General News

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22307, 22 January 1938, Page 12

General News

Loss of Saraoan Clipper Officers and passengers on the Monterey which arrived in Auckland yesterday, said that while everyone in Pago Pago was profoundly shocked by the fate of the Samoan c , ll PP'r i r ' officers of Pan American Airways and the United States Navy were extremely reticent about the investigations already made. An order had even been issued confiscating all photographs bearing on the disaster.— The Press" Special Service.

Man's Clothing' Found on Beach A heap of clothing belonging to a man of medium build was found on the Waimain beach about a mile and three-quarters north of Beach road on Thursday evening by Mr J. H. Jacobs, of Berry street. North Brighton. The clothes were almost covered with sand. No one had been reported to the police last night as missing, and there was nothing on the clothes which would lead to the identification of their owner. The clothes consisted of a pair of brown trousers, a blue elastic belt, a blue woollen shirt, a striped blazer, a pair of black shoes, size eight, and a pair of grey socks.

The Fishing Rivers The secretary of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society received advice yesterday that the Hurunui, Selwyn, Rakaia, Ashley, and Waimakariri rivers are clear and in good condition for week-end fishing.

Heathcote County's Inspection The annual inspection of the Heathcote County Council will be held on February 3 The party will leave the council office at 8.30 a.m.. the inspection lasting all day. visiting the council's works in tin? Bromley, Avon, Mount Pleasant, and Heathcote ridings.

Dominion Publicity in Europe "I think New Zealand has the best publicity in Europe of the Dominions and islands in the South Pacific, and whoever is responsible for that publicity has carried it out admirably," said Mr W. J. P. Stack, managing director of Stack and Company, Ltd., Sydney, who was a through passenger on the Monterey, at Auckland. Mr Stack, who is a distributor for General Motors in Sydney, is returning alter a six months' business trip abroad, and in his travels lie lias visited America, England, Germany, France, Austria, Holland, and many other European countries. To say that one came from Australia frequently provided the response that Australia was part of New Zealand, said Mr Stack. That was no exaggeration, and illustrated admirably the truth of the statement that New Zealand was well advertised abroad. This was further illustrated by the large number of Americans who came from the American east coast, the mid-west, and California to New Zealand and back again without travelling any further.—" The Press" Special Service.

High Wind in City City people were offered considerable amusement yesterday afternoon at the Bank of New Zealand corner. The rather strong north-east-erly developed into a slight whirlwind which tossed a woman's fashionable hat well above the power lines. The hat, filled like a balloon, hovered over the traffic inspector on point duty and landed in the middle of Colombo street, where it was retrieved by its grateful and blushing owner.

A Guide's Ordeal Mountain guides are sometimes involved in spectacular and dangerous situations. One of the most exciting experiences of Mr V. Williams, chief guide at Mount Cook, who has jusl resigned his position, befell him when he wa:climbtng Silberhoru with Mr 11. E. L. Portei and Miss K. Gardiner, both of whom are prominent overseas climbers. They were using a 100 ft rope, with Miss Gardiner between Mr Porter and Mr Williams. The lip of a schrund broke under Mr Porter's weight, and he fell. Mr Williams anchored as best he could with his ice-axe in the solid ice, but the weight of Miss Gardiner failing next —dragged from her holds by Mr Porter's fall—whipped him out into the air at the end of the rope and flung him against the ice face far below. Mr Porter and Miss Gardiner fortunately landed on a small ledge and were able to hold him, but he was severely injured, and it was five days before he could be taken down from the Ilaast hut.

Summer Traffic Census The summer census of traffic will be taken this year from G a.m. on Wednesday, January 2(), to 6 a.m. on Wednesday, February 2, according to advice received from the District Highways Council at a meeting of the Hoathcote County Council Inst evening. The stations will be the .same as those when the census was last j«ken in August-September of last year. Thccounty clerk (Mr J. P. E. Voale) said that lie had taken advantage of the Placement Office to get suitable men for the work. A few unemployed men in the county would also assist with the census. Returned Soldiers' Visit to Sydney Nearly all the berths on the Monowai which were allocated to Cliristchurch for returned soldiers who' wish to join the contingent to visit Sydney in April for the celebrations of the sesquicentenary of New South Wales have been filled, but there are a few in the first and second classes still vacant. A little while ago. when it was intended that only the Maunganui should accommodate the men, there was the possibility that a great many would be disappointed. ' Many of the applicants, when they found that they could not get berths on the Maunganui made other arrangements, so that the position now is that there arc more berths than men, and those who wish to be included have the opportunity to make application through the local office of the Returned Soldiers' Association.

Ripening- of Strawberries Straw has been claimed by a resident of Banks Peninsula as a beneficial factor in the ripening of the fruits of strawberry plants. Tn an orchard near Akaroa a farmer owns an old strawberry patch. Usually the grass round the plants is cut early in the summer. This season, however, the owner of the orchard cut his hay only recently, and because of the rains before the New Year it was left lying for nearly a fortnight. When it was removed from above the old" strawberry patch the plants were found to be bearing large strawberries'. Banks Peninsula Cocksfoot The cocksfoot paddocks on Banks Peninsula are ripening fast with the hot weather. Most of the early paddocks are nearly reaped while a .start has been made with the later seed. The hot days have coloured up the seed and the weather should be most beneficial to the crops. There appears to be sufficient labour available for the reaping, as the men in the earlier paddocks will go on to the later seed and finish the reaping before much threshing is done. A number of lines of the 1937 crop have recently been sold, so that there is now not a large quantity retained by farmers.

New Crane Completed Work on the erection of the new electric crane on the Newton King wharf, New Plymouth, has been completed and the crane is ready for use, the final tests having proved satisfactory. With a two-ton lifting capacity, the crane should greatly facilitate the working of ships. It was purchased in September; but its erection was a slow task because of numerous interruptions. The crane h> very different in appearance from the one that has been in use for a number of years, and has a two-ton lifting capacity, compared- with the other's capacity of 30cwt.

Honey Yield There is every indication that the output of honey throughout the Dominion this year will be generally good and the market very favourable, said Mr J. Rentoul, manager of the New Zealand Honey Control Board, recently. He said that the short supply caused by the failure last year had left both the local and export markets bare of honey, and there was little likelihood of a glut. According to reports from officers attached to the Department of Agriculture in various parts of the country, the outlook for apiarists seemed most hopeful, said Mr Rentoul. In the North Auckland district this season, for example, beekeepers were extracting honey early in November, when normally the time for extraction was some weeks later.