NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 30, 5 February 1935, Page 8

NEWS OF THE DAY

Schools Resume. School books that for the past seven weeks have lain'unheeded were packed up today to serve a more useful purpose, for the public primary schools throughout the .Wellington Education Board district resumed this morning after the long end-of-year holidays. The majority of secondary schools will reopen tomorrow. Customs Revenue at Nelson. Customs duties collected in Nelson in January amounted to £2958 compared with £3019 in January, 1934, writes "The Post's" correspondent. Excise beer duty was. £812 against £1097 in the previous January and sales fax amounted to £2083 compared with £2071. Membership Increase. At a meeting of the Automobile Association last; evening 285 new members were elected. The chairman (Mr. E. A. Batt), in commenting on the number of members joining, said that the increase in membership was very satisfactory. Hospital Device. An ingenious machine for solving what has been in the past a very real difficulty at the Auckland Hospital and Infirmary has been invented by the resident engineer, Mr. F. G. Jacobs, states the "New Zealand Herald." In the bathing of heavy, elderly patients, the assistance of four nurses has in the past been required to lift the patient in and out of the bath, and even then the nurses have sometimes strained themselves seriously. Mr. Jacobs has evolved a machine by which one nurse, using a force of 7Jlb, can lift a patient of up to 20. stone weight, safely and carefully. It has assisted greatly towards the smooth and efficient running of the hospital. The .machine is in effect a small crai^e, running on a wheeled chassis. The patient is placed on a canvas sheet, which has six attachments for the pulley ropes, and the lifting forces are so ingeniously devised that the patient can be moved with the utmost'smoothness and ease. Fruit Destroyed.' A considerable loss to fruiterers who had Stocks of last season's apples in cool storage has - resulted in consequence of the early ripening of fruit this season. One Hastings fruiterer .who carries on business in a large way is stated to have sent 1000 cases of last year's Delicious apples away for destruction. He paid 4s a case for them, so that his total loss was £200. Delicious were a drug on the market after the season had closed, arid the early ripening of Gravensteins ruined whatever prospect there was of disposing of stoqks in cool store. The selling of Canadian new season apples in the cities meant that markets which usually absorb a large quantity of local apples out of cool storage were closed, while the coldness of last winter also had a good deal to do with the people's unwillingness to include apples and pears in their diet. Dreary Open Sea Race. The yacht race to Kawau Island, a distance of 27 sea miles, held by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron for the Blake Trophy, was one of the most prolonged contests experienced for many, years, the "Herald" states. The boats started off King's "Wharf-'at 7 p.m. on Friday and many of them did not reach Kawau until after 9 o'clock on Saturday morning; With all possible extra sail filling to the gentle breeze, the fleet of. 19 keel yachts made a fine, spectacle as it proceeded down ,the harbour. Some kept out to .sea, while went close into the land, all hoping to keep the light breeze which was gradually fading away. Two hours after the start scarcely a ripple disturbed the water. When dawn broke the shadows of sails could be seen' all round the horizon and competition was resumed with renewed vigour. For the most part it was purely a matter of luck who could pick up a breeze.' Some of the yachts, which were quite near to the finish at sunrise, were in the same position at 8 o'clock, and had the tantalising experience of seeing others a long way astern catch a light air, overhaul them, and pass within half a mile. The fleet straggled into Mansion House Bay, some being towed by launches and others drifting, but all with tired and ' exhausted crews lying on 'their decks. ■ : ■■■'