LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 25 March 1936, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Summer time, which commenced last September, will officially come to ah end for the season on 26th April, at two o clock m the morning, New Zealand standard time, when clocks will bo put back 30 minutes. Under the Summer lime Act, 1929, clocks were put back on the third Sunday in March, but the amended Act of. 1933 altered this to the last Sunday in April, so that summer time is now in operation fox* seven months in the year, six weeks longer than the original penod.

Although their car was hurled 10 oi‘ 20 yards when it came into collision with a fast-moving train early on Saturday evening near Te Awamutu, the occupants, two young women, escaped without serious injury (states a Te Awamutu correspondent). They were Miss M. Quinn and Mrs R. Callis. both of Te Awamutu. The car was proceeding outward from Te Awamutu in the direction of Pirongia, and at the Alexandra street crossing collided with the Waitomo Caves excursion ti’ain. which was returning from Hangatiki to Auckland. The tx’ain had just passed the Te Awamutu station, where it did not stop, and was travelling at over 30 miles an hour at the time of the accident. The car came into collision with a caiTiage, and was thrown on to the cattle stop, which earned away. The vehicle came to rest on the right-hand side of the line. It was damaged extensively and turned over. The train pulled up in a short distance. One of the occupants of the car was able to scramble cut unaided and the other was helped from the wreckage. Both suffered cuts, abrasions, and shock, but, after receiving medical attention, were able to proceed home. Neither is in a serious condition. A motor-cycle which was leaning on a post near the line was also damaged in the collision. The train was able to proceed on its journey after a short delay.

Approximately 80 per cent, of occupiers of holdings in the Nelson and Waimca area have completed and returned the schedules of agricultural and pastoral “statistics to the officer in charge, Police Station. Although the schedule states that the particulars are to be supplied within seven days of receipt of the form, it is over a month since they were issued, and the prompt return of the remaining schedules is desired.

Horse-meat is much used as food for station hands in some parts of South America, according to .Mr Jack Anderson, of Christchurch, who has returned from an extended lour there. On one large property, running 80,000 sheep, 150 cattle and between 300 and 400 sheep were killed for food each year. The Chilean Indians who were employed on such stations seemed to prefer horsemeat as food.

“I am not at all keen on the idea, of the broadcasting of speeches from Par Jiament,” said Mr Morgan Williams, M.P. for Kaiapoi, during an address to the Templeton-lsiington-Hornby branch of the Labour party (reports “The Press”). “Broadcasting cannot take the place of the newspapers. After the novelty has worn off, there will not be many people listening-in, as they will not know when anything interesting is likely to take place. People are not going to sit up night and day listening to uninteresting debates.” On Saturday evening next the St. John Ambulance Brigade will hold another of- its popular 'danqes Un the Velma Hall. A good programme of dances has been drawn up, and includes Monte Carlo and Lucky Spot competitions. The City Dance Band of six instruments will play all the latest dance hits and combined with a first class supper patrons are assured of a good evening's entertainment.

Ratepayers in the Waimea County are reminded’ that 10 per cent, will be added to all rates unpaid after Friday, 27th inst.

“Patent pipes?” said the tobacconist, “any amount of ’em. But I never heard that any of the patentees became millionaires. There was a pipe with a solid charcoal bowl—to absorb the nicotine. It was a hard frost. Another had a gadget in the stem; it was supposed to ’cleanse the smoke’ and extract the nicotine. Another washout! Then there Was Dr. Somebody’s ‘Hygienic Pipe/ with a little tube under the bowl to drain off the nicotine. It didn’t catch on worth a cent. No. If you want tobacco practically without nicotine, as of course you do, if you’ve got any savvy, you niust smoke ‘toasted.’ It’s subjected to a scientific toasting process (the manufacturer’s own) —and when it leaves the factory there’s next to no nicotine left in it. And can you beat it? Not by a jugful! Imitations? Why, of course ! But they’re hopeless ! And why buy them? Ask for Cut Plug No. 1.0 (Bullshead), Navy Cut No. 3 (Bulldog), Cavendish, Riverhead Gold or Desert Gold, and you’ll get the real thing—the genuine article !”* Fashion Parade at Trathen’s. Special notice appears on page 6/

