LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 12 February 1929, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The attendance at the Boys’ College at present shows an increase of approximately 30 over last year’s figures. At present there are 399 boys in the secondary department and 40 in the preparatory. At the Ist March last year the figures' were: Secondary 364, preparatory 44. Of this year’s scholars about 180 are boarders. The Girls’ College shows practically no change in attendance. This year there are 349 secondary and 41 preparatory pupils, while at Ist March last year the figures were 351 and 50 respectively. The present figures will probably be slightly increased within the next week oi) two. . The Town Clerk (Mr G. A. Edmonds) was notified this morning that H.M.S. Veronica will arrive in Nelson on 23rd February, instead of 28th as previously arranged. The date of departure, sth March, has not been altered! A startling fact was mentioned by the Hon. H. Atrnorc at Auckland when he said that £18,500,000 was paid by the Government last j year to its army ot employees (reports the “Star”). That amount represented more than the total sum received from the year’s output of wool and cheese. This had to be remedied. Mr Atmore believed that it could be remedied by a progressive land settlement oolicy, and education upon the right lines. Boy and girls should be encouraged to go on the land, and their education should bear a definite relationship to the occupations which they were to take up in later life. The problems were precisely those which faced the Government to-day. They called for statesmanship. Mr Atmore believed that Sir Joseph Ward and his colleagues would solve those problems just as successfully as the Liberal giants of other days bad done, and New Zealand would then be placed on the highway to prosperity. The brute creation, no less than mankind, is beginning to realise the value of concrete (says the Auckland- “ Star”). The seagulls along the Devonport waterfront, for instance, make considerable use of the concrete promenade when opening their shellfish. When the tide goes down, the big black-back-ed gulls pick up pipis and cockles on the mudfiat, and. flying ashore, drop them from a height of 15ft or 20ft. So expert are they that they rarely have to rlron a shell a second time to break if. Amongst the litter of splintered shell the littln grey mackerel gulls look for scraps that have boen disregarded by their larger cousins;. They are often “on the spot” when a shellfish drops from above, in which case the original finder does not get a taste of it. The District Public Works Engineer (Mr W. R. May) informed a “Mai!” reporter to-day that the survey for the east coast 'South Island main trunk completion work lias been put in 1 nr.-d.

The Fruit Control Board elsewhere in this issue notifies conditions regarding apples for the Continent and Great Britain.

Remarkable success is attending artesian well-boring operations on Isfie •Tauliei swamp (states a Morrinsvillo correspondent). The discovery that a good flow of water is k> be obtained from bores is regarded locally as of paramount importance, and in some circles it is considered that as a result land values have appreciated at least £lO an acre. Numerous bores have been put down, and water has been struck at from 100 ft. to 200 ft., the quality being excellent and the flow sufficient to cause the water to gush in. some cases four or five feei above the ground level. At 224 ft. water was struck in Mr 11. A. Greentree’s farm, and the flow is estimated at 2000 gallons an hour. With an inch socket the water would gush 10ft. into the air. The contractor states that by boring it is possible to get a. good flow of water at any point in the Tauliei swamp, and farmers are overjoyed at the results achieved. The theory is that there is an underground lake of x!?licient capacity to give an unlimited supply of water. The importance tof these, bores can he more readily appreciated when it is known (hat Tauliei was .formerly waterless, and supplies had to he drawn from tanks or by pumping. The fine flow of crystal-clear water from the I tores obviates Use necessity of pumping, as it will he possible to lead the water into troughs by gravity. Bathing Caps 2/- and 2/3, now 1/- at McKay’s Sale.*

Men’s Wide-end Ties, clearing at 1/each, last week McKay’s Sale.* Last week McKay’s Sale ! Morlev’s Silk and Wool Hose, usually 6/11 pair, now 2 pairs for 8/6.*

Yesterday morning between 11 and 12 o’clock a large thresher shark was seen about in the harbour and near the wharves. Jl was estimated to be about 12 l’eeb iu Jlmg'Ui. Several limes it swam alongside Lite main wharf.

For dangerous driving across the intersection of Trafalgar and Bridge streets and along Bridge street, Sidney 11. Gibbs was convicted and lined 4Us with costs 10s by Mr T. E. Mauusell, S.M., aL the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. According to the police the defendant was travelling on a motor cycle at from 40 to 45 miles an hour.

