General News

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21243, 15 August 1934, Page 10

General News

♦_ The School Holidays All state schools in the Canterbury Education Board district will close for the term holidays on Friday, with the exception of those which have already been closed because of illness. It is expected that after the vacation, which will last a fortnight, most of the schools which have been closed because of measles or influenza will be able to reopen. During this week the usual term examinations are being held in most of the city and country schools. Doctors and Accidents < "Whenever a doctor is examining ] an accident case or similar case he should always make a note of the . exact time of his examination," said Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.M., when ' presiding as coroner at an inquest : held at Auckland. A doctor, giving : evidence, said that he thought that ho examined at 7 p.m. a woman who had been involved in an acci- ; dent, whereas the accident had occurred at 8.30 p.m. Gas Cylinder Danger An incident which could have led to serious consequences occurred in Victoria street east, Auckland. A motor-truck carrying three cylin- : ders of welding gas was being driven toward Albert Park, when the driver noticed that the lashings had become detached, and the cylinders, the gas in which might have been exploded by a heavy bump, were likely to fall from the vehicle. The driver stopped the truck and ran to the back of the vehicle in time to stop one cylinder from falling. His left hand was crushed, and he was taken by a St. John ambulance to the Auckland Hospital, but did not need to be admitted. Defining Bad Language A definition of "bad language" was asked for by the Canterbury Referees' Association in a letter which was read at a meeting of the management committee of the Canterbury Rugby Union last night. Mr D. I. Macdonald remarked that the matter must be left to the discretion of the referees. "The referees are surely capable to juc'.ge what justifies action on their part," he added. "It depends entirely on the manner in which the language is expressed." He moved that the letter be "received,' and that the Referees' Association be advised that the matter was one in which the referees should use their discretion. This was carried. Loan to St. John Amuulance An offer by a nurse in Palmerston North to lend £250 for five years at 3 per cent, per annum has been accepted by the executive committee of the St. John Ambulance Association in Auckland. The nurse, who had seen the work of the Auckland officers during i Napier earthquake in February, I 1931, said that she required no security for the money. The chair- ' man, Mr C. J. Tunks, said that the money would be especially useful in the task of repaying the overdraft on the building account. Other speakers referred appreciatively to the offer. Basking Shark for Museum Fishermen at Paraparaumu using a net captured a line specimen of the basking shark, rather a rare species in New Zealand waters, and they have made possible the first exhibition of a basking shark in any of the New Zealand museums. The shark is 12ft l>in in length. A east is being made by Mr C. Lindsay, taxidermist of the Dominion Museum. Among the largest members of the shark species, basking sharks have been known to reach a length of 40 feet. One large basking shark was caught in Wellington Harbour in February, 1032, but it was not preserved. Another, measuring 17ft 2in, was recently washed ashore at Makara. A party from the Dominion Museum found it was too large to handle, so it was not preserved. Basking sharks have the habit of lying near the surface and basking in the sun. The mouth is equipped with strainers which enable the sharks to retain thenfood in the form of shrimps and minute life near the surface. The teeth are small and the species is considered to be harmless to man. Canary Killed by Owl Circumstantial evidence which points to an owl killing a valuable canary was mentioned by a Morrinsville householder. The canary was found dead in its cage with its head showing signs of an attack An owl had been heard screeching round the house during the night, and there .had been sounds of a commotion near the canary's cage, but the household did not investigate at the time. Reconstructing the crime, the canary's owner considers that the owl held the canary against, the bars of the cage with its claws and pecked its head with its beak. lie had heard of similar attacks on canaries in .other districts, and advises other owners of canaries'to take precautions. The National Flower "I cannot see much point in it myself. The silver fernleaf has carried the banner for a very long time and is known in every part of the world," remarked the chairman (Mr M. J. Barnett), at the meeting of the committee of the Canterbury Horticultural Society last evening, when it was suggested that a vote should be taken at the spring show on "New Zealand's national flower." It was decided to write asking for information on a vote recently taken by the Wellington Horticultural Society, when the majority of voters nominated the kowhai. For Weddings, Dances, and all social functions, THE BLUE STAR TAXIS are at your service both day and night. Efficient and courteous drivers, whose fares are the cheapest in the Dominion, are always available Ring 35-228 or 35-229 for prompt attention. BLUE STAR IAXI SERVICE. The 0 tine stiff-tooth "Hornet" cultivator, which we purchased from you has so far proved itself to be all that was claimed of it. We have done > a fair amount (200 acres) of grubbing i on cross-ploughing and even although the outside wheels often rise when going over lumps the springs keep the tines in, .and consequently move all the i ground. We have also used it on . stubble satisfactorily, and find that it | can be operated very easily either drawn by horses or tractor. Yours faith- ' fully. (Sgd.) A. E. Hubbard. Greenpark. 3/8/34. P. and D. DUNCAN, LTD., 196 Tuam Street. Christchurch and at Ashburton. —2 l A shilling advertisement in the classified section of "The Press" i will sell your goods. Try it. 12 words Is, three insertions 2s 6d.—6