General News

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22197, 14 September 1937, Page 8

General News

Daffodils in Bloom The 200,000 daffodils growing- by the Avon river in the woodland near the Nurses' Home have been attracting many visitors in the last few days, and it is expected that the blooms will be at their best next Sunday. Gift to Library Works on art, books of travel, history, and fiction, are among the 40 volumes which have been presented to the Canterbury Public Library by Mrs W. A. Moore (a daughter of the late Sir Joseph Kinsey). The books are suitable for all departments of the 'library. Big: Decrease in Takings Takings at the New Zealand amateur boxing championships, held at Greymouth last week, totalled about £240. The championships were last held in Greymouth in 1929, when the gate receipts were £SOO. On that occasion the final night's takings reached £307. Many People Travelling To-day will be a very busy one at the Christchurch railway station. The train which meets the steamer express at Lyttelton will carry 590 passengers to Christchurch and the express for Invercargill will consist of 15 cars with two engines. Still more cars may have to be added to this express this morning. Bremen May Visit New Zealand Bearing out information recently received in this country that there was a strong possibility of tourist traffic being diverted from the East to New Zealand because of the conflict in the Far East, the Minister in charge of the Tourist and Publicity Department (the Hon. F. Langstone) has received information that the world cruise of the luxury liner Bremen is now most likely to include the Dominion. The proposed dates of the Bremen's visit are: Arrive Milford Sound April 4, Wellington April 5, Auckland April 7, leaving that port on the evening of April 9.—Press Association. Percheron Stallion for Gisborne Believed to be only the third of its kind in the Dominion, the Percheron stallion Kadlunga Templar landed from the Awatea from Sydney yesterday, and left for Gisborne last night. It was purchased by Miss W. F. Lysnar in South Australia, and is to be used for the breeding of weight-carrying hacks and hunters. The- Percheron is a French draught horse, and is an active animal with a kind nature. This stallion was bred from a winning strain which has taken championships in France, Canada, and England. Accompanying Miss Lysnar was Mr W. D. Lysnar, of Gisborne, formerly a member of Parliament.—Press Association. Visit of Table Tennis Players To make a three weeks' tour of the Dominion, the Hungarian table tennis players, Istvarr* Kelen and Miklos Szabados, arrived from Sydney yesterday by the Awatea. Both have achieved world-wide fame by their skill at the game, and have been the holders of the championships of Hungary, Austria, Germany, Czechoslovakia, and London. They left Wellington for Dunedin last night. From New Zealand the pair will return to Australia and then go to London via the United States. Dry Spell Broken on West Coast The dry spell of weather on the West Coast extending over the last six week was broken during the week-end, when nearly one and a half inches of rain fell. The Barrytown dredge, which has been idle because of lack of water, has now resumed work. Water supplies in the country districts have been replenished, making it possible for mining to resume. Rough Tasman Crossing "We are throwing no bouquets to the Tasman Sea after this trip," said Captain A. H. Davey, master of the Awatea, when the vessel arrived at Wellington from Sydney yesterday four hours late. The Awatea struck heavy weather soon after leaving Sydney, and it continued until yesterday morning without abating, the crossing being one of the stormiest the vessel has ever had. Furniture in the men's smokingroom was damaged. Captain Davey estimated that on the average the waves were about 35 feet from crest to base. The trip, he said, was worse than the recent one to Auckland when steel stanchions were twisted. The damage in the smoking-room was mostly caused by a heavy settee breaking loose during specially heavy seas on Friday night.—Press Association. Infectious Diseases Notifications Fourteen infectious disease cases were notified in Canterbury and two from the West Coast last week, according to the weekly return of the Medical Officer of Health (Dr. T. Fletcher Telford). Cf the Canterbury cases seven were scarlet fever, and the others comprised two each of diphtheria and septic abortion and one each of tuberculosis, pneumonic influenza, and puerperal fever. The only two West Coast cases were tuberculosis. There were three deaths from infectious diseases in Canterbury, two being from tuberculosis and one from pneumonic influenza. The only death from these causes on the West Coast was from tuberculosis. Fewer Unemployed Returned Soldiers The number of unemployed men registered with the Christchurch Returned Soldiers' Association is now less than a third of what it was two years ago, according to a statement by Mr W. E. Leadley at the meeting of the executive of the association last evening. In September, 1935, the number of unemployed men registered at the emplovment office of the association was 1260, but last week the registrations were only 376, that number being 14 fewer than the previous week's total.. Mr Leadley's remarks were made in reporting the resignation of the association's employment officer, Mr R. B. Spears, who lias obtained a position with the National Broadcasting Service. A great part of the credit for that reduction in numbers should go to Mr Spears, said Mr Leadley. In his work he had raised the prestige of the association, and with his departure the unemployed members of the association were losing a very good friend. The Cap Pilar In preparation for her departure later in the week, stores sufficient for six months' sailing were taken aboard the English barquentine Cap Pilar yesterday. The Cap Pilar is under the- command of Captain Adrian Seligman, and manned by an amateur crew. The vessel will p.iter dry dock to-morrow and will leave for the Tuamotu archipelago on Thursday or Friday in continuation of her world voyage. A New Zealand doctor and seven new members of the crew are joining the vessel at Auckland. Since her arrival from Sydney two months ago the Cap Pilar has been lying at the western viaduct. She will go into the Calliope dock in company with the cargo steamer Kairanga, and will return to the viaduct either late to-morrow afternoon or on Thursday morning. Given a fair wind, the barquentine may commence her 3000 miles' voyage to Mangareva, in the Tuamotu archipelago, on Thursday; but it is considered more probable that she will leave on Friday. From the Tuamotu archipelago the Cap Pilar will go to the Marquesas group, and will then probably voyage to San Francisco, via Honolulu. — "The Press" Special Service. Five Acres Found A few weeks ago members of the Riecarton Borough Council expressed fears that the council might have lost five acres of recreation reserve, in the transfer by the Metropolitan Trotting Club fo the Government of an area between Blenheim road and Riecarton road. The Town Clerk (Mr R. Sarjeant) was asked to make inquiries about the land, which was to have been received from the Trotting Club when the-subdivision of the area was approved some years ago. Last evening the council received a letter from the Director of Housing Construction,(Mr A. Tyndall), indicating that the five acres have been found and will be returned The letter stated that the five acres were not excluded by the Trotting Club from the land sold to the department; but that the subdivision scheme as originally submitted had been recast to make adequate provision for reserves. The Trotting Club has undertaken to make the necessary transfer.