LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 18 September 1933, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A picture of lambs grazing in a pasture with a silhouetted map of New Zealand prominent across one corner heads an advertisement for foods in the London “Daily Telegraph” for 3rd August. The text of the advertisement, which covers all kinds of foodstuffs, places New Zealand lamb as the main item of the week. “We stress the advantage of including this excellent New Zealand lamb in this week’s menu,” it states. Shoulders (41b. to 51b. weight) are priced at 9d per lb., and legs (51b. to 61b.) at Is per lb. The prices for the same cuts of English lamb are Is 2d and Is 4d per lb. Tinned New Zealand lambs’ tongues are priced at Is Id. Alembers of the Wellington Alagicians’ Society were called upon to uphold their reputation for ingenuity and resource when they found themselves in an awkward position after a late meeting in a Manners street building one evening last week (reports “The Post”). The caretaker of the. premises, evidently being under the impression that the meeting had concluded, closed the iron gates across the street entrance, and when the magicians came down they were confronted by this barrier which was topped by a row of sharp and uglylooking spikes. One way of getting out was to climb over the gates, but the risk of injury was considerable, and in any case the several elderly members of the party could not have attempted such a means of exit. “Hey presto!” and “Abracadabra!” were obviously impotent to move the gates, yet they had to be opened somehow, preferably without force. Then one of the magicians busied himself with the massive padlock, and in a short time there was a click, followed by the swinging back of the gates, it was an impressive performance, to those who did not know that the manipulator of the padlock was an expert locksmith:

The origin of the word Taranaki was expounded by Air J. McLeod at a welcome given to the Taranaki touring team bv the Pioneer Sports Club at Christchurch. “Captain Cook, when he visited New Zealand, gave the name of Egmont to Taranaki’s ‘lone sentinel,’ he said. “Before his coming tlie-Alaoris knew the mountain as ‘Taranaki,’ and their legend of it runs thus: A long time ago Alounts Egmont and Ruapehu were close together in position: they were, in fact, husband and wife. Domestic troubles arose and Mount Egmont left his wife in a temper and sailed down the Wanganui river. The myth says Aliat they will some day be reconciled and once more live together. “Would not a shock of 6000 volts cause instant death?” was a question asked Air L. B. Hutton, chief engineer to the Southland Electric Power Board, in his evidence before the coroner, Air E. C. Levvey, at an inquest at Invercargill. “I may say that I have seen a linesman recover after sustaining 36 000 volts, and I have seen death caused by 230 volts. So many circumstances have a bearing on the effect of an electric shock that no law can be laid down in general terms.” A gathering held at Urenui (Taranaki) for the presentation of mazes won in the farmers' field competition, recalled the fact that 48 years ago Air A. 11. Halcombe grew the first crop of swedes in the Urenui district. Swedes wore unknown to most of the farmers of North Taranaki in those days, and the crop grown by Air Halcombe aroused great interest. The only manure available apart from yard manure was bonedust, and Air Halcombe's crop was a Particularly fine and even one. In those days there was no trouble with fly or disease, and every root was sound. The Alatakilaki Gold Mining Comoauv’s dredge is now fairly at work. The' first week was spent in enlarging and deepening the pool in which the dredge was erected. Now it is heading straight out for the Alatakitaki River. The wash-up was extremely pleasing, any everything gives promise of a successful run. The end of the football season at the Murchison District High School was celebrated on Friday last by the presentation, by Mr R. 1- McGregor of two football jerseys, one to D. McKeanv, for the most improved playing durinb the season, and another to J. Horner for general all-round good playing.

The business premises of Messrs A. Manoy and Sons Ltd., Alotueka, wil be closed on Thursday, 21st September, when the Jewish New Year 5694 will, be commemorated.

A Wanganui man suffering from sleeplessness and in a very shaky com dition consulted a doctor (lie tells the tale himself). After studying the case the doctor told him he was heading tor a nervous breakdown, adding 'You are a heavy smoker, are you not? He admitted that he was. Well, said the doctor, “I don’t know what tobacco you are in’the habit of using, but I should say you have been smoking it for years" (the patient nodded), “and I am satisfied it contains too much nicotine. Hence the state of your nerves. Knock it off right away, whatever it is, and substitute the toasted New Zealand.. It is excellent, and so pure that you could smoke a bale of it and suffer no i 11effccts, that’s because it’s toasted. There are several brands. Follow my advice and you’ll soon feel a different man." The doctor prbved a true prophet. There are as ho said, several brands —four, to be ’precise —Riverhead Gold, Navy Cut No. 3 (Bulldog), Cavendish and Cut Plan- No. 10 (Bullshead). There’s no finer tobacco manufactured.* Only 2s lid the garment! Wonderful value in “Runprufi” Vests and Bloomers. Opera Top or shaped style Vests ami well cut Bloomers. Good shades and only 2s lid. At McKay’s.* Locknit Panties, trimmed dainty lace and motifs to tone, well cut basque style 7s lid pair at McKay’s.* Locknit Princess Slips, lace trimmed, gored styles. Cream, Maize, Shell, Sky, Apple, from 12s 6d at McKay’s.*

