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Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 48, 25 January 1939, Page 8

Importers Attend Conference. About twenty Palmerston North businessmen travelled to 'Wellington to-day to attend the conference called by the Associated Chambers of Commerce to discuss the import icgulation*. Liner to be Withdrawn.

Now in her thirtieth year of service in the trade between England and the Dominion, the liner Ruuhine is shortly to bo withdrawn from service. On her arrival at Auckland from the North of England with general cargo, it was reported yesterday that she was on her last voyage. Scrub Fire Subdued. More than 60 people fought strenu ously for almost three hours against a fire which swept through ti-troc and scrub on a property at Oneroa, Waihokc Island, and threatened to destroy a number of homes. Several ol the houses were encircled by the flames, but the residents succeeded in extinguishing them before they reached the homes. —Press Association.

Upkeep of Pupils. Thousands of pounds are spent each year to feed and care for pupils at Wanganui Collegiate School, Wanganui dirls’ College, and the Technical College hostel. More than £BOOO was spent last year in provisions alone. That girls arc more expensive to keep than boys is revealed by figures from the girls’ college and the technical college hostel. Tliu cost for girls last year was 17s 7d a head weekly, and hoys cost 13s 4d each.

Island Fatality. Tile Minister of Public Works has been advised of. the death by drowning of Mr W. El. Carter, who was recently transferred to Raoul Island in charge, for the time being, of the work of establishing an aeradio and meteorological reporting station. An interim report received by the Minister states that the island experienced a hurricane on Sunday last, and on Monday, while on the foreshore, Mr Carter was washed off the rocks by an exceptionally large wave.

Scottish Poet’s Birthday. To-day is an important day for Scotsman all over the world for it marks the 180th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, the famous Scottish poet, who was born at Alloway, near Ayr. Ex-Soldier Volunteers. About 40 returned soldiers have been selected so far from a batch of about 80, who volunteered for the electric light section for coastal defence at Auckland. The men, who have passed their medical examination, will be sworn in and issued with service uniforms to-morrow. Long Farming Partnership.

Within the past three weeks the death lias occurred of two brothers, Messrs Sydney John Vining and Thomas Llewellyn Vining, who farmed together for 68 years on 3000 acres of land at Mangatangi, Pokeno. The former died on January 3 at the age of 89, and the latter died on Saturday at the age of 91. Crops of Fruit. “Growers in the Wangapui district feared a good deal of damage to their orchards as a result of the midsummer storms, but the loss of fruit will not Ixi materially heavy,” stated Mr L. M. Estcourt, orchard instructor to the Department of Agriculture, in an interview. The commercial crop of apples in the district will amount to approximately 12,000 cases,” he said. Youth Fellowship. Rev. Canon H. Watson, of Marten, will lead the devotions at the Youth Workers’ Fellowship Conference at Lower Hutt, which opens on Friday next. The conference is being held under the auspices of the Youth Committee of the Council of Religious Education of New' Zealand and is an outgrowth of what was known as the Waikanac Conference when Bible Class leaders and youth workers of various denominations gathered together for fellowship and study. | Sea Lion on Beach.

Fully grown, and about Oft in length, with a breadth of 2ft from shoulder to shoulder, a sea lion, which was basking in the liot sunshine 100 yards from the sea. was found in the sandhills, on Moana Roa Beach, past Flock House, on Sunday by Air F. Carpenter, of Palmerston North. It is considered that the sea-lion had lain there since last week, when heavy seas probably washed it ashore. Ivater it made its way to the sea, swam through the breakers, and disappeared. Meteor Observed. A luminous, fiery ball, believed to have been a meteor, was observed by riflemen on the Trentham range on Monday morning travelling at great speed through the air at a height estimated to have been a few hundred feet. Mr S. F. McLean, president of the Wellington ltifio Association, said that he saw the meteor at about five minutes to 10 o’clock, travelling between the firing mound and the butts. It was about 500 to 600 yards away and appeared to strike the earth somewhere behind the IVi Tako prison. Proud Father.

If North Auckland possessed a panoramic camera it could produce a photograph of W'hangaroa’s proudest father, states an exchange. Unfortunately, the line-up of his 24 children plus his wife and himself would not fit into the comparatively limited focussing powers of local cameras. Rather than leave some of the members out, the family’s portrait was not recorded. Standing in a row, from the youngest to the eldest, the 2B made an Imposing study. In the late fifties, this Maori father lias a 21-year-old wife. By his former wife, now deceased, he had 20 children, while his present wife has presented him with another four.

Duty on Souvenirs. Criticism of the New Zealand Customs officials in demanding duty on souvenirs brought hack from Australia by Boy Scouts is endorsed by Commissioner L. G. Callis, of Palmerston North, who was in charge of the local boys. The Manawatu party arrived back with articles which were valued at £33, and on these no less than £7 had to be paid in duty. Not anticipating this, the hoys had, in most eases, exhausted their pocket money and no little difficulty was experienced in “raising the wind.” Discussing the matter with a “Standard” reporter Commissioner Callis said that the workings of the New Zealand Customs officials wore in marked contrast to tho=o of the Australian officials, who did not ever question the boys on their arrival in Sydney.