General News

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21354, 22 December 1934, Page 14

General News

A Cooler Day Christchurch yesterday had a respite from Thursday's record heat. Although there was plenty of sunshine, the heat was tempered by a cool breeze, first from the west-south-west and then from the east, and the maximum temperature, which was reached about the middle of the morning, was 72.5 degrees. The temperature was 72 degrees at 9 o'clock, and soon after it reached the maximum it declined to 70 and stayed there until the afternoon. The barometer fell a little in the afternoon; not enough, it was thought, to indicate a change. Holiday Traffic I Heavy traffic has already commenced in the steamer express service between Lyttelton and Wellington. The Wahine brought more than 700 passengers to Lyttelton yesterday morning and took 850 for Wellington last night. The Rangatira will arrive at Lyttelton from Wellington this morning a full ship, with a total of about 1000 passengers. The Wahine will make a daylight trip from Lyttelton to Wellington to-morrow, leaving at 8.0 a.m. There is still plenty of accommodation on this trip. The vessel will leave Wellington again to-morrow night for Lyttelton, arriving here on Monday morning. Accommodation is still available on vessels leaving from Monday night onward. Sumner Milk Infection No further cases of the milk infection which has caused alarm in Sumner have been reported this week, according to the Medical Officer of Health (Dr. ,T. Fletcher Telford). "I have npt been advised of any further cases," said Dr. Telford yesterday, "arid it is unlikely that any such cases could occur without the local medical practitioner acquainting me in the ordin ary way." An Archway of Ski Several pairs of ski carried through the streets yesterday deemed out of place in the heat. They were being taken to a wedding, however, to be held by members of the Christchurch Ski Club as an archway through which a club member and his wife should pass after the service. Though cricket bats and other sports equipment, and even alpenstocks, have been used to form such an archway in the past, it was probably the first time ski have been used for this purpose in Christchurch.

Drainage Board Loans The Christchurch Drainage Board has already received under its loan conversion scheme debentures amounting to more than a quarter of the total sum to be converted. The secretary of the board (Mr C. F. Champion) said yesterday that considering the short time the scheme had been put into force — about 10 days—the response was very satisfactory indeed. Many Applicants The works committee of the Christchurch City Council has received 46 applications for the position of chief clerk in the works department, made vacant by the death of Mr A. E. Summerfield. Most of the applicants are from the South Island, and the committee will place the name of one of these, together with the five it considers next best, before the council.

Colour Vision Test An interesting test in colour vision was recently carried out at the Southland Boys' High School. The test, which consisted of the Ishihara standard set of colour cards, was given to 200 boys, and of this number no fewer than 12 (6 per cent, of the total) were found to be defective in colour vision to a more or less degree; of these 12, three were found to be completely red blind, and three completely green blind. It is generally claimed that 5 per cent, of males (and only 0.5 per cent, of females) suffer from colour blindness in some form, so that the above figures agree closely with the average usually found. Colour vision testing is now recognised as an essential aid in vocational guidance. Relief for Bank Tellers The advent of the Reserve Bank in New Zealand has given considerable relief to bank tellers throughout the country. Formerly a somewhat arduous daily duty was the sorting out of the notes of the various bank issues, which was done during the day when circumstances permitted; if not after closing time. This was no light task in a busy city bank, when there were many thousands of notes to sort. There are still some of the old private bank notes in cix'culation, which have to be sorted out and returned when they come in, but they are becoming fewer each month. Sooner or later such notes are paid into a bank. That mear.3 their end as a currency token. The Reserve Bank notes when hard, stiff and (clean are difficult to count, but after being in circulation for a few weeks they become more amenable to the dampened finger-tips of the tellers. Control of Ragwort "The complete control of ragwort in the Manukau County is now in sight," said the inspector, Mr W. W. Murray, in a report presented at a recent meeting of the council. Inspections had been carried out at various areas infested with the weed, continued the report, and the spraying, especially with sodium chlorate, during the last two years had proved most satisfactory. Arrangements had been made to watch certain districts early next month to prevent the flowering and seeding of the weed. At the last Christchurch Agricultural Show the Duncan Patent Grassland and Lucerne Harrow received the Award of Merit, and Mr Oscar Miles, of Hawarden, considers it the best implement of any sort he has had on his farm, and on November sth, 1934, he wrote: "I have pleasure and abundant confidence in recommending the Hamilton Harrow. Having used this harrow for grubbing lucerne, loosening the crops up in the spring, finishing off before drilling, and breaking the land prior to deep ploughing, I feel it is my duty to pass on to other farmers my experience ot this useful implement." P. and can Limited, 196 Tuam street, Christchurch, and at Ashburton.

Rumours are being circulated that The Gold Band Taxis must charge the new Council fares, but such is not the case as we are still running our private Hire cars at half the price of others. Example, Council fares for 5 passengers is Is per mile, and extra for luggage, but our fare is only 6d per mile and no charge for luggage Phone 33-477. 1 A shilling advertisement in the classified section of "The Press will sell your goods. Try it. 12 words Is, three insertions 2s 6d.—6