NEWS OF THE BAY

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11704, 17 December 1923, Page 6

NEWS OF THE BAY

Mr Angus Marshall, director of the Dunedin Technical High School, explained at the. break-up ceremony that very few: first-class certificates had been awarded. Out of a total of 200 boys taking the classes only five or six had been awarded first-olaes certificates. This was so that a first-class certificate could be an absolute guarantee of a pupil’s ability.

What is the longest time a firm can work its employees under the provisions of an award without enabling them to partake of food? was put to the Labour Department. If a worker comes under the provisions of the Shop® and Offices Act, five hours is the longest period far which he may bo worked without being afforded an opportunity of eating. The period under the Factories Act is four and a quarter hours for women and hoys and five hours for adult males.

‘ ‘Never be tempted to give up your studies in the oourse you are taking to go out to work for high wages as unskilled labourers,” was the advice fven by the Hon. G. E. Statham, ■P., to the boys at the Dunedin Technical High School break-up. “Far too many- boys,” he added, “are giving up tha study for trades and professions to earu high wages at unskilled labour. For them a day of reckoning will oome. and they will be sorry that they took that step.”

He lurched into the nurseryman’s shop in a manner which betokened the fact that he had been celebrating the oaahiiig of his wool cheque not wisely Dut too well. “Hullo, old apart 1 Must tak th’ wife home something to sweeten her up. Gimme tw<* : of those plants” (pointing at some just inside the door). “Wnat’s their name, so that I can toll her?” “Those,” said the nurseryman, “are Mellaleuccaleuocadendrons.” The inebriated one staggered book and ejaculated, “Strewth, gimme a couple of rose bushes.

Most of the rooks that nested in tall bluegum trees behind the Elmwood homestead, Christchurch, last nesting season, have left that part of the city, presumably to return to Fendalton, where they came from. Early iu September last about a thousand rooks arrived over Elmwood, and circled around the bluegums there for about two hours. About fifty of the visitors remained amongst the trees and nested there and raised their young. They seem now to have become dissatisfied with that site for a home. It is stated that they were not interfered with at the homestead, and the cause of their departure is not known.

Motor-lorries ape securing the bulk of the wool trade so far this season, and already thousands of bales from South Otago liate been conveyed by road vehicles to tho wool stores in Dunedin. The grower says it is cheaper and more convenient to load the wool on to a lorry at the shed on the farm, and it is taken into Dunedin and safely lodged in the store the same day. Cartage is saved to and from the train, and the cost of freightage per bale is in favour of the lorry. A Greenfield farmer informed a Balclutha “Free Press” representative that the lorry charge from his place to Dunedin was 8s 6d a bale, whereas the combined steamer and railway charges came to a little more, and he saved the cartage at both ends.

A negro named Lopez, employed ae a porter at Waikato Hcepital, appeared before the court the other day with swellings and discolourations around tooth eye®, which, in a European, would have been designated “black eyes,” to give evidence against a man named MeDavitt for alleged assault. It was stated that Lopez had been spying on lovers in Soldiers’ Park, when he was caught and thrashed by an angry swain. His veils brought the polioe to tine scene. MeDavitt said he was not thie man who committed the assault, tout merely appeared as another man was running away, and tried to quieten Lopez. The magistrate said evidence of identity was uncertain. Lopez was accused of making a practioe of spying round parks at night, and his attitude on this occasion almost bore this out. The case was dismissed.

The Director of Education wrote to the Otago University Council stating that a subsidy could not he naid on the donation of £2OO from the City Corporation for the museum nor on the boohs donated by the French Government. The department, he said, was unahle to regard these as coining within the scope of the Legislature’s intention or within the reirulations. The Vice-Chancellor (Mr T. TC. Sidev, M.P.) said the registrar had already replied stating that a similar subsidy had rvrevions]v lioen granted, and ashing for reconsideration hy the department. Steps should he taken, the speaker considered, to have donations for tho' Tlniverait-r Museum put. on +he same footing donations to the other narts of the University. Other memhem eupoorted this view, and the action of the registrar was approved.

Harvesting operations are now in full swing in the Halcombe district, and everything points to a very successful yield. Bain is badly required, though, in the majority of up-country districts. A strange incident happened on the Glen Massey railway line near Ngaruawahia when a hive of bees that was swarming invaded the cab of the engine. The driver was compelled to stop the train for ten minutes while the bees were smoked off. A bowling match is being talked of between teams representing the Canterbury Pilgrims and the Otago Early Settlers. It is probable that arrangements will be made for the match on the Otago Anniversary Day' nest month. The last Council committee meeting to be held before the holidays took place last week, w'hen the tramways committee met under the chairmanship of the Mayor (Mr R. A. Wright, M.P.). The next meeting will take place in the New Year. The total amount received by and promised to the Radium Fund is now £2990 3s lid. Subscriptions to the radium fund are receivable by the Mayor, Town Hall; the secretary of the appeal committee, Mr G. Mitchell, Exchange avenue, off Lambton quay, Wellington; the daily newspapers of Wellington, and any accredited country agency.

