General News

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21387, 1 February 1935, Page 10

General News

~™—❖ ——• I Clouds but no Rain The clouds that appeared in the 'sky yesterday were hopeful signs, but they brought no rain, and ac- | cording to the Government forecast temperatures are likely to rise. Yesterday was one of the coolest days in the long period of dry weather, the temperature reaching only 64 degrees. The wind was east-north-east most of the day. The barometer • was steady at 9 a.m., but was falling during the afternoon. " Waitangi" Manuka Native sections in Christchurch city parks will shortly receive some interesting additions in the form of "Waitangi" manuka bushes. The interest taken by his Excellency the Governor-General in New Zealand flora was demonstrated anew when, during a visit to Christchurch last year, he presented Mr M. J. Barnett, superintendent of city parks and reserves, with a number of seeds which he had gathered from a pink-flowering manuka at Waitangi. The seeds were subsequently sown in pots, and have now developed into sturdy shrubs. They will be set out during the next planting season. More Radium for Cancer Treatment A decision to purchase an additional supply of radium for the treatment of uterine cancer was made by the Wellington Hospital Board last night. The cost will be £6OO. Dr. Campbell Begg mentioned that very gratifying results were being obtained in this part of the fight against cancer, and the publicshould know about it. More radium was now required to obviate the delay in treating patients.—Press Association.

Mortgage Corporation "The present system of mortgages in New Zealand is not very satisfactory," the Hon. Adam Hamilton told his audience at Otautau on Wednesday evening, when dealing with the Mortgage Corporation. '"Mortgagees have sought the best security at the highest rate of interest. The idea behind the Mortgage Corporation is to collect money at lowest current rates into a reasonably safe corporation and then lend it out on mortgage not with the idea of obtaining the highest possible rate, but of giving the best possible service to mortgagors. It is intended to be a permanent arrangement for lenders of money to place money in the corporation as well as for borrowers who wish to obtain the loan of money. It is hoped by this means to get the rate of interest on sound mortgages down to 4i or even 4 per cent. Interest is usually the farmer's highest cost problem, and during a period of lower prices it is to bo met only by lower costs. There is nothing compulsory about the Mortgage Corporation nor is it to be regarded as a monopoly." A Disappearing Island An island that appears and disappears at intervals is an intriguing feature on Lake Mangamahoe, the source of New Plymouth's water and power supply, states the "Taranaki Herald." During the last three years the island has disappeared completely from sight on half-a-dozen occasions. At present the island is a few inches above the water level, it is about 10 feet long and several feet wide and is in water about 20 feet deep. On past occasions it has sunk completely out of sight, so there is no question of a rise in water level obscuring it. Though it has only a small area on top, the island slopes away at the sides like a cone, so that its base is large. The explanation given is that the gas generated by rotting marsh plants on the bottom is trapped underneath the island, causing it to be thrust up. When the trapped gas escapes, the island again sinks. It has now been above the water surface for about three months.

Children and llot Weather The opinion that a continuance of the present excessively hot weather would make full-time attendance at schools by young children inadvisable was expressed by leading Auckland medical practitioners Monday, states the "New Zealand Herald." The first term of the year for the primary schools under the Auckland Education Board will commence next week, and it was stated that for several weeks children had been running more or less wild in the wearing of clothing. The change to school conditions was one that would take some time to get used to. "An extension of the holidays would be beneficial to the health of the children," said one doctor. "Hot weather, especially when coupled with high humidity, produces a condition that is very exhausting, and the children soon get fagged out when called on to sit still and concentrate. During climatic conditions such as have been prevailing for some time the children require much more rest than they do in the cooler months of the year. As there is no question of the holidays being extended, it seems that half-days at first would enable children to break into their work quietly and so avoid undue strain." Cats and White Butterflies There have been several cases lately of cats being poisoned, apparently from eating white butterflies, so a veterinary surgeon told a reporter of the "Evening Post." This, he said, was rather curious, if true, since cats, as is well known, often consume moths with impunity to their digestion. A diet of flies is" popularly supposed to make cats and kittens thin, but does not kill them. What there was in a white butterfly's composition that caused deaths amongst cats he did not know, but he advised owners of cats to discourage their pets from doing their daily good turn in assisting to rid the Dominion of the white butterfly pest.