TOWN AND COUNTRY

Dominion, Volume 17, Issue 288, 22 August 1923, Page 3

TOWN AND COUNTRY

NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE PROVINCES

The egg market came a crash in Wanganui last week (says the “Herald”), and the retail price is now Is. 4d. per dozen.

“A black opossum rug is a very valuable thing until you find out who blackened it; that may make all the difference,” observed His Honour Mr. Justice Chapman in the Supreme Court at New Plymouth (states the “Daily News”), when some purchases made by a Maori were under discussion.

Loud voiced ratepayer at the Castlecliff meeting on Saturday evening: “How many pa.nnikan bosses are there on the sewer job?” The chairman failed to answer such a knotty question.—“ Chronicle.”

Dobson mining property is now in the hands of the Crown, which is putting down more bores on it before considering tbe question of disposal of the property (states the Westport “News”). A number of offers have been received, but in all cases they asked the Government to assist.

The comprehensive nature of the task of supplying electrical current to tho residents of Southland, as undertaken by the Electric Power Board, can be gathered by the fact (states an exchange) thal to traverse the roads along which the service lines have already been erected will take five days’ hard driving by motor-car.

Nothing in New Zealand so typicallj marks the return of spring and the closing days of winter as the beautiful white clusters of native clematis (Puawananga), which in sunny spots is now in full bloom in Palmerston North (notes the “Daily Times”).

“He came straight for •> e,” stated defendant in a collision case at<the Magistrate’s Court tat Masterton (relates an exchange). “In • ther words,” commented His Worship, Mr. F. K Hunt, “he came across the road intent on committing suicide.” “It seemed like it,” rejoined the defendant

“1 don’t care about secret trials,’ said Mr. Justice Chapman at New Ply mouth (states an exchange), when informing counsel that he did not ea courage the making of < rders for the suppression of an accused person’s name. There uss a different reason applicable in the lower Court, he* added.

A traveller tells the story of a visit he made to Greymouth (states the Westport “News”). On arrival there he engaged a conveyance to take him and his luggage to a hotel. The owner of the car took him some < onsideralde distance and finally landed him at his destination, charging him ss. for doing so. Later, he was chagrined to find that the railway station nas just over the road from the hotel.

Two years ago a well-known Te Kuitr resident returned from a holiday to Australia with two turtles. After a week or so (relates the local “Chronicle”) one disappeared, and has not been seen since. The f-ther haunted the precincts of the .house for nearly thiee months before it, too. finally disappeared. On going to the gate for the mail the other day, one of the members of the family v $s considerably surprised to see the latter turtle sunning itself on the hanks of a creek near tho gate. For twenty months the turtle, apparently, had lived near the creek incidentally, surviving almost two severe winters. ■

What is claimed to be the world’s smallest and dearest newspaper exists on Thursday Island. It is med the “Daily Pilot,” owned by a woman, and is only two short columns <i l ews, and of a small page, about nine inches in length by about four in width. Shipping intelligence receives premier position. Then follow condensed reports of the outstanding events in each of the Australian capitals. Advertisements are few, and •onsequently the journal has to depend upon its circulation almost entirely. The Inhabitants eagerly look for it each day as it is one of the few connecting links with ilisation.

The Mayor of a rising borough situated not a hundred miles from the Empire City recently boarded the steamer in Sydney, en route for tome (says the Napier “Daily Telegraph”). On reaching the ship an old New Zealand acquaintance made himself known to His Worship, and after a few preliminaries asked for tho loan of a fiver until the boat reached Wellington. On being handed the amount the borrowerer turned round and introduced to the Mayor two gentlemen, ‘Mr. and Mr. , both friends of mine.” All went well until Wellington was reached, when it transpired that the borrower’s two “friends” were policemen> in mufti, and that they were escorting the gentleman who landed the fiver back to New Zealand to make certain explanations before a Magistrate.

A leading Wanganui drapery house, importing direct from Home, 1 ave been advised by cable of a drop of approximately 20 per cent, in the prices for calico sheetings and of . bout 10 per cent, on other general cotton goods (states the “Chronicle”). The advice comes from one of the world’s best known manufacturers, and the fall is aparently due to the conditions obtaining in the larger markets. It is contemplated that other manufacturers will also temporarily come into line and this points to a favourable opportunity for buying.

The opportunity was taken by Mr. E. W. F. Gohns’at a special meeting of the Wanganui Borough Council (states the “Chronicle”) to reiterate, in consequence of a letter that appeared in tho Press, his previous statement that the Government were paying Civil servants who were away from their work through the epidemic. “The statement is quite correct,” he added.

According to a statement made to a reporter by a Reef ton mining man, the present winter has been one of the most severe experienced in the Reefton district during* tbe past forty years. About a fortnight ago, with a small party of workmen, he was engaged blasting ice—some of it over one foot in thickness —in the Snowy River in order to allow a flow of water into the intake that supplies a battery.

The expeditious manner in which wool sales are conducted was the subject of comment by Mr. J. Trewin at a meeting of the executive of thin Auckland Provincial Farmers’ Union (states an exchange). He thougnv that a little more time should be given instead of rushing the lots through. It appeared to him that the auctioneers vied with one another as to who could get the greatest number of bales through in the shortest time. The matter had been discussed in ‘Wanganui and other places, and it appeared to him that the Auckland executive should express their opinion. The president (Mr. A. E. Harding) saicr inai th© subject had been discussed nt the Dominion conference of the union, and the expert members assured the delegates there was no place in the world where wool sales were more efficiently conducted than in New Zealand. The wool was valued by tho auvers before hand, and he did not think that the wav in which the sales were carried out resulted in loss of money to any ono.

