General News

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23318, 2 May 1941, Page 8

General News

Goods Without Owners The possibility of large quantities of unclaimed goods accumulating in harbour and railway stores during the war was mentioned by Mr S. O. Dillon at last evening’s meeting of the Canterbury Chamber, of Commerce. Mr Dillon said that in Wellington the position had become serious. A difficulty was that goods were sometimes shipped for wtiich the , importer received no documents,: and in some cases goods believed to have been lost had actually been shipped on another steamer.; Mr J. Roy Smith, secretary to the chamber, said that a few months ago there was a larger accumulation of unclaimed goods in the Christchurch railway sheds, but the banks, the railway cials, and the chamber had co-operated in finding owners and had been, able to make a complete clearance. Deer-Stalkers’ Success Messrs Lance Heaphy (Berlins), C. S. Lawson (Berlins), and L. Lawson (Springfield) turned to Westport last evening from one, pf the most successful deer-stalking expeditions undertaken in the region which they traversed. Altogether 111 skins were procured. Besides deer, a number of chamois and one wild bull were killed. The party, which was away three weeks, went into the back country from Springfield and travelled 62 miles up into Browning Pass at the head of the Wilberforce branch of the Rakaia. They struck bad weather, for the first week, but for the next two-weeks it was more favourable. The best head secured was a 10-pointer measuring 44 inches in width and 43 inches in length. Issue of Petrol Licence Some surprise was caused in the .Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning when, during the hearing of a cnarge of stealing petrol, one of the defendants mentioned that he had made a four-day trip to the West Coast with his car and had been issued with a.special licence! for five gallons of petrol to enable him to return to Christchurch. “Did you go to the races at GreVmbuth while you were there?’ asked the Magistrate, Mr E. C. Levvey. "Yes,” the defendant replied. “There is something wrong with the oil fuel control somewhere,” remarked Detective-Sergeant J. McClung, who was cross-, examining the defendant. First Day’s Motor Registrations ' Expectations that fewer motorists would relicense their vehicles until the petrol allowances for June and later were known were not borne out by figures for the first day of registration in the city yesterday. The Post Office registration branch in Hereford Street issued 119 sets of number plates yesterday, a number of callers, as usual, having been on the doorsteps waiting for the office to open in the morning. The number of sets of plateslssued on the first day last year was 184, but the first day was May 6, five days nearer to the new period. In 1939, when the first day was on May 1, only 92 Sets of plates were issued. The greater portion of plates issued yesterday Were for private cars. Women Herd-Testers About 36 women, mostly from the country, Will begin a two and a half weeks’ course in herd-testing at Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln, next week. The trainees have been selected by the South Island Herd-Testing Association and will take over the work ormen who have been called for war service.. Herdtesting is not a new occupation for women, who even before the war were employed at the. 1 job. Since the war broke out many women Lave been employed at herd-testing in the North Island and a few in the South Island. Safety at Level Crossings 'A novel suggestion for, making railway crossings safer was put forward by Mr W, F. McArthur at yesterday’s meeting of the Paparua County Council. In a discussion on .rough road surfaces at railway crossings Mr McArthur commented that .it was just as well that they were rough, because they forced drivers to slow down. In fact there was a lot to be said for havhig two bumps on each road approaching a crossing. The first would be enough to make the motorist realise the qrossing was ahead, and the second should be a big enough bump to bring speeds . down to somewhere about 10 mUe^%bb ur< '■ king’s Birthday Holiday "Most of us protest at the continual recurrence of holidays, especially in this time of stress when production must be kept up, said Mr T.' N. Gibbs when a letter suggesting that the King’s Birthday holiday be held, in June instead of December was before the council of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce last evening. However, there were vested interests in the shape of labour unions which would doubtless have something to say, he said. The letter suggested that an‘early announcement of the date of the holiday be asked for. December was a bad month for business people, and June was suggested as preferable. The letter was forwarded to the Associated Chambers: Collection of Ergot An excellent response by children to the appeal made by "The Press Junior” in February for the collection of ergot to be sent to England for hospital use is reported by Mr L, W. McCaskill, writer of the nature notes for children. "I have received numerous parcels of good, clean ergot, which has been sent to Wellington,” he says. “I would like to thank particularly the pupils of the Pigeon Bay School, Mr Glen’s class at New Brighton, Mr Macfarlane’s class at West Spreydon, especially Natalie' Gibson, and Valerie Muschamp and Norma Porter, of the Shirley School.” Travelling Apples • The place of . origin of some of the apples being distributed in Dominion schools was the subject of good-humoured discussion at the annual meeting of the, Canterbury Fruitgrowers’ Association this week. The president (Mr B. T. Turner) was recalling the association’s efforts some years, ago to get free apple distribution for the schools, when one of the members put in; “But even we did not suggest that school children in Loburn should be given apples from Marlborough.” Another member capped that by saying that children in Clyde, in Central Otago, a great fruit-growing area, were getting their,school apples from Hawkes Bay. A third example was given by another member, who said that in one Auckland provincial centre the children did gqt apples from their own district, but they first had to be railed the long journey to Auckland and then sent back again. 1