General News

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21686, 21 January 1936, Page 8

General News

New Railway Bridges Work on the two new l'ailway bridges on the Parnassus line has been proceeding well. The piles for the new structure across the Waipara river have all been driven, and the girders are now being made at the Addington workshops. Preliminary work has been finished for the new bridge across the North Kowhai at Amber ley, and it is expected that piledriving will be started in three weeks. Good Fishing at Lake Coleridge Although a strong north-east wind was blowing at Lake Coleridge during the week-end, fishermen caught some good bags. One party of four caught 31 salmon and another of two caught 14. A very nice 101b brown trout was caught by one fisherman. It is estimated that a total of 70 fish was caught at the lake on Saturday and Sunday. Fishing at the Selwyn on Saturday night was also good. Flock House Training Employment for two boys who have concluded their eight months' training at Flock House, near Bulls, is at present being sought by the secretary of the Christchurch Returned Soldiers' Association. The boys have received sound training in all farm work and have good reports from the director. It is considered that employment in Canterbury would specially suit the boys, and any farmer with a vacancy should apply to the secretary of the Returned Soldiers' Association. Entrance to University The University Senate yesterday approved the recommendation of the Academic Board, and a motion by the vice-chancellor, Professor T. A. Hunter, that the standard of entrance to the university be raised. The senate also adopted a resolution moved by Mr L. 11. Wild that the executive committee appoint a qualified, person to report on the whole question of the entrance examination. —Press Association. Snake as a Pet An interesting arrival at Wellington by the Remuera on Sunday was a boa constrictor, five feet long and weighing 91b. The reptile is the pet of Mr E. W. Scott, who desires to present it to the Wellington zoo. It was given to him in Panama City, where he was editor of a Spanish-English newspaper. It is of very gentle

disposition and gave no trouble on the voyage, during which it lived on partridges supplied from the ship's freezer. Mr Scott declared the reptile to the Customs Department, but so far has not received permission to bring it ashore. Mr Scott is a New Zealander, and formerly was on the staff of the "Evening Post." His parents live in Pnlmersion Noi-th. Shore Erosion at Gore Bay The Cheviot County Council at its last meeting received three objections to its proposal to apply to the Local Government Loans Board for permission to borrow £IOOO for building a wooden breastwork at Gore Bay to cope with erosion of the shore. One objection was signed by 140 ratepayers of the county. By four votes

to two, the council resolved not to proceed any further in the matter. It was agreed that the engineer proceed with the construction of a system of groynes, as designed by him and approved by the Main Highways Board, and that the deviating of the highway be. left in abeyance. New Domains Board Suggested The appointment of a domains board for Waimairi Beach, consisting of seven members to supervise the protection of the trees and the council reserve and property, will be suggested to the Waimairi County Council, according to a decision of the Waimairi Beach Progress League at its meeting last evening. The league will ask that the members of the board should have the same powers as the honorary beach inspectors recently sworn in by the; New Brighton Borough Council. In making the proposal, Mr W. J. Walter .-.aid that there was a problem in the sand drift at the beach and that there was an urgent need for protecting

the trees and the reserve. He had noticed that considerable damage had been done by visitors to the beach. The protection of marram grass should also be attended to. His suggestion that the. league apply to the Waimairi County Council to sanction the appointment of a domains board was adopted. Building of Hail Cars Good progress is being made on the construction of, seven petrol-driven rail cars at the Hutt workshops for service on railway lines in the Wellington district. The new vehicles will be commissioned early in May. There is keen Ministerial interest in the prospective

advent of rail cars, and the Minister for Railways (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan), accompanied by the Prime Minister (the Hon. M. J. Savage) and other Ministers will make a visit of inspection to the Hutt workshops on Thursday. The Ministers will make the trip outward in the general manager's rail car, and other members of the party will return by it to town so. that all may have the opportunity of enjoying the brief experience of quick transport by rail car.—Press Association. Progress on Milford Road A night-shift is now being worked at the Homer tunnel on the Milford road, where the men are engaged in removing the loose material which is in front of the micanorite forming the greater part of the Homer. It might well be thought that removing the rubble is easier than working on the solid rock; but the men will be glad when they encounter the harder

material. The rate of progress in the tunnel is expected to be 16 feet a day. Ninety tons of explosives will be used in the operations. One difficulty which may arise when winter comes is the securing of water for cooling the com-pressed-air machines. The low temperature in winter freezes the limited water supply. Breakfast at Work Complaints by ratepayers that the unemployed relief workers in the Oeo riding had been seen to start a fire going on their arrival

at work and then cook breakfast, were mentioned by a councillor at the meeting of the Egmont County Council. He added that when spoken to, the men had replied that they had to get up so early to catch the county lorry that they had no time to get their breakfast before they left. "What are you going to do about it?" asked the chairman, Mr W. C. Green, to which a councillor retorted: "Get a cook on the road, I suppose." Railway Supcrannuilanls Certain members of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Railway Superannuitants' Association have received a circular letter signed by the acting-general secretary of the executive council of the New Zealand association asking them if they would accept reinstatement in the

railway service if it were offered to them. It is assumed that the letter has been sent to all those men who were retired in 1932 on superannuation calculated on an actuarial basis. It is understood that several men have replied in the affirmative. The honorary secretary of the Auckland branch of the association, Mr W. Thomson, said that he had received one of the circulars. There was no covering letter explaining the reason for its issue, or any intimation of the conditions under which the men would be reinstated. Drought In the Early Days The days when water was a luxury in Canterbury are remembered by Mrs G. E. Goldsmith, of Staveley, who celebrated her eightyseventh birthday at the week-end. She told a reporter in an interview that while she was living at Chertsey, in Mid-Canterbury, about the late 'seventies, there was no rain for five months and once, while she was at Sherwood, 30s was charged for a tankful of water, which was very muddy and which was carted from the Rakaia river. Often they had to refuse waggoners a drink for their teams. Then came the water-races. A gala day was held to celebrate the opening of the Pudding Hill system, but many were sceptical about the ssuccess of the scheme, believing that the water, instead of running across the plains, would be absorbed. But at last a trickle of water came and it ran on right to the sea. The contractors themselves had not been optimistic, for they had sunk several tanks in the ground to act as reservoirs.