NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 1, 2 January 1941, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Plenty of Money—and More,

Represented by the Reserve Bank issue of bank notes, there was plenty of money in circulation this Christmas. The note issue in New Zealand, as in London and the Dominions' banking centres, is usually much higher at Christmas time than for any other time of the year, although expansion is generally noticeable before Easter. This Christmas New Zealand has excelled itself in the issue of bank notes, the return for December 23 being £22,767,718. This is £3,475,593 more than for Christmas, 1939; £9,126,293 more than for the same week of 1938; and, going back a period of five years, it is shown that- the note issue has expanded to more than twice what it was at Christmas, 1935, when the return was £ 10,782,856, and for that year the increase was roughly £1,000,000 more—in notes—than for Christmas, 1934.

A Warm December,

This last month, with its 230 hours of bright sunshine, was the sunniest December since 1934, when an all month record of 313.7 hours was established. It was also a warm month, the approximate mean temperature, which was 60.2 degrees, being 1.2 degrees above the average. The highest temperature of the month was 74.8 degrees, recorded last Monday. There was rather less rain than usual during the month and slightly less wind. December, as far as Wellington was concerned, was a pleasant month, making a good start as the first of the summer months.

Lyall Bay Popular Again.

After being passed over by most Wellington bathers for many years, Lyall Bay beach is this summer attracting large crowds of swimmers. Nearly all of the shingle that caused the bay to lose some of its popularity has been removed by gravel contractors, and practically the whole bay is once more smooth sand gently sloping seawards. It is one of the i safest bathing resorts within the city limits and on most days a good surf can be counted on. Yesterday, with a faint southerly breeze blowing, the bay was at its best, and from early morning until sundown the beach was crowded. Many families brought picnic lunches with them.

Broken Finger Ignored

In trying to catch a high ball hit by P. Bright during a cricket match at Hamilton against Public School old boys, at Seddon Park, Hamilton, Dr. H. E. Annett, of Matangi, broke the middle finger of his left hand. He continued playing, however, and when bowling took three wickets for 26 runs.

Chickens Killed by Weasels

Heavy losses of chickens as the result of attacks by weasels have been reported by a Waimate farmer, states the "Press." In one instance 32 chickens were killed, and the loss for some three weeks was more than 60 chickens. On a neighbouring property a hen was found, still sitting on the nest, but almost decapitated.

"Winston Churchill" at Lyall Bay,

Three excited small boys rushed across the street to the sea wall at Lyall Bay yesterday afternoon and sang out to a group of boys and girls lying on the sand: "Come and see Winston Churchill." "Where is he?" asked the young sunbathers. "In a motorcar on the Parade," came the reply. The children left the beach in a body, and they were not disappointed. There was "Winston Churchill." a magnificent specimen of a bulldog, lolling out of ihe open window of a sedan car.

Timber Jacks,

More than 30,000 timber jacks of the type reported to have become fjtaadard equipment in demolition and rei&ue work ' after London bombings have been made by A. and G. Price, who first supplied them to timber millers for use at mills at Thames and on the Hauraki Plains. With their aid one man can lift from seven to eight, tons, and no timber contractor would be without them. The timber jacks with which the New Zealand foresters now in England are equipped were given to them as a donation from the firm of A. and G. Price, states a report from Thames.

More Cars at Motor Camp

Though the Christmas and Boxing Day patronage of the city motor camp at Miramar was very disappointing, things have brightened up for the New Year, and the average number of parties during the past week has been fourteen More are expected today. All the campers have the same story of the difficulties of moving about with so little petrol, but, at any rate, they got together enough to make the trip, some from as far as Auckland and others from Hawke's Bay. A party from Ormondville, near Dannevirke, arriving yesterday, had not intended to come as far as Wellington, but drove on and on because camps along the way were so well filled that all the best sites were gone. Those who . have ramped at Miramar this year should be good advertisers for summers when petrol flows again, for the camp weather has been perfect.