General News

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24151, 10 January 1944, Page 4

General News

Heavy Rail Traffic on Saturday

Railway traffic on all West Coast lines was exceptionally heavy on Saturday. Ten cars comprised the special race train from Greymouth to Reefton, which carried 320 passengers, while a special train from Westport was also well patronised. The relief train from Greymouth to Christchurch comprised 10 cars, with 400 passengers, and the main express 12 cars, with 480 passengers. The relief train from Christchurch carried 440 passengers in 11 cars, and the Midland express carried 400 in 10 cars. Power Failure Consumers of electricity supplied by the South Canterbury Electric Power Board were without power most of yesterday. The breakdown was caused by a cable end box at the Public Works Department’s sub-station at Grant’s Hill blowing out at 6.20 a.m. At 10.45 a.m. the power board’s load was transferred to the Timaru Municipal Electric Department, which gave a limited supply for cooking and refrigerating purposes for an hour. At 11.45 this supply was switched over to the county districts to assist dairy farmers. The full supply was restored at 4.45 p.m. Fataua Moa Bones The moa bones found recently at Pataua, near Whangarei Heads, have been identified by the director of the Auckland Museum, Dr. Gilbert Archey, as those of the dinornis giganteus, the largest of the species. Writing to the curator of the Whangarei Museum, Miss K. Pickmore, Dr. Archey states that Pataua was a noted place for moa bones and that as early as 1876 discoveries had been made in that locality. Dr. Archey hopes soon to visit Whangarei. and with Miss Pickmere will conduct a search, to secure, if possible, the whole or the greater part of the skeleton. Soldiers’ Chocolate

Arrangements have been made by the National Patriotic Fund Board for the inauguration of a postal chocolate scheme for members of the New Zealand Forces serving overseas, similar to the board’s postal tobacco scheme. The new service, which will be inaugurated on January 17, had been under consideration for some time, according to the secretary of the board (Mr G. A. Hayden), but it had not been possible to complete the arrangements until recently. Mr Hayden added that the chocolate to be used had been specially made to withstand tropical temperatures. For 5s 6d two pounds of chocolate would be specially packed in a sealed tin and would be posted to a member of the New Zealand Forces serving, anywhere overseas. Order forms were available at all post offices, but could be accepted only at a money order office. Grass Firew Several grass fires were dealt with during the week-end by the Christchurch Fire Brigade. At 2.14 o’clock yesterday afternoon, the brigade received a call to premises occupied by Mr R. O’Brien at 42 Colombo street, where a grass fire had occurred. About half-an-hour later, fire broke out in some gorse on a section owned by Mr O. Cox, in Wai-iti terrace, Fendalton. On Saturday, grass fires broke out on the railway line at Antigua street about 1.30 p.m., and at 87 Shakespeare road shortly after 9 a.m. In both cases, the brigade soon had the outbreaks under control. When a fire occurred at premises occupied by Wise Brothers in Moorhouse avenue at 2.44 o’clock on Saturday afternoon, damage was done to a fence and to a small stack of timber. f Damage by Broken Bottles Broken bottles during Christmas week caused 40 Wellington City Corporation buses to have tyses repaired. Ten tyres were cut right through to the lining fabric and completely ruined. The tyres cost £35 each. The present state of the tramway tracks is also causing minor injuries to bus tyres where slivers of steel are picked up. Long Parliament By voting itself a ninth year of office, the present House of Commons becomes the longest Parliament since 1679, and the second-longest in British history, states the London News Bureau of Fact. The longest was for 18 years from 1661-1679 in the reign of Charles 11. It passed the Habeas Corpus Act. The present Parliament has been maintained so long (1935-1943) that no citizen under the age of 28 has ever voted in a general election. The present Parliament has ■ seen three Kings, three Prime Ministers (Earl Baldwin, Mr Chamberlain, and Mr Churchill), a Royal Jubilee, an abdication, an outbreak of war, and the destruction by Nazi bombs of the historic Commons Chamber. With little opposition, the

House of Commons accepted the bill prolonging Parliament’s life for another year. Many Visitors to Timani Three excursion trains to Timaru yesterday carried 892, 719, and 325 passengers respectively. The train from Timaru carried 537 passengers. No Accident Admissions The holiday period in some previous years has been marred by a crop of accidents, but, according to records kept at the Christchurch Public Hospital, this has not been so this year. Since New Year’s Day, there have been no accident admissions to the hospital. In the same period of 1942, there were at least five persons admitted to the hospital suffering from injuries received in accidents. Partial Drought in Wellington Officially and meteorologically speaking, Wellington is not having a real drought, only a partial one (says the “Dominion”). An absolute drought is defined as a period of 15 days without any measurable rainfall. A partial drought is a period of 29 days in which the total rainfall does not exceed 29 points, Wellington’s dry spell started on December 4 after three inches of rain on the two previous days. On the 14th one point of rain fell, on the 18th four points, on the 24th four, and on January 2 five points, and traces on other days. Hence there has been no period of 15 days with no rain at all. But from December 4 to January 6, inclusive, a period of 34 days, there fell only 14 points of rain, so during that period there has been a partial drought. Wellington periodically in its meteorological history has not infrequently had absolute and partial droughts. In 1928, there was an absolute drought lasting 31 days, a period between January 14 and February 13. Again in 1934, the year of Wellington’s last good summer, there was an absolute drought of 20 days, and a partial drought of 46 days lasted from the end of November till January, 1935.

Weather Affects Milk Supply

The hot, dry weather which has prevailed as far north as Palmerston North in one direction and Pahiatua in the other, is beginning to affect Wellington’s milk supply. Because of the increased demand for mil during the last five years, Wellington has to go much farther afield for its supplies than Otaki, which was the northernmost point of supply for some years, but dairy-farmers about Otaki still supply the bulk of Wellington’s country milk, up to about 5000 gallons a day in the spring. A report received from the Wellington City Corporation’s factory at Otaki last Thursday stated that, because of the dry weather and shrinkage of good pasturage, the milk supply to the factory was down about 700 gallons a day, or more than 10 per cent, on the daily quantity received m the flush of the spring season. Similarly the supply from other sources to the city municipal milk department is down in about the same proportion. Nearby farmers, who supply fresh milk to the public and the camps are similarly affected. If the dry weather continues in temperatures such as have been experienced during the last three weeks, the shrinkage in returns is likely to become accentuated. . Total Eclipse of Sun The first of this year’s eclipses, a total eclipse of the sun, is due to take place during the early hours of January 26, but no phase of it will be visible in New Zealand. The path of totality extends across the Eastern Pacific. South America, the Atlantic, and north-west Africa.