A Jersey-Ayrshire cross heifer attacked Miss Alice Johnson, the 18-year-old daughter of Mr J. W. Johnson, farmer, of Fencourt, Cambridge, a few days ago, and inflicted a severe wound on her leg. Miss Johnson lay flat on the ground to avoid further attacks, hut tlie animal attempted to gore her. She was saved from her plight by the arrival of her. father, who drove the animal away.

An indication of the widespread interest taken in the work of the Workers’ Educational Association (says an exchange) is given by the fact that the secretary has just received a request for a copy of the 1922 annual report of the association from the Carleton College Library, North-field, Minn., U.S.A. Only quite recently a request for literature referring to the W. E. A. in New Zealand was received from the librarian of the Labour Department, Ottawa, Canada.

A Petone correspondent writes: “I see by the ‘Times’ that a man is alive who has his tombstone made with an inscription on it. Well, X know a man, personally, who has his tombstone made and erected on his grave that is to be. He has his name, year when he was born, and verse inscribed on it, also his photo taken leaning on the tombstone. His name is Peter Schoolw, of Maurioeville West-, past Masterton. The man is a Norwegian, and a farmer. The fave was fixed up twelve years or more. have a cabinet photo of the grave somewhere.’’

At the hearing of the shop assistants’ dispute before the Conciliation Council in Christchurch on Tuesday, the application made by the Mayor (Mr J . A. Flesher) that the show-room employees in the municipal electricity department should be exempted from the award was objected to by the union. Ultimately the union withdrew its objection in order that a complete agreement should be arrived at. The electricity department’s showroom staff is, consequently, outside the provisions of the industrial agreement arrived at between the parties.

In spite of the many warnings the public reoeive concerning the dangerous qualities of petrol, employees of Messrs E. Clarkson and Son, builders, Colombo street, attempted to mix safely a quantity of petrol and boiling water, with the stove for the heating of the water only about two yards away (says the Christchurch “Press”). Naturally the vaporised spirit was immediately exploded, and the small shed where the proceedings took place became a mass of flames. The brigade was summoned, and the flames speedily subdued with a hand-extinguisher, little damage being done to the shed, though one of the men was slightly burned on one arm.

Flying foxes, a large variety of bat, are becoming a serious pest in Western Samoa. Major-General G. S. Richardson states that they are difficult to cope with, as they only leave their secluded haunts at dusk to return at sunrise. The foxes thus present a problem for guns. They destroy much fruit on the islands, and, more serious commercially, they are now eating the young cocoanuts. The Administration offers the natives a bonus for foxes’ feet. To snare the animals Vthe Samoans have devised a long pole with a loop of bu3h lawyer on the end. In Tonga the natives cannot be enlisted against) the pest, as the foxes commonly shelter in trees that are “jtaboo.”

The occupiers of a house in Bealey avenue are having an unenviable experience (says the Christchurch “Press”). A swarm of bees have made their home in a chimney of the dwelling, taking as a means of ingress and egress the cracks between the house and the chimney, built on the outside of the house. The bees had quite established themselves, building a comb, but a workman had removed a section of the chimney, and commenced to displace them. The bees had taken up a strong strategic position, but it was hoped by a good supply of acrid 6moke to make them too uncomfortable in their new quarters to stay.

A plucky aot was witnessed near the Octagon, Dunedin. A runaway horse attached to a cart bolted down the Town Hall side of the Octagon, and turned at full gallop to continue its wild career along George street. A passer-by—a member of the City Fire Brigade named Mr Crowe—took in the situation at a glance, and, seizing an opportunity, rushed out from the footpath and caught hold of the back of the cart. He managed to grip one of the reins. The horse turned in towards the kerbing, and hy a quick movement the fireman seized the other rein and pulled the horse up before it reached Moray place. Had the animal not been checked, it is likely, judging from the way in which it was moving, that there would have been a serious accident.

The annual general meeting of the Colonial Co-operative Building Society of Wellington was held at the society’s olfico on Wednesday last. In speaking to the directors’ report and balancesheet. Mr H. J. Poolo (chairman) congratulated members on the steady progress -of the (society, and stated that before long it is hoped to complete the list, of members who have not received a loan appropriation, which will be the initial step toward 4-1 u- ultimate wiiuling-up of the society. The report and balance-sheet was adopted. Messrs W. 1,. Jenness and F. M. Peterson were re-elected directors, and the shareholders’ auditor was re-nppointed. During the course of the evening a ballot appropriation was held. which resulted in Mr A. E. Duncan becoming entitled to a loan of £3OO free of interest.