NEWS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 1, 26 September 1939, Page 9

NEWS IN BRIEF

High-Priced Pumpkins

A record price for pumpkins was secured at yesterday’s sales in the Allen Street markets, Wellington. One consignment from Birkdale, Auckland, realized from 45/6 to 47/6 a sack. There is no attempt to disguise . the country of origin of Japanese onions. These arrive in 1001 b. cases and are labelled “Sound, clean, new onions, produced in Japan.” New potatoes from California are being sold at 22/6 a 1001 b. case.

Repairs to City Building. The tender of Higgins ami Arcus has been accepted by the Wellington city engineer for repairs to the building, Nos. 50-52 Victoria Street, adjoining Victoria House, gutted by fire some several months ago. The contract price is £790/2/7.

Infectious Diseases. For the week ended yesterday, 14 cases of infectious disease and one death, from pulmonary tuberculosis, were reported to the Wellington office of the Health Department from the central Wellington area. The cases were as follows: Diphtheria (7), erysipelas (4), pulmonary tuberculosis (2), and eclampsia (1).

Haast Pass Koad. That the Haast Pass road is now completed to the Otago boundary is an item of interest contained in the annual report of the Automobile Association (Otago). The time is not far distant when a complete circuit of the South Island will be possible, but in the meantime several large bridges have to be completed before the road can be opened.

New School at Gracefield. One of the most attractive in the Hutt Valley, the new school at Gracefield is to be officially opened on Saturday, October 7, by the Minister of Education, Mr. Fraser. It is expected that the Minister of Finance, Mr. Nash, who is member for the district, will also be present as well as Mr. W. V. Dyer, chairman of the Wellington Education Board, and members of the board. The school has six rooms of modern design and there is a large playing area.

To School by Plane. According to an Auckland resident who returned recently from the littleknown but rugged and beautiful South Westland district, this is the only part of New Zealand, and possibly the world, where the children travel regularly to school by aeroplane. The only access to South Westland is by pack horse, he said, and the children were as much at home in a plane as other children were in the more prosaic sehoolbus. He added that each property had a landing ground, many of these being constructed or subsidized by the Government. “Penalties Too Light.”

The opinion that the penalties usually imposed by magistrates for failure to carry warrants of fitness on motor vehicles were too light was expressed by Mr. R. P. Furness (Marlborough) at the annual conference of the South Island Motor Union in Christchurch. “A fine of 5/- is imposed for failure to carry a warrant of fitness, but for riding a bicycle on the footpath or exceding the parking limit a fine of 10/or more is imposed,” he said. He contended that, considering the menace of an imperfectly-equipped motor-car, a more rigid penalty should be favoured.

Letter From Gdynia. It was with some surprise that a Dunedin resident found in his Saturday morning’s post a letter bearing the postmark Gdynia, the Polish port on the Baltic which fell to the Nazis after a gallant defence. In the letter, which bore no date but which was evidently written early in August, there was no mention of international trouble, and, in fact, Hie writer stated that she had been invited toy her nephew to visit him in the country.. The object of the visit was for the aunt to enjoy a complete rest. Her Dunedin correspondents are anxious as to her safety, but have no way of finding out the results of her visit.

Library 80 Years Old. The Canterbury Public Library recently celebrated its eightieth birthday, according to the Canterbury Public* Library Journal. The first step toward providing a library for Christchurch was the holding of a meeting on May 26,1859. Another meeting was held on June 9, when a committee was formed and officers appointed. On August 4, 1859, the library was opened and was then known as the Mechanics' Institute. . The site of about half an acre was purchased for £265. The present library occupies the same site, but its value today is considerably more than the price paid 80 years ago. In 1868 the name Was changed to the Christchurch Literary Institute, and in 1873 a Bill was put through' giving powers for the transfer to the Superintendent of the Province. In 1878 the library was handed over to the governors of Canterbury College.