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Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 248, 16 September 1933, Page 6

A notice to the effect that “summer time” will be brought into force at 2 a.m. on Sunday, October 8, when clocks should be advanced 30 minutes, has been published in this week s Gazette. On his return by the Wanganella this week from a visit to Australia, where he conducted inquiries in connection with the Auckland harbour bridge project, Mr A. Harris, M.P. for Waitemata, said his mission had been fruitful and the result should be encouraging to the bridge promoters. Owing to the prevalence of influenza in the Whangarei district, school attendances are considerably depleted. The Otaika School was closed this week as both the teachers had contracted influenza. At Hikurangi 60 children were absent owing to influenza and measles. The Portland School and Whangarei High Schools are also affected for similar reasons.

The memory of Captain William Hobson, R.N., first Governor of New Zealand and founder of Auckland City, was honoured on Wednesday when the pupils of the Newton Central School, Auckland, made their ninth annual pilgrimage to Captain Hobson’s grave in the Symonds Street Cemetery. A ceremony was also held at the graveside of Frederick Edward Maning, an early Judge of the Native Land Court and friend of the Maori race. Wreaths were laid on both graves by senior pupils. When the new telephone directories arrived in Christchurch homes this week many women surveyed them with dismay (says an exchange). Men were not unduly concerned when they noticed that the department had changed the familiar red cover to one of light cream, but to the women it meant that the means of making a beautiful pink dye had been lost—an effect probably not anticipated by the department. It appeal’s that the department, with the thoroughness for which it is noted, used a particularly good dye when making tho old covers. When boiling water was poured on these, and the resulting pulp well squeezed, a dye was produced which could be used and very often successfully.

A distinguished Jew, Dr. B. H. Shein, has been .sent to Australia by the World Zionist Organisation. He stated in an interview the other day that 3,000,000 Jews in Germany, Russia, Poland and other central European countries were eager to settle in Palestine under the British mandate. Dr. Shein’s tour will include Australia, New Zealand, the Dutch East Indies, India and the Far East. His object is to explain the position of the Jews in Europe, and in Germany in particular, and to describe the success they have achieved in Palestine. Dr. Shein worked in Palestine till a breakdown obliged him to seek renewed health in South Africa. At Johannesburg University he began to study medicine, and, finally, qualified at Berne, * Switzerland. He v’as engaged in research work at Basle when the Zionist Organisation invited him to make the tWir.

The estate of the late Mr Robert Shennan Charters, of Greenvale Station, Waikaia, and latterly of Dunedin, who died last Saturday, has been sworn for probate purposes at under £50,000.

Answering a question in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, the Minister for Transport (Mr Bruxner) said' the Sydney harbour bridge cost in all £10,057,170, and to date the toll revenue had been £313,862. As the result of falling about 20 feet when engaged in topping trees this morning, Mr James Trow, residing at 410 Ruahine Street, was admitted to the Hospital with a small scalp wound. The Hospital authorities reported at midday that his condition was quite satisfactory. He was taken to the Hospital by the Free Ambulance after being given first aid by the ambulance staff.

Although Norfolk Island' is free from fruit fly, its fruit export trade is still under the embargo laid by New Zealand on the greater part of Australia. On the recommendation of its exporters’ committee’ the Auckland Chamber of Commerce has decided to urge the Government to exempt the Norfolk Island trade from restrictions in the same way as South Australia has been exempted. About 700 people travelled by the two excursion trains which passed through Palmerston North last evening from Wellington to Auckland, where the Wellington v. Auckland Rugby representative game is to be pla.yei.l to-day. About a dozen passengers joined 'at Palmerston North. There were eight carriages on the first train and nine on the second, all practically filled. The first train arrived a.t Palmerston North shortly after 10 p.m. and the second about half an hour later.

The Taihape district suffered heavily through the gales of a few days ago. Settlers at Tuoroa, to the east of Taihape, had an anxious time when spwks from a log started a fire. Several of the settlers were up all night owing to their woolslieds and homesteads being threatened. It is sometimes customary, when a dead ewe is found in the lambing season, to set fire to a dry log and burn the carcase. The gale sent the flames and sparks from one of these fires from log to log, and through the brush for miles before burning out. The mortality among sheep was heavy and fences were considerably damaged.

The New Zealand Division entered the offensive on the Somme 17 years ago yesterday, and over a period of 23 days successfully encountered the best German troops in several battles. The gains in that attack were greater than m any single operation since the offensive was launched on July 1„ and they were not exceeded in 191(5. At the Somme, the New Zealand Division gained its first Victoria Cross in France. The winner was Sergeant D. F. Brown, of. the 2nd Battalion, Otago Regiment, but the award was a posthumous one, Sergeant Brown being killed while he was sniping the retreating enemy.

Contrary to popular belief, sunstroke is not due to direct exposure to the rays of the sun. This was mentioned in the Auckland Arbitration Court recently. Counsel who was opposing a claim of a Te Kuiti labourer, alleged to have suffered sunstroke in a quarry, quoted to a medical witness numerous medical authorities, who held that direct exposure to the sun took no part in the production of heat stroke or heat cramps. The witness was surprised that the authorities were so unanimous, and said he understood it was a moot point. A second medical witness said that it was a question of temperature rather than the direct rays of the sun, but temperature was naturally higher in the direct rays. While visiting Hawke’s Bay this week, Mr J. Muggeridge, Government entomologist of the Plant Research Station at Palmerston North, commented on the reported occurrence of thousands of black-and-yellow ringed caterpillars at Tarawera, which, it was stated, were the larvae of white butterflies. These were the larvae of the Nyctemera annulata, otherwise known as the “woolly bear,” said Mr Muggeridge, and this insect was common throughout New Zealand. It was not a pest but was very useful in that it attacked ragwort plants. Unfortunately this insect was largely parasited bv other insects, and as a result the full benefits were not being realised by the Dominion. Reference to these insects, which had been noticed by a Napier man, was made in the “Standard” last evening.