General News.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20711, 23 November 1932, Page 10

General News.

Sporting news this morning appears on Page 10. A start has been made with the construction of tho temporary weir in the River Avon, roughly midway between the Montreal street bridge and the hospital bridge. As tho end of tho month approaches payers of the unemployment levy ami of the emergency unemployment charge arc increasing at the Chief Post Office, Christehurch, and yesterday afternoon two clerks worn kept pretty busy receiving; payments. At the Y.M.C.A. Employment Bureau 769 names of hoys are still on tho roll, niaclo up of 150 still at school, and Oil) who have left school. During the month, boys who found employment were: —Permanent, farming, 34; town jobs, 32; temporary, town 19; gardening, etc., 17. making a total of 102. "When I wttfl Mayor of Christehurch," said Dr. H, T. ,T. Thacker at last night's mooting of the Port Christehurch League, "I tried to get a Governor's residence in this City, but there was nothing suitable. Now we have something suitable in Mrs A. Morten's residence at Mount Pleasant, standing in four acres and a half and possessing every facility for a vice-regal residence." The executive committee of the Christehurch Domains Board, consisting of the chairman of the Board (Mr H. Kitson) and the chairmen of tho , Board's committees, at present is considering the 04 applications received for the position of curator of tho i Botanic Gardens. It is anticipated that an appointment will be made at the Board's meeting on December 2nd. When the Diomcdc undergoes her short refit, commencing probably in May, more or less permanent work raav be found for over 200 men for about two months, Hays an exchange. The weekly wages bill for civilian labour may approach £IOOO, quite apart from the fact l.iat many of the supplies required will be purchased in New Zealand, consequent benefit to trade. A full report .if the trial of Hubert ' ( edne Jep«on, who was sentenced to ileath for the murder of his wife- and two children at New Plymouth, has been received by the Minister for .Justice. The papers, together with the jury's recommendation to mercy, will bo considered by the Minister, and the question as to whether tho senton.-o will bo confirmed or commuted will ho [•roucht before the Executive Council in zhc. near future, Until tho Council reaches a decision on tho matter, the sentence cannot he carried out. For seats on the Christehurch Drainage Board, Mr Herbert Hill has been nominated for the Board's Montheotc district, Mr J. W. Beanlnnd for the St. Albans district Mr \V. .1. Walter for the Avon district, and Mr 8. ('. Bingham for the Christehurch North-west district. All are sitting members of the Board. Nominations of candidates close on Friday, December 2nd, and the election is to be held on .January 31st. While travelling near Otaki a Stratford motorist noticed a useful-looking hammer lying on the road. Ho pulled up and got out to rctrive the hammer, but just as he was about to pick it up it was snatched away, as if by an invisible hand. Realising that the hammer was on the end of a string, and that ho had been the victim of a practical joke, the man determined To carry the matter further, and made a dash towards the swamp, where the practical jokers were hidden. At once the youngsters ran for their lives, leaving the hammer, which the niotorj i.«t added to his tool kit.

