Effect of Dry Season.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 275, 20 October 1937, Page 8

Effect of Dry Season.

Three grass fires, the first of their kind this sum me'r, occupied the attention of the Palmerston North Fire Brigade yesterday. They were all in Main Street, on railway property. No great dioulty was experienced in extinguishing the flames. Service By Air.

An application has been made by Union Airways for an amendment to be made to the timetables of the Auck-land-Wellington and Palmerston North-Dunedin services so as to provide two trips each way between Auckland and Wellington during the summer and a daily service from AucklandNew Plymouth to Christchurch-Dun-edin.—Press .Association. Teachers and Defence.

At its meeting last evening, the Palmerston North High School’s Board decided to make application to the Minister of Education to extend the military, training privileges of schoolteachers. Under the present regulatons, it was reported, a teacher who desires to attend a military camp may do so on full pay for five school days provided no payment is received from the Defence Department. To meet the requirements of the new defence measures it was thought that the period should be extended to ten school days. Supplying a Demand. A somewhat anomalous shopping incident which caused him some amusement was described by Mr G. Turvey, Dominion organiser for the Toe H Movement, in conversation with a “Standard” reporter during his visit to Palmerston North. He had, he said, been particularly attracted by the neckties worn by men on the Continent, which lie had visited. These neckties were much longer than those worn in England; especially were they so in Bavaria. So, while travelling in that State, he had bought one of these ties in a store. “Impgino my surprise,” said Mr Turvey. “when 1 found a tab on the tie, ‘Made in England.’ ” Woman Cyclist. A well-known Auckland woman cyclist, ill’s IC. Harrison, left Auckland for Morrinsvillo at 7 a.m. on Saturday in an attempt to break the 100-mile women’s urinaceij world’s record. Mrs Harrison, however, did not continue her ‘attempt further than ; Mercer, a telegram stating that she had abandoned her'effort at that township. Mrs Harrison covered the same course as the entrants in'-the New Zealand and provincial road race. Biding in the ; iatter event was ..Mr E. Harrison, her husband, who was off the 24min mark. Mrs Harrison ip the mother of five children, the eldest of whom is 13 years old. The youngest child is seven.

Students From Japan. For the past four years one student annually lias come from Japan to take courses at Massey Agricultural _ College. Mr Y. Kawai, the only remaining student at the institution, has just completed a two years’ sheep-farming course, and leaves at the end of this month for Australia to pursue further studies. Another Japanese student will be arriving at Massey College before the end of the year. Without Electric Light. Comment that parts of England only a few miles from large centres were without an electric light service was made by Mr C. G. C. Dernier (chairman af the Manavvatu-Oroua Power Board), yesterday, on his return from a tour abroad. He stated that it was quite evident that those controlling electricity in England did not follow the New Zealand policy of making it available in the remote areas as well as in the cities. Accident at Intersection.

When a lorry belonging to Mr A. E. Clausen, in which he was a passenger, and which was driven by Mr J. P. Collins, was involved in an accident ut the intersection of Heretaunga and Featherston Streets yesterday, with a lorry driven by Joe Ngan, of Feilding, a narrow escape from serious injury was experienced by the occupants. Mr Clausen’s vehicle received considerable damage to the cab. The other lorry was only slightly damaged. Sales Tax Yield.

Sales tax yielded £301,002 in August. This amount is the second highest total on record and is only £8794 below the record figure established in May. In comparison with the amount collected in July the August yield is £22,034 higher, an increase of 7.9 per cent. For the eight months of the current year to the end of August sales tax receipts have contributed £2,253,634 to the revenue of the country, as compared with £1.820,075 during the same period of 1936. Cheap Train Travelling. Travelling 6400 miles by train, with all the privileges of a luxury service, cost Mr and Mrs R. Tanner, of Karere, only £32 in America. They described the service given as wonderful, to a “Standard” reporter today, but said that it was a big change to return to New Zealand’s style of rail transportation alter what they had enjoyed in America, from which country, they added, tourists would flock to the Dominion if better accommodation were provided. Japan and China. While the outside world believes that Japan has flung the cream of her military forces against the Chinese, actually the majority of first-line troops are still stationed in Japan, according to Mr N. Horscroft. a New Zeirlander who returned this week. He said the general opinion among people who knew the average trend of thought in Japan was that the Japanese feared the intervention of Russia, A few weeks ago the Japanese sent 30,000 troops across to Manchukuo. Thanks From Prisoner.

The unusual act of a prisoner who had just undergone sentence thanking the police for treatment accorded him was recorded in the Supreme Court yesterday afternoon. After sentence had been pronounced the prisoner asked the Judge, His Honour, Mr Justice Smith, for permission to speak, and he then voiced his thanlq to the police for kindness and consideration shown to him while in custody. The prisoner was one to whom special consideration was given in view of the fact that, since the, commission of the wrong in 1934. he .lj.ad ‘turned over a new leaf” and had.departed from his former ways.

Separate Province. The Gisborne Chamber of Commerce yesterday discussed the question of securing provincial status for Poverty Bay and the East Coast district. It was pointed out that the district had been declared a separate province for the centennial celebrations, and members urged that an effort he made to have this status retained. Mr H. Hi de Costa expressed the opinion that it was best to break away from the Auckland province. It would be the best thing Poverty Bay could do. It was decided to write to the Minister of Internal Affairs to ascertain what steps should be taken for the establishment of a separate province for Poverty Bay and the East Coast.— Press Association.

Fear of Legislation. Safeguards against the effects of any legislation passed in-the interim were bought by counsel in the Supreme Court at Palmerston North yesterday, when application was made for the adjournment until next session of a motor collision claim which had been referred back from the Court of Appeal for a rehearing. “There is the possibility of legislation being passed which may affect defendant’s position, and of it being made retrospective,” stated counsel, who intimated that he would consent to an adjournment if his client’s rights were protected. His Honour Mr Justice Smith, who was on the Bench, commented that if such legislation were passed it could be framed so artfully that consent would not matter in this case. He stated that counsel would have to take the risk and accept an adjournment on its merits. Birds and Aeroplanes.

How a study of the wings of certain types of birds of prey led to the invention of a slotted wing to stabilise aeroplanes travelling at slow speeds was recounted by Mr R. A. Falla, curator of the Canterbury Museum, in an address. Among the birds of prey, such as owls and hawks, which had slotted wing-tips, was the New Zealand kea. The slotted wings, Mr Falla explained, prevented the formation of a partial vacuum and of eddies, and by maintaing friction at the tips prevented the tendency to fall rapidly. A study of the problem had been directly responsible for the invention of the slotted-wing device for aeroplanes. The opposite typo of bird to the kea was the albatross, wihch, when alighting on the waves, had “to apply its footbrakes,” by spreading its feet against the surface of the water.