According to the Samoa. “Herald,” what was featured by an Apia correspondent as a “football Donnybrook” at Saforu turns out to have been a riot on the cricket field. The “Herald” reports: “During the progress of ft cricket match between teams from the Methodist and Catholic missions at Safotu. Savai'i, recently, an argument between a couple of players seemingly ended in a free fight when cricket-bats were turned into clubs. The affair came before Mr R. V. Kay, C.H.C., on 27th February, Inspector Braisby prosecuting, when 22 natives were charged with assault, two with having caused bodily harm. The latter have been remanded to Apia, while 17 of the others were fined from £2 to £5 each. The proceeds of the day’s court proceedings netted £93 in fines. This was one of the biggest courts yet held in Savai’i.” An ex-resident of Samoa told the Auckland “Star” that cricket teams in these native matches in Samoa usually number 20 to 30 players a side.

The caterpillar pest which has been causing extensive damage jn the far north lias also made its presence felt in the Okato district (says the “Taranaki Daily News”). A lb-acre paddock of oats on Mr L. O’Sullivan’s farm was tony lately ruined. Ploughing operations, which were put in hand as soon as the damage was realised, were hampered by the pests crawling over the horses and driver whenever a halt was made. Though the area is a considerable distance from the coast large numbers of sea gulls gatheied daily to feast on the insects.

“This country is particularly suited to the growing of grasses,” said Mr W. M. Horton, of the greens research committee at Palmerston North, when discussing sward problems at New Plymouth. “Whatever grasses are introduced from abroad they seem to do better than in the countries of origin.” He mentioned that famous golf courses abroad, including St. Andrew’s, used New Zealand Chewing’s fescue and brown top. At Palmerston North experiments were being made with the object of selecting a brown top seed as the basis of a pedigree strain. Hawkes Bay had already established a world reputation for its ryegrass.

The White Horse Inn Company’s Sunday concert here for the McGregor Fund realised £297, says a Dunedin Press Association message.

Word has been received by Mr L. J. Schmitt, general manager of the Tourist and Publicity Department, from Mr W. R. Moore, who visited New Zealand some 15 months ago on behalf of the National Geographic Society. Recently the society devoted 65 pages of the February issue of its magazine to a beauti-fully-illustrated article on the Dominion. Many of the illustrations were supplied by the department, which also lent the society a copy of the feature film, “Romantic New Zealand.” “I had the pleasure of showing the film to our Washington audience of about 3300 people and it was received with a great deal of enthusiasm,” says Mr Moore. “Many people, speaking to me after the lectui’e, commented that it was one of the finest travel films they had ever seen. I think it has done much to stimulate interest in the Dominion, especially as wo were able to show it in the same month that my New Zealand story appeared in the magazine. Altogether it made a very fine programme and, I think, proved one of the highlights of our lecture season.” The appearance of a former Public Service Commissioner before the Public Service Appeal Board as counsel for an appellant is a rather unusual happening. Such a position arose in Wellington this week when the Appeal Board met to hear appeals by public servants against decisions of the Public Service Commissioner in respect of promotions, regradings and other questions. The counsel concerned was Mr Paul Verschaffelt, who last year i-e----signed from the position of Public Service Commissioner.

