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Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 18, 19 December 1936, Page 8

With the prospect of the Galatea estate becoming a populous centre the Lands Department has laid out a township site at the intersection of the Galatea and Mangamate Roads.

Although only six months of the licensing year have passed, the number of driving licenses issued by the Wellington City Council already exceeds the number issued foi the whole of last year by nearly 100. Experiments were made yesterday by the traffic department of the Wellington Cfty Council with a voice amplification system on a patrol car. By this means the inspector is able to instruct drivers while their cars are actually oil the move. The tests were entirely successful. A Because no labour engagements were accepted by Wellington waterside workers on Monday, the King’s Birthday, the unloading of the Wauganella, which arrived from Sydney that day, could not be completed by the time the vessel departed on the return trip at midnight on Tuesday. As a result about 100 tons of general cargo intended for Wellington importers had to be carried back to Sydney. The number of marriage certificates issued in Palmerston North 60 far in December is the same as for the same period in December of last year, about 23. Inquiry made at the office of the Registrar of Marriages has elicited the advice that persons contemplating marriage in the Christmas holidays would be well advised to obtain their certificates as ea.rly as possible, as sometimes difficulties regarding residence have to be overcome due to persons relying on “hearsay” as to the requirements. Other persons find themselves in difficulties owing to the office being closed for the Christmas holidays, although there has been ample time beforehand to make inquiries and obtain the marriage certificates.

The Auckland Automobile Association enrolled its 20,000 th member this week. A maliciously false alarm at 10.30 last evening summoned the Palmerston North Fire Brigade to the vicinity of Featherston and Campbell Streets. According to a London shipping journal, the Makura has been sold to Far East shipbreakers for about £16,750, with delivery in New Zealand. When she arrived at Wellington to-day she had steamed during her Jong career 2,338,398 miles. /

A resident of Levin, Mr Frederick Collis, suffered head abrasions, concussion, and a fractured finger when the front forks of his bicycle, broke, as lie was cycling to work last evening. He was admitted to the Palmerston North Hospital.

The New Zealand Crippled Children’s Society (Manawatu branch) has received a donation of £1 from an anonymous donor. The local branch lias completed an exhaustive survey of its district and has been able to complete its records relating to many cases which come within its scope. On page 11 of to-day’s issue is published the first of a series of dramaticstories by the celebrated Australian novelist, lon Idriess, who ranks among the foremost writers of the period for his gripping narratives of places far from the centres of life. The series will be published twice weekly. Said to be the best collection of moa skeletons in the world, seven different species have now been assembled by the curator of the Wanganui Museum, Mr G. Shepherd. The latest addition to tho collection is an almost perfect example of a dinormis novae zelandie. which stands about six feet high.

“Recent experiments organised by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research have shown that asparagus may be added to the growing list of perishable foodstuffs that can be successfully transported from New Zealand to Great Britain in cold storage,” said the Minister in charge of Scientific and Industrial Research (Hon. D. G. Sullivan) last evening.

After a season which has been disappointing in respect of the quantity available for the market, tho whitebait season in Canterbury closed this week. The early closing of the season has been enforced by the Internal Affairs Department for the last two years, so as -to give the later run of whitebait, near Christmas, a chance to pass up the streams unmolested, in the hope that larger quantities will breed for the following year. Tho assessors appointed by the Government to value the B class radio broadcasting stations have submitted their report to the Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage). As Minister in charge of Broadcasting, Mr Savage said yesterday that preparatory to the Government taking over the stations it would be necessary for negotiations to be entered into with the proprietors of the stations. '(We desire to acquire the stations,” said’ Mr Savage, “and those which we cannot acquire will have to be subsidised.”

There is a prospect of a substantial increase in the British prices for New Zealand tobacco leaf this season. The Minister of Labour) Hon. 11. T. Armstrong) said last evening that advice had been received from the High Commissioner, Mr W. J. Jordan, to the effect that the recent shipment of Nelson-grow-n tobacco leaf had arrived in good condition, and there were excellent prospects of its disposal at prices at least 50 per cent, better than those obtained for the first trial shipment sent to London last year.

The purchase of about 4000 acres of the Tongariro timber lands at Tolcaanu by a King Country firm of sawmillers has been completed. The native owners will receive about £170,000. The area sold is estimated to contain nearly 80,000,000 feet log measurement of timber. It is part ot a block of 40,000 acres of tho finest totara, matai, and rimu forest in New Zealand, owned exclusively by members of the Tuwharetoa tribe. The total area is estimated to contain more than 1,000,000,000 feet, and the stumpage value has been assessed at £3,750,000.

A suggested explanation of the reason for the dictum of Mr Justice Page, president of the Court of Arbitration, that wages would not be increased beyond the 1931 level except in special circumstances, was given by the Conciliation Commissioner, Mr M. J. Reardon, during the hearing of a dispute in the Conciliation Council at Wellington, yesterday. Mr Reardon sad the Court had found itself “snowed under” with work and had said that if the parties to an application for a new award could not agree in conciliation on wages, the 1931 rates would be awarded, unless there were special circumstances.

“I have never seen the display■ staged better, and 1 saw it in Sydney, Melbourne, and Auckland.” This striking tribute was paid to a “Standard” representative to-day by Mr B. Tratlien, a Nelson businessman, concerning the present exhibition, in the C. M. Ross Coy. store, of the replicas of the Crown Jewels. Mr Trathen stated that the firm had arranged the exhibition in a magnificent manner, and he w’islied to pay a warm tribute to the attractive setting provided for the display. He added that it wa6 one of the many signs he had noticed of a progressive and enterprising spirit in Palmerston North.