LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 20 April 1934, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

’Official intimation that Summer Time ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, April 29t'i, was gazetted last night, states a Wellington Press Association telegram received to-dav.

There is a great need in Ilawke’s Bay for a factory for the, manufacture of jam, preserved fruits, pickles and sauces (states the “Herald”). The annual loss sustained by fruit vege tables and tomatoes going to waste must run into several thousands of pounds annually, and most of this could be saved, and a certain amount of employment given, if a factory were established.

To-day was Poppy Day in the Nelson district and the various committees found a good response in the sales, which will provide funds for the relief of distress among returned soldiers in the coming winter. In the city groups of ladies were on duty from an early hour and it was noticed that nearly every person in the streets to-day was wearing one of the poppies.

Whether because of the late arrival of summer conditions or /out ( of sheer perversity, the mosquito army is maintaining its occupation of Auckland (says the “Star”). For some weeks the unmusical. sleep destroying whirr and buzz of this insect pest has been heard in many houses, and residents report that the invaders have left painful reminders of their offensive. Even those who imagined they were immune from attack have had to nurse tlie irritation that springs from the mosquito bite, and leave a comfortable bed with murderous intentions. Some success has attended the practice of placing small containers of kerosene on window sills The smell of the spirit apparently is obnoxious to tlie mosquito, and keeps t m the open air. Any one of various species of gnats of the genus culex and allied genera, like the mosquito, is ail aquatic breeder, and therefore thrives in uncovered water tanks, discarded tins and water holes. Surface coverings of exposed water with kerosene effectively prevent the maturing of the larval and pupae, which arc commonly called “wrigglers.” Freight railed through the Otira tun-' nc'l last week amounted to 11,168 tons, as compared with 8,392 tons during the corresponding wee* of last year, and 10,281 tons in 1932.

A courteous note from the well-know 1 Canadian, humourist, Mr Stephen .Leacock, was read .at the annual •meeting of the Auckland branch of the British Drama League (reports the “Herald”). An adaptation of one of his “Nonsense Novels,” "Thrown on the World,” had been given by a junior team in the Drama Festival last vear and as it has been impossible to find out to whom production fees should be sent, a letter advising that an adaptation had been presented was sent direct to the author. In reply Mr Leacock said he was delighted that ihe young people had been able to play anything of his, and gave them his permission to produce any other works bv him without, fee.

Writing to his parents in Timaru from New York, in February, Mr W. L. Holland, of the Institute of Pacific Relations, who is now in the Far East, referred to the intense American cold (states the Timaru ‘Herald’). “You ought to be thankful you live in a warm climate,” he said. “The thermometer here never seems to get above lOdeg. above zero, and went to 14 below the other day. We had snowdrifts up to the waist at our front gate and the radiators of the cars freeze up even with alcohol in them.” As a result of severe blizzards skipping had been held up and food supplies cut off. All milkmen were delivering milk in sleighs drawn bv horses, and they had to start at 10 p.in., and keep going all night. In Jamaica and Long Island no one. except mothers and babies received milk at all, and their supplies were co i veyed by two Eskimo dogs, and a. sleigh which happened to be on a movie lot there where an Eskimo picture was being made.

On Thursday afternoon in the Gin s College gymnasiuf Mr A. R. Kingston! gave a lecture, illustrated by lantern slides, entitled “Midst Snow and Ice in New Zealand.” (t does not very often happen that, rnouuteering enthusiasm, skill in photography, and the am - ity to share one’s experiences with others go hand in hand, but when they do. the. combination must give pleasure to any audience. The -'upils of the Girl’s College were, greatly delighted yesterday.

Five steamers that outlived their seagoing value have one by one come to rust and rest olong side the Otago Heads mole, to give extra stability to the stones with which the Harbour Board’s channel-deepening operations are being carried out (states the Dunedin “Star”) It was noticed by those persons who made n recent excursion to the Heads that the remains ol the Kaliika have entirely desappeared. and nothing was seen by the excursionists of the' Gertie or the l’aleena, tbougn what the sea has left of those vessels can be discerned at dead low water Portions of the upper parts of the 1 oloova a,„l Moana are still visible delying Ocean’s assaults, but gradually they are settling to the inexorable vanishing tied is the fate of everything that man ea.i construct., and of man lnniselt.

“Packet cigarettes still command an extensive sale in New Zealand,” states hi>' importer, “hut a change is coming ”In fact, it has begun. Thousands of smokers who formerly purchased their cigarettes ready-made now roll I their own. This is partly due to the bad times, doubtless. But it is indis* I putable, nevertheless that even the . choicest packet goods cannot compete j with the newlv-mado article smoked as soon as it is rolled. Ready-mades are I "often in stock for months, even for ’ years, and the longer they are kept the : more, they “go off.” The flavour deteriorates' very rapidly. Now the chap that rolls Ins own usually buys his tobacco an ounce or two at a time, so that it’s always fresh and moist. And look at the saving to the smoker! Myself I smoke toasted New Zealand. It makes beautiful cigarettes. The four toasted brands are: Riverhoad Gold, Navy Cut No. 3 (Bulldog), Cavendish, and Cut Plug No. 10 (Bullshead). You can’t overindulge because, being toasted, and almost free from nicotine, these tobaccos are as harmless as they are fragrant and delightful,”