That the method of °P eira . t ’"®-nv automatic fire alarm is not understood was evidenced land last Saturday evening, when tl glass of the alarm-box at the Mount Albert tram terminus was broken in all good faith by a petltestnan who saw flames issuing from the chimn y dwelling. Immediately he discovered that the chimney - died out. and he hastened ?° the brigade that their services veio not required (states the Star >• . communicating with the fire • • however, he was informed that no call had been received. The brigade electrician examined the alarm-box, discovered that the sy^ 0 + m +bA* wellthorough working order but the v e meaning citizen, though he had broken the glass, had neglected to press t button.

An example of the lack of knowledge of Now Zealand displayed by many people in thte United, State? is afforded bv the receipt by an Auckland business man of a letter from a fiim of publishers in New York, addressed Auckland. New Zealand, England (states an exchangfe). Commenting this, the recipient said it was rawer surprising that American business men, who were usually considered to bo so Tip to date, should be so ignorant o the position of New Zealand, and it showed that this country had received insufficient publicity in the United States. Somfe months ago this country States. Some months ago a New Zealander, on returning from a visit to the United States, had informed him that several Americans had asked whether New Zealand was close to England.

Indications that the same number of visitors from other parts of the Dominion did not . patronise Grand National Week this year, as compared with last year, are given not only by the decreased totalisator investments but also by the diminished tramway traffic returns (states the “Press ). Up to Friday the tramway receipts were £25.-1 less than for the corresponding period in Grand National Week lasi year. It is not exacted that Saturday’s traffic returns will be sufficient io wipe out this deficiency.

A great deal has been said about the limestone canes at Inangahua Junction, but very few people know where they are (states the Westport “News”). ' The Tourist Department sent some one down to locate them some time ago, but was unsuccessful. Councillor Dellavedova, in mentioning this fact at a meeting of the Buller County, said that .some residents had recently visited the caves. the entrance to which had been blocked, and they were very enthusiastic about them. One of the residents had seen most of the more widely known caves in Australia, and said, those at Inangahua were in line with the best of them. Councillor Dellavedova recalled tourists inspecting the caves thirty years ago. and he was sure that if the Tourist Department had them definitely located and a track cut to. them many tourists would make a point of inspecting the caves, liho council decided to bring the, matter under the notice of the Department.

The strength of New Zealand beer was responsible for the appearance of two firemen from s.s. Westmoreland, John Joseph Fitzpatrick, and James Corcoran, before Mr. A. M. Mowlem. S.M., at New Plymouth (states the “News”), to answer a charge of having stolen two cases of gin from thte Breakwater Hotel on Friday. It appeared that the men had spent a considerable part of the day in the hotel, and had imbibed very freely. They were seen coming on board the steamer with a package under a coat, informing the fourth officer that it was » gramophone. Search of .the firemen’s Quarters, revealed a distinct odour of gin, and most of the hands were in a prettv fair state of ‘drunkenness, all the gin except one bottle having been drunk. Corcoran denied all knowledge of the theft, as did Fitzpatrick. The~ latter said that he remembered coming aboard drunk and receiving a few “nips” of gin. after which his mind became a blank. He remembered nothing about the taxi ride to the po'ice station, or what had happened until he woke up in the cells on Saturday morning. Both men wtere sentenced to three weeks’ imprisonment and ordered to be placed on board the steamer before she left New Zaland.

For the satisfaction of some people whose ideas as to the relation between sentences imposed and the term actually served are hazy, it may be as well to state that nowadays it is seldom that a prisoner is discharged before he has nearly or has fully completed his sentence (states . the Dunedin “Star”). In the earlier years of the present century it was usual for a. well-behaved prisoner to be released after Serving three-fourths of his sentence. That system has been altered. The prisoner now must serve his full term though not necessarily all of it in gaol. Under the Prisons Board actual release may take place when hut half the sentence has expired, but the, culprit remains under constant police supervision for tho remaining half, this amout of liberty being entiiiely dependent on good behaviour, failure to comply with probationary requirements meaning a return to gaol.

Regarding the new weather conditions (says tho Auckland “Star’.’), o passenger travelling in a tramcar gave utterance to a theory which is novel enough to cause some thinking. A sharp shower descended, causing the facial expressions of passengers to assume a look of impatient' martyrdom. “The weather conditions are changing all over the world,” remarked the gentleman referred, to. “Some people have considered this to be due to the artillery firing during the war. But intense gunfire was really only in a limited area, and could hardly cause such a meteorological effect all over the world. No, I think these now weather conditions are caused by wireless. It stands to i<eason that hundreds of thousands of electric currents being continuously shot through the atmosphere disturb the heavens. Take it from me —they’ll find this out vet.” Possibly “Wireless in Relation to" the Weather” would form an interesting matter for debate among scientists.

A new system of treating timber for dairy factory reouirements has been adopted by a Southland firm, who have installed at one of their mills a kiln with a capacity of hO.OOO feet. Briefly the method of treating the timber is to subject it to a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit for a certain period. It was explained to a “Southland Times’' reporter by the head of the firm concerned that in supnlving dairv factories’ reouirements they found groat difficulty in seasoning the timber owing to climatic conditions. They found the new process much more sntmfactorv than the old method of drying in racks. Shrinkage was practically eliminated which meant a <rreat deal, especially in the manufacture of butter box timber.