Witness Reprimanded.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 92, 20 March 1939, Page 6

Witness Reprimanded.

Entering the box chewing gum, a witness earned for himself a reprimand from Mr H. P. Lawry, S.M.. in tho Magistrate’s Court, to-day. He was told by the Magistrate to remove the gum at once, and that he ought to know better. Grape Harvest.

Some destined for the table and others for tho winepress, grapes by the ton are being harvested in the vineyards of Te Kauwhata district, near Auckland. Though larger crops have been gathered in some previous years, the yield this season is regarded as satisfactory and the quality of the fruit was described by one grower as being the best for decades. Loss wine is now manfactured by private growers than in the past. The Desert Road.

Work is proceeding steadily on the Desert ltoad from Waiouru. This road, which runs from Waiouru to the present National Park-Taupo State highway about six miles on the western side of Turangi, was a portion of the oid coach route between Waiouru and Tokaanu, giving access from the south in the old days to Taupo and Rotorua. Reconstruction has been commenced at tlie northern end and the work so far carried out by the Public Works Department has resulted in 14f miles of the road being reformed to a width of 18ft. Memorial Neglected.

The spot at Akaroa on which effective sovereignty of the South Island was first established lias been allowed to fall into an unkempt state. The memorial erected 41 years ago to mark the historic raising of the British flag is weather-worn and parts of the concrete base are disintegrating, while no effort lias been made to keep the fenced-in plot in order. The neglected condition of the memorial, marking a famous piece of land in tho history of not only New Zealand but of the British Empire, surprised Hon. W. E. Parry (Minister for Internal Affairs) when a few days ago lie visited Akaroa, and lie is now giving attention to the matter.

Dental Survey Plan. The Medical Research Council is seeking the assistance of Education Boards in a survey which is to be made of dental conditions among the Dominion’s school pupils. Sustenance Reduced. Reductions in sustenance allowances have been made this month in circumstances where the wife of an unemployed married man is drawing an old age or an invalidity pension (says the Auckland Herald). The action of the Government in reducing family incomes a month before the social security benefits come into operation is naturally the subject of a strong protest on the part of those affected. Two Sea Mammals.

Okain’s Bay has had two strange visitors. They were a sea leopard and a sea lion. Dour fishermen were startled to see a sea leopard rise out of the water near where they were anchored, and they immediately lowed to the shore. On Friday a large sea elephant came up on the Okain’s Bay beach. It appeared to be very old and seemed to be sick. It was 12 feet to 13 feet long and had a fungus growth on its back. It was dark grey and had a tail in four sections. Horse’s Good Record.

The 26-year-old gelding, Two-step, owned and trained by Airs Colin Alerrin, of Otorohanga, in winning the championship jumpers’ event at the recent Cambridge Show, for the third time, set the seal on his fame as one of the best-performed show ring horses in the country. Two-step has been jumping in the show rings of the North Island for the past 19 years, and is still going strong. He lias now won a cash sum of £1976 and a room full of cups and trophies. Gifts For Health.

The tuberculosis block in the Balclutha Hospital, to the cost of which Air Samuel Saltzman contributed £3OOO, was officially opened on Saturday. Air Salzman’s public benefactions now exceed £IB,OOO, made up as follows: —Grey Hospital, £1000; Oamaru Children’s Hospital, £2000; children’s health camp, Company’s Bay, £1250; Waipiata sanatorium block, £3000; St. John Ambulance building, Dunedin, £7000; Balclutha tuberculosis block, £3000; total, £18,525.

Young Trees Destroyed. The managing-secretary (Mr A. J. Phillipps) reported to the Palmerston Nortli Hospital Board to-day that last week a fire occurred on the river accretion area of the board's farm. “This lire,” he said, “has done very considerable damage over an area of 50 to 60 acres. Of the 5000 trees which have been planted on this area about 2000 have ikx'n destroyed and most of these were well-grown trees which were planted about six years ago. The loss of the trees is very serious and these will have to be replaced this winter,” Air Phillipps concluded. Burglaries In Hastings. > After forcing an entry into the premises of Air J. B. Fletcher, Heretaunga Street. Hastings, on Saturday night, intruders thoroughly ransacked the premises and discovered the key to the safe. The safe was then given the same treatment, and the thieves decamped with between £4O and £45 in notes and change. It has also been reported that in the early hours of yesterday morning two young men were disturbed in an office in Karamu Road, where they were attempting to open the strongroom. However, the key used would not fit tile strongroom door.

Equinox To-morrow. Summer will officially pass tomorrow with the occurrence of the autumnal equinox. Although the meteorological season cannot be fixed in advance with any certainity, it has been found that in most localities the actual season coincides fairly closely with the calendar season, which is arbitrarily attached to the occurrence of equinoxes and solstices. At midnight to-morrow the sun will cross the equator and enter the northern hemisphere, and it will move steadily northward until the middle of June, when the shortest day will occur in the southern hemisphere. St. John and Red Cross.

An agreement defining the activities of tiie Order of St. John and the New Zealand Red Cross Society with the object of eliminating overlapping and duplication of work lias been reached, according to a statement made by the Knight Commander of the Order of St. John, Sir Heaton Rhodes, at the annual conference of the Comrnandery Chapter of the Order. Sir Heaton said St. John would continue with the instruction of firsUaid and home nursing, service at sportsgrounds and public functions, the transport of s/ick and injured and the bedside work of its district nursing service. The Red Cross Society would be engaged in the promotion of health and the prevention of disease and public instruction in those matters, and would extend its work for the care of convalescents in homes.

Sales Tax Yield. For the second month in succession collections of sales tax in New Zealand have reached record proportions. The return of £330,294 in January is the highest monthly total since the tax was instituted five years ago. Sales tax returns in January are normally high, reflecting payments on a considerable portion of goods obtained lor the Christmas trade. There is generally a sharp drop in the amount collected in February, and the lower revenue as a result of import restrictions will be noticeable later in the year. As certain necessities are exempt from the tax, its growth is a reflection of the greater purchase of goods outside the necessity class. The total in January of £330,294 was £938 greater than the previous record in December, 1938. It also showed a rise of £12,696 on the figure for January, 1938, which was the highest recorded prior to December, 1938.