In order to afford residents ‘an opportunity of visiting Kawatiri, the present rail terminus, or of visiting their friends in the country the Railway Department is running an excursion train at reduced day fares on Sunday, 17th instant. Kawatiri being situated at the junction of the Hope and Buller rivers, is an ideal picnic resort. Motor cars will be available at Kawatiri to transport passengers to and from Lake Rotorua.

According to an Auckland paper it is an open secret that Mr Allan Bell, the former member for tho Bay of Islands scat, is willing to help the United Government to carry out its main lines of policy, while Mr Rush worth has already voted for Sir Joseph Ward on a noconfidence motion.

To-day is the anniversary of tho wreck of the Penguin on Terawhiti in 1909, when 71 lives were lost.

'Among the expressions of appreciation of his’ decision not to approve a higher scale of fees for technical schools, the lion. 11. Atmore has received the following from Mr John H. Howell, Director of the Wellington Technical School: —“I was instructed by the Board at their meeting last evening to convey to you their warm appreciation of your action in declining to approve the higher scale of fees which the department proposed to put into force in the evening classes of Technical Schools. Your decision has been received with profound relief by all who are concerned in tho progress of technical education.”

In a letter to his brother who is engaged in farming pursuits at Berwick. on-Tweed, a Nelson resident referred to tiie importance of buying British goods—trade within the Empire. Interesting comment is made in reply, as follows :—“That idea of yours about buying from ourselves is all right; only it’s tiie other fellow who has got to put it into practice It figures out in practice something like this—there’s no limit to demands in a restricted market; what men demand in practice is not what they need, but the last copper they can get. They look to raising the tariff wall rather than improving methods. When a commission fixes the price it is invariably too high. That is past experience here, and we’ve no guarantee it won’t be repeated. . . We (the agricultural community) are promised some relief in taxation by the autumn of 1929. Of course the increase in petrol prices will to some extent counter-balance that. There is some noise a-inaking on that score.” The tennis writer of the Christchurch “Star” says: —“Ivan Seay was the star player iu the Wilding Shield tennis match against Wellington, concluded on Saturday. He was responsible for the only two Canterbury wins, putting clown both Don France and Malfroy, Wellington’s two leaders, without the loss of a set. He beat his men by superlative tennis, in which headwork played a. prominent part. From the. Lime the Wellington colt was leading, 5-3, Seay outgeneralled Malfroy, who got only two games in the next twelve, Seay winning 7-5, 6-2. Malfroy was the finalist for the New Zealand championship, and led 5-3 at set all. He was then within a close call of winning the title. Don France, who was not an entrant, is able to beat Malfroy, and holds the undeniable right to first > place in Wellington ranking. Seay has beaten Malfroy and France without losing a set, and therefore he must be regarded as a very dangerous aspirant next year for the New Zealand title.”

The report published in “The Mail” on Saturday of the discussion at / the City Council meeting on Councillor Neale’s motion to submit a £14,000 loan proposal to the ratepayers, stated that Councillor McConehie voted for the motion. His vote was cast against it)

While the question of increasing the membership of the Christchurch branch of the Navy League was under consideration by the meeting of the General Committee last week, Mr H. L. Bowker said that it had been computed that the number of similar organisations in the city one could belong to was between 80 and 90. says the “Press.” The chairman (Air J. J. Dougall) said that some years ago when lie 'waited on a prominent member of the legal profession in connection with his resignation from the leagije, he was told that in addition to resigning from the league he had resigned from 24 other organisations. as he found that his income was being reduced appreciably by the payment of subscriptions.

A paragraph without comment in the Auckland “Sun”: “Travel by Rail: Always remember the people’s own railwavs supply the best and safest form of transport.” This is a Railway Department exhortation made to the public in an advertisement. A news item to-day announces that the Hon, W. T 5. Taverner, Minister of Railways, will arrive from Hamilton to-day by motor car.

