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Evening Star, Issue 23508, 23 February 1940, Page 6

Florence Anne Sheehy (Mr A. D. M‘Rae, of Timaru) was granted a decree absolute against James • Sheehy in divorce by Mr Justice Kennedy in the Supreme Court this morning. One of the three leopard cubs recently born at the Auckland Zoo has been accidentally killed through the mother lying on it in the den. The remaining pair are making excellent progress and will shortly be placed on exhibition. Wheat harvested this season was of a good quality, and somewhat better than that of last year, according to tests carried out by the Wheat Research Institute, which has milled some 400 lines of grain. Wheat from Ashburton county was of a very high grade, that being true of Tuscan, Cross 7, and Hunters. The tests of Ashburton grain were particularly gratifying, in that the county is the biggest wheat producing area in the Dominion, growing a quarter of the total production. London hairdressers have asked the Home Secretary to ban ehemy aliens from working in their saloons because “ much of what a hairdresser hears is of national importance.” Trade delegates at a London meeting expressed the view that “ the hairdresser is the confidant of the customer, and hears information which would be highly dangerous in the hands of an enemy alien whose love for his native country might outweigh his dislike for the Government which had expelled him.” From the windswept sandhills of Doubtless Bay, North of Auckland, a large and important collection of moa bones was recently recovered by a museum expedition, according to a report to the council of the Auckland Institute and Museum by the director, Mr Gilbert Archey. Remains were obtained of 26 different birds, the discoveries varying from a few odd bones to partially complete skeletons. The remains had been made visible by the weathering of the sandhills, and the bones that were found included those of the largest and smallest varieties of North Island moa. An egg in two parts was also discovered.

A Napier P.A. message states that a verdict of murder by some person unknown was returned by the coroner at the inquest on the body of a newlyborn baby found on the beach near Napier some weeks ago. Death was due to drowning, the child being healthy and well-grown. John Watson obtained judgment at the Port Chalmers Court to-day against James Samuel Montecino for arrears of .rent (£ll 12s), with costs (£3 Is). An order for possession was not made. Edward Wadsworth, for selling a rifle without obtaining a permit to do so, was convicted and ordered to pay costs (10s). James Stokes, for . procuring liquor while prohibited, was fined 10s and costs (3s). For assisting Stokes to obtain liquor, Frederick Lawrence Erdman was fined 10s and costs (10s) , the magistrate warning him of the serious nature of the offence. In the Juvenile Court a youth was admonished and discharged on a charge of shooting a seagull at the wharf with an air pistol. As a result of a Pill passed! at the! Church of England General Synod, members of the church who _ are 18 years of age will now be entitled to speak and vote at parish meetings and at the election ,of synodsmen for the parish, states a Press Association message from Nelson. The previous age limit was 21. The next session of Synod will be held at Auckland' in' 1943. Dunedin ran the gamut of a surprising sequence of weather types over the 24 hours ended at 9 this morning. About midday yesterday almost perfect conditions prevailed, marred only by a slight north-westerly breeze. Towards evening, however, clouds banked heavily over the city, while the wind freshened to such an extent that by 7 o’clock half a gale was blowing. Later in the night this increased in force, with the result that a squally north-easterly almost of gale force held sway until nearly midnight, when it gradually eased. This morning the sky was heavily banked, and the fall of the wind to a moderate breeze brought rain instead. It was spasmodic, however, though always threatening; temperatures were quite mild. Health returns in the Otago and Southland districts for the week ended to-day include one case of mild diphtheria and one suspected case. Both of these concern young children, and are reported from the Clydevale district. In other notifications Southland leads Otago heavily, the figures being: Scarlet fever—Southland 2, Otago 1; tuberculosis —Southland 4, Otago 1; erysipelas—Southland 1. Probate in the following estates was granted by Mr Justice Kennedy in the Supreme Court this morning:—Katie Smith Webb, married woman, Dunedin; Alfred Thomas Esquilant, bookbinder, Dunedin; Archibald M'Keich, butcher, Dunedin. Letters of administration were granted in the estate of John William Mount Edgcombe, labourer, Wedderburn. Various complaints have been made from, time to time regarding the slowness with which the bathing pool at Woodhaugh Gardens fills when race it has been emptied. An explanation for this was given this morning by Mr D. Tannock, superintendent of the reserves department, who stated that the cause was the work at present being undertaken in the region of the Malvern street bridge, where the floor of the Leith is being lowered. This has had the effect of cutting off supplies of water to the baths, reducing the intake to little more than a trickle. When the work is completed a weir will be made and a 4in flume lead direct to the baths, so that the inflow will be more than adequate. This, however, is not likely to be completed before next season. Interference with the supply has also been occasioned through leaves blocking the netting wire placed over the mouth of the existing pipe. This minor trouble has been remedied through the removal of the netting to a point beyond the end of the pipe, thus allowing a clearer flow of water. The Railway Department advertises in this issue train arrangements in connection with the Dunedin races at Wingatui to-morrow. The Port Chalmers postponed waterside picnic at the Spit will be held on Sunday.