GENERAL NEWS

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6811, 15 January 1929, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS

The Citizens’ Lunch club will celebrate its tenth anniversary at to-day’s meeting. Colonel Powles, the .president, will occupy the chair. The steamer Waikouaiti, which has been laid up for some months through a disputo between the employers and the crew, will resume running in the intercolonial service next w r eek. The work of overhauling the ship commenced yesterday. The annual report of the New- Zealand Refrigerating Company Limited, shows the balance available for appropriation is £76,260 18s Id. which the directors recommend should be disposed of as follows: To pay a dividend of five per cent absorbing £3l 815 10s and to carry- forward the balance, amounting to f 44,445 8s Id. The Auditor-General 1 returned the last balance sheet of the Manawafu Oroua Power board with no comments and an account for £3l Is, being the audit fee at £3 3s a day for 69 hours, While some members remarked on the absence of any tag, Mr J. Hodgens wanted to know w-ho checked the auditor’s time. The chairman, Mr. J. A. Nash, could uot enlighten the inquirer.

At yesterday’s meeting of the Mana-watu-Oroua Power board, it was stated that it had made 898 new power connections during the past year, compared with 1102 in 1927. Members voiced the opinion that the progress shown was quite satisfactory, particularly in view of the fact that last March, owing to the drought and consequent shortage of power, no new customers were linked up. Consideration was given at last night’s meeting of the Mnnawatu Boxing association executive to a scheme for the matching of Lcckio and Brown, whom it was proposed to ask to return from America. However, as Leckie insisted on a nine stone scale and as it was doubtful Brown could mako that weight in fighting condition, the proposal will not bo proceeded with, the association at present has no matches in prospect. She walked up Queen Street says an Auckland paper apparently unconscious that she was a mark for general observation, the admiration of men and the envy of her own sex. The young lady was displaying a pair of graceful calves, artistically and presumably naturally tanned, and devoid of the conventional street coverings—stockings. Neat shoes enhanced the cool and sensible effect for a scorching day. The American custom has reached Auckland at last.

The wool sale held in Christchurch last Monday will bo worth well over half a million pounds to Canterbury-. The exact average per bale has not yet been worked out, but, according to an authoritative opinion, £23 a bale will probably provo a conservative estimate. At the sale 25,114 bales were offered and, allowing for passings, it can be reckoned that 24,000 bales were sold. Allowing £23 a bale, this gives a total of £552,000. At the two sales held in Christchurch this season 41,268 bales have been offered. This is somewhat more than half of the total number of bales usually coming forward in Christchurch duriug a season. The value of the two sales to the province is about £900,000.

A Kingsland resident who is baching for a few days had just settled down to his solitary meal when there came an insistent knocking from the vicinity of the front door. Leaving his fried eggs to cool, he went to the verandah, and found nothing. “Queer,” he thought. “Perhaps I was mistaken,” and returned to the table. Again came the knocking, and again he went to the door. A third interruption caused him to mahe careful search, when he found that the cause of the disturbance was a thrush, which was buttering a small snail on the iron roof. He was relieved to find a simple explanation of tho mysterious sounds, but his feelings towards the bird of song wore not exactly those of a nature lover. The thrush was promptly “shooed” off the premises.

“Periitus” writes in the Auckland “Star”: “Reference to the incident at Blind Channel, when a holiday-mak-er was bitten by a Katipo spider, reminds that this poisonous insect is as dangerous as some of Australia’s venomous snakes. It is usually found on rotting logs on beaches near highwater mark, but any sun-dried bush rubbish may shelter it. The action of tho poison of the spider’s bite is almost immediate. The part bitten, and later the whole body, of the victim swells. There is great pain, restlessness and exhaustion, and before recovery (which may take rrom 12 to 24 hours) there is profuse sweating. A doctor who has treated a case successfully says that he gave doses of ammonia and strychnine, followed by an aperient. This treatment was aimed at the alarming exhaustion, and not at the poison itself, and no direct antidote to this was known. The spider has a small, bright, red mark upon his back, and can by this be identified.”