GENERAL NEWS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 21 December 1936, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS

One of the biggest “payouts” of the Golden Bay Dairy Company will be made this month—for November—ls per lb of butterfat, £10,500.

An adverse opinion of the common belief that hedgehogs are harmless creatures and should, in fact, be encouraged about the place for their valuable work in destroying grubs and insects in the garden, was given by a Blenheim resident who goes in for poultry keeping in his spare time. He told an “Express” reporter that he was often compelled to get up during the night to drive hedgehogs away from his chicken coop, and on numerous occasions he had found quite big chickens almost torn to pieces by the spiky animals. The speaker said that only recently he had gone out and caught a hedgehog in the act of dragging a small bantam pullet away.

The service oil'ered to the commercial world by the modern telephone was recently demonstrated when the telephone department in Sydney placed facilities at the disposal of Mr Ralph H. Clark, general manager in Australasia of the Warner Bros. Picture Corporation, to enable him to deliver a private talk, simultaneously, to his branch managers sitting in their respective offices in Sydney, Melbourne. Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth. The telephone department installed a special microphone in Mr Clark’s private office and the men in the live Australian cities were advised of the exact time that the call would come through. After the talk was completed telegrams were received from Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth advising that the reception had been perfect. The trans-ocean line to New Zealand could not be made available to include the Wellington office of the company in the link-up.

Tossing a coin is a favourite method of settling questions where the rights are equally balanced. Besides deciding whose “turn” it is, how often has the traveller in a novel come to crossroads, and trusted to the humble penny rather than his own intuition to make a decision? On the whole, too, it chooses the right road just as often as the wrong one. The law of averages proves it impartial. Of the 135 times a coin has been spun in the England-Australia Test matches, England has won the toss on 68 occasions, and Australia on 67 (says the Auckland “Star”). Before the last„jnatch, both sides had scored 67, so that we can see that its decisions, though summary, are quite fair. Of course, it must be a little difficult for the coin to know what to do when a decision in favour of one side means a big advantage to that side, while another time it may be almost immaterial which way it falls. No check is kept on its record in this respect

“The child that works hardest does not get the prize,” said Mr S. Bishop, headmaster of the Papakura Public School. The local school committee had been offered a prize by the management of a picture theatre, and then Mr Bishop said he held very definite views upon prizes to children for school work. “It is not the child who puts most into his or her work, but the child that is gifted that wins the prize—to whom it is quite easy. The other child often gets disheartened.” Mr Bishop then went on to say that the aim of teachers should be to make the school work a pleasure for the children, and the teacher that did not, at any rate to his mind, failed in the great aim of teaching. “The children should be taught to work at their lessons for the pleasure of it, not for a special prize, in which only one could partake.” The committee agreed with Mr Bishop, and resolved to transfer the prize to a sports gathering later on.

The air mail being brought to Wellington by the Awatea was despatched from London on 7th December, states a Press Association message.

The heavy steamer bookings—much in advance of the time of sailing—by New Zealanders who wish to attend the Coronation ceremonies in London in May have greatly increased the work of the passports branch of the Department of Internal Affairs, the Hon. W. E. Parry, stated that for the last six months, up to the present month, 1505 passports had been issued by the Department (reports the Auckland “Star”). It was expected that the figures would be doubled in February and March next. “Times are better to-day,” the Minister commented, “and many of our people are now snaking a long-deferred trip abroad with, of course, the Coronation ceremonies well in mind.”

Advice has been received that the Court of Review will not sit in Auckland this year, and probably not until after the long vacation in January. So far about 120 applications have been filed for the attention of the adjustment commissions operating in the Auckland district.

The danger to farmers of building haystacks near high-tension wires was emphasised by speakers at a meeting of the Auckland Electric-Power Board when it was decided to send a circular letters to all farmers in the-board’s district warning them of the danger. The manager of the board, Mr R. H. Bartley, referred to the risk involved by the building of haystacks immediately under power-lines, and mentioned a recent accident in which one boy had been killed and another injured when a steel guy rope struck a hightension wire.

A very heavy consignment of English and American mail is being brought to New Zealand by the Niagara, which is due at Auckland from Vancouver .to-day. This is doubtless the result of portion of the Christmas despatches not coming via the United States through the withdrawal of one service and the temporary suspension of the other by the Pacific Coast strike.

Bathing Caps in best English quality rubber, all colours. At McKay’s, 1/3 to 2/9.* “It was just after ‘One Night of Love,’ ” said a witness in the Napier Magistrate’s Court, when asked to fix the date of a conversation. “It wasn’t one night of love for all the parties,” commented Mr John Mason, referring to the fact that the conversation referred to had been in the nature of a sharp quarrel. “I’ve heard of dates fixed by means of race meetings, but never before by the screening of a picture,” said Mr J. Miller, S.M.

Ladies’ Surf Suits at McKay’s. A large range in all the newest styles and colours. All sizes. Priced from 12/6 to 37/6.*

Locknit Bloomers in super quality, attractively packed in cellophane. All shades, S.W. and W„ 2/11, O.S. 3/3. At McKay’s.*

Strange to say the poorest land will often yield the finest tobacco, and the splendid leaf grown in the Dominion on land incapable of growing anything else is a case in point, as many a hard-working settler has discovered to his advantage. Of course with a tobacco crop careful cultivation is all important, but in the case of our very finest New Zealand tobacco, the finishing touch is supplied by toasting, which remarkably ingenious process (the manufacturers’ own) not only cleans lip excess of nicotine but gives this beautiful tobacco its renowned flavour and famous bouquet. A pipe or cigarette of the real toasted, Cut Plug No. 10 (Bullshead), Cavendish, Navy Cut No. 3 (Bulldog), Riverhead Gold and Desert Gold, is a positive luxury in which the smoker may revel without fear of consequences. Innumerable brands of tobacco contain too much nicotine to be safe. There’s so little nicotine in “toasted” that it hardly counts! But ’ware imitations! The offer of something “just as good” should be promptly declined. There’s nothing “just as good” as toasted.* Gift Lingerie at McKay’s—Pyjamas, Nighties, Slips, Vests, Bloomers, Scantees. In gift boxes. At ,Gift Prices!* Attractive Oriental Dressing Gowns, heavily embroidered on back. In Black, Rose and Saxe. Packed in gift box, 18/11. At McKay’s.* j