The harbour swims 'and the proposed Cook Strait attempt remind a correspondent of “Tlie Dominion,” of a one-time swimmer in tho early ’9o’s JTe was a Dutchman, Henry Plaacke. and was a prominent figure on the streets of Wellington in those days, consoieuous more on account of his extraordinary physique than any other reason. He was 6 feet 5i inches in height and beautifully proportioned. For an earlv morning pipe-opener he would dive off the Wellington Rowing Club’s skids and swim beyond Magazine Point to meet- the Christchurch boat. His longest swim in the harbour was from Petone to the W.R.C. sheds, the entire length of tho harbour. Plaacke had the ambition to swim Cook Strait, bill not having the financial backing to obtain a following boat, was barred by the authorities. With his great height and weight lie was a pugilist to bo (I'edkoned with. A so-called boxing exhibition with “Dill” l’ishor. son of the late George Fisher. M.P.. an d brother of “Dalin” Fisher, esM.P. for Wellington Central, will ho long remembered by the privileged few who witnessed it at Cloke's Hall. Wellington in 1894. Plaacke afterwards left- for Sydney, where lie fought the Queen,sini/l giant, Darker, wh.b was 6ft. 7 fin. high. Doth men weighed about--16 stone, and Plaacke, after a terrible battle, was knocked out and was unconscious for three weeks. He was a poor boxer, but a swimmer of class and as game as a pebble. When last'heard of 30 years ago lie was matched to. light jonf Smith, heavyweight champion of England, but the light never eventuated. During Ids stay in New Zealand Monty Rosenberg, then an amateur champion boxer, and now a well-known business man. gave him every assistance and seconded him in his ''exhibition ’ with "Hill" Fisher. Ladies' All-wool Tennis Socks 3/6 for 1/1.1, McKay’s Sale.* Extra Special Bargains this week at McKay’s ! Osman White Towels, fringed or hemmed, 42 x 22, 2,9 for 1/9. Sale ends Saturday.*

Fifteen additional men for the Wunga nion liill work will arrive by the Wei linglon boat to-morrow morning.

“I've got the reputation for saying hard things,” said the lion. 11. Atmore at a United Party reception in Auckland. “It a man thinks strongly, he hits strongly in conllict. Wo have as leaders in our party men of ability and proven initiative. It has been said that dir Joseph Ward is too old to lead a Government. 1 know definitely from my personal association with him that that is not so. lio is the one outstanding statesman of Australia and New Zealand. Surely a financial genius was wanted to steer the ship of State. If another election were held the United Party would get an overwhelming majority. After 16 years of government by an alleged farmers’ party, the great primary industry of agriculture has fallen into disrepute. The volume of production is not increasing in proportion to the population. The time of few men and many acres has definitely gone. With tho price fluctuation in land in recent years, it is not to lie wondered that soldier settlers found it impossible to carry on. Another land boom is not wanted. Periods of depression follow the booms. The United Party will bring statesmanship to bear on tho problems left by Reform. The land \yill he broken up for cultivation. Education will be brought up-to-date and the matriculation fetish will be broken. There are too many aspirants for Government positions. The whole of civilisation with its complexities is an ever-changing sceno. Let education during tho next two or three years have some relation to the lines the students intend to follow.”

The second swimming carnival of the season is to bci held in the Municipal Baths on Thursday evening next at 7.30. In addition to a very interesting programme, Miss Miller and Miss Stocklev, Dominion Olympic representatives, also an expert lady diver will take part in the evening’s entertainment.

The sculptor who is to carve life-size figures of Earl Kitchener and Earl Jellicoe' is Mr W. H. Feldon, of Auckland. Mr Feldon spent six months in Nelson on carving work in connection with the new Cathedral, and made many friends here. By an error in transmission the name appeared as “Eldon” in yesterday's issue.

Talking about blood pressure, and everybody does talk about it, it is notable that medical folk on the Continent, and even in the Old Country, are reverting to , those unpleasant-looking slugs—leeches (writes “M.A.T.” in the Auckland “Star”). An Italian celebrity recently underwent an application of leeches for blood pressure on the brain. At the time when leeches were the fashion the surgeon practised phlebotomy, too, and it was the commonest thing for a patient, whatever he suffered from, to have “blood let.” Hairdressers who have never bothered to find out what “barber” means might be interested to- know that tho old-time barber was the gentleman who used the barb and bled his customers. Indeed, his red-and-whitc pole, which he still uses as a trade sign, represents the red and white blood corpuscles. If a man wants to be properly leeched he has but to turn up bis trousers and walk in air Australian billabong or a river crossing. lie will have a couple of dozen of the very best blood suckers curing him in a couple of minutes. Practised paddlers reach down beneath the water and pinch the attacker, tlius stopping the good work. In derision old-time people used to talk both of the barber and the surgeon as “the leech.” You may remember that when the late Mr Pickwick fell through the ice Bob Sawyer, the medical student, danced round with a tortoiseshell lancet and desired the honour of bleeding liim. And, according to the immortal historv, even lawyers practised bleeding in those days. It persists. One reads with interest that an Australian practitioner has lately been sent to gaol for seven years for—phlebotomy.