General News

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22004, 30 January 1937, Page 12

General News

Ministers in Marlborough With the arrival yesterday of the Minister for Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple) and the Minister for Mines (the Hon. P. C. Webb) the total number of Ministerial visits to Marlborough since last Saturday was brought to five. The first was that of the Minister for Education (the Hon. P. Fraser) last Saturday when he made a special trip to Blenheim to propose the toast of “The Immortal Memory at a Burns evening held by the Marlborough Scottish Society. 1 On Wednesday, the Minister for Railways (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan) arrived at Picton to commence a tour of the South Island railways, and arriving with him was the Minister for Justice (the Hon. H. G. R. Mason). Mr Sullivan travelled in a special tram to Wharanui yesterday to inspect the South Island Main Trunk route, and towards the end of February he intends to tour from Christchurch to Blenheim to make a thorough inspection of the whole work. Both Ministers left Blenheim for Nelson on. Thursday afternoon. Last evening Mr Semple left soon after his arrival at Picton for French Pass, travelling by launch, and on Monday he will open a new wharf there, returning the same evening to Wellington. Mr Webb spent last night at Blenheim, and will leave to-day for Westport. —“The Press” Special Service.

Newspapers Praised

“I may be inclined to be a little biased, but after seeing the newspapers in Australia I would like to compliment the press in New Zealand,” declared Mr H. M. Christie, M.P., who returned from Sydney by the Awatea, which arrived at Wellington yesterday. Mr Christie’s main impression was that the newspapers in Australia were striving after sensational news. Their standard, he considered, was much below that in the Dominion. —Press Association.

Check on Fire Alarms

Some people who give malicious fire alarms by telephone will run a considerable risk of arrest and prosecution, the Wellington Fire Board having decided yesterday to adopt a system for checking all fire alarms received by telephone. Members of the board said that the annual cost of attending malicious alarms was considerable, and the Post and Telegraph Department is prepared to co-operate in the checking of calls and the catching of offenders at a small cost. The scheme was adopted unanimously. Superintendent C. A. Woolley estimated that it would not be necessary to check more than 300 calls a year at a cost of approximately £ 15, plus £l3 10s for an additional telephone line.—Press Association.

Huntsbury Sewerage Poll

A proposal to provide a sewerage system for Huntsbury will be decided by a poll of ratepayers in the district on February 25. At a meeting of the Heathcote County Council last night, the county clerk (Mr J. P. E. Veale) reported that forms of enrolment for electors had been distributed and the roll would close at 5 p.m. on February 11.

Winter Show to be Held

It has now been definitely decided to hold the Canterbury Winter Show and Industrial Exhibition this year Mr T. Hyde, secretary of the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association, announced yesterday. The show will be staged in Dalgety’s wool store on Moorhouse avenue, where it was held last year, from August 7 to August 14. A temporary committee has been set up by the association and further committees will be set up next week to arrange details.

Condition of Rivers

The secretary of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society received at noon yesterday the following reports on the rivers:—Selwyn, Ashley, Hurunui, and Rakaia, suitable for fishing; Waimakariri, not fishable.

Amalgamation Difficulties

“It is easy to scramble eggs, but no one has yet succeeded in unscrambling them,” said Mr A. Leese, town clerk at One Tree Hill, when speaking at a borough council meeting of the difficulties of local body amalgamation. Mr Leese said the subject was of such importance that undue haste was to be deprecated and he supported a suggestion that a survey should be made of local body administration throughout the Dominion.

Hcathcotc County Rates

Little more than a fortnight remains for ratepayers in the Heathcote county to meet the current year’s rate demands without incurring a penalty of 10 per cent. The county clerk (Mr J. P. E. Veale) reported to a meeting of the council last night that of the rate of £ 19,594 struck. £5442 had been received up to yesterday—a percentage of 27.7. For the same date last year 29.5 per cent, of the levy had been received. The 10 per cent, penalty would be incurred after February 15.

Fruiterers’ Closing Hours

The contention that the closing hours for fruiterers’ shops, which came into operation from January 4, as a result of a requisition, are unfair because sweets shops that also sell fruit may trade up to midnight, selling fruit up to that time, is advanced by Mr S. Coleman, secretary of the Auckland Retail Fruiterers’ Association. Mr Coleman said yesterday that a big injustice had been done to fruiterers generally by the requisition, which, he claimed, was a political move. There were about 40,0 fruiterers, and so far as he could discover about 100 signed the requisition. An objectionable feature of the changed hours was that all fruiterers were not scrupulously observing the closing times, he said.—“ The Press” Special Service. Mussel Shells at Napier

Visitors to Napier this summer have been puzzled by several decaying shells protruding from the bed of the inner harbour, which was raised by the earthquake six years ago. Similar in shape to the mussel which is found clinging to rocks, most of the shells average 12 inches long, but one or two reach 15 inches. Just after the earthquake thousands of these shells were to be seen in the mud, but since then many have been removed by the curious and others have been broken and destroyed. Dr. W. R. B. Oliver identified one of the shells taken from the harbour as being that of the horse mussel, or fan mussel. He explained that before the earthquake there were beds of these mussels in the valleys on the sea bottom, where the animal life on which they fed was evidently rich. The mussels were embedded by their pointed end straight into the mud up to two-thirds of their length, and the remaining third was covered with a dense growth of seaweed and sea animals. The mussels were raised above the sea by the earthquake, and soon afterward the growth and animals died and fell away, and the decaying shells were left resting upright in the mud.

The “Marooned News”

A Napier resident has received copies of a novel daily publication which, printed in Los Angeles, California, owed its existence to the shipping strike on the Pacific coast. Under the title of the “Marooned News,” the publication introduces itself as “the exclusive and official publication of the Stranded in America Club, located in Hotel Clark, Los Angeles, California, U.5.A.,” and is a four-page mimeographed leaflet issued for the benefit of travellers from overseas who were prevented from returning to their own countries because of the dislocation of shipping. As the “Marooned News” shows, the “strandees,” as the visitors styled themselves, were entertained with gatherings of many types, including a broadcast programme in which the “strandees” themselves participated. All activities in which members of the club figured were dealt with by the editor and reporter, who were themselves among those stranded.

White Island Active

White Island, from which very littlfe vapour has been visible from Opotiki for some time, was very active on a recent morning, the huge cloud of vapour being at its best about midday, when it was several times higher than the island and very broad.' The display was probably as good as ever has been seen from the island, and presented a wonderful sight against the clear blue sky. The weather was calm and warm, enabling the huee column to go straight upward. Soon after midday activity suddenly lessened, and the column of vapour was only about half as hiffh as nrevinnslv.