General News.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20551, 20 May 1932, Page 10

General News.

Practically all the scaffolding was removed .yesterday from the women's rest room building in Cathedral square. The level of Lake Coleridge was ro ported yesterday to be at 1668.6 ft, or 3.4 ft below overflow level, which is 1672 ft. Last weolc tho lake level was at 1668.60 ft. Thanks to organisations and individuals wlio gave assistance to the tramwaymen and tbe Tramwaymen's Union during the recent trouble is expressed by the union secretary, Mr Ernest Snow. Two Canterbury Aero Club aeroplanes were engaged in making passenger flights at Little River yesterday, about 20 people taking advantage of the opportunity to make trips. Conditions were good, and there was practically no wind. Penguins have been seen recently on tho beach at St. Andrews, South Canterbury. It is not usual for them to be seen, in the locality. It is reported that some of the birds are larny, with crested heads, while others are smaller, without the crests. The work of lifting the tramway rails in Manchester street was begun yesterday morning, about twenty-five men being employed. The work is expected to be finished by Monday next, when the staff of the Works Department of the Christchurch City Council will resume the work of reconstructing the street in concrete and bitumen. Some work of a preparatory character will be done in the meantime. It is hoped to complete the reconstruction work within a fortnight after it has been started, bub'much will depend on the weather.

Praise for the work done by Canterbury -Agricultural College, Lincoln, was voiced yesterday at tlio annual conference of the North Canterbury district branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Union. The discussion took place on a clause in the annual report mentioning the value of Dr. I. W. Weston's work in regard to tlio keeping of farming accounts. On the motion of Mr D. .f. Hawke, seconded l>v Mr E. A. Woodficld, a vote of thanks to the eolk'go tor its able assistance to the work of the union was carried unanimously.

At the annual conference of the North, Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Union held yesterday it was unanimously decided that the new method of unemployment relief work on farms, described as the new 4a Scheme, be supported, and that the rural allotment scheme should be supported by the union* in co-operation with County Councils. The president, Mr Colin Mcintosh, stated that he considered the scheme for rural allotment a sound ono if a certain number could be settled in one area and not sent out on to individual allotments where the chances of seasonal work were not very pjybablo.

A sudden decline in the number ot opossums caught in the last two years is noted in the annual report of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society. Over the past five years the numbers of skins stamped in the district have been:—l 927, 8001; 1928, 10,600; 1929, 12,983; 1930. 4640; 1931, 2300. "Last season the Society's recommendation that the season should be a closed, one was not given effect to by the Department," states the' report, "and, as was then foreseen, the season proved disastrous to the trappers, many of whom did not earn enough to cover license fees."

"With a sufficient number of the strikers back at work, the Christchurch Tramway Board was yesterday able to, resume its full services on all lines, extending until 11.10 p.m. No trailers were in commission, causing the public some inconvenience during the rush hours, but these will probably bo back on the lines to-day. In the meantime the Board's officials are engaged upon the difficult work of selecting those of the new workers who are to be rejected and those of the former employees who are to be reinstated. The general manager (Mr Prank Thompson) personally iutei'viewed many of the men yesterday. The wire--7 citing which wits placed over the windows of many of the cars, and Hie barbed wire fences which were erected to guard the Moorhouse avenue sheds are both being removed. Tho Board's officers are now preparing a return ■which,will show the cost of the strike to the service; the strikers' loss in wages has been estimated at about £2OOO. In view of the fact that members of the Tramway Union went on strike to support his case and that of the other dismissed men, the president of the union (Mr J, Math'ison) has on his application form offered to stand , down in the meantime in favour ol other members af Ike uaioa,

The statutory application, and the necessary documents and plans, in connexion with tho Christchurch City Council's request that the cost of the reconstruction of Kiccarton avenue be apportioned between the Iticcarton Borough Council and the Christchurch City Council, .have been forwarded to tile' Minister for Public Works.

Timaru was reached on Wednesday by Miss Esther James, who is on a walking tour of the Dominion advertising New Zcalaud-niado goods, ami in a letter to the Mayor of Christchurch, written from Temuka, Miss James records her thanks for the consideration shown to her while in Christchurch.

"Beat this!" said a heading in a recent London newspaper, announcing the growth in New Zealand of a radish weighing 81b and 2ft Gin long. "1 can!" retorts Major F. Cook, of Grafton street, Brighton, England, who says that in his experimental plot m tho Punjab ho grew cauliflowers 9ft high and mangold wurzels weighing 251b.

