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Evening Star, Issue 22790, 27 October 1937, Page 10

A number of men aro to commence work almost immediately on the section of the Kawarau Gorge road, near Pigeon Hock, where the fatal motor accident occurred on Saturday, according to advice received by the Automobile Association (Otago). The road is to bo widened nnel generally made safer for traffic, and it is expected that the work will be completed before Christmas. Hon. R. Semple, Minister of Public Works, will leave Wellington to-night for the South Island. To-morrow he will inspect the Ashburton irrigation scheme with members \of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce. On Friday he will discuss the terms of the new contract between the Christchurch City Council and the State for the supply of electric power to that city, and on Saturday he will officially declare open for traffic the new main highway between Canterbury and the West Coast oyer the Lewis Pass.— Press Association. The* most advanced modern tramcar in New Zealand is to make its appearance on Wellington tracks next week. The car lias been designed and built under the supervision of Air H. Leah, superintendent of the tramway workshops, and is the first of a half-dozen designed somewhat on previous lines. The car is 39ft 6in long, is large, comfortable, and commodious, and can be driven by one man if necessary. The Ruahine, which was due at Wellington to-day from London, has 10 bags, of English mail and 150 parcel receptacles for New Zealand; The Dunedin portion should be to hand tomorrow evening. How two New Zealand youths were relieved of over £4O hy chance acquaintances in Sydney was told when they were charged at Wellington today with stowing away on the Wanganella. The police stated the youths went to Sydney with at least £2B in their possession, and over there they earned £lB in a fortnight. One day they met some men and women in a street, and a party ensued. When they woke up in the morning all their money was gone. Doth were convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called on within six months, subject to payment to the shipping company of £9 each.—Press Association. A man,, whose name was suppressed until the facts wore gone into, was charged in the Police Court t»-day with sending a letter to the Commissioner of Police. Wellington, containing throats to do bodily harm to another person. Chief-dotective Young applied for a remand until October 29. when a date would be fixed for the hearing of the case. The remand was granted, bail being allowed in the accused’s own recognisance of £3OO. A party of New South Wales farmers, under the Hon. M. P. Dunlop, M.L.C.,, arrived by the Wnnganella at Wellington to four-New Zealand. All aro members of the Primary Producers’ Union, of which Mr Dunlop is president. The purpose of the tour i to look round and study New Zealand conrlitions_ with the objebt of learning something that may be. of use in New South Wales.—Press Association.

Advice has been received from Dr 1). G. M'Millan, M.R., that tenders will close on November 17 for the erection of 35 single-house units and ■live two-house units at Helensburgh road, Lynn street, Chapman street, Shetland street, and Wakari. There will be 11 different contracts let for the construction of the houses. A decision to obtain from the Cawtbron Institute as many white butterfly parasites as possible was made by the Executive Committee of the Tcmuka and Geraldine Agricultural and Pastoral Association it met in Tumuka yesterday. According to members, the supply of parasites obtained from the institute last year arrived rather late for any very successful result to be achieved. A week’s wet weather had intervened before the parasites could be liberated. One member said he had seen for himself the good which the parasites were doing. In his opinion they were definitely providing a check to the white butterfly in the Temuka district. At present the parasites were in the breeding stage. A whale, between 30ft and 40ft long, was seen by Temuka fishermen who visited the mouth of the Opihi River on labour Day. Followed by hundreds of sea birds, the whale, which appeared to be sick, moved slowly along the coast quite close to tho beach.

“ And now 1 want to pay a tribute to our excellent newspaper Press in New Zealand,” said Mrs J. Mowbray Tripp, president of the Canterbury branch of the Victoria League, at a reception of welcome given in her honour yesterday afternoon (says the ‘Press’). Mrs Tripp has just returned from a tour of the world, travelling to Britain and Europe via America, and returning by way of Australia, so she is qualified to speak of tho relative merits of newspapers in many lands. “ But,” she added, “ what are we to do to attract more attention to the South Island?” She returned to New Zealand, she said, from Australia by the Awatea, a comfortable and modernly equipped ship. On board there was a good supply of Auckland and Wellington newspapers, but there was not to be found on the ship one copy of a South Island newspaper. There were travelling by the Awatea many South Islanders anxious for news of home, and much disappointment was expressed at the dearth of Christchurch newspapers. Why was it, they asked, that the South Island should be so neglected? A good save was effected by the City and Roslyn Fire Brigades this morning when a fire broke out in a fiveroomed brick dwelling at 182 Kenmuir road, owned and occupied by Mr R. Pate. When the brigades, which were called at 10.48, arrived the fire had a good hold, but was quickly under control. It was about an hour and a-half, however, before it was completely extinguished. The back portion of the house was badly damaged, whilo damage was also caused to the floors and cellar. The outbreak was caused by hot ashes. The frenzied harking of a dog attracted attention at Karori a few days ago, and an investigation revealed that a lizard was shooting out its tongue at the dog and generally showing hostility. The lizard had been hurt, and the only thing to do was to destroy it. At first it was thought it was a Tnatara lizard, but some people to whom it was shown were emphatic that it was a stranger, and their opinion was confirmed by Dr Oliver, of the Dominion Museum, who identified it as, a scalybacked dr stump-tailed lizh’rd of Australia. How it came to Karori nobody seems to know, but it might have been in some ship’s cargo.—Wellington Press Association.

As some of the crops are still being thinned, it is early yet to estimate the damage to spoil e fruit by frost in Central Otago. An expert who has just returned from a visit to the various districts states that the Roxburgh area has suffered heavily so far as stone fruits are concerned. There is also severe damage to apples and pears at Beaumont, while evidence of loss at Ettrick is apparent. Somevarieties are beig affected more than others, but the trees which have been untouched are looking well. Robert George Oottingham (49), single, appeared in the Oamaru Police Court to-day on 12 charges of the theft of a great variety of articles valued at £st>. He was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for the theft of an opossum rug, valued at £2O, and to six months for the theft of an engagement ring, valued at £lB, the sentences to bo concurrent.—Press Association.