General News

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22430, 17 June 1938, Page 10

General News

/ “Deadly” Parasites “Hysterical reports have appeared recently in the newspapers attributing the death of a man to a bite from the recently introduced white butterfly parasite,” said Mr T. H. McCombs, M.P., in an address at Canterbury University College last evening. “On consulting entomologists I was informed that this parasite is one type of insect which does not attempt to bite human beings at any time.” Hospital Finance The opinion that the present method of financing hospital building and maintenance was inequitable, and that some change should be made in the direction of relieving rural ratepayers of what was considered an unfair burden, was voiced by delegates attending a conference of district county councils in Palmerston North yesterday. It was decided to urge the Government considerably to increase the subsidy on all contributions by local bodies. — Press Association. , No Directory for Sydney Many users of the Canterbury Public Library are surprised to learn that there is no up-to-date postal directory for Sydney. The librarian (Mr E. J. Bell) told a reporter yesterday that the last directory was published in 1930 and is now out of date. Since then an effort was made in 1936 to publish a directory of the various suburbs in separate volumes, but it was not successful, and only three of the western suburbs were dealt with. There were directories for all the other cities in Australia, but in New South Wales the only directories were those for Newcastle and country districts. He intended, he said, to secure a Sydney telephone directory as a substitute. Use of Header Harvesters Proof of the growth of popularity of header harvesters in New Zealand was provided in a report presented to the Wheat Research Institute yesterday by the director, Dr. F, W. Hilgendorf. From figures ascertained by agents, it had been estimated that the total area of wheat headed in the harvest of 1938 was. 61,200 acres, and that the wheat headed on the flat land of Canterbury and North Otago was just on 40 per cent, of the total. Motorists’ Improved Behaviour An indication that the roads were becoming safer, and that motorists were paying more attention to the laws laid down for their safety as well as for the safety of the general public was given by the Minister for Transport (the Hon. R. Semple) last evening. He said that there seemed to be fewer accidents at present, and that he was not contemplating any further restrictions of speed. The main thing was to provide safe roads for the motorists, and then if the accidents continued to introduce regulations and restrictions. No serious consideration had as yet been given to imposing a general speed restriction for night driving. Brewery Profits and Wages When it was contended in Conciliation Council yesterday that the employees were, figuratively speaking, getting nothing out of the brewery industry although large profits were being declared, Mr A. B. Duncan suggested, with a smile, that every man was at least being offered half a gallon of beer a day. Mr H. E. Denton, one of the employees’ assessors replied, amid laughter, “Whenever they wanted us to do something silly in the war they lined us up and gave us a rum ration.” The applicants maintained that such a liquid return was no substitute for cash, and that the breweries had just concluded a most successful year, one of the principal causes of which had been the higher wages received in the community. “Most Delightful Country” “We have found New Zealand the most delightful country in the world,” said M. Andre Pouquet, Consul-General for France in New Zealand, addressing members of the Wellington Travel Club at a reception recently. “Even if we are very many miles from home we don’t feel homesick at all, because the people are so hospitable and kind.” M. Pouquet referred to the very warm welcome that had been extended to French sailors when French ships had recently visited New Zealand ports. Canterbury Fruitgrowers Canterbury fruitgrowers will have to improve the. packing and grading of their fruit if they hope to compete successfully with Nelson growers, said Mr J. H. Thorp, fruit standardisation officer, in an address to the Canterbury Fruitgrowers’ Association last evening. Mr Thorp remarked that many of the apples rejected in Nelson were better than those being put on the markets of Canterbury by local growers. Concentrated Elimination Mr J. J. W. Pollard, speaking last night on the judging of the Christchurch Photographic Society’s annual championship competition, said he believed that elimination was of first importance in all art, and particularly in the art of the camera. To show how elimination might be concentrated, he told the following story. “I once saw a picture,” he said, “of three windswept trees. I suggested that it would be improved by the elimination of one tree. Afterwards the photographer came to me and said he was finished with me. I asked why. ‘Well,’ he said, ‘you tell me to take out a tree. And I tell you I’ve already taken out 23.’ ” A Cider Factory That the Government be approached with a view to establishing, in districts having a surplus of fruit, factories for making fruit juice or cider, was a resolution passed by the Canterbury Fruitgrowers’ Association at its monthly meeting last evening. It was stated by one speaker that the number cf orchards was increasing every year, and that more apples were being grown in Canterbury than could be used. “There’s a tremendous number of persons who drink a tremendous lot of beer,” observed Mr T. Armstrong, “and I think that our surplus fruit could be profitably used in the production of cider or fruit juice, .Either of these drinks is healthy, and I see no reason why, if a cider factory were established in Canterbury, say, it should not be run at as big a profit as one of the breweries.” Vacuum Process in Dairy Factory Claimed to be the first factory in the world entirely equipped for the manufacture of butter under the vacuum process, the East Tamaki Co-operative Dairy Company’s plant was visited by the Minister for Agriculture (the Hon. W. Lee Martin) and factory managers from other North Island centres yesterday. Officially setting four 65-box churns in motion, the Minister congratulated the company on its enterprise in adopting a new, and what might prove to be a revolutionary, method. The complete adoption of the vacuum process has followed some years of experiment. The principal difference from the orthodox method of manufacture lies in the conditions under which the actual butter-making is carried out, the churning proceeding in an automatically-created vacuum, from which gases and certain atmospheric moisture are drawn off. This is accomplished by the churn being surrounded by an outer casing. The process is claimed to result in better keeping qualities, finer texture, and greater “spreadability” in the butter. —“The Press” Special Service. Cows Stampede in Town Pandemonium was caused by cows which broke loose at Fitzroy, a suburb of New Plymouth, recently, and before the animals were finally herded into an adjacent paddock drovers, motorists, tramwaymen, residents, and school children had a very lively time. One boy, leaning on his bicycle, refused to move, and a cow charged the cycle and damaged the front wheel. Cars would not stop for the cattle, so another cow charged a vehicle, leaving a heavy dent in the radiator. One cow made for a coal merchant’s yard. In a few seconds the merchant ran on to the street with the cow close on his heels. Finally the herd was collected from neighbouring properties and front gardens, and left in the paddock to regain composure. Immaterial “You had a sleep before you get to Marton?” asked counsel of a passenger witness in the Ratana inquiry on Tuesday. “Yes.” “You got off at Marton?” “Yes, I got off at every stop, about.” “What did you have at Marton?” “I had a cup of tea.” “Where did you get that?” “Where they always get it.” “How did you do that when the place was locked up?” “Oh, well, I have made a mistake, but what difference does a cup of tea make, anyway?”