The following cases of notifiable diseases were reported in tho Dominion for the week ended May 16tb, the number of deaths being given in parentheses:—Scarlet fever, 17 ; diphtheria, 20; enteric fever, 6; tuberculosis, 20 (8); influenza, 3; erysipelas (5; puerperal fever, 9; eclampsia, 6; tetanus, one; ophthalmia neonatorum, one; lead poisoning, one; totals, 88 (8). Last week's totals were 92 and 13 respectively.

"The Government servants who growl at having to take a cut in their salaries should be extremely thankful that they have still something left to live on. All our Government services have been rim in a very oxtravagant and wasteful manner for years past, and as for the Public Works Department, it is nothing more or loss than a public scandal, for nearly everything it does is :i monument to waste and incompetence."—Mr K. C. Htudholme, tho retiring president, at the annunl meeting of the Wnimate Agricultural and Pastoral Association.

No fewer than seven New Zealand IUPn nre working mi thn literary staff of the Rand '-'Daily Mail," tho South African paper, which was founded and first edited by Edgar Wallace. Thev include the editor, Mr McLeod, 'of Oamaru, and the news and assistant news editors, Messrs Constable and Williams, both of Ashburton. Mr K. Murray Fuller said yesterday that ho was warmly received by theso New Zeahindors during his recent tour of South and East Africa.

A groat number of unemployment relief schemes were discussed at a meoting last night of the Technical Advisory Committee of the Metropolitan Relief Works Committee, Several schemes were drawn up, and a report-is "now being prepared for presentation to the General Committee, which will meet shortly. Tho chairman (Mr If. Kitson) stated last night that no statement would bo made to the Press until the schemes were considered by the General Committee.

Although the i'umneo campaign in eonnoxiou with the Christchureh Y.M.C.A. lias been suspended during the past week or to, the needs of the Association have not been forgotten bv its well-wishers, and one or two cheques have been received in the {.• ast two or three davs. It is interestnig to note that the work amongst unemployed boys has attracted attention all over the Dominion, and yesterday the secretary (Mr A. J. McEldowney) received no lower than four letters from different parts of New Zealand asking for information as 10 the nature of the work being done, and the names of the bodies with which the* Association is co-operating. r fhp entnnaien is to lie resumed on Monday, and campaign workers will meet at luncheon to compare notes.

Mr W. A. Bodkin, M.P. for Central Otago, lias advised tho Canterbury Chamtar of Commerce that tho evening of Monday, May 30tb, will bo convenient for him to give his address on what has been achieved by irrigation in Central Otago. The "meeting is to bo held in the Memorial Hall at Darfield, and Mr W. J. Jenkins, president of the Canterbury, Agricultural and Pastoral Association, will preside, and a number of representative business men from Christclinrch probably will attend. The object of the meeting is to give an opportunity to obtain information. It is not considered that at present nnv definite steps should be .taken with regard to irrigation until further information has been collected by those bodies in Canterbury who nro actively engaged in research work on the subject.

"It is a lino gnllerv," said Mr E Murray Fuller yesterday of tho Citv's new Art Gallery in the Botanic Gardens. Tho cloth backgrounds, he said wero us nice as ho had seen anywhere! Iho whole design of tho gallery, incorporating small rooms in which the pictures might ho viewed intimately, was in. Jus opinion moss satisfactory."Jfc reminded him particularly of a new galVBru l W •* Cent '- y beG " in Brussels, Belgium.

It was decided at the annual conference of the North Canterbury district branch of the New Zealand "Farmers' Union held yesterday that tho provincial executive investigate the charges made by freezing companies for slipmg and scouring wool as coinpared with charges made at independent scouring works. Tho mover of tho remit loading to this, decision explained that in the freezing companies 2!d a pound was the charge for scouring, ■whereas at outside works the charge was Ijd a pound.

It is rumoured in Blenheim (states Tuesday's ''Marlborough Express") that, despite the Railways Board's efforts to improve the financial position of tho Nelson section, it continues to go from bad to worse, and that there is every likelihood of tho line being closed' down in the immediate future. On the other hand, the economies and reorganisation effected on the Picton section are said to have had the effect of so improving the financial outlook that tho line is more or less paying its way, and it is understood that the officials in Wellington are well satisfied, so far, with the improvement, which is believed to indicate that a little more reorganisation and development of the services would result in the section mor© than balancing its budget.

Sufferers from Rupture are notified that Mr A. W. Martin, Rupture Specialist, will bring his twentyseventh visit to Christchurch to a close on Saturday, the 21st, at 3 p.m., at the Central Hotel. Consultations free. Hours. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m —(j

Unemployed boys ask your parents to buy a Gold Band Privilege Bond for £1 as it may mean work for you in our scheme, as we "nope to create work for a large number, it also entitles the holder tt» 5 per cent, interest, 10 per cent, of all taxi fares, and free trips in Gold Band Taxis returning empty to the City. Thank you. —3