NEWS OF THE DAY

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 2, 3 January 1941, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

World’s Record Broken at Trots. At the Canterbury Park Trotting Club’s meeting yesterday a world’s record of 2min. 5 2-ssec. for the mile saddle race was established by Smile Again, trained and ridden by P. Gallagher.—Press Assn. Mounts For Training. An offer of 20 horses for use in camp in February by the Queen Alexandria’s Mounted Rifles was made recently by a Waverley farmer subject to the stipulation that he should be allowed a few weeks to break them in. This offer is typical of the exceptional response gained in the Waverley and Patca districts, which as grazing areas produce the type of horses ideally suited to the purpose. Growth of Taupo The increasing popularity of Taupo as a summer holiday resort, and a place of permanent residence for retired people is evident by a report issued by the Taupo Road Board. From 1930 to 1940 the rateable value of this district has risen from £58,769 to £106,926, and the number of ratepayers in the same period has increased from 367 to 617. During the past two years 63 new residences have been built, in addition to numerous summer baches. Baby on Luggage-Carrier. The most surprised petrol pump attendant in Auckland was a young man who, on going to fill the petrol tank at the back of a motor-car, found a perambulator with a baby in it on the luggage-carrier. The parents appeared quite unconcerned about th 6 possibility of losing both perambulator and child should the retaining straps give way, and as the baby was comfortably asleep the attendant offered no comment on the unusual method of carrying it.

Empire’s Oldest Newspaper The oldest paper in Great Britain, and of course the oldest paper in the British Commonwealth, the Worcester Journal, published in the cathedral cjtv of Worcester, celebrates its 250th anniversary on Sunday. The paper is a weekly one, and was established in IC9O in the reign of William and Arary, and has continued publication unceasingly through 12 reigns. AFessages of congratulation were received from the King and the Prime Minister, and also from numerous freemen of the city, including Lord Baldwin. Congratulations were also received from newspapers in Worcester, United States.

Climbing Record. By climbing the three peaks of Ngauruhoe, Tongariro and Ruapehu in one day, Aliss Ngaire Horton, of Wellington, has established a record equalled previously only by two parties of men and never by a woman. Accompanied by Guide Kirk Johnston, Aliss Horton left the Chateau at midnight Sunday night and returned at 10 o’clock Alonday, taking only three hours longei than the record set last year. Conditions for the climb were excellent throughout, and the top of Ruapehu was reached at sunrise. The peak of Ngauruhoe was gained by mid-day and the climbers were still fresh when they returned to the Chateau at 30 o’clock.

Effect of Nauru Shelling The shelling by a German raider of the phosphate plant at Nauru Island may have some effect on the coalminers and waterside workers at Westport, where on many occasions in the last few years vessels of the tramp type have called for big quantities of bunker coal, which provides the fuel for the round trip from New Zealand and back. Some vessels in this trade which have called at Westport have been acknowledged as victims of the enemy. Westport is the only port on the West Coast which can be worked by these overseas vessels, and after they discharge their phosphate cargoes at other major ports, Westport is made the final call for bunker coal.

No Straight Line Available During the hearing of a charge of intoxication in charge of a car, brought, against an Auckland motorist in the Wellington Alagistrate’s Court, a medical practitioner was being questioned by counsel for the defendant (Mr. J. A. Scott). Counsel was referring to the different tests applied to the defendant when examined by the doctor at the police station, and commented that in some cases the answer given was “satisfactory.” Eventually, however, he came to ‘ 1 ability to walk in a straight line,” alongside which was written X. Did that, asked counsel, mean that that test was passed satisfactorily? “No,” replied witness. “It means that we have not got a straight line at the police station that he could walk on.” (Laughter.)

Mystery Solved The mystery surrounding the finding of boy’s clothing on the {Shelley Beach, Auckland, reclamation wall at midnight ■on Saturday had a simple explanation. Desmond Albert Coe, aged 12, of 42 O’Neill Street, Ponsonby, went for a swim that evening and left his clothes on an open trailer behind a motor-car parked near the spot where he entered the water. While he w r as swimming the owner of the car returned and drove home. Meanwhile, the boy left the water and found that the car, trailer and Ms clothes had gone. He returned home in his bathing costume. Later that night the owner of the car discovered the clothes and returned them to a spot near where his car had been parked. Neither party notified the police until the following morning, an oversight which cost the authorities many hours of inquiry. Plenty of Money—aad More

Represented by the Reserve Bank issue of bank notes, there was plenty of money iu circulation this Christmas. The note issue iu New Zealand, as in London and the Dominions’ banking centres, is usually much higher at Christmas time than for any other time of the year, although -expansion is gen erally noticeable before Easter. This Christmas New Zealand has excelled itself in the issue of bank notes, the return for December 23 being £22,767,718. This is £3,475,593 more than for Christmas, 1939; £9,126,293 more than for the same week of 1938; and going back a jieriod of five years, it is shown that the note issue has expanded to more than twice what it was at Christmas, 1935, when the return was £10,782,856, and for that year the increase was roughly £1,000,000 more—in notes—than for Christmas, 1934.