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Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 181, 3 July 1931, Page 6

A correspondent writes: —“An unusual spectacle for June is to be seen in a Terrace Eud garden. For the past two weeks a thrush has made its home in an ornamental tree, and on Monday last had already laid three eggs. These birds are not generally seen nesting in New Zealand until about the middle of August.” Formation work is being carried out in the grounds of the Palmerston North Hospital in connection with the laying out of the new parking area at the eastern eud of the Nurses’ Home near the main entrance to tho Hospital. Pain has caused considerable delay, but about ten relief workers have been employed during the past week. The Alanawatu Automobile Association recently made a grant of £2O towards this work.

In an effort to re-establish quail in the Alanawatu and adjacent districts, the Alanawatu branch of the AVellington Acclimatisation Society is raising several thousands of the birds on the society’s game farm at Paraparaumu. The difficulty at the present time is in procuring stock, but a determined attempt is being made to bring about a large increase in this interesting game bird. The society is also rearing several hundred pheasants. A new propeller and shaft will have to bo obtained from England for tho steamer City of Kimberley, which arrived at Auckland yesterday after being towed for 1335 miles by the New Zealand Shipping Company’s motor vessel, Opawa, which rescued tho distressed ship in tho Pacific Ocean on June 22. Captain AA’ooster, of the City of Kimberley, said that it was probable the vessel would be laid up for two months. The City of Kimberley carries general cargo from New York for Auckland. Napier, AA ellington, Lyttelton, Dunedin and Sydney.

The House of Representatives was convulsed last evening by a reference by Air AA’. J. Jordan to the difficulties of private members in securing a passage lor their Bills. Air Jordan said tlTat he had been in tho House for nine years, and in that time only two private members’ Bills had been passed. One was the daylight saving measure, and the other was a Bill to enable a man to marry his deceased wife’s niece. “If I had wanted to marry my deceased wife’s niece,” he said, “I would have done it and not known it was illegal. Anil I don't suppose anyone would have eared about it —except the deceased wife’s niece.”

A request that the Alinister of Defence, Lion. J. G. Cobbe, should make an investigation into air defence questions, was made by Air J. S. Fletcher in the House of Representatives last evening. Air Fletcher said that while it mignt be advisable to curtail expenditure at present, it would be wise tor the Alinister to look into tho condition of the air arm. He was advised that, when the Hawke’s Bay earthquake occurred, there was only one aeroplane at the Hobsonvillo air base, Auckland, capable of being sent to the stricken area. The result was that other machines had to be borrowed from the Auckland Aero Club. Such a state of affairs was not satisfactory.

An appeal for relief has been made by Air James Henry Edwards, telegraphist, of Auckland, who .was dismissed from tho Post and Telegraph Department in December, 1929, cnarged with misconduct in that he conveyed racing information over an official telephone. This case created considerable interest, and an appeal to the Post and Telegraph Appeal Board was dismissed. In a petition which was presented to the House of Representatives by Air W. P. Endean yesterday, the petitioner says that there was no justification for the conviction and that in the event of it being found by. the House that the offence had been proved the punishment was out of all proportion to tho offence.

Manchester Bargains ! If thero is anything you are short of or any article you want to replace, just ’phone the Rosco Store Now ! You’ll love the freshness and beauty of our linen, tho soft caress of our towels, the snowy whiteness and superb quality of our sheets. You’ll appreciate tile wonderful way they wear and you’ll save money by taking- advantage .of Rosco sale prices. Tho C. M. Ross Co., Ltd. —Advt.

Clad from head to foot in a heavy mantle of snow Mt. Egmont w magnificent sight on Tuesday. , , day was very cold but particularly clear. , , at r A return is being sought by J ' A. Wilkinson in the House of representatives showing cost to the ion of the San Francisco and \ ancouver mail services. . , There was a decrease of 19< in number of marriages at Auckland the first six months of this year co pared with the corresponding perma of 1920, the figures being 1183, ana 13S0 respectively. . Sixtv-four officers of the 'Wellington City Council have fit telephones paid for' bv the municipality. The conn is considering how many can be none without, and also the co-ordination of various departments. ‘"As regards the minutes of the last meeting, we shall have to take them as burned, not as read,” said Jlr A. Dinnie. chairman of the No. C Distiic-t Highways Councils at tlie_ quarterly meeting' of that body at Napier this week. “All the records were destroyed.” Mr Dinnie added. Revaluations of the Waimate. Mount Herbert and Selwyn Counties in Canterbury. which have just been completed by the Valuation Department ana will take effect from March 31, 1931, show total reductions of between eign and 11 per cent, on capital values and between 22 and 24 per cent, on unimproved values. Mr J. A. Nash. M.P., has given notice to ask the Minister of Labour. Hon. S. G Smith, whether he will make provision in the Unemployment Act to provide for a payment of a subsidy to local bodies for transport under the No. 5 scheme. Local bodies are now refusing transport owing to the excessive cost of same, states Mr Nash.

