TOWN AND COUNTRY

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 152, 21 March 1924, Page 3

TOWN AND COUNTRY

NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE PROVINCES

There were no lies in a certain letter, said a defendant in the Magistrate's Court at Christchurch (states the “Sun”), and be also ingenuously declared that there were no truths in statements in the letters. Later the defendant stated that a farm belonged to him—but he had no title.

At the Port Chalmers Court recently a “deep-water” seaman pleaded guilty to a charge of drunkenness, a constable having arrested him while he was endeavouring to join a train by climbing on the cow-catcher. —“Otago Daily Times.”

Golden rod, which is in flower in the gardens at present, seems to have a singular attraction for insects (says the “Taranaki Herald”). The other day one head was found to be the resting place of fi'.< bees, four butterflies, and two flies, and on the whole clump there must have been of seekers after honey.

A Native country resident writing to the clerk of the Wliangarei Magistrate’s Court (says the “Northern Advocate”) pleaded guilty to an offence against the by-laws and said, “Please forward me the amount of the costs to pay the case.”

The secretary reported to the Dannevirke Power Board meeting that the auditor was well satisfied with his examination of the board’s books. There were no tags, but the auditor mentioned that the chairman bad to affix a twopenny stamp on the receipt.— Dannevirke “Evening News.”

A new sight in the Timaru railway station yard is seen almost daily now (says the Timaru “Herald”), when loaded trucks marked “Reefton” are being shunted. This is the result of the opening of the Otira tunnel, and the trucks in question are loaded with flour, which now goes to the West Coast by rail instead of by sea.

.“I feel that our educational institutions in Palmerston North have a very legitimate claim on the generosity of those men in this community who have prospered themselves, and whose boys in many cases owe quite a dear to the start in life they received by means of their education in the schools themselves,” said the chairman of the Beard of Governors of the local High Schools in his annual report. —“Manawatu Standard.”

The fear that an epidemic of diphtheria is probable in South Taranaki was expressed by Mr. G. W. Tayler at a meeting of the Hawera Hospital Board. Mr. Tayler said he had accompanied two cases from Eltham to the Hawera Hospital, and other members reported cases from Okaiawa, Hawera, and other parts of the district. It was stated that about a dozen cases were in the Hawera Hospital.--“Tara-naki Daily News.”

“I don’t want the job; I’ve enough money to do me all my life,” declared Mr. J. Thompson, amid loud laughter, at a meeting of the Ashburton Borough Council (states the “Guardian”). The council was discussing a question of having a certain engineering job done, and Mr. Thompson was not satisfied with the price suggested. Some subtle remark, made jocularly, prompted Mr. Thompson’ to declare his independence. |

A very interesting controversy was settled at the Wairoa racecourse as to the relative speeds of a racing motor-cycle and an aeroplane (states an exchange). Captain Fowler piloted the aeroplane, while Coleman rode the motor-cycle. The aeroplane was able to keep ahead of the cycle when flying with the wind, but against it doleman easily led —to such an extent that after a few laps the aeroplane gave up the attempt.

The motorist who last week established a record for the Auckland-Wel-lington journey is to be prosecuted b.y the Waitomo County Council for exceeding the speed limit (says the “Taranaki Daily News”),, the council having instructed its ranger to take action. When the matter was discussed at the meeting of the council last week Councillor Boddy said: “He was going so fast when he got out of the town that when he blew his horn (which was a good one) before he got to the corners, ho was out of sight round them before the sound reached us. That’s an absolute fact.”

“It is not an accident that Britannia rules the waves and that Germony waives the rules,” said Professor J. Macmillan Brown, trenchantly, during the course of an address in Christchurch (says the “Press”). He was dealing with the coming of Christianity to Germany, and advanced the theory that as Christianity had not reached Germany until the 11th cenury, this accounted for lower ethical standards in that country. It accounted, he declared, for the cruelty shown during the Thirty Years War and during the late war as well.

Personal magnetism, that elusive quality said to be a sure key to success in business or other undertakings, may prove to bo a handicap in some other ways, according to the story told to a Greymouth “Star” reporter 'o.v a watchmaker. A Greymouth resident, he said, purchased a ten-guinea watch from another firm in the town, but found that he could not depend upon it to keep going. As ho said, “the watch went when he went.” Six or seven tries by the firm who sold the watch failed to locate any defect, and it kept running all right while in their possession. In despair, the owner of the troublesome timepiece took it to the watchmaker referred to. He examined it closely for a few days, and it did not adopt the go-slow policy once. So he returned it to the owner again. Half an hour afterwards the watch was returned by a disgusted man—stopped. The watchmaker restarted it, but shortly after tho owner put it in his pocket, it again went on strike. Tho secret dawned upon tho watchmaker. The magnetism in the owner’s body was sufficient to affect the watch, and that accounted for its stopping. Such cases were very rare, he said, and he had previously never met one. The only thing for the magnetic man co do was to secure a non-mngnotic watch. One of these was shown to the reporter, and had tlio words “non-magnetic lever” stamped upon the dial.

I “Once again the dairy fanners of Now Zealand have had to pay the pen1 alty of irregular ■ shipments of their produce to the London market,” said an export to the “Taranaki Daily ■ News” when pointing out that the rapid decline in quotations for butter and cheese was largely due to the fact that in a little over three weeks Tooley Street was compelled to deal with a fraction over a sixth of the Dominion’s annual output of butter and 1 slightly more than a third of the out- ' put of cheese. New Zealand’s annual ' production of butter and cheese is about 60.000 tons of each commodity. Tn this period between February 8 and March 8 the arrivals in London amounted to 9714 tons of butter and 18,913 tons of chcoae.

