TOWN AND COUNTRY

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 252, 20 July 1922, Page 3

TOWN AND COUNTRY

NEWS AM) NOTES FROM THE PROVINCES

The Christchurch tramway accident record for June show’s an unusually large number of persons who came to grief through alighting from cars in motion (states the “Press”). Eleven cases were reported, some of them receiving painful superficial injuries, and others suffered from shock.

“It is a remarkable thing that despite the tightness of money in Now Zealand the tourist traffic is busier than ever, said Mr. C. Wallnutt, the Government tourist agent, to an Auckland “Star" reporter. Practically every steamer from Vancouver and Australia brings numbers of tourists. For the period ending June the number of callers and' the bookings were equal to the same period last year, and 1921 Mr. Wiillnutt said was a record tourist year.

Mr. Hall, the delegate from the Taxpayers’ Federation, addressing the members of the Auckland Industrial Association, related (says the “Star”) that before the war the rate of telegraphing was 30 words a minute, in 1921 it had dropped to 15 but when the Postmaster-General had an investigation and insisted on “speeding up,” the rate was raised to 25 -words a mjnute, with every prospect of getting back to the pre-war speed. That inefficiency had gone on for a long while before being checked.

“Tire defendant is a married mas with a young family; otherwise he is well behaved,” said a Dunedin police l representative when prosecuting an offender against the liquor law, (states the “Star”). The faux pas created a laugh which became heartier when it was seen that the officer did not readily grasp the reason for it. Even the Court orderly ’was 'and forgot to shout “Silence!”

Viscount Jellicoc, speaking at Greytown ou Tuesday (reports the “Age”), said he was deeply distressed to learn, on conversing with the returned soldiers, that some of them were out of employment. Ho had hoped that unemployment was more or less confined to the big cities and it was sad' indeed to find even here in Greytown that thov had some unemployed. He could only hope that work would be found far them before long and that this period of distress would soon disappear.

The übiquitous “bunny” appears to he making a home for himself, on the Dunedin Town Helt, in the vicinity of Boslvn (states the “Star”). Often late at night ho disports himself on the rails in front of the Stqart Street cable tram, and causes a lot of amusoy ment when he finds himself in the Haro of the lamp in front of the car. This happens frequently whore the car passes the Belt near the Moana Tennis Club courts. Pedestrians coming up or down th© hill- n-t night (ilso dirturb parties feeding in the grass.

A New Zealand bellbird has taken up his abode in a lucerne tree m Mr. T. Aylward’s'garden at Tuna, New I lymouth district (states the “Herald ), and has already been in residence tor about three weeks. In view of the endless • discussion among naturalists and others as to. the true identity ot the bellbird this visitor is a particularly interesting 'one. Mr- Aylward, who is a keen observer of Now Zealand bird life, vouches for this as the genuine bollbird. He Ims closely observed it through glasses to assure nimselr. It is a small dusky green bird with a fine bill, and its notes are described as bell-like and beautiful. The bellbird is frequently confused with the bltie-wattled crow, and by its variety lias become a bird of great interest to naturalists. How this specimen strayed so far afield from its natural haunts is difficult to explain, but he is apparently at home there, and makes his presence known by melodious chiming each morning. ,•

Two Auckland couples who went for a free ride in a “borrowed” car the other day are still thinking hard and cheerlessly over tho twists of chance (says< the “Star”). A well-known Auckland land agent is tho owner or the car in the case. Upon visiting tho garage where he houses his cars., ho was surprised to discover this'particular car missing, and a little later he received a telephone ring from a firm of motor-car repairers, asking for the job of recommissioning his damaged car. The owner now began to take notice hurriedly, and in answer to his somewhat’agitated inquiries ho was informed that the machine was lyimr in h considerably damaged state outside the Purowa cemetery. Further investigation -showed that at the time it took the wrong turning, and sat on its own hood, tho car was occupied bv two men and two women, and that in the smash two of the party, a man and a woman, each suffered a broken collarbone and other injuries, while the mjurv to the automobile itself will take nt least £6O to remedy. Tho. matter is now in the hands of the police, and promises further experiences for tho Joy-riders.

