LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 15 January 1936, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

One of the veteran passenger liners running between Great Britain and the Dominion, the Shaw, Savill,and Albion steamer lonic, which arrived at Auckland from London on Sunday, made a recent voyage as a troopship from Southampton to Alexandria, states the “New Zealand Herald.” The lonic, as part of her annual programme, was scheduled to lay up at Southampton for some weeks, when she received a charter to carry 1800 troops to Egypt. “Within ten days,” said one of the lonic’s officers on Sunday, “the old ship was completely transformed. Workmen just swarmed about us. Extra davits to accomodate launches and lifeboats were fitted, and one lot of boats was carried swung out in the falls. The holds were converted to accommodate hammocks, and temporary wooden structures were erected on the decks. About 200 troops were landed, at Gibraltar, and another 200 transferred from Gibraltar, to Alexandria. The contingent included 65 officers and 36 nurses. All of them, howand wer to be distributed at Cairo and various other military stations. In spite of the general tension existing in the Mediterranean, there was little evidence of special preparations. There was a concentration of naval forces at Alexandria, but only a few of the smaller units of the Navy were at Gibraltar. The third member of an Auckland family to enter the priesthood of _ the Roman Catholic Church was ordained At St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Sunday morning, states the “New Zealand Herald.” This was the Rev. Father Bernard Bennett and two of his brothers took part in the ceremony. The ceremony was performed by Bishop Liston in the presence of a crowded congregation and a number of attendant priests. Dr. L. T. Buxton administrator of St. Patrick’s parish was master of ceremonies and the ssistant chaplain to the bishop was the Rev. Father F. Bennett, while the Rev. Father Bernard Bennett was assisted in the ceremony by the Rev. Father A Bennett. Benediction was given at- St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Sunday night by Father Bernard Bennett. A sister of the new priest is a member of St. Joseph’s Order. More sales of country property were put through in Gisborne during 1935 than in any year in recent memory, stated a real-estate agent with an extensive local connection, in conversation with a “Herald” reporter. Town properties did not yield so much business, but recently there had been a certain definite movement that showed that the bottom of the slump in urban houses and sectiotts had been passed. The agent detailed a number of sales of station and farm lands put through in the course ot the past few months. These included the Tangihau sale with an individual value of well over £IOO.OOO. He stated bis opinion that not since the boom days of 1919 and 1920 bad there been so much life in the market, and added that all the sales he had known of during that period had been at very fair prices. There was no question, he was positive, of any major sale having been made at a low" value, though of course the figures had had a close relationship to the productive value of property Both sheepfarming and dairying land had .igured in transfers of which he knew something, and though the demand had slackened off appreciably during the past three or four months, there were plenty of prospects for furthiir business in those directions.

There is one cilinost general misapprehension that were better swept away, according to the Premier of New South Wales (writes the Sydney correspondent of the “Argus”). It is a belief that every employable person in the community must be employed before it can be said that the unemployed problem his been solved. There is, however, a condition Unown as normal unemployment, and all that the Government of this or any other country with an unemployed problem can hope to do is to return to normal. What is the normal condition in New South Wales? The Premier (Mi Stevens) supplies the answer that it is 30,000 unemployed. When there are no more than that number of persons out of work in the State the Ministry will be satisfied and may then consider bringing in more people. The matter was meir tioued in Great .Britain about two months ago, when a public man suggested that when “normal unemployment” condiCions prevailed in Australia it would be a reasonable time to undertake the work of sending out large drafts of men from the British Isles. Mr Stevens expects that the normal period will be reached by the time the substantial sum which has been authorised by the Ministry for public works has beeif spent. The subject will be discussed by the several (groups of persons specially interested. It is certain that there will not be unanimity. The next evening meeting of the Nelson Amateur Athletic and Cycling Club will be held at Trafalgar Park at 6.30 on Thursday. Special interest is attached to this club event for it will be a “scratch” meeting and on the form shown by both cyclists and athletes the team will be chosen to represent Nelson at Blenheim on Ist February in the triangular contest for the Mahar Cup.

