General News

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22309, 25 January 1938, Page 8

General News

Care of War Memorial Plot The need for arrangements being made to keep the ground surrounding the War Memorial in the Cathedral grounds in order was emphasised at a meeting of the Christchurch Beautifying Association last night. After a discussion, it was decided to ask Mr George Gould chairman of the War Memorial Committee. what the arrangements were for the upkeep of the plot. White Butterflies Attack Green Peas That the depredations of the white butterfly are not confined to swedes and turnip crops is the experience of Mr L. V. Talbot, a prominent Temuka farmer. When green peas were being shelled recently the caterpillar of the butterfly was found in a pod, he reported. The pod was quite a good specimen, but the pest had eaten nearly all the peas.—“ The Press’’ Special Service.

Seeing the South Island High praise for the tourist attractions of the South Island was expressed yesterday by Mr S. F. Weston, of South A frica - who has just completed one of the 10-day land tours arranged by the Mount Cook and Southern Lakes Tourist Company, Ltd. Although he has not yet seen the North Island, he said that if the arrangements made there for tourists to see the attractions were as satisfactory as those in the South Island he would be “in clover.” Christmas Annual Praised “I never realised that New Zealand was as beautiful as it is until I received the Christmas annual ’New Zealand Illustrated, states Helena’ D. Gerloff, director of Foreign Public Relations, Rockefeller Centre, New York, in a letter to a Christchurch resident. “I am thankful that you sent me a copy; I have enjoyed it a lot and so have my associates. The picture, Highland Cattle at Claremont, Timaru, is now being framed and will hang in my office. I do appreciate the ‘lllustrated,’ and I am wondering whether you have any human interest photographs of New Zealand which you might wish to send along for such publicity use as I may be able to make of them. People are very travel-minded now, and it might do some good. In fact, one of my friends is right now on a trip ‘down under,’ and will visit Australia and New Zealand.” Miss Gerloff also expressed appreciation of copies of “The Press.”

Farmers’ Union Defended The suggestion that the New Zealand Farmers’ Union was an organisation of big farmers was dealt with by Mr A. P. O’Shea, Dominion secretary, at a meeting of the Wairarapa provincial executive. There were about 2500 flocks of more than 2500 sheep in New Zealand, Mr O’Shea said, and the number of holdings of 1000 acres or more was approximately 6000. Membership of the Farmers’ Union to-day was well over 20,000, so it might be seen that the union must be thoroughly representative of the average New Zealand farmer. “There are not 2000 squatters in New Zealand, let alone 20,000,” he said.—Press Association. Memorial to Abel Tasman After a suggestion made by Cr. J. B. Kent at a meeting of the Greymouth local body representatives yesterday, it was decided that a memorial cairn be erected during the New Zealand Centennial celebrations in 1940 to commemorate the first sighting of New Zealand by Abel Tasman on December 13, 1642. The memorial will take the form of a largo cairn, and will probably be erected on the Paparoa ranges, a short distance from Greymouth. It was probably these low ranges, two miles inland, that Tasman first sighted on his New Zealand visit.—Press Association.

Loss of Pheasants Assumed to have been bitten by a rat, 18 young pheasants about six weeks old were killed recently on the game farm of Mrs N. Millington, at Maunu, near Whangarei. The pheasants were found in the morning lying dead in their pen nipped behind the neck, but not otherwise injured so far as could be seen. On the same farm a cat killed 12 young pheasants of Christmas Eve, while lately a stoat killed all but 16 out of 60 young birds before they could be penned up. Pheasants have been found with their necks broken by the wire netting of the pens in attempting to escape the attacks of vermin. Dunedin Local Elections Record Labour nominations for the local body elections in the Dunedin district have been received. Three nominations for the mayoralty have been received, 33 for the City Council. 25 for the Harbour Board, and 32 for the Hospital Board. A selection ballot will be held on February 16. One candidate will be selected for tha mayoralty, 12 for the City Council, seven for the Harbour Board, and five for the Hospital Board. \The list of nominations contains the names of about 12 women.—Press Association.

Housing in Invercargill There are indications that the demand for State houses built in Invercargill has not been so great as in other centres. The first group of 18 houses, providing for 20 families, is nearing completion, and although applications from prospective tenants were invited several months ago, the State Advances Corporation is now calling for further applications before taking steps to let the houses. A start with a second group of a similar number of houses has been made, and in view of the apparent paucity of suitable applications for the first group, the question whether the full quota of nearly 50 houses will be required is raised. Freezing Works Busy The Horotiu freezing works, near Hamilton, are now very busy preparing Waikato lambs for the overseas market, and more • than 5000 lambs are being killed every day. Eighty butchers are engaged in the work. Last season about 250,000 lambs were killed at the Horotiu works, and present indications are that this total will be exceeded this season. In addition to lambs, all classes of stock are being killed at Horotiu. A consignment of 136 carcases of chilled beef was dispatched from the works for shipment at Auckland recently. The chilled beef killing season has just started, and its peak is likely to coincide with the end of the lamb season. Lambs are coming forward in greater numbers than usual because of the dry weather and the fear that if the dry weather continues the lambs will lose condition.

German Students’ Invention A section of Heddernhelm conductor, the type used by the Los Angeles Bureau of Power and Light in the transmission lines from Boulder Dam to cities in Southern California, was shown to members of the Christchurch Businessmen’s Club by Mr George Hall, a member of the club, who addressed members yesterday on the construction of the Boulder Dam. “In carrying the power over such long distances it was estimated that the loss would be about 20 per cent. With this conductor the loss is about 8 per cent.,” said Mr Hall. The conductor, which is carried on towers 109 feet high, consists of a hollow-core copper tube of I.4in diameter, made up of interlocking spiral segments. “I understand,” continued Mr Hall, “that the conductor was invented by two German students, both of about 17 or 18 years of age.” Replicas of Maori Art As a result of representations made by Lord Bledisloe, the Dominion Museum, Wellington, has received -22 replicas of Maori treasure owned by the British Museum. The originals of the articles reproduced were secured by the British Museum in the early days of the colonisation of New Zealand and the copies, which are' complete in size, shape, and colouring, have been provided because similar articles can no longer be secured in the Dominion. The collection of replicas includes carved door lintels, head and stern posts of canoes, boxes for holding the feathers worn to denote the rank of rangatiras, the tikis that were originally made from greenstone or bone. Other casts are of an adze handle of striking design, a canoe bailer, double and single flutes, and a nose flute. The reproductions are so well made that it is considered they will give New Zealanders of today an accurate idea of the art and culture of the of the days before the pakeha.