A fatal accident occurred at Burnett’s Face Mine, near Greymouth, on Friday last. The victim was William Booth. He was very tall end' had to stoop coming through a low part of the mine, and evidently thinking he had reached a high part he stood up, his head coming in violent contact with’ the roof. His mate, E. Davis who was in front of Booth, heard him fall, and, looking back, saw that the man was injured. He obtained assistance and carried him out of the mine. Booth was conveyed to the Denniston Hosnital where he died on Wednesday. Mr. Mannsell. Coroner, held an inouest on Thursday, when E. Davis Hewson (mino manager), D b. Thomas (check inspector), and Dr. Monzio gnvo evidence. A verdict was returned that deceased mot his death from haemorrhage of tho spine, caused through his hend coming in contact with the roof of tho mine, no blame boing attachable to anyone. Deceased was 3,5 voars of age. He leaves a widow and two children, one four years of ago and one seven months old.

The Post Office collects duty on good's arriving per parcel post, and in other ways it is related to the Customs Department nob only In the matter of parentage, but functionally, both being revenue cpllcctors. One wouxl naturally think (says the Dunedin “Star")' that with these Departments there would' be some sort of uniformity in their dealings with the public, arid it seems strange that their practice in regard to duty receipts is distinctly at variance. 'rhe Customs, which collects in pounds, is willing to give an importer a receipt on a form that is printed and ruled in black ink, provided tho particulars are filled in in red ink The Post Office Department, that, deals in shillings, stipulates that the whole form a.nd the whole filling thereof must bo in red. WhyP Singly there is no political significance in the colour! The Post Office cannot be feeling the way towards the Bod Feds. The evidence that the liking for red is not to bo so interpreted lies in the fact that a change is contemJ dated. .Representations on the suboct, emanating from Dunedin, are answered by the assurance that the Question of permitting an admixture of red and black is under consideration. It is to bo hoped that the ruminations will not be so deep as to upset anyDody’s mental balance.

\ There lived many years ago in this district (states tho “Manawatu Herald”) a somewhat eccentric old man, since dead. Ho had no relatives in New Zealand, and livbd by himself. He suffered from a delusion that someone was going to take his life. He confided in one man, since deceased, but whose widow is still living here. In conversation with our representative recently she informed us that the old man accumulated a fairly large sum of money. He/buried five hundred sovereigns in a receptacle in a certain locality, and although he made diligent search for the hidden treasure failed, to locate tho exact spot. In her opinion the earth still retains its treasure, and someone will one day discover it. We are not permitted to mention tho locality.

Fathers and mothers ought to read this paragraph (says i the Dunedin “Star”). A man who was doing a walk on the Ocean Beach a few nights ago, to warm himself before going to bed, heard tho giggling of girls, and in a few strides came upon a party of three, apparently about fourteen years of age. each with a young man's arm round her. Acting on the spur of the moment, his fatherly instincts uppermost, ho asked tho girls: “Are these your brothers?” Amidst some tittering they replied > in the negative. “Then do vou know what you aro up to?” he questioned. Thereupon the three cavaliers intervened, asking: "Who are you? What are you sticking your nose in for?” As a fact he had no official authority, but he assumed it effectively by threatening to boot the lads off if they did not go of their own accord, and ho finished off his job by marching the three girls to the road, and seeing them safely away in a tramcar. As he afterwards remarked, it might have been innocent fooling, but it might not; and if tho girls had been his own daughters he- would have felt thankful for the intervention.

' The question of growing sugar-beet to profit in this Dominion has often boon discussed, and even some perfunctory trial has been made of it (states tho “Wanganui Herald”). , A recent discovery made by a Belgian chemist may help to solve the -problem. Hitherto it has been impossible to extract more than about 50 to 60 per cent, of the sugar contained in tho molasses, which is tantamount to saying 20 per cent, of the sugar contained in the beetroot is wasted. By using the process discovered by M. Camille Deguide, it is said that by much the greater part of this loss can ba avoided, and at comparatively small cost.