Gisborne and Coast district sheep farmers should receive at least £375,000 from the Waikato and Auckland districts this season, or probably about £50,000 more than last year. This will come as a result of the sale of over 300,000 store sheep, which are already on the load, rail and steamer-in tens of thousands. The trade with the Waikato has become a particularly valuable one, and the estimate of 300,000 sheep sold or being sold from the Gisborne district to those parts this season is based on last year’s figures, on which there may be a slight increase this season.

Members of the Nelson Women’s Club are invited to attend an ‘at home’ to meet the members of the SpivakovskyKurtz trio on Wednesday afternoon, 22nd January. It is hoped that Mrs Jascha Spivakovsky will give a short talk during the afternoon. 10 a.m. To-morrow. “The Auckland” opens again for the 2nd day of the final oddment clearance. Another day or two will see the end. Astonishing last day bargains. Be early. Closed 12.30 p.m. to 1.30 p.m. daily for lunch. Never again as long as you live will you see such bargains.* “I’ve not smoked for donkey’s years,” he chatted to the tobacconist. “Used to smoke a lot when I lived in America—strong stuff, strong enough to make your hair curl! Had to chuck it! Nerves wouldn’t stand it. Doctor’s orders. So I stopped smoking altogether. But just lately I’ve been hankering for a pipe again. Got any really safe stuff, not too strong?” “Lots,” said the tobacconist, “but the best of the bunch if you ask me is Navy Cut No. 3 (Bulldog). Medium. The manufacturers toast it. Some special process of their own. That brings out the flavour and the fragrance too. Gets the nicotine out of it likewise. So it don’t effect heart or nerves.” “Sounds too good to be true,” laughed the old smoker, “you ought to have a big sale for it.” “I sure have,” said the, tobacconist, “and for the other genuine toasted brands Cut Plug No. 10 (Bullshead), Cavendish, Riverhead Gold and Desert Gold. Most of my Tegu-1 lars’ smoke toasted. YouTl like Navy Cht No. 3 (Bulldog).” He did!* i

The Anchor Shipping Co. announces that the sailing of the Matangi for Wellington tins evening lias leen postponed until «.30 o’clock. Intending passengers are requested to note this alteration. The demand for houge s in Auckland is accentuated by the constant northward trend of Southerners who want to live in a more congenial climate (states the “Star”). This was very forcibly impressed on a house agent during the past week or two who leased houses to tenants coming from Palmerston North, Napier, the Waikato and Southern Taranaki. What struck the newcomers was the low rent in the North compared with prices further South. In every case the new tenants from a distance had motor cars, and what surprised them was the readiness of the house owners to erect garages for them when they took a long lease of the property. In the South it was most difficult they said, to get the landlord to do anything to the' houses, and they thought it' was fine to see the co-operation which existed between landlord and tenant here. This, of course, hag no reference to rents to the South Island, which are generally on a lower scale than the North Island rents. The first steel structure in Otago to be electrically welded throughout, the spacious new hangar being erected at the North Taieri aerodrame for Union Airways, Ltd , has many features of interest in its construction. Without a single rivet or bolt the steel framework, incorporating nearly 60 tons of steel, is nearing completion through the efforts of 20 skilled workmen, who, in the next week or two,‘will be working overtime to have the building completed by the end of the month. The hangar, which is 92ft wide and 72ft in depth, will accommodate only one liner, which gives a good indication of the size of the company’s aeroplanes. On the northern side of the hangar will be the workshops, and well-appointed administrative offices and waiting rooms will he built adjoining the southern wall. The Motueka branch of the New Zealand Labour Party.,js indebted to Mr H. Saunders for generously granting 'the free use of the Majestic Theatre, at short notice, for the civic welcome to the Hon. R. Semple and the Hon. P. C. Webb on Saturday afternoon.