NEWS OF THE DAY

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 159, 8 July 1938, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Tho Mahawatu-Oroua Eiver Board met yesterday, when there were present: Messrs J. Callesen (in the chair), S. Parsons, H. Seifert, W. .TacksOn, T. 1). Lynch, B. G-. Gower and E. J. Law,

Publie notice is to be given of tho c faet that • permission from tho board a must first bo obtained before any bank- 0 ing is (lono on the Manawatu or Oroua I rivers. While cases of measles were present 1 in the Palmerston North health district, ] said Dr. Duncan Cook, district health t officer, to a "Times” reporter yester- r day, the incidence was not as severe as in some other centres. By ceasiDg work and standing in I silence for three minutes, the Chinese residents of Palmerston North paid their ttibute yesterday to those who had fallen in the war against Japan. The occasion was the first anniversary of the commencement of hostilities. Owing to no reply having been received from the Minister of Public Works to an imitation to him to visit danger spots in the board’s area, tho matter of further approaching him was left in the hands of tho chairman and Mr. Law, at yesterday’s meting of the • Manawatu-Oroua Eiver Board. A further detachment of pilot officers on probation selected by the New Zealand defence authorities for short service commissions in the Eoyal Air Force loft Auckland by the liner Eemuera for London. The detachment comprised IS officers from many parts of the Dominion. The Eemuera also carried a draft of 10 naval ratings returning to England after serving on the New Zealand station. The repairing of the Finnish barque Penang’s damaged main topmast is progressing satisfactorily at Port Chalmers. The now sections to take the place of those damaged have been shaped and fitted. In about a week the job is expected to be ready for final rlvetting. A second contract hah been let which in eludes the fitting of new end sections to the main yard and main topsail yards, and also to the fore lower topsail yard. The steamer Shanghai Mam, which will replace the motor-ship Kozan Mara in the Yamashita Kisen Kaisha Line’s service from Japan to New Zealand, has arrived at Auckland from Miike, via Noumea, ou her first visit. Commanded by Captain Kurakawa, she was built at Kobe in 1919 and is of 4101 tons gross register. The Shanghai Maru was to have loaded guano at Walpole Island for the Dominion, but rough weather prevented her mooring at the anchorage. She will load sheep for Japan at Lyttelton. Three agricultural students on board will tend the sheep on the voyage. Comparisons made between the vital statistics in Palmerston North for the last six months and the corresponding period of last year show an increase oi no fewer than 39 marriage notices issued. The number ot marriages performed by tho registrar of births, deaths and marriages increased by 11, while there were four more births and three more deaths. The figures for the two periods are as follow, those ior the corresponding period of last year being in parentheses: Births, 319 (3151; deaths, 119 (140); marriage notices issued, 199 (100); marriages performed by registrar, 30 (27). As tlio result of being crushed by a timber-laden sledge capsizing, a boy, William Yates, aged five, subsequently died in (he Kaitaia Hospital. The accident occurred at Takahue on the farm of the boy’s father, Mr. Yates, who was

sledge down a slight incline, which was slippery following heavy rains. Mr. YateS was accompanied on the sledge by his son, whom he was holding, and a Maori, Mr. Joe Court. The sledge rolled over. Mr. Yates endeavoured to pull his son clear, but could not do so. the load falling on the boy. An inquest was opened by the district coroner, Mr. L. A. Mclntosh, and adjourned. The fact that, several teachers employed by the Auckland Education Board were living in tents was mentioned at a meeting of the board when a letter was received from the Education Department concerning the shortage of houses for teachers. The board previously had forwarded to the department letters from the Thames Valley Headmasters’ Association, the Orakei School Committee, and the committee, head teacher and two members of the staff of the Kaitaia-District High School. The department stated that, as requests tor the provision of accommodation ior head teachers -were so numerous, the erection of houses fOr assistants could not be undertaken at present. On opening a packet of New Zealandmade cigarettes the other day, an Aucklander was surprised to find in it a small slip of paper bearing in pencil the word “Lonely,” followed by a name and address. “Miss” had been added in parentheses by way of explanation. Search in a directory showed that the surname and address were genuine, and it could therefore be inferred that the pathetic little note was a real attempt by the sender to win the friendship—or something more—of the person into whose hands the packet would eventually fall. Although women smoke a large part of tho cigarettes made nowadays, it was much more tlian a 50 per cent, chance that the purchaser would be someone of the other sex. Further evidence of early Maori occupation of Marlborough and the east coast was discovered last week by public works employees engaged near the Aniseed camp. Several relics were found, comprising portions of skeletons, four or five skulls, and also several rounded and worn pieces of greenstone. The discovery was made when several bilge boulders near the entrance to caves at Aniseed creek were being removed in order to obtain rock for sea protection work. After a particularly formidable boulder had been demolished, the entrance to a new cave was laid bare. Inside the cave were remains of skeletons and skulls, and two of the latter seemed to be of great age. One had a remarkably low forehead, the measurement between its recession and brow being not more thau an inch. Tho greenstone relics have caused som* speculation, for unless they are waterworn pebbles, which seems unlikely, an immense amount of patience must have been exercised in grinding them out of so hard a substance as greenstone, states the Christchurch Press.