NEWS OF THE DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12042, 21 January 1925, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

To-night, at 8 b’clock, the 7 Port Nicholson Silver Band will play at Oriental BayPlenty of material is now coming to hand for the engineering works in Dunedin except as to coke, ’be supplies of .which from Australia " - iiab«- to interruption. Ironmaster., re looking forward to the time when uh r New Zealand coke-makers will be able to give all that is required. The Westport Coal Company has already taken firm steps ahead-in that direction.

•Three persons were nominated by the Hamilton Labour Representation Committee in connection with the selection of a candidate to contest the Hamilton seat at the next Parliamentary election, the nominees being Messrs W. Lee Martin’, a Matangi farmer ; A. S. Richards, of Auckland, who contested the seat in 1922;' and W. Murphy, of Frankton. Mr Murphy has withdrawn his nomination.'

/ The Poverty Bay Power Board resolved that the Gisborne Borough, Council be written to stating that the board was willing f to negotiate for the purchase of the borough plant, and asking ,the council to state its price; It was also resolved that a geologjggl survey be made of the Motu diversion scheme as outlined in the engineer’s report, that Dr Marshall be asked to make a survey, and, failing his being able to do so, that the board approach Professor Speight, of Canterbury College.

' A number of important matters are down for consideration by the annual conference of the New Zealand Sanitary Inspectors’ Association, which ds to open in the Auckland Town Hall on February 4th. A subject of general importance is; dealt with in a remit'forwarded by the Wellington Centre, which urges the ’general. council of . the association to make representations to the proper authority with a view, to provision being made-that all milk-distributed throughout the-Dominion for domestic purposes shall be distributed in sealed containers.

A Hawke’s Bay country police officer recently almost suffered the embarrassing, experience of having to arrest himself.,: This, followed a disturbance at a country hotel, whereah-he was constrained to, eject one of the hotel servants. .The indignant menial endeavoured to retaliate by adjourning to the nearest town, where the police officer was reported for: alleged assault. The charge, of course, was ; soon seen to bo merely trumped-up, but as a joke on the policeman,, who had-only, done his duty-under rather ; difficult circumstances, a facetious communication was • sent, ordering him to “run himself in.” ' , ,

- Oat harvesting ; operations are in; full swing in Greenfield, Clydevale, Hillend, and- Lovell’s Flat; districts (says the “FreevT|res6"), :and the yields .in' most cases _promise, to be good. In the Pukewa district are to be seen fields of oats ruined by the dreaded black -smut, and it is doubtful; if the 'oats will be worth threshing. Fortunately this is an isolated; case, m Although the yields all round the district promise to be heavy, the quantity on thq whole is below the average, for many years', and a gentlemen_ who , is in a position to judge has predicted that both oats and chaff wifi command a high price in the coming winter. , 0

,- The accommodation at - Wairoa is very severely taxed - at fho present juncture, due to the large number of visitors from, long distances. In former years, before tho advent of motor transport, this was also v<ry acute, owing to residents .from the immediate surrounding districts having to stay over-night, but now,, with the / quick motor travelling; those residents from Nuhaka, ,Te Reinga, - and- Waikaxemoana, are able to come in early ,in the morning and return home again the same night. This was thought, to have relieved the overcrowding of the accommodation, houses, - but owing to •such a large number of visitors doming from Napier and Gisborne, the billeting question , has been aS acute as in ‘former years. ■ ; .During the recent conference of nurserymen in Wellington, a. short discussion took place as to; the lack of finish and quality in some of the gardening and horticultural tools imported in’the .last two or three years. One member said'AbSy were not of the quality and finish of those supplied a few years back; and othero agreed with; this view. Yesterday an importer of British tools stated that the Old Country was now in the market again with tools of all kinds, of a supply and price that would enable them to compete with the American articles. He expressed appreciation of the new order which; comes' in after March 31st, that under the tariff, the preference well; apply to articles containing 76 per cent, of British labour.

The cloudburst over the West Taieri that -was reported a few days ago as blocking the road between Outram and jV’aiporT had the: compensating effect of practically filling Lake Mahinerangi, the new dam at Waipori, and thus in all probability assuring the water . supply needed for Dunedin’s hydro-electric ■ scheme during the aiimmer. months (says the Dunedin "Star”). That is a prosaic and utilitarian way of stating an occurrence which, if thought out by a meteorologist or illumined by ai poet, would seem to be more marvellous than a miracle. Think*of it. A lake in the air, seemingly imponderable. Then the downrush, of millions, of tons without ?■ crushing an insect or breaking a blade of grass. Then by weight and impact the creating of enough energy to give us all the light and power We need for the next three months. i • "V : • One of the suburbs much sought after in Wellington just now is Brooklyn. R. Leslie Jones, estate agent, 101, .Willis street, Wellington, i» offering for sale a six-roomed bouse with all modern conveniences in Brooklyn for £950. Easy terms can he arranged- v

A large shark about 10ft in length was seen very close in to the shore at the East End beach at New Plymouth. There were only two bathers in the water at the time, and they lost no time in racing for the beach. Several shots were afterwards fired at the unwelcome visitor, but without effect. In connection with deterioration of the back country through the spread of waterfern and similar second growth, the Wanganui Farmers’ Union has decided to enlist the services of Professor Perrin, of Victoria College, who will give a series of lectures to farmers in this district.

One of the smoke escapes of the en-gine-shed at the Frankton Junction Railway Station caught fire. It was deemed necessary to remove all the engines, and the Hamilton Fire .Brigade was summoned. After running out several hundred feet of hose, it soon had the flames under control, and the fire was extinguished. Very little damage was done.

It is expected that at an early date the Moumohaki State Farm will be cut up and leased' for settlement purposes. It is understood in the Waverluy district that the land' will only be available to farmers who are not already established on farms of their own, while the Returned Soldiers’ -Association is hopeful.thdt there will be a leasing clause giving preference to returned soldiers. The pick of the State Farm" is the portion known as the Homestead Block.

The demand for bricklayers in Dunedin has become so urgent as to cause one, employer to offer 27s per day. That is surely a record for the bricklaying trade in New Zealand (says an exchange); The minimum pay according to the latest award is 2s 'Sjd per hour, Which works out to 18s 2d per day. For some time past employers have had to pay more than that to secure good workmen, 20s a day being common, and sometimes up to 225; hut 27s is very nearly 60 per cent, above the minimum;

A young l\apier business man arrived at, his office feeling. depressed;, out-of-sorts, and’sick. His head was spinning, and liis joints l ached. In brief, his symptoms were parallel to the early indications of infantile paralysis. So his superiors ordered him to bed,- had the rest of their staff .gargle their throats industriously, and subjected their offices to. a severe process jof disinfection. , Then-they sent a doctor to the home of their aiffng subordinate, whereupon the pressing inquiries of the medical man speedily ■ disclosed that the cause of the trouble was suffering only from the after-effects of a very hectic night before. _