LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 10 January 1936, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The public is reminded that the health stamps and covers will be withdrawn from sale on the lltli January (Saturday next). Those wishing to assist the health camp through that means should pay early attention to their purchases. - Since becoming member of Parliament lor Palmerston, Ur P. Hodgens lias come to realise that he is entitled to many privileges denied the ordinary citizen. “I got the shock of my life when I received a memorandum getting them all out,” he told the “Manawatu Times.” Mr Hodgens ran over the list which includes :—Free pass on the railways with sleeping berth if needed; free pass to travel bv boat between Wellington and Lyttelton and Wellington and Picton. Each month official stamps to the value of £2 to cover official postages, telegrams and telephone calls ; half-rates for his own private telephone; half-rates for his own toll calls. Franking privileges in respect of Parliamentary papers during the time Parliament is in session. In respect of the opening and closing of Parliament, travelling allowances and a refund of certain expenses; free stationery of various kinds. Mrs Hodgens is also entitled to privileges as the wife of a member of Parliament. She-also has a free railway pass with the right to call on the use of the sleeping compartments eight times a year. In the second week in December Lord Rutherford of Nelson went to Derby to open the new London, Midland, and Scottish Railway / research laboratories there (writes the London correspondent of “The Press”). He travelled from St. Pancras'. llis nine-year-old grandson, Pat Fowler, was also at the terminus, where lie went to name the engine of the train by which his grandfather travelled. When Pat, perched on tlie great engine, had named it ‘‘Lord Rutherford of Nelson,” Sir Josiali Stamp presented him with a beautifully executed model. Tlie speedboat Pelorus Jack, the holder of tlie New Zealand speedboat championship, has been receiving every attention from its owner, Mr \John Brownlee, of Havelock, in preparation for LliiiS year'? event, which takes place oil 22nd January (says the “Express”). After the mishap which occurred during the last race, when the craft almost sank, every part has been strengthened, and tlie chances for a. recurrence of the trouble are remote. Pelorus Jack passed through Blenheim on Wednesday on its way to Picton in readiness to defend the title. The Returned Soldiers’ Association Social Committee will hold a carnival dance in the Velma Hall on Saturday. One feature of the evening will he the presentation of a pretty painted fan to | each of the first 50 ladies. There will he plenty of streamers, Monte Carlo j and Luckv Spot prizes and a good supper. The' Melodv Boys’ band will sun- | ply the music. Mr.G. L. Housiaux will j carry out the duties of M.C.

The Rowing Club will bold another of its summer dances at the Club Shed tomorrow (Saturday) night. The City Dance Baud will he in attendance. Ballons are assured of a pleasant evening.

“As predicted the motor traffic was exceptionally heavy throughout tlie holidays, all the highways 111 the county area receiving their quota” stated the Waimea County traffic inspector (Air J. T. Brough) in his report to the Council to-day. “The visiting motorists were much in evidence this year particularly from Hie southern parts of tlie island. 1 am pleased to report that no accidents of a serious nature have been reported.” Seven sharks, the largest eight feet in length and the smallest about five feet, were landed by Mr W. T. Dickson, Glenavy, when fishing from the south side of the mouth of the Waitaki river during the holidays. Air Dickson was fishing for cod or groper, and was given some "of the excitement of deep-sea fishing when lie began to hook the sharks. ' The place in which Air Dickson was fishing is easily accessible from the camp of the Waitaki Acclimatisation Society, and is described as an ideal place for an outing, particularly as it provides splendid sport for fishermen. Good catches of cod and groper are common. One of Mr Dickson’s party secured a cod weighing about 51b. and another some time previously landed a groper weighing oOlb The Very Rev. Dr. J. O'. Thompson, director of Catholic primary school education in New South Wales, amused delegates to the annual conference of the Catholic Teachers’ Association at Auckland on Tuesday when he told them of the way in which he had attempted to guard against their criticism of his address on “Errors in Modern Education” (states the “New Zealand Herald”). I expected some brickbats, so L took care to search out statements made by his Holiness the Pope, which would clinch iny arguments,” he said. “I knew my listeners would throw brickbats at me, but they would not go any higher!” A double-headed dahlia, looking both ways like the Roman god Janus, is tlie strange freak of flower growth in the possession of a gardener in Southland. Two flowers, each about four inenfes across, well formed, and of a fine cyclamen colour, grow back-to-back from a stem of normal thickness, hut flattened at the top and divided into two intertwined spirals. Unlike most freaks, this one has a decidedly pleasing and decorative effect. Always of interest to the traveller be- ■ tween Napier and Wairoa are the earth-quake-shattered hills and twisted roadway visible from the main highway in ' the vicinity of Alohaka (says tlie Napier “Daily Telegraph”). Nowhere in the • earthquake area were tlie traces of tlie upheaval so indeblibly stamped as in this locality; huge landslides, one of which was nearly 20 chains in length, brought thousands of tons of spoil sweeping down the hillsides, burying great lengths of the roadway and_ carrying portions of it away in their irresistible career. In consequence, a deviation of four or' five miles on the main highway was practically obliterated, probably for all time; it is stated, indeed, that the road is still moving in places. Following the earthquake it was found necessary to restore the old route at Alohaka, and it i s while traversing this section of the road that the evidence 1 nf the earth movement occasioned by the ■ earthquake becomes visible. As if in remorse at lie rturbulence, Nature has long since commenced to lay a cloak of vegetation across the trail of devastation 1 which she herself created, but the •scarred hillsides will remain as a lasting monument to a terrific upheaval. ■ Afosquitoes so far this season have not caused so much annoyance to Auckland residents as they did last January, when they were unusually plentiful in the city (states the “Herald”). According to Air R. A. Falla, assistant curator of the ’ Auckland War 'Memorial Museum, the : main reasons are the effect of. the pro- . paganda conducted several years ago by the Auckland Alosquito Control Conl- ! mil toe and the museum authorities, which has induced householders and others to clean up their properties and prevent the insects from breeding; and the vigorous cleaning up campaign carried out by the Auckland City Council and other local bodies following a report , on the mosquitoes’ breeding grounds compiled by a special research officer. Last week 2,044 toils of freight were 1 hauled through the Otira tunnel, from • Westland to Canterbury, as compared with 1,316 tons in the corresponding week of last vear, and 2,453 tons in 1934. The days when aviation was in tlie realms of adventure and romance-are passing, according to the view of Captain F. Haig, chief aviation officer for the Vacuum Oil Proprietary, Limited, who passed through Auckland by the liner Aorangi (reports the “Star”). Today, he said in an interview, the air services of Australia were regarded purely from the utility point of view as a safe and rapid means of transport. Every day in the week ’planes were living over 15 major air routes carrying a total of over 350 passengers, mainly business men and commercial travellers, and on a number of lines it was necessary to book ahead for accommodation. Aviation had made very rapid progress in Australia, lie said, and now that the big companies, with large financial resources, were in tlie field its future was assured. When tlie Adelaide-Alelbouvne service had been inaugurated the dream of pioneer aviators had been realised and Aus--1 tralia finally encircled in the ring of air services. It was possible to fly over 7300 miles of air routes near the coast in 11 days, at a total cost of about £7O. Captain Haig mentioned that one feature of the growth of air services in Australia was the difficulty of securing enough experienced and capable pilots. Very few were offering, and those that were could demand excellent conditions. The aero clubs were assisting greatly in that regard. It was a remarkable tiling that in Australia there had never been a major disaster associated with training operations. Lost in the bush, half-starved, and no tobacco! Such was the plight of George Cross, a young new chum who went for a day’s shooting up in the mountains near Perth (W.A.). He kept himself alive by shooting small birds, and when his tobacco gave out tried to smoko dried leaves—but couldn’t. Rescued at last George tells how glorious was the first real smoke he’d had for three weeks. Smokers wlio’ve never had to go without can’t realise what enforced abstinence from tobacco means. Try it yourself, and see how long if will be before you’ve making tracks for the nearest- tobacconist’s and asking for “toasted”—the famous blends which afford so much comfort and enjoyment to thousands of smokers every day ! These tobaccos are not only the most delicious but the least harmful. The toasting does it! The genuine toasted, Cut Plug No. 10 (Bullshead), Navy Cut No. 3 (Bulldog), Cavendish, Riverhead Gold and Desert Gold, are to he found in almost everybody’s pipe or cigarette. B.tit beware of imitations when buying. They’re “no earth !”*