Cremation lias been gaining ground in the public favour since it was introduced in Wellington in 1909. At tlie end of 1910 there were only 13 cremations, in 1920 there were 213, and up till the end of 1930 769 cremations had taken place. No fewer than 313 cremations have taken place since 1930, making the total to date 1082, a greater increase in three years than in any previous live. Ability to produce a number of specially warmed blankets at a moment’s notice, day or night, is one of the features of the St. John Amublance at Auckland, says the “New Zealand Herald.” On each bed of every vehicle, as it stands in the ambulance station or proceeds on an errand of mercy, is a pile of foided blankets. In each pile is tucked a hot water bottle, attention to which ensures that the blankets shall always be comfortably warm throughout tlie 24 hours of the day. A Hawkes Bay report of' the finding of‘a, kiwi nest at Tutira, Hawkes Bay, with two eggs (regarded in the report as an unusual number) was commented oil by Mr R. A. Falla, ornithologist at the Auckland War Alemorial Museum, lie said that two eggs in a nest were much more general than just one. In spite of the large size of kiwi eggs, which weighed about lib each, the knvi, in the North Island at any rate, usually laid two eggs. In proportion to the size of tlie bird the kiwi egg was the largest of all birds’ eggs. Nests were found underneath spreading roots of trees and sometimes in thickets and fern. Tlie incubation of the eggs seemed to he carried out mostly, if not entirely, by the male bird. The young kiwi" when hatched, was fully feathered ant | was able to run and fend for itself almost at once. In the opinion of the Bay of Plenty branch of tlie Auckland Farmers’ Union, as expressed in a letter to the, Alinister of Agriculture, the Department’s scheme for the clearing of ragwort, as conducted in the past, has not been a success, and the suggestion is made that the job should be tackled systematically. The union considers that there should be satisfactory supervision, that the men should be available over a whole district earlier than previously, and that they should not be taken olf other work in the middle of the season. . The general opinion of tlie executive is that the scheme, whilst- perhaps useful to some individuals, lias, on the whole, been only playing with tlie problem. In reply to ‘these representations, the Alinister states, that “the views of the executive have been noted.”

“An interesting achievement of modern advertising is the. evolution of the ready-made suit,” said. Air Frank Goldberg, governing director of . the Goldberg Advertising Agency, Limited. Thirty years ago the ready-made suit went" under the title of “slop suit, and indeed the suits were of poor cut and very often of inferior quality. But at the present time, through successful advertising, the ready-made suit was acceptable to many men, and no longer boro any stigma. Through acceptance manufacturers had been enabled to'produce better suits, and each year saw quality and cut improving. Now that the egg-laying season is in full swing and there is a surplus ot eggs on the local market the export ot eggs from the Port ot Otago has been commenced (states the “Daily Times ). Already a total of 12,000 dozen lias been shipped fo’r the London market, 200 cases of 30 dozen each being despatched by the Opawa and a further 200 by the Alataroa. Space for 1100 cases has been secured on the lonic, which will sai about 25th September, and the total amount of export aimed at for the present season is 3500 cases, or over 160.006 dozen, though it is considered that the actual figures mar fall slightly short of this amount. The export is being carried out under the aegis of tlie P.iovincial Council of tlie New Zealand Poultry Association, and the actual grading and packing of the eggs is done under the supervision of an inspector of the Department of Agriculture. The importance of the •* export trade to poultry farmers will be realised when it is stated that but for this the local market would be completely swamped with a surplus of eggs, and prices won d fall to a point where production would be quite unpayable. As it is, the shipment of 100,000 dozen from Dunedin relieves the pressure and ensures a more or less steady price for growers. Latest advice from London was to the enect that Australia e l 7 are selling at 12s per “long hundred.” With the exchange premium this brings tlie price up to. approximately Is 6d per dozen, and it is considered'that after all grading and export costs have been paid growers will receive about lOd per dozen.

Seventeen years ago last week, at. a critical period of the Great War, the New Zealand Division entered tlie Battle of the Somme, in which they “fought with the greatest gallantry for 23 consecutive days, carrying out with complete success every task set, and always doing more than was asked of them. The oreat offensive had opened on Ist July. 1916, against enemy positions whicn were of immense strength. At heavy cost, in two and a-liulf months of. bitter fighting, the enemy’s second line ol defences had been won, and at certain points very considerable penetration had been effected beyond. The September operations were planned to break right through, and, 1m rolling up the enemy s flank ' to end the deadlock of trench warfare.’ The great attack opened on the moriiing of 15lh September, and by midday the New Zealanders had gamed their final objective, except on the flanks, and tliev had to withdraw to conform to the line reached by the other divisions It was not until 4th October that the New Zealand infantry were finally relieved after almost 1 continuous fighting m attacks and counter-attacks . tor nearly three weeks. Thev had achieved all but unbroken success, having captured five miles of enemy front line and miles ot other trenches. Themselves losing fewei than 20 prisoners, they had captured nearly 1000 Germans and many machine guns'and material. These victories were won at a terrible cost, however, tor the New Zealand Division’s total casualties for the three weeks were 7408, of whom more than 2100 were killed in action.