General News

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20956, 9 September 1933, Page 12

General News

The Temptation lo Touch. j Visitors to the Robert McDougall Art Gallery nowadays seem to be able to resist the temptation to touch the pictures. When the gallery was first opened those in charge had considerable difficulty in preventing j them from doing so, but there has I been a great change since then, and the custodian of the gallery remarked yesterday that offences of any kind were rare—even on the part of children. Though some 'people still seem to forget, until reminded, that walking sticks or umbrellas must be given up at the door, thev obey the rules with good j (grace. It was expected that the visits of children in the school holidays might have caused extra trouble, but these fears were not (realised, and the custodian is full of praise for the general conduct of children in the gallery. I Sumner Signal Station. The old signal station on the Cave Rock at Sumner is a reminder of the days when all heavy goods for Christchurch had to be taken by water from Lyttelton over the Sumner bar. The first official pilot was established there in 1364, when Mr W 11. Turner was appointed, to be succeeded later by Mr J. Day, who held the position until the decline in traffic made his services unnecessary. In spite of all the precautions—the Provincial Council about 1857 had the channel up the estuary marked with stakes—more than a score of vessels were wrecked on the bar between 1854 and 1836. The first steam vessel to cross the bar was the Alma, but she was wrecked in 1856 after a few trips. However, the dangers did not put an end to the use of the estuary, and goods continued to be taken up the river long after the Lytic] lon tunnel was opened in .1867. Running Water in the Streets. The streams of clear water running in the channelling at the sides of Christchurch streets arc among the things remembered by visitors as distinctive of the city. An officer of the City Engineer's Department remarked 'yesterday that most rf. the water in the channels of the inner city area was the overflow from private artesian wells, and ran out to the river, though in the suburban districts the City Council turned the water on from the mains as it was needed to clean the channelling. In former times some such provision had been very necessary, because until these areas were served by proper sewers all household waste water used to run out to the gutters. The need was not nowadays so great, but the Christchurch system was an easier way of carrying away any rubbish than flushing the channelling with a hydrant, as was done in other cities. Supporters of Rugby Teams. The holding of the Ranfurly Shield—symbol of Rugby premiership in New Zealand—has meant | more than simply keenly aroused interest in Rugby to Christchurch this season. For each of the four matches before that with Buller today hundreds, even thousands, of supporters of one challenging team or another, have journeyed to Christchurch to attend matches. In all cases the excursionists remained in the city for a day at least, and the fillip to business by their visit was appreciable. To date approximately 7300 excursionists from Ashburton, Southland, Otago, and West Coast have visited Christchurch for Ranfurly Shield games, and to-day approximately 700 are expected from Buller. In terms of money such invasions must mean thousands of pounds to this city. The enthusiasm of Buller's supporters is realised when it is understood that the greater number of them arriving this morning will have travelled yesterday by car for two hours before boarding a train at 11 o'clock last night to arrive in Christchurch at 7.30' o'clock this morning. Who Caused fhc Depression? The leader of the Labour party (Mr H. E. Holland, M.P.) found a staunch supporter in the audience which Mr W. J. Broad foot. M.P. fori Waitomo, addressed at Heathcote: last evening on behalf of Mr F. W.: Freeman, the Coalition candidate. Mr Broadfoot remarked that the Labour party was inclined to blame the Coalition Government for the; depression. "No, sir," said a voice, "Mr Holland stated the other night that he did not blame either Mr Coates or Mr Forbes for the depres- i sion. Vou are quite wrong there.' Mr Broadfoot remarked that he was glad to hear it, since he had always found Mr Holland very fair. "Nevertheless," he added, "I myself have heard Labour members in '. the House blame the Government for the depression." Central Otago Gold Field. "Many persons wonder why deep lead mining was not carried on in , Central Otago before this," said Mr 'W. A. Bodkin, M.P. for Central Otago, speaking at a political meet- ! ing in Linwood last night. "With- ■ out an adequate supply of timber and water it was not possible, and Central Otago was bare of timber in the 'sixties and the rights to most ' of the water available were monopolised by a few. The result was that ' thousands of acres remained virgin ■ until recently. It is a fact that there • is not an alluvial field in the world ' that shows better prospects than that in Central Otago." Mr Bodkin praised the work done by the geologists and the other members of the Government geographical and geophysical survey party. Pigs to Market. It takes 24 hours to bring a pig i from farms in the Sheffield district to Addingtcn market by tram, according to a Sheffield lorry owner, who told the No. 8 Transport District Licensing Authority yesterday that the train from his district which brought stock to market left at 2 45 p.m. on Tuesdays, while the ! pigs had to be loaded on to it before , midday. As a result they had to • leave the farm some hours earlier. . He himself, with his motor-lorry, i could cart pigs from the farm to 1 market in three hours. At the recent trials held at the • Lincoln Agricultural College the Dun- ' can Drill was the winner in every test I against all makes, both imported and ■ local. Farmers are invited to view ■ iur newly-designed drill fitted with the ■ latest spring pressure, and adjustable coulters and compare our machines and their prices with all others. P. and D. Duncan, Limited, 196 Tuam , street, Cliristchurch and at Ashburton. i ~ C i r 3 SEPARATORS FOR THE NEW l t . SEASON. E We still have a few Alfa-Laval and : Domo Separators landed prior to the 1 exchange going up, which we are selli ing at the old prices. Dairy farmers who require new machines should " seize this opportunity of getting in be- ' fore prices rise. i MASON, STRUTHERS and CO., LTD. —6