General News

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22466, 29 July 1938, Page 10

General News

Dairy Factory Difficulties "Unless science can devise some different method of manufacture of cheese, the short week is going to be absolutely unsuitable, and it must mean that the good name of our cheese on the London market will suffer," said Mr J. F. Cairns, chairman of directors of the Cloverlea Dairy Company, Temuka, at the annual meeting of shareholders. "A new award for assistants in cheese factories came into effect last January, and there were all-round increases in pay. The hours agreed on are causing much difficulty and inconvenience, and I believe the assistants themselves are dissatisfied with the time allowed for the completion of the work.' The ever-increasing costs on factory and farm were, Mr Cairns said, showing no signs of stabilising, and the task of determining the new seasons price would be indeed difficult. American Interest in Canterbury The Canterbury Public Library often receives requests for information from other parts of the world. The librarian (Mr E. J. Bell) has just received a request for information on the passenger lists of early immigrant ships coming to Canterbury from the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City. The society stated that it had learned that the lists were in the possession of the library, and even quotes the catalogue number. It asks what the charge for making a copy would be. Outsize in Bullocks If a suitable truck can be obtained for its transport, one of the largest bullocks in the Dominion, now being fattened on the property of Mr J. H. Mitchell, "Kenwyn," Studholme, will be exhibited at the Agricultural and Pastoral Show at Christchurch. The bullock, which is owned by Jones and Sons, of Waimate, has a dressed weight of about 17001b. It was bred by Mr A. E. Dyer (Waikakihi) and its sire was a Shorthorn bull owned by Mr E. B. Harrison, of Waihao Downs. Display of Finches The tendency of the various kinds of introduced finches to come in from the back country during the winter months, when they are to be seen in large numbers in the suburbs, gives special interest to a display case, which has been prepared at the Canterbury Public Library for sending out to the schools. The case contains 10 birds, mounted on twigs, illustrating seven varieties of finches, the sparrow, the goldfinch, the chaffinch, the greenfinch, the redpoll, the yellowhammer, and the cirl bunting. All of these, with the exception of the cirl bunting, are to be commonly seen. Finches were introduced with the intention of keeping down' insect pests, but their inclination to eat seeds has outweighed their advantage in eating insects, according to the curator of the museum, Mr R. A. Falla. Improvement in Physique The average increase in weight had been 7.41b. chest measurement nearly two inches, and height half an inch, states a report on two drafts of special territorial reservists which have carried out three months' continuous training. "For only three months' effort, these figures are most impressive, particularly when it is remembered that the men have spent a large amount of the time on specialised military training and on their educational or trade work," comments the report. Measles and Non-smoking The incidence of measles among non-smokers in a Christchurch firm may possibly provide a good subject for an advertisement of a tobacco company and also raise the question whether smoking provided immunity from this complaint. The firm in question, a reporter was told yesterday, has a staff of 36, and the eight employees who have contracted measles are the only non-smokers on the staff. War Service Statistics Details of war service taken from the last Dominion census and placed before the Dominion conference of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association at Wellington on Wednesday revealed that the greatest number of males with war service was between the ages of 40 and 44, the number of returned soldiers of this age representing 61.77 per cent, of the number of males of that age in the country. The figures showed that at the date of the census there was a total of 87,440 Europeans and 1541 Maoris with war service, who were alive in the Dominion. Among these were 1643 European women and four Maori women. Eucalyptus Trees in Palestine "We were surprised to see Australian eucalyptus trees growing in Palestine," said the Rev. L. A. North in an address to the Canterbury Justices of the Peace Association last evening on impressions formed by him during a visit to that country. Mr North said that the trees appeared to grow equally as well there as they did in Australia. New Ambulance for Wellington At the annual meeting of the Wellington Free Ambulance last night Lady Norwood, on behalf 6f the women's auxiliary, presented a cheque for £SOO for the purchase of a new ambulance. —Press Association. Not This Year "There are lazy relief workers, but there are lazy farmers, too," said Mr J. G. Barclay, M.P., at New Plymouth. "And lazy politicians? queried a member of the audience. "There are lazy businessmen, too," continued Mr Barclay, "but no lazy politicians in election year. War on Rats Proposals for the holding, of a "rat week" during the last week of April of next year, when efforts will be made to reduce the number of rats infesting business and residential premises, were approved by the Auckland City Council. The suggestion came from the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, which stated that in England after the war town and country were ridden with rats, and within a year they were reduced to normal numbers by national and local "rat weeks." It was suggested that the chamber should endeavour to cojnbine with the local bodies in a campaign of extermination. Egyptian's Low Income Many people in New Zealand are in the habit of complaining of their poor financial positions, but they are wealthy in comparison with the average Egyptian inhabitant. Speaking to members of the Wanganui Rotary Club, Mr J. I. Craig, financial adviser to the Egyptian Government, said that the average income of the 16,000,000 inhabitants of Egypt was £12_ a year. As there were many millionaires in the country, he said, it could be readily realised that most of the people had much less than £ 12 a year to live on. Quail for Tonga The Otago Acclimatisation Society was asked some time ago to supply a number of quail for Prince Tugi, of Tonga, and the necessary permission has now been received from the Department of Internal Affairs. Prince Tugi, who is Premier of Tonga, proposes to liberate the quail on the island, where he is anxious to see the birds established. It has been decided to forward 30 quail, which Will be obtained by trapping. Horse Jumps Motor-car Although the front of his car was battered almost out of recognition.and the windscreen was shattered, personal injury was escaped by Mr A Denham, Opunake, Taranaki, and his small daughter who accompanied him, when the which he was driving collided with a horse. The Sent occurred on the Eltham road near the Kaweora road intersection, shortly after darK. Mr Denham had passed between a number of draught horses which were on the ™™s£*i when suddenly one of them hurdled the front of the car, causing a considerable amount of damage. The horse, which disappeared, was probably severely injured. Oil-Boring Machinery The final and largest of-four shipments from the United States of drilling machinery for the New Zealand Petroleum Company's work in the Poverty Bay field arrived at Auckland by the City of Bagdad from New York. Comprising several hundred tons, some of the cargo is carried on deck. It will be transhipped to Gisborne by the coastal motor-vessel Margaret w;