The Dunstan Times "Fiat justitia ruat coelum." Monday, July 11th, 1927. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3382, 11 July 1927, Page 4

The Dunstan Times "Fiat justitia ruat coelum." Monday, July 11th, 1927. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There was a very welcome change in the weather on Monday last, when wind and rain cleared away the snow, and the frosts since have not been nearly so severe. On Saturday a heavy fog, which the sun failed to dissipate, made itself unpleasantly felt, but yesterday it was delightful, and spring like. Despite the change there is still a famine in water in Clyde, most of the mains being still frozen up- Excavating work in the main street disclosed the interesting fact that the gravel was frozen solid to a depth of over two feet, which gives some idea of the severity of the frost.

In another column Mr G- Fox, of Alexandra, makes an appeal for rabbitskins, for the disabled soldiers in Montecillo Home. The response should be a liberal one.

Our readers are reminded of the social and card tournament in the Town Hall, Clyde, on Wednesday nightSyd. Chaplin’s latest comedy classic, the Warner adaption of Bruce Bairnsfather’s world famous story of the funny side of the war, "The Better ’Ole” comes to Clyde on Thursday night, when it will be shown by Mr Hull. ‘The Belter ’Ole” is the latest of the Syd Chaplin laughter classics and on us performances to date, looks like being the greatestThe laughs come thick and fast during the entire 10 reels of the film. The antics of Old Bill, Bert and Alf behind the German lines in the disguise of a horse, and later as Fritz soldiers being absolutely the funniest eqisodes ever recorded by a camera. This programme will be shown at Ranfurly Tuesday I2th July and Ophir Wednesday 13th July-

The seventh big crossword puzzle competition in “Humour" commences in the next week’s issue Big cash prizes are ottered and this taken in conjunction with the weekly joke competition makes “Humour” quite a profitable magazine for the buyer. Undoubtedly “Humour” is one of the best threepenny magazines on the market- Its weekly survey in picture and story of the humour of the world is most interesting.

The Otautau ‘Standard’ states that it has been quite like old times to see Messrs J. E- Watson & Co, loading at the railway station hundreds of bags of oats for shipment from Bluff tp Australia,

At Alexandra, in the Town Hall on Wednesday night 13th inst,, the Oddfellows will hold their first annual dance. An energetic committee has made all arrangements on a most lavish scale and patrons may rest assured that their comforts have been well looked after. The Alexandra Jazz Band has been engaged to supply the music, which means, of course, that it will be good.

The Fire Brigade Social at Alexandra, on Thursday last, attracted a big attendance, including 35 from Clyde. It was the first function of the kind in Alexandra for some considerable time, the reason for this being that the enlargement and renovation of the Town Hall has pre* eluded such. However, the increased floor space now available made the wait well worth while.

The London wool sales opened strong, prices showing about 5 per cent advance. There was a strong and active demand from all nations except America. The market was steady, without excitement. Merinos and greasy were par to 5 per cent above the May closing rates, scoureds cross breds —fine par to 5 per cent higher, medium and low 5 to 7\ per cent higher, slipes par to 5 per cent higher. New Zealand clips sold were: D.A W (Mangakuri), IOM (average Fielding (three stars) 162 d, Fairfield 27id. It is estimated that the losses ol sheep in Queensland through the Queensland drought were be tween seven and eight millions, allowing for the expected natural increase of lambs (two millions) which, however, had failed to materialise owing to the drought conditions. Last year the rainfall was 4| inches, while in the present year there has been little or no rain. The whole of the country (170,000 square miles; traversed by a parliamentary party is described as nothing better than a dusty waste, with stock either dead or on assignment.

The experiment of irrigating the extensive grounds of the Waipiata Sanatorium has proved an immediate success, surpassing expectations. Dr T. M’Kibbin, who came to Otago last week on public health business, made time to pay a visit to Waipiata he having been closely associated with the founding of the sanatorium there, and before going from Dunedin this morning (says Tuesday’s Star) he said he was delighted to find the gardens doing so well. What is now needed is a dam in which to conserve a supply of water for the use of the institution.

