NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 261, 31 July 1937, Page 13

NEWS IN BRIEF

Harbingers of Spring

Mingled with the jonquils, violets and poppies this week at the Wellington markets have been the first of the daffodils. Their big golden bells tinkled a message of spring to those present at yesterday’s sale, resulting in substantial prices being realised.

Rarotongaii Tomatoes. Tomatoes from the Cook islands realised 11/- per 221 b. case at the Wellington markets yesterday.

Standards for Fruit. Standards for the sale of fruit on the New Zealand market, • which the Government requested should be set up, have been agreed upon, although they have uot yet been gazetted, states the annual report of the New Zealand Fruitgrowers’ Federation. It is believed they will be in use next season. The work of fixing the standards was conducted under the aegis of the Standards Institute. Fire Brigade i'noiie Numbers.

Coincident with the issue of the new telephone directory, the old call numbers for the Wellington Fire Brigade will be superseded by new ones, and householders should make particular note of the altered numbers that will operate in future. For fire calls the new number will be 55-800, and for general brigade inquiries (other than tire calls) the new number will be 54-530. Interest in Cap Pilar.

Berthed at the Western Viaduct, Auckland, the barquentine Cap Pilar, which will shortly leave, in continuation of her cruise around the world, continues to be a source of interest to visitors to the waterfront. Every morning and afternoon little groups gather on the wharf to inspect the vessel, which is manned by a crew representative of several countries and many walks of life.

Reception to Don Cossacks. Music is universal, the most ador--able and democratic of all the arts. That is the thought liehind the reception that is to be accorded to M. Nicolas Kostrukoff and his Don Cossack Choir at the Palm Lounge, Hotel St. George, at 3.30 p.m. on Monday. The invitations are being issued in the name of the Wellington Music Teachers’ Association, the Royal Wellington Choral Union, and the Wellington branch of the British Music Society. Philomel’s New Berth. The old training aud depot ship Pnilomel lias been towed to a new berth at the Devonport naval base, Auckland. For the past six weeks she had been lying alongside the Extension Jetty, while her old berth, the wooden training jetty, was demolished. Two Auckland Harbour Board tugs took her to tie up at the new concrete wharf, which has been constructed at right angles to the entrance to Calliope Dock.

Spare Naval Guns. As port of a general replacement scheme, 14 spare 6in. guns, which have been in store at the Devonport Naval Base, Auckland, were taken to the city in a barge and loaded by the Auckland Hafibour Board’s floating crane into the New Zealand Shipping Company’s steamer Turaklua for shipment back to England. The barrel of each gun weighs seven tons, and the mountings, packed separately in cases, weigh eight, tons each. The guns are being sent to England in response to a request from the Admiralty. Other guns to replace them will shortly be forwarded to New Zealand.

“Make Less Noise.” It is not often that a fire occurs on a man’s property, and he is unaware of it until the following day, but such a thing happened in Timaru recently. The brigade was called to a house in the south end to deal with a rubbish fire, and it had little difficulty In coping with the outbreak. While it was at work, however, the occupier? of the house put his head out of the window and called out: “Can’t you make less noise out there?” The window was slammed down, and the irate householder went back to bed. It was not until the following day that he was advised of the cause of the noise.

Farm Employers’ Union Mooted.

Several of the remits to come before the annual conference of the Fruitgrowers’ Federation next week suggest the formation of an alliance between organisations of primary producers who employ labouff. A remit from the Teviot. Fruit-growers’ Association proposes that. "In order to combat, effectively the increasing demands of labour. the primary producers of the Dominion establish an industrial union of primary producers, such union to negotiate all matters in connection with the primary industries, and that steps be taken by this conference to approach the New Zealand Farmers’ Union and the New Zealand Sheep Owners’ Federation to have such a union formed.” The Ettrick association has forwarded a remit on similar lines.