NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11960, 15 October 1924, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

A member of the crew of the American steamer West Islip, named Ho ward West, was discovered on the Auckland ferry steamer Kestrel drunk and in a nude state. He had gone aboard the vessel in the early hours of the morning, destroyed some of the company’s property, and had afterwards taken his clothes off. At the Official opening of the Kahutia Bowling Club’s green (Gisborne) the opportunity was taken to formally accept a beautifully-carved archway at the entrance, the gift to the club of its ariki, Sir James Carroll. The Mayor, who voiced the club’s thanks, said the carving iwas as fine as was to he found in New Zealand. “I am a fiercely patriotic Scot here in Canterbury," sard tho Rev. W. Gray Dixon, when speaking at Knox Church at Christchurch, "perhaps a little more so than when lam in Otago, and far more so than when I an. in Scotland itself. There is someihiDg that stirs you up to keep the flag flying when you are in a minority, a 3 we are in Christchurch.” Ai valuable endowment of 100 acres of land was years ago set aside in the Waimato Plains, Taranaki for holders of the New Zealand Military Cross. (This was subsequently handed over to some other purpose. As only five survivors each draw £lO per annum, and these are all over 70, the oncecoveted distinction is not a strain upon the resources of a grateful country. Tho returns of the Dunedin Savings Bank for the quarter ended September 30th shows that the deposits during that period amounted to £142,31C 17s Id, and the withdrawals to £lOl,038 12s lid. The total amount standing to credit of depositors on Septem. her 30tb was £909,179 2s 6d. Interosb is allowed to depositors at the rate of 4J per cent. Skylarkers on the Summit road (Christchurch) have recently pushed a piano ease over' several times in blissful ignorance of the fact that it contained gelignite and detonators. The explosives are kept in the- case by the workmen engaged in widening the road. Mr H. G. Ell considers that it is more by the goodness of Providence than anything else that the culprits have not been blown to pieces.

A pleasing tribute is paid to the courtesy and attention paid, to New Zealanders who call at the High Commissioner’s office in London by Mr J. R. Kirby, of Featberston .District High School, who has just returned from a six months’ trip. There are writing, library and lounge rooms, and New Zealanders are so welcomed that it is almost like heme to them. Every attention is paid to them, and all information required is supplied. The annual report of the Queensland State Trade Commissioner for the financial year ended June 30th show! that there had been a profit on four undertakings as follows:—State butchers’ shops, £9310; State Produce Agency, £3OIO-; railway refreshment rooms, £13,479; State Hotel, Babinda, £3905. Operations which showed losses were: —State Cannery, £9513 State Fisheries, £3912; State Stations. £101,971. Tho net loss on all enter prises amounted to £85,691. It is not the usual custom for members of the Nelson Fire Brigade to turn out to fires in full-dress uniform and their breasts adorned with medals for long service and meritorious conduct (says the local paper). On Saturday, however, this ie what occurred when the brigade were called to a fire. The explanation was found in the fact that earlier in the afternoon they had assembled to pose before the camera and had not dispersed when the alarm was sounded. m A daylight saving scheme on a small scale is being adopted' in a number of office:* in Timaru during the summer months. In order to afford staffs .and principals extra opportunity to indulge in the various forms of summer sport it has been suggested that offices he opemed half an liour earlier in the mornings. In a number of offices whore the scheme is already in operation it is stated that the alteration of hour* is proving quite satisfactory and is very much appreciated by all concerned. The very wet weather conditions and the resultant flush of spring grass caused an attack of pleurisy among some fine breeding ewes on the Orini Downs Estate. Within the space of a week the owners lost about 30 odd ewes. Those owes which had lambed were immune, and, unfortunately for the owners, each death meant the loss of two lives, the ewe and her unborn lamib. Prompt measures by the Department of Agriculture, however, stayed the epidemic, and now tho manager of the estate reports that all danger is over. The erection of workers’ dwellings at Otahuhu has been undertaken by the Railway Department, and 18 of the houses were completed last week. The houses,' which are situated on a block of land acquired by the department in Nikau road, were designed and made ready for erection at tne department’s factory at Frankton Junction. They ate provided with ail modem conveniences, and are planned for renting on the one day wage, weekly rent system. They range in size from four rooms to six rooms, and each has a fair-sized section. It is stated that a further 20 houses will shortly be erected by the department on the same block. “I do not know -who wrote the anonymous letter which appeared ix this morning’s paper, tout I can tell you who was its grandmother,” said Archbishop Julius at the dedication of the site of tho proposed open-air school at St. Mark’s, Opawa, referring to a letter on opon-air schools which had appeared in tho paper that morning. “Let mo assure, you,” said His Grace, “that many people in this country ar© ailing because of an insufficiency of fresh air. I was brought up to toeJierve, and! I do firmly behove, that cold aoX damp air, wet and rain won’t <lo you a hit of barm. Fresh air is the one and only thing left in New Zealand which isn’t taxed. Let us use it.”

A violent thunderstorm swept the Otekaike district last week. After a preliminary bombardment of thunder the heavens opened and hail came down in lumps. The hailstones were of large size, up to a quarter of an inch in diameter, and in the space of a few minutes the ground was white, giving the impression of a covering of Ngatar* gravel. Window sills and doorways were piled inches deeo with hail. The hail was accompanied by particularly violent peals of thunder and vivid flashes of both sheet and forked lightning. In a short time the hail was over, and after a few Bhort showers of rain the sky cleared again. The animal world was very disturbed, horses and cows flying before the thrashing of hail, and dogs cringing in their kennels Two women riders who were caught in.the fury of the storm had n terrifying experience, having to find shelter for both themselves and their mounts at a neighbouring homestead.

“If there is any beautiful spot in the world, it is Nelson,” said Mr F. W. Fairey at a meetihg of the Nelson A and P. Association. “If the world was a ring of gold, Nelson was her diamond.” Nelson was not sufficiently advertised abroad, he added. "Wooden buildings to the value of £6SSO were erected in Lower Hutt during September, and brick and concrete buildings to the value of £3530. During the last six months the value of buildings erected in the borough was £54,084, as against £47,967 in 1923, and £24,714 in 1922. Out Green Island way the other day a cow was seen standing quietly whilst being milked by a half-bred bulldog (states the Dunedin “Star”). Cow and dog seemed to perfectly understand each other, though they do not belong to the same house nor to the ono owner, and so far as is known were strangers. “The Industrial Exhibition to be held in Wellington next year will be a Dominion one. and the Wellington Harbour Board, was recently approached in an endeavour to secure the new Plpitea shed for the housing of the exhibits,” states the annual report of the Wellington Industrial Association. A rabbit district has been constituted in the Turanga-o-Moana district, in the Matamata County, a majority of ratepayers having petitioned for its formation. The success that has attended the efforts of rabbit boards in the Te Awamutu district is expected to encourage similar action in other infested localities. Alfred St. John Parsons, dentist’s assistant, of' Willis street, Wellington, has petitioned Parliament, asking that, as he was unable, through illness, to sit for the second and last examination, as provided by the Dentists Amendment Act, provision be made in the legislation' before Parliament, to enable him to present himself for examination.