General News.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20907, 14 July 1933, Page 10

General News.

Lake Coleridge Level. The report from the Lake Coleridge power station yesterday stated that the level of the lake was at 1663.7 ft, a slight decrease as compared with the previous week, when it was at 160.125 ft. A year ago the level was at 1664.933 ft. Distribution of Aid. The distribution of charitable aid at the Christchurch Public Hospital was yesterday conducted from new quarters, portion of the bottom storey of the old nurses' home having been converted to suit the needs of the large number of applicants who apply to the hospital for assistance. The new arrangements include a large waiting room well supplied with forms, an enquiry office, a storeroom, a room for the use of the benevolent committee, and some smaller rooms. North Beach Bus Route.

At a meeting of the Metropolitan Transport Licensing Committee, to be held next week, there will be considered an application from the Inter-City Motor Service Co., Ltd., for permission to alter the route of the company's service to North Beach. The company wishes an alteration that will permit its buses to carry passengers to Wilding Park.

National Stability. "There can be no national stability that does not recognise international obligations," said Mr H. B. Low last night at a meeting of the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Economics Association. This applied, for instance, to America. Her very attempts to be self-suffici-ent might have such a bad effect on the rest of the world that in the end she would find the consequences bad for herself. Imitations of Rembrandt.

"It has been said of Rembrandt that he only painted 900 pictures in the course of his life, of which only 2000 remain," r;aid Professor J. Shelley, in his lecture on "Science and Its Relation to Art," delivered before the Scientific Society of Canterbury College last night. He went on to explain by lantern slides the difference between copies and genuine paintings by Rembrandt, as shown by the results of X-ray and violet-ray research. A Special Invitation. Members of the Tariff Commission which is now sitting in Wellington are to be invited to attend tiie Canterbury Winter Show and Exhibition, which opens fit the King Edward Barracks on August 5. In deciding to issue the invitations at its meeting last night, the executive council controlling the show expressed the hope that the visit would be of material assistance to members of the commission in the conduct of their investigation. No Side-shows. I

Members of the executive council appointed to control the forthcoming Winter Show and Exhibition at the King Edward Barracks were somewhat disturbed when advice was received at their meeting last night that the City Council would grant permission for the erection of an annex to the barracks only on the condition that no side-shows were allowed and the whole space was used for show purposes. The president (Mr F. L. Hutchinson) and the chairman (Mr C. 11. Burson) were appointed a committee to arrange a deputation to the council to try to secure the removal of this restriction.

Mayor's Mistake

A good joke against himself was told by the Mayor, Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P., at the annual "Sam Weller Swarry" of the Christchurch Working Men's Club last night. During the debate in the House of Representatives on the question of electrifying the Lyttelton tunnel, Mr Sullivan said, throughout a halfhour speech whenever he said the word "electrify" he was greeted with roars of laughter. After one of the outbursts he enquired from his bench-mate the cause of the laughter and was informed that for 30 minutes he had been urging the House to electroplate the Lyttelton tunnel.

The "Curse" of Tutankhamen. When the mysterious and much discussed "curse" of Tutankhamen was mentioned during an interview with "The Press" yesterday, Mr Leslie Greener, an archasologist, who has been working in ancient Egypt with an American expedition, was inclined to smile. Archaeologists in Egypt laughed at those stories about the cause of the deaths of members of an expedition, he said. Naturally enough it was not a really healthy work, and he ascribed the deaths mentioned to perfectly natural causes. For the first two weeks of the work one would naturally be rather depressed by the presence of ancient death in the dim and dusty tombs, but soon the work became too interesting to allow room for any troubles of that sort. City Council Estimates. Special meetings of the works: committee and of the reserves committee oi the Christchurch City I Council will be held this week to I review further the estimates for 1933-34 submitted by them with the object of reducing substantially the proposed expenditure. On Tuesday the finance committee proposes to complete its consideration of the estimates. Cr. J. K. Archer, chairman of the finance committee, stated yesterday that it is hoped to keep the general rate down to what it was for 1932-33. Owing to the revaluation of the Waimairi county having resulted in an average decrease of the valuation of the county of about 20 per cent., the burdens of the ratepayers in the Christchurch Drainage Board's special loan area had been increased and city ratepayers in that area were called upon to pay 1 and 9-32nds of a penny in the £ on capita] value, compared with lid for 1932-33. This increase of l-32nd of a penny on a capital value of £IOOO amounts to 2s 7.', d.

Fruit from tlic Islands. ! Island oranges are not likely to be cheap in Christchurch for some time yet, as the recent shipment to Auckland was hardly more than sufficient for Auckland requirements. A member of a Christchurch produce firm who has returned after investigating the position stated yesterday that the oranges were selling there at high prices, and that though- a small quantity had been secured for Christchurch, they would not be cheap. Pineapples arrived in ripe condition, but the slow discharge of the Monowai meant that two chances of shipping to the south were missed, and in the end the Christchurch consignment had to be sent overland, thereby increasing the cost. Bananas were in plentiful supply in Auckland and were cheap.