General News

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22594, 27 December 1938, Page 8

General News

Heavy Railway Passenger Traffic

There were heavy loads for the main railway express trains and their reliefs yesterday. Besides the special trains for the Ashburton races, relief trains were run outward and inward at the Christchurch station on the West Coast and main south lines. Altogether 450 left Christchurch for the West Coast in two trains, and while 350 left for the south in the 8.35 a.m. express, another 550 went on the relief at 9.10 a.m. The inward traffic brought 400 passengers on two trains from the Coast and 1300 on three trains, amounting to 40 cars from the south. One of these was from Invercargill, and was exceptionally heavily loaded. It drew the full load of 17 cars, nearly all of which were full. For the Ashburton races, three trains carried 1200 passengers, 150 more than last year, and there was one horse train. No other excursions were run.

Scouts Leave for Sydney

The steamer express for the north last evening carried about 70 or 80 boy scouts, Rover scouts, and sea scouts, who are going to the Jamboree in Sydney. On the station last evening most of the little knots of people who waited to see the boat train leave were saying good-bye to scouts. Many scouts also had come from Dunedin, Oamaru, and Timaru, and surrounding districts. Their most earnest hope is that they will not meet the fate of the first batch, which faces the prospect of being quarantined for measles.

Tons of Tomatoes In the next two or three months some 2000 tons of tomatoes will be sent from the Avondale district into the markets and factories of Auckland. Just now there is a lull between the two seasons. The tomatoes grown under glass have practically finished, while those grown in the open air have nut yet come to maturity. The latter variety, however, is just beginning to ripen, and in the next week or so will make its appearance on the markets. Thereafter supply will be equal to all demands. Indications are for a good crop. There lias been enough rain to make the fruit swell, and to ensure vigorous growth. The season in Avondale is not early, and was a little lalor than usual this year, because of the unusual amount of rain.

Ocean Race for, Pigeons

An interesting race from the Three Kings Islands to Wellington was flown last week by a large number of birds belonging to members of the Wellington Homing Pigeon Society. The birds were carried in the Awatca, which left Auckland last Tuesday night, for Sydney, and were released when the ship was passing Three Kings at 5.6 a.vn. Hew Zealand time, on Wednesday, the weather then being fine and clear, with a moderate west-south-wesf breeze. The pigeons made a wonderful daylight flight, the first bird being timed in at Wellington at 7.25 p.m. on the same day, having flown 501 miles in 14 hours 19min, an average of slightly more than 35 miles an hour.—Press Association.

A Risky Business

Though there will always be the motorist who will give a pedestrian a lift in an emergency, the majority of car drivers are far too sensible of the damages they may have to pay in the case of injury to the fortuitously acquired passenger to make the granting of free rides a habit. The Automobile Association, Wellington, in fact, advises its members not to do so. The chairman of the association’s executive (Mr E. A. Balt) said: “We recommend our members, on the ground of the liability which may be incurred, not to take the risk.” Mr Batt spoke of the case in which a person was lent a horse to ride, without being warned that it might kick. The horse did kick the person who borrowed the horse, and he was awarded damages. There were instances where persons merely witnessing motor accidents had secured damages because of the effects upon them, and in one such case abroad the defence that it was not necessary for the woman to look at the accident, was of no avail.

Ocean Yacht Race Abandoned

The annual ocean yacht race of the Banks Peninsula Cruising Club from Lyttelton to Akaroa for the Burges Watson trophy, which was to have been held yesterday, was abandoned. During the early morning and up till the starting time at 9 a.m. a full gale was blowing from the south-west, making conditions for the race impossible.

China’s Need of Relief

More than £4OOO has been collected in New Zealand to help to provide for Chinese children left homeless by the Japanese invasion, and advice from Hong Kong indicates funds for this purpose are badly needed. ine refugees near the British concession in Hong Kong comprise a very large proportion of children, and the money that has been sent to Hong Kong by the Far East Relief Committee will be largelv used for their succour, says Dr. G. H. Maaka, in a letter to the joint council of the Order of St. John and New Zealand Red Cross Society. “Every second person has malaria, there is a terrible lot of beriberi, and several cases of smallpox have been discovered. The authorities naturally are very perturbed about the possibility of an outbreak of smallpox. More than 20,000 refugees are being cared for by other organisations, and these are wording very smoothly.”

Kumera Collection

The most varied collection of kumeras ever grown in New Zealand has been planted in recent weeks at the Government’s plant research station at Mount Albert. Between 3C and 40 different kinds of kumeras, many ot which have been imported from America and the Pacific Islands, together with the wellknown local varieties, are being raised on an area of half an acre, where their cropping qualities will be carefully compared. Started from a few kumeras, there are some thousands of plants, which are approaching the stage when runners will be formed. Already differences in appearance are to be rioted, and it will be an interesting study to watch the peculiarities of the less common varieties as the growing season advances. The aim is to ascertain the most suitable types for the Auckland district.

Steamer Express Service

The number of passengers carried in the steamer express service during the week-end constitutes a record. In the 24 hours from Saturday morning till Sunday morning, mor than 3000 passengers arrived at Lyttelton irom Wellington. The Rangatira, which arrived on Saturday morning and again on Sunday morning was a full ship on each occasion, her complement numbering about 1000. The Wahine, which arrived on Saturday evening, was also a full ship, with more than 1000 passengers and about 200 passengers were _ landed from the Maunganui on Sunday morning. In addition to these figures, the Wahine arrived at Lyttelton again yesterday morning with about 850 passengers. The numbers travelling from Lyttelton to Wellington were almost as large.

Increase in Boy Scout Membership

Although the slow decline in the birth rate shows that the number of boys of scout and cub age is decreasing, the annual returns of the Boy Scouts’ Association of New Zealand show an increase for the Dominion of 1350. The increase, it is said, is in keeping with the general upward trend of scouting throughout the world. The world figures recently compiled reveal a membership of nearly 3,000,000 boy scouts in 49 countries, not including members of the Old Scout Associations. The total in New Zealand for all branches of the movement for 1938 is 12,440, compared with 11,090 last year.

Bottle Crosses the Tasman

Having floated across the Tasman Sea, a sealed bottle thrown overboard from the Matson liner Monterey on May 24 last was picked up recently by a child playing on the Muriwai Beach. The bottle is one of those thrown overboard regularly by masters of the Matson vessels to assist the Hydrographic Office of the United States Navy with its marine survey work. This particular battle was thrown overboard by Captain E. R. Johanson at a point somewhere off Twofold Bay, on the New South Wales coast near the Victorian border; when the ship was on its way from Melbourne to Sydney.