Reporting to the Whangarei. Harbour Hoard the treasurer said that las'; ' month the Board's bill for interest duo in Sydney for £3500 had been settled by the payniont at Wellington of £2443 13s 10d. The payment was accepted without prejudice to the bank's right to enforce payment of the interest free of any deduction. The treasurer's action was approved. Tito election of the Music Teachers' Registration .Board is proceeding. There- are contests in the Auckland and Canterbury Centres. The candidates for the representation of the Canterbury Centre arc Messrs Ernest Empsou and' Sidney Williamson (Christehurch) and Alfred "\V. V. Vine (Timaru). Two only are required. Voting papers to be valid must reach the Registrar in Wellington not later than 4 p.m. to-mor-row, and Canterbury voting papers should bo posted by to-day's mail. Commodore K Barges Watson lias written to the chairman of the Lytteltou Harbour Buurd (Mr W. T. Lester) thanking the Board and the harbourmaster for the many facilities put at the disposal of HALS. Diomcde during her recent, stay. The Commodore also expresses his thanks and thoso of his oliicers for the chairman's kindness in entertaining them with luncheon on November 2nd, and so enabling them to meet so many prominent citizens of Lyttelton and Christehurch. The rare bird which was observed by several people in the vicinity of the Panmuro bridge at Auckland on Wednesday has been identified by Mr it. A. Falla. ornithologist at the War Memorial Museum, as a royal spoonbill, a rare bird akin to the white heron, which the visitor was at first thought to bo. The royal spoon.bill is not a native of New Zealand, its home being Queensland and the Northern Territory of Australia. It is thought that the bird is a straggler which has made its way to Now Zealand. Up to this year, only four wore known to have been seen in the Dominion sinre j 187 D, but this year three have bee;i : seen. j Owing to dissatisfaction of resident.' of the district with the mail facilities to and from Wellington, '.Mr David Junes recently approached the proprietor of the Southbridge-Lecston bus, and obtained an offer from him to carry the morning mail from Christehurch and the evening mail to Christehurch. This offer Mr .tones submitted to the Minister and has now received the following telegram from the Hon. A. Hamilton: ''Pleased to inform you that a satisfactory offer has been re dved and accopted for the conveyance of the outward mails from Southbridge and Leeston by bus, leaving for Christehurch at 4 p.m. Offer also covers mail to both places by morning bus from Christchurch. This improved service will be a great convenience to the district." The announcement that a farmer, who was said to have benefited already to tho extent of £IOOO as the result of relief work done on his property, has been refused further assistance because he allegedly employed men on seasonal occupations, was made at a meeting of tho Gisborno Unemployment Committee last week. The matter was brought up by the receipt of a letter from the farmer concerned, complaining that ho was refused further relief labour on the grounds that men had been used for maize shelling and ensilago making, lie claimed that othor farmers had used labour for similar purposes, and added that, he seemed to have been selected to provido an example. The certifying officer stated that when ho visited the farm three men were working on a maize crib, and on tho following day two were making ensilage. Tho Board, ho said, had been paying for work that, the property owner should have paid for. The farmer had had a fair share of assistance from tho unemployment funds, for the Board had spent well over £IOOO on his farm. Several speakers took exception to men being deprived of seasonal work in this way, and a motion was carried endorsing tho stand taken by tho certifying office v. As it has made further progress the To Anuu-Alilford Sound rond has opened up new scenery which should make it more popular 'than ever aw a tourist attraction. It is anticipated that the number of visitors will be larger this summer than lant year and, with a view to making preparations for this influx, representatives of the Southland Motor Association, accompanied by tho Conservator of State Forests (Mr N. J. Dolanioro), during tho week-end visited tho locality. Tho Microtafy of the Association (Mr J. i». Dick) told a reporter in Invcrcargill that the party considered camping facilities, precautions for the prevention of fire and the erection of suitable sign-posts. Mr Dick stated that the main motor camp would be situated at Cascade Creek, near the lower ond of Lake Gunn, whero several fireplaces would bo built. Camping facilities would also be provided at the 4!J-milo peg and at Knob's Flat, which is 40 miles from To Anau. On all tho important bridges botween Te Anau and the end of the road it was decided to place signs naming tho streams crossed. Although the road is regarded as a very safe one, it was decided to erect warning signs at points where a slowing down in speed was considered necessary. Mr Dick drew attention to the" over-present danger of fire, nnd emphasised tho need for campers taking every precaution possible in this respect. A house, with an adjoining shop, in the eastern side of the City, was visited by a party of police on Monday evening, and a large quantity of goods were removed to police, headquarters in a "Black Maria." The van was almost full when it returned to the Central Station, and a large crowd watched its departure from the house. No arrest was made. When Mr G. W. Lloyd stated at Monday night's meeting of the executive ol the Christehurch Returned Soldiers' Association that although the National Expenditure Adjustment Commission It id recommended that pensions should be reduced by 10 per cent., the Government bad made the drastic cut of 17i per cent., be was referring to the pensions of wives, not thoso of soldiers 'widows and children. Sonic unauthorised person has been canvassing in tho Christehurch suburbs stating that ho is buying gold on behalf of the Bank of New Zealand, An official of the bank stated yesterday that no authority has been given to anybody to do this on the bank's behalf. "Undoubtedly the best hay and ensil-age-making machine 1 have yet scon," was the opinion of an experienced farmer, as he witnessed the Duncan Hay Sweep attached to a motor-truck working in a heavy, newly-cut Lucerne Crop. The Duncan special sweep can be fitted to any motor-car or truck and will do the work of any two horse '' sweeps or six hay rakes, and only costs lhe price of one hay rake. P. and 1). Duncan. Limited. *I9C Tuam street, Christehurch, and at Ashburton. —i :