukutuku Valley a party consisting of Messrs Hogg, Townsend, Brown, and Dickson secured some good heads, the ,pick being two 13pointers and two 14-point,ers. In the Dart Valley Messrs A. Hamilton and J. S. Woods took out two 12-pointers.

The Railway Department advertises train arrangements in connexion with Anzac Day.

With the near approach of the 1932 Winter,, it is opportune to draw the attention of readers to some interesting announcement's inserted by leading Coal Merchants, appearing on page 8. —1

General Higgins, Chief of the Salvation Army, stated that it was persecution and service that built up the Army. The same applies to the Gold Band Taxis, but our service being tlie best, we get the public support and sympathy. Thank you. —5

Tar-sealihg Koads, Private Drives, Paths, School Grounds, etc. (no job too small), modern plant, and all local products.—C. M. and Co., Ltd., Engineers, or ring Gas Co., No. 30-433 for quotations. —6

Artistic wedding portraits . . beautifully posed ... a Steffano Webb speciality. Come in and inspect our work. Studio. 252 High street. —6

Johnston's N.C. Motor Co., Ltd.. representatives: W. C. Wilson and H. Clark; manager, A. G. Prestney, authorised Ford dealers. Travelling Rangiora. 'Phones 87 and 88. —2

We supply parts for every sort r.i?d size of plough made; wheels and axles; circular and bar. coulters; mouldhoards —l6 varieties; bridles; steering rods; lacks; riding gear; tractor lifts ; beams; legs; drawbars; and frames. Repairs done to any make in <juici; time. As prices are high, get the old ones repaired and made better than when new. P. and D. Duncan, Limited, 19fi Tuam street. Christeburch. and at Ashburton. —6

West Coasters, when you come to Ohristchurch and want a taxi, come across the road from the railway station to our garage, and get a Gold Band Taxi and rave money—our lowest fare is only Is, why pay more. Patronise the firm that brought the fares down. 'Phones 34075 and 35572. Thankc O you. —'-