LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23339, 6 May 1939, Page 12

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Two Arrests on Awatea Two young men who were found on the boat deck of the Awatea the morning after she left Sydney for Auckland were arrested when the liner reached Auckland yesterday. One is an Australian and the other a New Zealander. Both will appear in the Police Court this morning charged with stowing away on the Awatea. Milk for Wellington Suppliers to the Greytown Dairy Company have decided to stop the manufacture of cheese in their factory on May 19. From that date they will sell their milk to the Wellington DairyFarmers' Association, which is experiencing a serious fall in production. It is understood that the Greytown milk will be used mainly for supplying Wellington schools. Government Meteorological Station The Government Meteorological Service will take over practically the whole of the top floor of the new transtasman airways building in Mechanics' Bay. on Tuesday. In its new quarters it will provide the meteorological station for the province; the collection of meteorological information for the transtasman air service will bo but a part of its duties.

Blind Man Judges Birds The judge of the roller canary section of the sixth annual show of the Newmarket Canary, Budgerigar and Cage Bird Society, which opened in'the Newmarket Municipal Hall yesterday, is a blind man, Mr. W. J. Finlay. A blind man, with his compensating acute sense of hearing, is particularly qualified to judge roller canaries, as these birds are judged solely by their singing.

Relief for Sheep-farmers Opposition to a guaranteed price for wool was expressed at a meeting of the executive of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Sheepowners' Federation. The following resolution was carried: —"That this executive is still unanimously against a guaranteed price for wool or Government control in any form, and is of the opinion that the necessary relief for sheep-farmers shoidd be through reduced costs." t Minister as Vocalist Since he sang "The Isle of Capri" at a southern community singing gathering. the Minister of Railways, the Hon, D. G. Sullivan, has not been allowed to forget the popular reputation he achieved as a vocalist. At a railwaymen's function at Newmarket last night a medley of airs included the song which has, been more or less assigned as a prerogative of the Minister. He was immediately escorted to the platform and amid applause he led the singing of the number. Exodus of Schoolchildren With the closing of primary schools yesterday for the first term holidays a large number of children left the city. All railway expresses were well filled and an extra train to New Plymouth was also well patronised. The afternoon express to Wellington left with nine passenger carriages attached, the limited express had 11 cars and the New Plymouth express eight. The demand for accommodation was increased also by the arrival of the Awatea early yesterday afternoon. Marketing of Fruit Allegations that firms handling imported fruit were afraid of being victimised by the Internal Marketing Department it they complained of the effects of the marketing scheme were referred to by Mr. V. E. Hamilton at a meeting of the council of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce. "There are rumours in the town that firms which venture to say anything are victimised by the department and have their friut supplies cut off," said Mr. Hamilton. The produce committee was asked to investigate the rumour.

Artisans from Australia Another party of 22 Australian artisans arrived by the Awatca from Sydney yesterday. They were interviewed by the placement officer, Mr. J. R. Elsbury. There were nine carpenters, including tliree under contract to the Government for work on State buildings, three coal miners and three farm labourers, two bricklayers and two wood machinists, a potter, a painter and a hairdresser. A father and his son made inquiries as to the prospects of contract work in the carpentering and bricklaying trades. City's Narrowest Street Cromwell Lane, running between Shortland and Chancery Streets, has been brought to notice by the sale of a property adjoining it. The lane, which is barely wide enough to allow two people to walk abreast, dates back to the first sale of town allotments in April, 1841, and is certainly the narrowest public thoroughfare in Auckland, if not in New Zealand. Field's Lane, some distance up the hill, and Bacon's Lane, running from Chancery Street to Victoria Quadrant, belong to the same early period, but are wide enough to admit vehicles, though passing is impossible. 23,000 Free Cablegrams Altogether 23,201 free cablegrams were sent by New Zealanders under the special concession marking the introduction of the new cheap rate greeting-letter-telegram service. This Dominion total forms only a small fraction of the total of free telegrams despatched on Monday, for the concession was granted not only in this Dominion, but in all countries of the British Empire in which the new service operates. Aucklanders were quickest to take advantage of. the chance of using the cables without payment. Figures' for the four main centres are: Auckland, 3451; Wellington, 2883; Christchurch, 2753; Dunedin, 979. Other post offices accepted 13,135 free cablegrams. Guarding Against Influenza A correspondent mentions the success of iodine on the tongue as a preventive against influenza. The experiment, he saj's, was made in Uganda by Dr. J. A. Taylor during the groat epidemic of 1918. The treatment had already proved successful in cases of spotted fever. Describing the results in the British Medical Journal, Dr. Taylor said that the ordinary tincture of iodine was mixed with equal parts of honey, and two or three drops were placed on the tongue every three hours, or more frequently. Europeans who used the mixture, escaped the disease, and none of the natives so treated died. Among the others mortality was high. The correspondent suggests the use of a wooden match with a shred of cotton wool wrapped around it by those taking the precaution. After sucking off the mixture, the match should be burned. By this means nothing need be boiled or sterilised. The mixture, he adds, always should be stirred.