A letter received in Auckland last -Wednesday with the superscription ‘/posted at sea,” arrived by a strange chance some weeks earlier than it was expected (states an exchange). Tho mail steamer Ventura, bound from Sydney to Sap Francisco, discovered two stowaways on board, when some days out at sea, and as the American law renders tho captain liable to a penalty for landing stowaways, wireless communication ivas established with the Sonoma. As the vessels approached each other tho passengers and crews collected letters which they had not expected to post until port was made, and as tho stowaways were placed on tho Sonoma for passage back to Sydney tho mails were exchanged.

The question of military defaulters and sport came up at the annual meeting .of the Otago Centre of -tho Now Zealand Athletic and Cycling Union when (states the '‘Otago Daily Times”), Mr. A. Polwortli moved that tho following bo forwarded as a. remit to the conference of tho New Zealand Union, to be held at Eltham in September: —“That no ‘shirker,’ military defaulter, or undesirable person b« allowed to compete at any meeting held under the rules of tho New Zealand Athletic and Cycling Union.” Mr. T. Reid seconded tho motion. Ho said that ho himself. was a returned soldier, and considered that if a person did not think his country worth fighting for, then the field of sport was too clean for him to enter. (Hear, hear.) Mr. A. A. Campbell asked whore the line was to be drawn as regards undesirable persons. Mr. 4V. Retrnick moved as an amendment that the words “undesirable persons” be deleted. Mr. Campbell seconded. and tho motion amended was carried.

A motor-car with eight passengers from Wairakei to Rotorua had a narrow escape during last Sunday’s earthquake in the Taupo district (states the Auckland “Herald’s” correspondent) at a point where the high cliffs fringe the road. When tho shako was at its worst tho passengers were horrified to sea jhe whole face of the cliff apparently moving outward. Owing )#hsibly to vibration the car failed to ac celorato and a large section, of earth descended behind it. Then it fortunately gathered speed, and a huge mass of cliff eamo away, missing them by a second. The passengers and driver state (that the whole face of tho cliff seemed in motion, and was swaying and forwards under tho tremors.

In tho course of the last week or two there has been a ptonouncedchange in public opinion in Blenheim in regard to tho river harbour, probably as tho result of the recent hint from 'the Union Company that unless the Pieton service is better supported the Wainui may bo withdrawn altogether (states the “Express”). At a public meeting disparaging references to tho river aS a ditch and so on were greeted with applause, and some of the speeches showed a tqndoncy to favour Picton as against tho local harbour. Even so, thcro were others who were out and out in favour of concentrating on the “ditch,” while tho fact Was generally recognised that so long as tho river remains open it will always bo a competitor of the Picton service. •

Messrs. H. Ward and John Gray, who have been carrying on prospecting operations on the West Coast lor tho past three months, have returned to Riverton (says tho “Western Star”). In the course ol 1 a conversation, Mr. Ward stated that the telephone wires to Puysegur wore broken in several places, and as a result the lighthouse keepers are shut out from civilisation. The track overland was almost impassably in many places, and the Government should take steps to have this remedied. At Gates’s the party discovered several reefs and samples had been sent to tho School of Mines for treatment. A small quantity of alluvial gold was also obtained. The party travelled overland, and at tho Mairaurahiri and the Waitutu tho cages, although not in first-class order, were utilised in crossing those rivers. At Big River a largo landslip has fallen .near the mouth, and as a consequence tho lake has risen fully four foot. Wild ducks and swans are numerous here, and from the Waiau as far as Wilson’s River deer were met with in largo numbers, and. in the opinion of Mr. Ward, there should be some good sport’ there in the course of a fow years. Tho small native birds, .such as tho tui, robin, bellbird, and parakeets, have all disappeared, due to the presence of stoats and-weasels, which are increasing at a rapid rate. Tho kakapo aud kiwi have also disappeared.