LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Star, Issue 18094, 9 October 1922, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A large school of whales has been disporting round .about Centra Island during the last week (states the Southland * News ’). One Riverton fisherman acknowledges that one of the cetaceans, which was of an enormous size, made him “get the wind up” one day by its too close proximity to his launch. By knocking a spanner hard against the side of the boat ho startled the monster, which, made off, greatly to the fisherman’s relief. A terrible ordeal was experienced by_ a young lad named Jack Burke, who, while driving a dray along Barrytown road, had his log caught and broken in the wheels. Unable to move, ho had to lie in the blistering heat of the sun for three hours until help came. His father arrived later, and, having no appliances, prepared to convljjy the lad to Greymouth in a trap. Tho pa.in of such a journey was spared the lad 7 however, by the timely arrival of a party of motorists, which included _an ambulance man, who improvised splints from a wooden box, newspaper, and canvas hose, and took him to the hospital m the car. The patient-was little tho worst for his helpless wait in the heat. In one of tho coaches at the State funeral accorded Henry Lawson, tho Australian poet, were four men who had known him intimately. They speculated as to what Lawson would have thought of the funeral, and one suggested that the only thing he would have asked for would have been a glass of beer. After the funeral the four men called at an hotel and ordered beer and an extra glass. [Then, silently drinking to Lawson s memory, they went out, leaving that extra glass on the bar “ for Henry Lawson. Nature has endowed Now Zealand 'with extraordinary wealth in coal, but it is being wasted wantonly, said Mr G. S. Booth in a lecture in Christchurch last week. An American authority has stated recently that of every 2,0001 b of coal in tho scam only about 761 b is finally converted into mechanical energy. The other 1,9241 b is lost in mining, in transportation and handling, in gases going up the chimney stack, and so on—96 per cent, lost, 4 pev cent. used. Coal may "well bo called “ black diamonds.” In all probability the figures for New Zealand would not compare favorably with these, and oven in tins little country the waste of wealth under this heading must be enormous. It is stated that at a certain locality on the boundary line between the Rotorua and Waikato (says tho ‘ Rotorua Chronicle ) all the electors but two —a man and hia ■wife—reside in the latter, and that to obtain the votes of tho couple of Rotorua electors it is considered necessary to send thither a ballot box and a deputy returning officer at, it may be presumed, considerablo expense. It might be supposed that the law would not be very seriously strained if the couple were to cross tho road into the Waikato electorate and record their votes there under the absent voters’ provisions of tho Act. It would certainly save a little public money. In Eosyth Harbor, Scotland, are His Majesty’s ships Lion, New Zealand, and Princess Roval, together with H.M.S. Ti<mr. The first three are to bo broken up! stated Captain H. H. Sergeant, the harbor master of Auckland, in a report forwarded from the above-mentioned port to the Harbor Board at its meeting last week. He went on to say that a letter of introduction to several high officials in the Royal Navy, which had been given him by Admiral Lord Jellicoe, had resulted in his having been extended every courtesy, and he had been able to look over the various naval docks and other places of interest during his visit. According to the managers of several of Sydney’s bookshops, the reason for a shortage in books on Australian economics is the abnormal, demand by tho Japanese. During the weeks before tho ‘ Commonwealth Year Book’ is published dozens of Japanese call at ’the hook shops and leave orders. They eagerly await the book that the average Australian would not even bother to read. When a Japanese ship comes alongside the wharves the waterfront booksellers hang out their maps, anticipating a good sale. They have learned by experience that the British sailor wants post cards and magazines, •while the Japanese sailor asks for maps and statistics.

Tho little dog “Darkle,” claimed to have clairvoyant powers, which interested a .great many people in Christ church a few years ago by his extraordinary barking tricks, died peacefully last week (reports the ‘ Lyttelton Times ’). He had reached the age of' eighteen years. He belonged to Mrs M. H. M’Gibbon, whose affection for dogs ensured for “Darkie” a very happy home until the end. “Seances,” at which “Darkie” performed mind-reading tricks, amused select audiences daring the war, and funds were raised by bis agency to help on the war work. He gave his answers to questions by a succession of barks, but conventional values had to be assigned to each bark. For instance, “Yes” was supposed to be conveyed by three barks and “No” bytwo barks. He would also spell out words by barks, giving one bark for “a,” two for “ b,” and so on. A reporter who was present at one of these demonstrations came to the conclusion that the dog merely barked or continued barking until the person “questioning” him gave a sign, consciously or unconsciously, that the desired number of barks bad been given; in other words, that the human being and not the canine was supplying the answers. In any ■case the results were very entertaining and mystifying. Tho Dunedin Choral Society has engaged as soloists for ‘ The Messiah,’ which will be given in His Majesty’s on December 1 and 2, are (Miss Natalie M’Callum (soprano), Mrs Wilfred R. Andrews (alto), Mr Sydney Bu(der (of Christchurch, tenor), and Mr W. Watters (bass). With tho high standard of the work of chorus and orchestra ‘ The Messiah ’ of 1922 should be & treat.

A meeting of all tho local committees for the Church Congress to be held in Christchurch, next May was held last Week, the bishop presiding. Arrangements Were made for the visit of the archbishop during tho meeting of Synod, and the Early SietJtLars’ Hall was engaged for Tuesday, November 7, when His Grace will address a mass meeting on the subject of the congress. The proposal of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association that the pensions of disabled men should rise and fail according to tho cost of living on a triennial basis was discussed before tho War Tensions Commissioner ’ast week by Mr G. 0. Fache, Commissioner of Pensions. In 1809, ho said, the_ Imperial aiuhenries decided upon a ponsioWi which was subject to variation according to the fluctuation in the cost of.living, and that three years was a reasonable time to allow before any reduction should be made. Tho maximum Imperial pension amounted to £2, including the cost-of-living bonus, whereas the New Zealand schedule provided for a £2 minimum, of (bonus. The .pension in the United Kingdom was liable to a reduction in January next if a fall in tho cost of living warranted it. The inmates of tho Ross Homs were entertained on Saturday evening by tho Women’s Christian Temperance Union'. Songs were rendered by Mesdames J. Hutton, A. Macartney, and Mr Foster; Mr and Mrs Frank Clark (duet), Messrs Fail and Sinith (cornet duet), Masters Green and Smith (violin solos), Master Thomas (mandolin solo), Mrs Bert Hutton, Miss Vesper De Silva, and Phyllis Hutton (recitations), and Mrs Clark (piano solo). Refreshments and sweets were served during the evening. Tho matron thanked the members of the union on behalf of the inmates-for the enjoyable evening they had spent together.