Around The City

Manawatu Times, Volume 59, Issue 273, 21 November 1934, Page 6

Around The City

Paragraphs About People and Their Work Consumers of gas in the city number ■l7Ol, and of electricity 5795. <s><s> <s> A cycle stolen on .Saturday from the vicinity of the bathing pool at the Esplanade has not yet been recovered. <S> <3> <s> 4> Mr J. Todd, off the staff of the Plant Research Station, accompanied by Mrs Todd, leaves to-day en route for Australia on an extended holiday. <*> <*>• <s> <3> The usual donation of two guineas has been made by the City Council to the Technical School towards the diuuer cooking prizes. <S> <s■ <£> A request from the Garrison Band for a light in Ashley street has been refused by the Oily Council on the ground that the street is already well lighted. <®< <S> «> <S> Mr P. Black, city curator, has been granted leave of absence by the City Council to attend the annual conference of park superintendents at Dunedin in January. «><<><;> <s> The output of gas at the city works during October increased over the output for October 1993 by 1*97,000 cubic feet. Coal carbonised woighed 971 tons and was all New Zealand. <s■ <S> To prevent cricket balls flying in among the children using the playing area at the Esplanade, the City Council has decided to erect a screen of Cyclone netting, the cost not to exceed £9O. <$- <S> <£ <S> Mr. and Mrs. VV. Ogiivie and their son, Mr. J. Ogiivie, of Gisborne, who are in Palmerston North for the WallFraser wedding, are the guests of Mr. and Airs. A. F. Wiinsctt, Church street. <?><♦><»«■ A correspondent writes: “About a week ago we noticed that a local business man was surprised to find a bunch of four-leafed clovers on his desk one morning. As fours are rather common in these parts wo are enclosing a few fives lo take their place. Let us know if he would like a bunch of sixes.” <S> <S> <*> <S> New Zealand University examinations for degrees and diplomas which have been m progress for the past three weeks, will conclude this afternoon, although other courses have yet to commence. In Palmerston North. SI. An drew’s hail has been the venue, and Mr. D. W, Low the supervisor. <£> <s> <S> At (lie meeting of the Palmerston North Citizens’ Lunch Club yesterday, Mr. A. M. Lascellcs spoke un “Glimpses of America,” his remarks being similar to an interview given the “Times” on his return. Air. .T. A, Colquhoun pre sided, and welcomed as visitors Aressrs. 11. Russell (Auckland) and T. At. N. Rodgers (Palmerston North). Congratulations were offered by the gathering to Air. J. At. Saunders, manager in Palmerston North of the Union Bank of Australia, on his appointment lo a similar position in Christchurch.

<S> <s> <e> <?> King Canute could not command the waves and it seems that even in these days King George can’t command his subjects to observe two minutes’ silence at 11 a.m. on Armistice Day —at least not in Palmerston North. The rain, however, is greater seemingly than cither monarch. When the deluge descended on the city shortly before midday yesterday practically all pedestrian traffic came to a standstill beneath the shelter of shop verandahs and not for a mere two minutes. For the best- part of half-an-hour these people gazed in silence at the gathering pools and swirling watertables. They had been enticed out coatless by the sunny prospects of the earlier hours of the morning.

The hour was 3.3 U a.m., Two men, homeward bound, were conversing on a street corner in the city. Everything was quiet and peaceful. > Presently, along came a man equipped with a lantern and a sugar-bag, and he commenced to probe, with what appeared to be a short crowbar, at the foundations of a church just across the roadway. To put. it; mildly, suspicions were aroused. The apparent “Bid Sykes” ignored the two men, who bv this time, were in earnest conference as to the bona fidcs.of the prowler. For a time courage was at a premium, but finally lack of courage was supplanted by an over-powering curiosity. Personal safety was thrown to the winds and, with the attitude of "we can’t be hanged for being inquisitive,” the man with the lantern was approached. Imagine the astonishment of the would-be guardians of the church property when they found that all that was being removed was a few valueless dandelion plants! They had discovered a “dandelion coffee” addict collecting the wherewithal to brew this unusual beverage.

Since the announcement of Prince George’s betrothal to Princess Marina a baptismal name for hundreds of baby girls has become popular. Marina, translated into English, is plain Mar., but fond mothers have grasped this euphonious appellation with the same zest that marked the doubtful choice of Great War battles and popular generals as Christian names for their offsprings. This craze for naming children after a featured person of the day has its drawbacks in after life, and one can sympathise with the young man—now "somewhere in Scotland” —who had inflicted upon him at baptism aboard the old Shaw-Savill liner Corinthic the high-sounding name of Francis Hait Corinthic -. Captain Hart was in command at the time. The latest application of -the Greek Princess Ghiistian name locally is in the case of a member of the district’s calf clubs choosing it for one of the entries in the recent competitions. Such is fame, and ere long we can expect to see Marina adorning the many articles of “My 'Lady's” boudoir.