Wanganui carriers are carting driftwood at Gonville for five shillings a load, one man having earned £2O since the flood (states the “Herald”). Others who are devoting their efforts to splitting timber for fence posts are making over two shillings per post, one man having sold ten pounds’ worth. Largo quantities of wood remain stranded on the beach at Gonville, although at high water the lighter pieces aro being washed away.

The perplexed question of the best means of collecting the maximum amount of fees owed by hospital patients without oppressing the deserving poor, or unfortunate victims of accident or disease, occupied the attention of the Fees Committee of the Auckland Hcspital Board at a long and arduous sitting held last week (states the “Herald”). Only in one case was the whole debt remitted. Other debtors agreed to pay by instalments. Five more, rather than face Court proceedings, paid £6l out of £B9 owing. Eight cases, representing claims totalling £326, will come before the Magistrate’s Court on March 27. Old and irrecoverable accounts, untraced debtors, odd balances, and other items, represent a total of £11,443. Of this sum the board agreed to allow reductions in respect of £2085, and write off £9358.

In view of the prevalence of summer sickness among children in Auckland, steps have been taken by Dr. Chesson, relieving medical officer of health, to bring about a general clean-up of back yards in and about the citv (states the “Herald”). The co-operation of the municipal authorities has been scught in the matter. Investigation it< also being made into the state of the various dairy farms from which the city is supplied.

In ono rush day at tho Auckland Hospital last week (states tho “Herald"; no lower than 49 new patients were admitted—a circumstance which taxed the resources of the authorities in finding the requisite accommodation. Tho total number of beds in the hospital is 525, but these figures include the infectious diseases ward. Statistics presented at the last meeting of the Hospital Board showed that the number of patients on the last day of February was 468.

Tlie recent statement bv the Mayor of Palmerston North, Mr. F. J. Nathan, that the cost of the completion of tho gasworks had been under-esti-mated to tho extent of £25,000 was corroborated at the Borough Council meeting the other evening (says the “Manawatu Tinies”), when a special committee presented a report cn the whole position. The collapse of the Short Street gasometer was tho subject of a brief debate, the result of which was the decision to call in expert advice. The Mayor’s analysis of the electric light finances repealed the startling fact that the balance-sheet shows a deficit of £20,000, and with extras still necessary, the sum of £35,000 will have to be found to complete the scheme. To provide for this, the council the other evening decided to approach tho ratepayers for authority to boiTOw £35,000.

In a letter to the Onehunga Borough Council Mr. C. A. Robinson lodged a protest against the action of lhe council in granting to the Salvation Army a permanent stand at the corner of Church Street West and close to -the dispensing room of nis pharmacy (states the Auckland “Star”). _ “It does not matter on Tuesday evenings, ’ he said, “but to have a band playing on Friday evenings and a lot of very loud talking and preaching going on so near is very disconcerting, especially when the writer is making up a prescription where accuracy is most necessary.” Mr. Robinson stated that he had no animosity against the Salvation Army, but lie protested against tho latter bein'- allowed to assemble at this corner every Friday night (which is a late shopping night), when there are other corners not immediately adjacent to a chemist’s dispensing room. It was decided to refer the matter to the Mayor, Mr. Robinson, and the ciaprtain of the Salvation Army to confer with a view to an amicable arrangement being made.

During the past week the mosquito pest seems to have been at its height (states the Auckland “Star”). Whether the somewhat cooler weather has driven the troublesome insects indoors is just a matter of conjecture, but that they are present in large numbers in the homes of the neonle was proved very forcibly durinw the past few days by social workers who come into contact with those who live in humble homes not far from some or the marshy areas. Mothers showed how their children had been bitten by the venomous posts, and open sores were often the result. As soon as ever the lights were put out at night mosquitos commence their nefarious work, and cannot be deflected from their purpose bv simple remedies whie.i used to bo so effective in keeping them at bay. Anointing th' children s faces with highly pungent flavoured oils was once considered a good remedy, but now the mosquitos seem so vicious that it is verv difficult to scare then away. Mothers seemed at their wits end to know how to protect their children, and they wanted to know what was being done to clean up tho breeding grounds, many of which can bo so easily located.

' To cope with the blue gum scale in plantations in Manawatu. the Government (states an exchange) has introduced a quantity of the Australian lady-birdl which have proved very satisfactory in infected areas in the south.

“If the railways are to be superseded by motor tralfic we cannot stop it, said the chairman, at a meeting of the Wanganui District Highways Council. “Possibly thu railways have already paid for themselves by the country they have opened up. The Waimarmo district went through it, and the valuations are now possibly increased jhice or four times what it cost. The building of the railway was responsible lor increasing the valuation to that extent.”

“A farmer said to mo that lime was no good, and showed me a paddock where he had limed a patch,” said Mr. W. J. McCullough, Government Agricultural instructor, at Masterton (reports the “Age”). “The patch was bare, while there was a fair growth on the rest of the paddock. The reason was that he had put stock on the pasture and the sheep had made immediately for the sweet grass on the limed patch, eating it bare. But the farmer did not realise this.”

Ilio Bishop of Nelson :s a strong opponent of gambling in any shape or form, as means of raising funds for Church purposes (states an exchange). At a Picton meeting, he told bis hearers that only recently he had to respectfully turn down an offer of a gift from a generous donor because of the ambitions that it should be raffled for the fund being raised for the Cathedral at Nelson. “I would rather not see one brick of the Cathedral laid,” said His Lordship, “than be a party to the raising of funds by such purposes.”