A tale of the early days in one of the gold-mining centres of the South Island was told by Mr A. 11. Kimbeli, m the course of an address to Gisborne Kota rums (reports, the "Poverty Bay Herald”). 1 The narrative concerned a former sea-dog wiio had come ashore and taken command, almost by force, of a little community in which he en joyed tlie status of Mayor. His methods, apparently, did not suit the majority of the Councillors, but it was not until he took a holiday away from the township that criticism broke out into tlie open, and the council placed on record a motion of censure against the Mayor. Returning to his fold, the ala sea-do*' heard tlie minutes read at the next meeting of the council, and prick ed up his ears as the clerk disclosed the fact that lia had been censured in his absence. “Who moved that motion?” lie demanded of the meeting. One councillor was courageous enough to admit that lie was tlie proposer, and was immediately set upon, being reduced to insensibility by one blow, and then thrown out of the window. 'Now who seconded the motion? inquired the Mayor. No answer was forthcoming. “There being no seconder, the motion is out of order” ruled the Mayor, who thereupon turned Ins attention to the ordinary business of the meeting.

In the course of an address to visborne Kotarians on gold-mining m the Dominion, Mr A. 11. Kimbeli mentioned that he had met a man m Gisborne who had bought mining shares on ns advice at about Is 6d, and had sold them later at a much enhanced price Mr George Crawshaw, who later moved a vote of thanks to Air Kimbeli, iemarked ruefully that the usual run oi experiences in Gisborne was that investors had bought at high prices and sold out at a loss. Ho doubted whether there was any town m New Zealand of its size where so much money had been invested in mining projects, and where so much money had been lost through this class of investment. However, he took it that that was one of the disadvantages of Gisborne being so far from the actual mining areas, as investors here were the last to hear developments. Mr Crawshaw strongly advocated legislative action to prevent the issue of mining prospectuses by syndicates which could not satisfy reasonable requirements in regard to tests made of their properties, and he noted with much satisfaction that Mr Kimbeli liad stressed also the importance of exhaustive preliminary tests. In answer to a question at Ohura Mr H. H. Sterling (chairman of the Railways Board) said that the cost of the completion of the Stratford-Okahukura line was over three millions sterling, or £33,000 per mile (reports the “Taranaki Dailv News”). For tlie first three months of operation, the line had earned from local and through traffic £8,300 above the former earnings, the cost of working being approximately £IO,OOO. The total annual interest bill was £130,856. He said he did not expect, the line to nay its working expenses at first, for it‘took time to develop business, but what lie did expect was that the line should soon earn not only its operating expenses but also sufficient to pay interest on the amount (about £B,000) that had been required to complete the work; in other words, meet the £IB,OOO it cost to open and operate the line, without, of course, taking into consideration the interest on the original three millions sterling sunk in the undertaking. He made a strong and eloquent appeal for the support of the district not only in promoting and extending business but in keeping down expenditure of operation. In this way they eoukl justly the present service and save the line. All speakers spoke appreciatively of tlie service given by the Department and the great help the opening of ttlie line had been to the district, the chairman (Mr W. K. williams) going the length of saying that the opening of the line had virtually saved the district from disaster. "I lie railways are giving us a sporting chance, and we are behind them to the last ditch. We have confidence in them and we will show them they can repose the same confidence in us,” he concluded.

Tim deceitful arts flourish best in hard times. Empty pockets give rise to all sorts of "ways that are dark and tricks that are vain,” and there are always those who can see in the nnstortunes of others an opportunity of alleviating their own. But there is Scriptural authority for the warning that run will find the' sinner out. There is a man in Dunedin at the moment who lias just received a salutary remindei of this fact (states the "Otago Daily Times”). It has been his practice for some time past, and in all parts ot the city to solicit hooks from householders on behalf of men in relief camps, a cause which meets with fairly genei il support. There is reason to believe, however, that the person concerned :s tt firm believer in the idea of charity be winning at home and has contrived .0 convert the books into ready money for his own pocket. But it was tluough sheer inadvertence that iiis sin was found out. He was not to know that the house at which lie offered certain books for sale in the evening was occupied by a philaiitlironically-inclnicd tradesman who had handed him the books over nis counter earlier in the da\ It is not known what actually transpired when the donor and recipient came face to face again, but it is understood that one of the two broke all sprint records once he got a stait. The incident is related with a view to putting householders on their guard against unauthorised canvassers ot tins kind..

A double market was held at Addington on Wednesday to give butchers an opportunity of buying sufficient stock to carry them over next ween when, because Anzac Day intervenes, there will he no sale (reports “The Press”). The principal sections were will filled. 760 cattle and more than 7000 sheep coming forward. The store sheep section was well filled, and the keeiuiess of the bidding tor all classes showed that there are still many Farmers in search of e wes. Store lambs were forwarded in smaller numbers and were of poorer quality, hut the demand for then) was good throughout and prices were little altered hat lamb* sold very well at prices fully «P J° recent rates. Fat sheep weie sbrh ly cheaper, hut the market was a steady mm with export buyers operating extensively enough, to keep ne in the sale Fee entile were a little cheapei, mainly because the offering was too big even for a double market. Hie quality 0 f the be.el offered was very good.

('losing at 12 to-morrow. Trnthen’s best lor' Leather ami Tweed Coats, smart Frocks and Hats, (doves, Silk Hose, Handbags.*