“Winnie the Pooh” was the most popular of all visitors to the North Island air pageont on Saturday (says the “News”). She—or as Mr Milne might prefer—ho was the real Plying Flea, and it is recorded that the diminutive Tui monoplane was deeply insulted at being misnamed. Probably “Winnie the Pooh” was annoyed, too, because an aeroplane that can overshadow even a D.H. 86 has “something about it.” On several occasions, “Winnie’s” popularity was so great that the territorials were called out to prevent some small boy souveniring him bodily. Most people wondered if the peculiar little object would fly and then decided that it would not. But the builder, Mr E. R. Perkins, Waipukurau. knows different. Winnie will fly all right, but is not permitted to until a certificate of airworthiness is granted—and that may be a long time, because of revolutionary principles embodies in design and control features. However, the owner claims that Winnie will carry a passenger 60 miles on a gallon of aeroplane spirit, carry him at 62 miles an hour, and I travel 350 to “100 miles without refuelling. The fuselage is 12 feet long, and the cockpit is more like a glider seat than a cockpit and is set so low that the pilot can reach out and touch the ground. There are two parasol wings set one behind the other, the wid.est of a 20 foot span. Elevation is controlled by moving the front wing bodily. The rudder is controlled not by foot bars but by the joystick. Winnie is so radically different in fact that the officials do not know what to do about him. His landing speed is 19 miles an hour and he needs only 100 yards of space. Winnie’s relatives do a fair amount of flying in England, America and on the Continent and take their owners where they are going at much less cost and in far faster time than a motor car. The power plant Is a two-cylinder Douglas Dryad engine of 21 horse-power.

The Amateur Athletic and Cycling 'Club will conduct their final mid-week programme this week. This decision was made following the club’s decision to hold a meeting in conjunction with the 'Wakefield Band on 4th April. Given good weather this Thursday’s meeting should be an attractive finale to the midweekly meetings and should afford a good try out for those competing on Easter Saturday. Good entries have been received and should prove popular with the sporting public. A reminder is given that this Thursday’s programme will commence promptly at 6 o’clock.

The children of Queenstown, it would appear, do not harbour any ambition to achieve political eminence. They were addressed at school by the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, who urged on them the necessity to climb to the top of the tree in whatever occupation or profession they might adopt. “I may be speaking now to a future Prime Minister of New Zealand,” said Mr Semple. “Hands up, all those boys who would like to be Prime Minister of New Zealand.” Not a hand went up. “Come 0r.,” urged the Minister. “Don’t be shy. I want any boy who would like be. Prime Minister to put up his hand.” Still no desire was apparent to climb to the highest public office this country can offer. After several further attempts to draw forth a public manifestation of any' lurking ambition, the Minister was forced to the conclusion that the children did not wish to be accused of boasting, and for that reason were hiding any desire for future political distinction under a cloak of modesty.

The list hott-mcking dance organised by the Riwaka Wanderer Football Club, will be held in the Riwaka Hall on Friday, 27th March, when an enjoyable evening is assured to patrons

During the past summer a further 80,000 parasites (pteromalua puparum) had been liberated in the field to iriake war on the destructive white butterfly, Mr J. Muggerridge, B.Se., Government entomologist, of the plant research station at Palmerston North-told “The Dominion” yesterday, and great success had attende'efthe parasitism of the white butterfly this season. Despite the fact that, owing to the unfavourable conditions which had prevailed, it was an “epidemic” year for the white butterfly, excellent control had been achieved. Biological control might well not have come up to normal expectations, but only recently had there been any real evidence of the pest. “If is evident,” Mr Muggeridge added, “that the concentrated attack by parasites which was organised last year when nearly a million were distributed, has taken such toll of the butterfly that it has taken all the summer to breed again in any considerable numbers. Meanwhile the search is being continued by the Institute of Imperial Entomology at Farnham Royal, England, for a parasite to attack the diamond-back moth. Four or five possible species of insect have been found in the field, and one of these may be found suitable for New Zealand conditions.”

Mr H. J. Stewart, of Motueka, returned to Nelson this morning after a holiday in the south. Mr Stewart fished for quinnat salmon in the Rakn.ia river and met with success, enabling him to bring back with him six of the fish. The largest, which weighed nearly 301bs was on display in the window of Messrs liounseif and Co., to-day.