A unique bequest—one of £4OOO for providing food and lodging for swaggers passing through Masterton—is made under the will of the late Mr Jolm Gray, of Masterton, whose death occurred at Dannevirkc on June -1Tlre whole of the late Mr Gray s valuable estate will in time go to charity, the Salvation Army being the chief beneficiary.

Advice was received by the Manawatu branch of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society last evening of the allocation of 30.000 rainbow trout fry and 5000 yearlings for release in the Oroua river and 1500 brown trout yearlings for the other rivers in this district. It was hoped that the total allocation of brown trout would be between 50,000 and GO,OOO.

Efforts to vary, the will of the late Miss Annie McPherson, who provided about £2500 for the erection of a bell and choir vestry at St. Paul s Cathedral, Hamilton, will be made In the Supreme Court by the Cathedral Chapter on July 20. No provision was made in the will for a tower to house the bell, and it is to provide for this that legal sanction is necessary.

The stimulation of gold production is sought in the Gold Bounty Bill, which was introduced in the House of Representatives by Mr G. C. Black yesterday. The Bill provides for the payment of a bounty of £1 in New Zealand currency on each fine ounce of gold produced in excess of the average number of fine ounces produced over tire three-yearly period 1928-30.

A suggestion that the sanction of the Government- be sought lor tlm liberation of bell-birds in the AVaitakere ranges was adopted by the council of the Auckland Zoological Society at a meeting and it was also decided to ask for Government assistance in procuring birds for the purpose. Members considered that tho ranges would iorm an excellent natural home for the bell-bird.

The opinion that no steps should be taken by-Auckland to dispute Wellington’s claim to hold an International Exhibition in 1940 to mark the centenary of New Zealand was expressed by tho Alayor, Air G. AA'. Hutchinson, in a report submitted to the meeting of the Auckland City Council. The Alayor suggested that the centenary should be celebrated at Auckland by a week of historical pageantry. Arrangements are being made to institute the new system of voluntary military training in Palmerston North. Three units, comprising the 7th and Bth Batteries, and the machine gun section, also headquarters’ members of tho Manawatu Alounted Rifles will participate. The first parade is being held to-night. Thero will probably be further units consisting of two country squadrons attached to the Alanawatu Alounted Rifles. There is already a regimental cadet detachment in existence. The Palmerston North secondary school cadets are carrying on voluntarily under the former organisation.

August has been chosen by the New Zealand Native Bird Protection Society as bird month, in which the people of New Zealand are to be asked •‘to specially cherish the birds, to provide food and shelter for the birds, and to do somo ‘bird-thinking.’ ” Giving the society’s reason for choosing August, Air Johannes C. Andersen says: “August is the hardest of the three hard montlrs, July, August, September. August is the first month of spring, but yet is the coldest month of the year, and many people regard it as the last month of winter. It is tho month when food of birds is scarcest.”

AATien Air D. G. Sullivan. AI.P., became Alayor of Christchurch he followed the lead set by his predecessor in office (Rev. J. K. Archer) of refusing to wear tho robe and cocked hat which are provided for the use of the Alayor on ceremonial occasions, and as far as is known Air Sullivan has not even tried them on (says the Christchurch Times). For over six years the robe and bat have remained in a cupboard in the Alavor’s room, only to be taken out occasionally for dusting. Air Archer did not wear the robe or hat, but on two occasions he exhibited them to school children. Air Sullivan, however, has expressed a determination not to have anything to do with them at all, and presumably they will remain out of use for another two years. The Mayoral chain lias been worn by both Air Archer and Mr Sullivan.