As a means of checking the earwig pest,the keeping of ducks was advocated by Mr L. Paynter, Government Orchard Instructor, at a meeting of the Canterbury Fruitgrowers’ Association-. In Central Otago, said Mr Paynter, there were millions of earwigs, and they were proving a serious menace to the orchards Canterbury was comparatively free from the pest. It was stated by Mr J. Balch that some years ago earwigs infested his orchard in hundreds. They lived mostly in an ivy and periwinkle hedge, and he noticed that wild ducks frequently made the fence their home, and lived on earwigs. The speaker turned tame ducks into the orchard, and these he found quickly got rid of the pest. In reply to a question, Mr Paynter said that fowls would do a certain amount of damage in an orchard and that ducks' would act much better as exterminators,— Christchurch correspondent. A young man was brought before the Magistrate’s Court at Blenheim on Wednesday, charged with attempted suicide by drinking iodine. Publication of his name was suppressed. Senior Sergeant Clarkson said that accused had been keeping company with a young girl, who han broken off relations with him. When she refused to be reconciled he committed the rash act. The magistrate did not see that any good could be done by sending the accused to gaol, and convicthim and ordered him to come up for sentence when called on. A prohibition order was taken out at accused’s own request. John Ryan, alias Scodie Ryan being a person excluded by the regulations, was at Blenheim on Wednesday charged with having trespassed on the Waterlea racecourse on March 3. Defendant who did not appear was fined £lO and costs, in default three months’ imprisonment.

This is the age of the petrol spark, A hundred miles is the merest lark; Whizzing along in the dizziest way; Mere ancient history, the bullock drayl Ancient history that cold, Monsieur, Conquered with Wood’s Great Pepper, Cure,-

Central Otago has experienced a hard winter we know, but it has been scarcely as bad as the ‘N.Z. Herald’ would have us believe. An article in a recent issue, headed “Ice-bound Central” is ridiculously funny. For instance —"the minimum temperature during the past week haS been in the vicinity of 25 degrees below zero.” No wonder the water mains are frozen. Here’s another : “It was no uncommon thing for a man with a beard to find that idles had formed on it during the night, from the moisture in his breath, and during the thawing process he was able to tinkle like an elaborate chandelier in a breeze. From the same cause *kiere was often a piece of frozen sheet Jr blanket under one’s chin.” ‘And the jbest for the last. “At one plate a *kating pond was covered with 18in. of snow. The residents and hotel boarders shovelled it off in preparation for sport on the morrow. That night three feet of snow fell. The next day another two feet was piled on top and all thoughts of skating were abandoned.’ Some snow !

At a meeting on Saturday night of the Clyde Fire Brigade secretary reported that_ the 'recent social had resulted in a profit of £lO 19s. This was considered very satisfactory, and a hearty vote of thanks was passed to all who had assisted, particularly the ladies who provided the supper. Stronach, Morris & Co report that there were 219 fat cattle for ward Extra Prime Bullocks £l6 to ;£lB 15; Prime £i3 to £ls; Medium £ll to £l2. : extra prime heifers to £l2 7 6d, prime to £9 10. There were 1918 fat sheep penned. Prices for all prime sheep were from is to 2s per head firmer- Extra prime wethers brought to 51s, prime heavy 36s to 38s 6d, medium 3ls to 335, freezing wethers 24s to 2/s, extra prime ewes to 4ls, prime 26s to 28s, medium 18s to 235. Extra fat lambs brought to 31s gd. goo r) freezing weights 26s to 28s, unfinishsd sorts from 18s up Prices for fat pigs showed a rise of up to 5s per head. Good baconers to £4 7s, extra good toZS light slips from 26s to 325, suck ers I- s to IBs 6d-