NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 18, 16 October 1933, Page 2

NEWS IN BRIEF

Items of Interest 1 FROM ALL QUARTERS Judgment by default was given by _ Mr. S. L. I’atersou, S.M., in the Hamilt ton Magistrate’s Court last week for the sum of 2d. Action bad been taken ■- by the Commissioner of Taxes for the recovery of income tax from a defaulter totalling £5/18/2. Neglect to forward the odd amount of 2d resulted in ’ the defendant being ordered to pay 3/court costs in addition to the 2d. A new scheme was introduced at St. . Margaret’s College, Christchurch, sports last week, by which every competitor who is placed can have a permanent record for future reference of • her performances during her period at “ the college. Each competitor who received a prize received also a scroll on - which, together with her name, will be written details of her successes. Next , year and in every future year during ‘ which she is a competitor her results i will be written on the scroll, and when she leaves the school she will be able to take with her this permanent re- . cord of her athletic achievements. I, Forgetfulness on the part of the Christchurch public covers a wide range if the variety of articles found on trams during a year is any indication. A miscellaneous . collection of 4893 articles was found on cars during the year ended March 31 last, according to a report presented to the meeting of the Christchurch Tramway Board. Unbrellas had a big lead in numbers with 850, while the grouping “parcels” came next with 599. The remaining classifications that topped the century were: Sundries 554, pairs of gloves 536, purses and peggy bags 435, attache cases 350, single gloves 286, books 160, shopping • bags 147, and handbags 126. Eighteen inches below the pavement outside the Clarendon Hotel in Auckland, a brass button of the famous 65th Regiment, which,played a big part in the early history of New Zealand, was unearthed last week by workmen of the • Post and Telegraph Department, who were digging a trench for a telephone cable. The presence of the button was betrayed by a bright green stain in the surrounding clay. It is hemispherical, with a large 65 on the curved face. Although It had probably lain buried for over half a century, it was so’ well preserved that the name of the makers, Smith and Wright, Birmingham, stamped in small letters on the back, was still legible. Because»of internal warfare the lives of missionary workers in China in recent years have been exciting and often dangerous. Miss Blanche Tobin, a missionary who gave an address in Christchurch recently, mentioned that on one occasion she had been shut up in a walled city with an army while a rival army threatened the place from outside. The situation was eased when.the business men of the city persuaded the soldiers within that it would be better for them to leave, while when the rival army entered the gates, its.soldiers were placated by a generous display of flags used specially to welcome them. There was no fighting on''that occasion, but on another the city was bombed from aeroplanes, and many of the inhabitants had had to hide in caves which honeycombed the hills within the city. “Confidence in improved business conditions is spreading throughout the world. In the United States this confidence is strong, and all classes are whole-heartedly working for the accomplishment of the national recovery proaqff,, si; Oj po.T.iojsi sanniatnos ‘otuuiß.iS New Deal.’ This programme to reduce unemployment and increase purchasing power has already met with a considerable degree of success. Business improvement in the United States will inevitably have a favourable Influence on business conditions in other countries, thereby supplementing their efforts to restore trade to the mutual profit of all countries.” —An extract from a letter from the Merchants’ Association of . New York, one of the largest general ' chambers of commerce in the United ; States, received by the council of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce. ''' ' . 1 The old and ungrammatical adage, I “You never know who you're talking i to,” was illustrated the other day in 1 Auckland when, at a social gathering, ] the host and two of his guests got into ; conversation. “How’s tricks?” asked ' the host of one. “How’s the garden progressing, and did you ‘down tools’ for , five minutes in memory of Mr. Mol- ! land?” The other nodded assent. Then • number two made remark: “By jove, < that was a funny advertisement ask- ’ ing relief workers to cease work for j five minutes.” “Why funny?” asked ( number one. “As if they had ever even started to work.” was the reply. 1 “Oh, 1 well, I happen to be one of them,” said 1 his fellow guest, “and we certainly 1 don’t laze where I am. It may Interest } you to know that since a certain piece J of land not far from the Auckland Hos- , pital was put into cultivation, over 50 , tons of vegetables have been raised and ( given to the wives of the unemployed.” i There was a brief silence. “I didn’t 1 know' that,” said number two. i '