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Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 109, 8 April 1936, Page 8

A further car theft has been reported from Linton, a sedan vehicle having been removed from Mrs Irvine’s property. Otaki violets are being sold in various markets at good prices. In the course of another week or so thousands of bunches will be sent daily by transport to Wellington and elsewhere.— Otaki correspondent. No guaranteed prices for fruitgrowers will be forthcoming this year, according to a statement made by Mr W. B°nzies. secretary of the New Zealand Fruit Export Control Board, when addressing a meeting of Hawke’s Bay fruitgrowers. 0 Advice was received at a meeting of the ICairanga County Council, yesterday, from the Palmerston North City Council, that the cost to the City Council in connection with the inauguration ceremony of the Union Airways service between Milson and Dunedin had been £62 Is Id, and the request was made that the County Council meet half that expenditure. The account was passed for payment.

Unique decoration is a feature of a whale’s tooth which is in the possession of the Hawke’s Bay Arts Society for exhibition in the museum at Napier. The exhibit, which is part of the Lady McLean collection, has on one side of it a remarkable, engraving depicting Akaroa Harbour in the pioneering days. The work is wonderfully done, and the exhibit will prove a valuable one in the museum.

A very large volume of enquiries as to Easter travelling has been dealt with at the Palmerston North railway booking office over the last few days. Repairs and renovations are at pre-. sent being carried out to the Lutheran Church in Church Street. Hoofing iron has been renewed and the whole building is being painted, from the top of the tower downwards.

According to advice received from the headquarters of the McGregor National Fund, the total of the donations so far received by the “Manawatu Evening Standard” exceeds that of any other newspaper in the Dominion. The view that the task of revising textbooks for use in State schools should be tackled independently of the main scheme of educational reorganisation is expressed by the New Zealand Educational Institute in the April issue of its journal, National Education.

Notice of his intention to ask the Minister of Agriculture to convene a conference of citrus growers. to discuss and examine the question of citi;us culture in New Zealand has been given by Mr C. H. Burnett (Government, Tauranga), in the House of Representatives. In the first three months of this year more rain has been recorded in Napier than was experienced during the whole of 1921 or 1926. According to figures supplied by the meteorological recorder in Napier, 23.21 in of rain have fallen since January 1, while for 1921 and 1926 the respective annual totals were 21.47 in and 21.6 in.

While vis-/ting the beach on the coast near Tikinui, North Auckland, Mr Lawerence Legrice, a middle-aged man, was bitten by a katipo spider. AVithin half an hour he was rushed to a private, hospital in Dargaville. As Mr Legrice was still suffering great pain he was removed to Auckland for further medical treatment.

Forty men deer-culling in the backblocks near Makarora (Otago) for four months have shot 16,000 deer, 85 per cent, of which had skins suitable for manufacturing purposes. The weather has been unfavourable for deer stalking, however, and in fine weather the same number of men would, they estimate, have shot over 17,000 deer.

In the event of an emergency, it is possible to completely evacuate the Terrace End School within 27 seconds. Reporting to the committee last evening, the headmaster (Mr A. W. Thompson) said that during Fire Prevention Week Superintendent P. A. Milverton had carried out a test with the above result. Members expressed appreciation that the school could be evacuated so speedily. False alarms of fire, which provide some persons who are lacking in a sense of responsibility with a foolish type of amusement, and which also have much potential danger, have' caused considerable inconvenience of late to the local Fire Brigade. Several such alarms have been received this month, even though it is only in its second week, and last evening yet another false call was received.

An unusual accident and escape from injury were experienced by Mr Arthur Mawson, of Auckland, on the Northern Wairoa bridge. Mr Mawson was driving a light truck and had just entered the approach to the bridge coming to Dargaville when a young, brown seagull hit the windscreen. Glass wa6 showered on Mr Mawson’s face and shoulders, but he escaped without the slightest cut. The gull was killed. Advice was placed before the monthly meeting of the Ivairanga County Council, yesterday, that a regulation had been gazetted prohibiting the presence of any fences, trees, or buildings above five feet in height within ten chains of the Milson Aerodrome. The engineer (Mr L. C. Pickering) remarked that all obstructions would have to be lowered to a height of five feet, and this would affect a line of old trees. He thought that compensation would be paid in that respect. No houses, he said, would be affected by the regulation. The danger to motor vehicles when trains cross on the double lines through the city area at an intersection with the roadway was well exemplified last evening A motor vehicle with several occupants was awaiting the passage of a train across the Napier Road level-crossing and just as this train passed on its way north a south-bound train flashed on to the intersection, and had not the driver of the' motor vehicle been fully alert it would have been involved in a serious smash.

As the result of a truck jumping the rails on the Feilding si'de of the Terrace End railway station about 5 p.m., yesterday, the Auckland express left Palmerston North 2 hours and 40 minutes behind its scheduled time. The truck, which was on a goods train from Marton to Palmerston North, was damaged, although little harm was done to the permanent way. The last portion of the goods train did not reach the Palmerston North station until 8.38 p.m. and the Auckland express left two minutes later.

In the financial .year just closed the Ka.iranga County Council did not spend a penny in bank interest on overdraft, it was reported to the monthly meeting of the council yesterday ”by the treasurer (Mr N. I. who explained that, although an overdraft had been in existence, deposits in other accounts at the bank had extinguished it and provided a credit over all. As a result the bank had paid the council interest instead of the reverse procedure. At a later stage, when the council was requested in a letter from its bankers to name the maximum overdraft required in the curent Year, it waij decided to apolv for £3OOO. in place of £SOOO as in’the past year. Mr Nielsen remarked that the council had a considerable credit at the bank. The serious illness suffered by a Maori girl at Opotiki owing to consuming some tutu berries draws attention to the dangers attached to this native bush, says an exchange. The poisonous tutu grows throughout the greater part of New Zealand. The bushes are scrub-like and straggling, and often grow overhanging banks in such a manner as to. be readily accessible to children or stock. The fruit, which resembles a purple flattened berry, with inky juice, is ripe from about the middle of February until April. Not only the fruit, but also the green shoots and leaves, are poisonous. Indications that the Kairanga County Council will this year have 10 consider the abolition of the ridings, to provide for the working of the county in one area, were given at the meeting of the council yesterday. The chairman (Cr S. D. Collis) said he wished the councillors to consider the matter in their own minds. It was a. very big question, but there apeared to be a trend towards working county matters from the viewpoint of the whole county and not from a riding standpoint. When deputations approached the Government from county councils one of the first questions asked was whether the county considered ridings or not. The clerk (Mr N. I. Nielsen) remarked that some of the riding accounts were wealthier than others and due consideration would have to be given to evening them up before any change was made, which would be at the end of this financial year at least.