GENERAL NEWS

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6613, 18 May 1928, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS

The monthly meeting of the Plunkct committee will bo hold in the Council Chambers at L’,3o this afternoon.

A Calcutta cable states that 3000 houses'were destroyed by fire at Ellorc, near Madras. Hundreds of cattle wort incinerated.

A London cable states that Colonel Headlam, Under-Secretary to the Admiralty, told a questioner that the contractor who recently supplied South American beef as New Zealand had been struck off the Admiralty list of eligible tenderers. There was no suggestion that the cold stores from which the meat was supplied were in any way blameworthy. Mr. J. C. Young presided over an executive meeting of the Palmerston North branch of the Bee-keepers’ Association, which was hold last evening. Further arrangements were made for the combined branch display at the winter show. Strong efforts arc being made to present an attractive display of honey in its various forms and by-pro-ducts of the industry.

A loss of £43,080 on the operation of the Auckland municipal tramways is shown by the accounts for the year ended 31st March, which were presented to the Transport Commission on Wednesday. With this addition there is an accumulated deficiency in the tramways account of £83,360. Separate accounts show a profit on the tramways alon-’ of £18,943, compared with auout £9OOO in the previous year; and a loss on the buses of £64,029, compared with a loss of £48,000 in 1960-27.

“A number of lady resident medical officers have been taken on the staff during the year, and have proved a great success. They have shown themselves diligent and attentive to their work, and are liked by both patients and staff.” This statement was made in a report which was received at a meeting of the Auckland Hospital Board recently. It was also mentioned that there had been a difficulty in filling vacancies on the resident medical staff, owing to the fact that the number of qualified medical men being turned out by the Otago Medical School was diminishing.

Immediately following heavy rain and tho creation of lakelets in the Edcndalc. district eels have appeared, and arc now swimming about in places where but a few weeks ago there was dry land, says the Auckland “Sun.” The annual appearance of tho eels is something of a mystery, and although they may in cases follow tho course of stormwater from some swamp, it is difficult to account for their presence in depressions which apparently have no connection with a running stream. One theory is that the cels horc into the mud when summer comes to await tho advent of winter rains.

“’Sydney is growing verj- rapidly, and one cannot fail to notice the great improvements made during the past two years.” This was tho opinion expressed to an “Otago Daily Times reporter by Mr. C. W, Sundstrum, who has just returned from a visit to Australia. “Tho motor traffic in Sydney was enormous,” ho said, “but the driving of cars was an object-lesson to other cities. Owing to some of Sydney’s streets being narrow, one-way traffic was compulsory, and it was amazing to see the skill exercised by tho drivers in a maze of motor traffic. The drivers, as a rule, showed every consideration for each olher, with tho result that there were few acci'dnta”

Even such a recognised barren wilderness as the New Zealand Official Year Book contains an occasional oasis of something palatable to literary digestive organs, albeit such cases have to bo earnestly sought, says the Auckland “Star.” Of all places the least likely to contain such a welcome diversion would bo the index, and yet there some of the most succulentilbits of the book arc found The various items appearing in the index arc arranged in strict alphabetical order, and one is struck with the coincidental associations that occur. Amongst the IPs “eggs” is immediately followed by “elections,” which seems appropriate. In the H’s “hay, quantities consumed,” precedes “head* of departments.” lu the A’s, “Assembly general, members,” is immediately followed by “asses and mules,” while “geese” and “general assembly” aro associated in (ho Cr’s.