A social and dance, organised by the Motueka Branch of the New Zealand Labour Party, will be held in tlie Institute Hall. Motueka, on Saturday evening in honour of the visit of the T-Ton. R. Semple and the Hon. P. C. Webb.

Mrs Vera Maxwell, of the Hollywood Beauty Salon. Wellington, arrived by the Matangi this morning and is staying at the Commercial Hotel *

The slate of the decking on the Tapawera rail and traffic bridge was referred to by Councillor F. W. Gibbs at to-day’s meeting of the Waimea County Council. The councillor said the bridge was in a deplorable state with the planks jutting up, and he moved that the Council draw the Railway Department’s attention to llie matter and request immediate atteniou to the planks. The motion was seconded and carried. It was pointed out that the Council pay a rental of £8 per ' year for the use of the bridge. I Stories emanating from barbers’ chairs ' are sometimes apt, like stories associated with the noble art of angling, to improve with tho telling and to so increase and multiply in incident that by the time they get back to their originator they are barely recognisable, states the Napier “Daily Telegraph.” The following, however, is vouched for by a Napier barber as having taken place on Monday. Barbers are noted for their ability to make conversation upon any subject whatever which it is considered will interest the particular client of the moment, and the barber in question, engaged in trimming the locks of an English visitor, thought that he would forestall the inevitable remark connected with the All Blacks’ defeat in England. “I see that the All Blacks were properly beaten in England,” he observed conversationally. “Yes, and I’m jolly glad too,” was the not unexpected reply. What followed was not expected, however, and was responsible for this story being related—“ Was Don Bradman playing?” she asked. The barber’s reaction and reply were lost in the whirr of the electric clippers. For some time the Waimea County Council has been negotiating with the Railways Department for the straightening of the main road across the railway line at Franklin’s crossing, Wakefield, where at present there is an S bend. At to-day’s meeting a letter was received from the General Manager of the Department stating that no objection would be made to the work so long as it was done under the supervision of the department’s officer and oii condition that the Council met all expenses. The matter was referred to the County Engineer (Mr W. Bulhvant) with power to act. A frost-resisting potato had been evolved in Russia which would grow in the cold northern territory. The ordinary cultivated potato had been crossed with frost-resisting varieties from South America, and the new, variety was now being grown successfully in the north, said Dr. 0. 11. Frankel'at Christchurch yesterday. In various districts in the north last summer a dark, rather sticky substance was noticed on the paspalum grass for the first time, and this growth has made its appearance again this year (states a Kaitaia correspondent). The trouble is cused by a fungus, Jusarium ailmorum, which is common on grasses of many species during certain seasons. It attacks and destroys the seed heads, and is largely seasonal, attacking plants when they are growing under conditions of high relative humidity. Unfortunately there is no remedial treatment that can be applied economically. In some districts last yeir sickness in cattle was attributed to this growth, but in the far north this did not occur. The fungus is of particular annoyance to anyone walking through high paspalum grass, as it leaves a dark stain that is very hard to remove from clothing