NEWS IN BRIEF.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19550, 5 August 1925, Page 12

NEWS IN BRIEF.

A mountaineering club baa been formed at the New Plymouth Boys’ High School, and it is understood the boys will help to develop the attractions in the vicinity of the North Egmont Hostel. There is a dearth of tenements in Pahiatua. One land agent has 15 applicants for houses to rent on his books. There s bacon and bacon. If once you try Barton and Trongrove’s famous sugarcured you will buy none ether. Commence to-day... It is estimated that over an acre and a half of land was washed out to sea at the Milford Lagoon during the recent floods (says the Timaru Post). The fine belt of shelter trees which contributed so much to the enjoyment of visitors was completely washed away. Tho Oamaru Jockey Club is not the only provincial club that is suffering through excessive taxation (says the North Otago Times). Tho Ma-sterton Club has been severely hit, and at its annual meeting this week, decided to increase the membership subscription to £2 2s, to see if it could tide over it« difficulties. Railage paid by Corban’s Mine Agency, Rattray street, on all consignments. Port 525, Red and Sherry 58s, Assorted 565, tho case. Legal orders necessitate cash payments.... A pleasant surprise awaited the Rev. J. D. C. Mad ill, of the Presbyterian Church; Geraldine, when, on his return from a country visitation, he found in his garage a uow' car, which had been presented by the congregation for tho use of tho minister, and which was to replace the present one, which had practically outlived its usefulness. As tho parish is a large one, and entails a lot of motoring, tho gift was much appreciated by the minister. Mr Bernard Shaw is among the celebrities of to-day who are “hopeleas” from the autograph hunter’s point of view. Lady Swaythling's children, however, scored off him when they were young. Keen autograph hunters, the young Montagus realised that to write to G.B.S. in tho ordinary way was hopeless. So they composed a letter, in which they stated that they wished to call their new guinea-pig "Bernard Shaw,” but they did not like to do -so without his permission, for fear he might object. Bv tho next post came a postcard bearing the words; “I object most strongly,” and the signature of George Bernard Shaw. Ancient butter lamps in the palace of tho Dalai Lama, at Lhasa. Tibet, are to he replaced by electric lamps. --Mr John Robinson, aged 104, a native of Mansfield, England, attributes his long life to much work, piuch walking, and no drink or tobacco.

The first early potatoes from Nelson reached Wellington the other day and four bags were sold at a price equal to £64 a ton, or nearly sevenpence a pound. “I was not aware the prison authorities had ceased branding the clothing issued to convicts,” observed Mr Justice Herdmaß in tho Auckland Supreme Court the other day when a warder was giving evidence. The warder said it was so hard to distinguish prison garb now that when he had to caution people for chatting to prisoners oo road work they had replied with surprise that they were quite unaware they were talking to convicts. . One day last week a little girl m Timaru swallowed an inch-and-a-half nail (savs the Herald). She was sent to the Public Hospital, where, with the aid of the X-rays, the nail was recovered yesterday morning. The little girl suffered no pain, and immediately the nail was recovered, was able to run about as though nothing had happened to her. ' , The great cure for rough hands —Waters Chap Lotion ; 2s posted.—Waters Pharmacy (under Savoy).... Six canaries, valued at £IOBO, the gift of Mr Eliot Davis to tho Auckland Canary and Cage Bird Club, arrived last week by the Arawa.. The birds have been imported in an effort to improve the breed of canaries in the Auckland Canary Club. The birds consist of a pair each of the Crested, Norwich and Yorkshire varieties. “I wonder why it is that at nearly all the railway crossings along the line in Taranaki not only the line itself comes through a cutting on to the road, but the road also crosses the line through a cutting?” asked Mr A. H. Mowlem. S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court. _ . During this month Mosgiel and Taierl residents will have all the advantages of buying drapery and clothing at genuine sale prices. A. F. Cheyne and Co. are holding their annual winter sale, when, everything will be reduced in price. A call of inspection will repay y0u.... The duck shooting season in Ashburton closed last week (says the Guardian), but very few sportmen were out for a final testing of their luck with the gun. They evidently believed the final days of the season would bo as unproductive aa the rest. Very few bags of any size have been reported this year* and the _ cause of this is stated to be the consistently warm weather and the restricted hours for the shooting of game. Stocktaking, like spring cleaning, comes round, and brings with it bargains. Gents Striped Cambric Shirts, white linen bonds, to 16i, 5s 9d each, 3 for 16s 6d. Allwool Colonial Socks, heather shade, Is 3a pair. Posted anywhere for cash.—Kilroy and Sutherland (Ltd.), 192 Princes street... The geysers at Whakarewarewa have been very busy lately, botii night and day. Pohutu has had a week out, setting a lead to all the little geysers in a perfect outbreak of thermal dissipation (says the Rotorua Chronicle). The mud geysers, in their heavy way, are also responding to the general spirit of gaiety. Steam jets are visible throughout the whole of the long valley which extends from Whakarewarewa across the old Taupo road. “A lot of ratepayers are quite unreasonable in regard to the rubbish they aspect us to cart away for them,” said Mr G. E. Tansley, chairman of the Mount Roskill Road Board, the other evening, m dealing with a complaint that rubbish was not collected'fast enough. “They evidently expect us to do impossibilities. One day I saw an old bedstead and a perambulator among the rubbish at one gate.” Country Storekeepers,—lf you do not already handle our famous smallgoods, begin right now. Increase your turnover. We give liberal retailing margins.—Barton and Trengrove, Manse street, Dunedin.... During the visit of the United States Fleet to Wellington their Excellencies, Sir Charles and Lady Fergusson, will entertain at dinner on August 11 the naval com-mander-in-chief and senior officers. Alter the dinner there will be a small gathering of local residents at Government House to meet the visitors. Their Excellencies will also give a dinner party for senior naval officer on August 22. In addition toere will be a ball at Government House on August 13 in honour of the fleet and a similar function on August 19. An ideal breakfast beverage, rich and stimulating is “Bourbon obtainable at your grocers, send direct to the manufacturers, A. Dune and Co., tA Octagon. Dunedin.... ~ “They are a fine body of men, but they cannot march,” was the manner m which a passenger on the Mocraki white in Auckland from Sydney the other day (relates the Star) described the Amtmcan sailors It was most noticeable that the men had not been ashore very long before they were walking toe .streets or "tong in oars and trams with girls. If you hear, as we did. that the American sailors are shy, then wait until you see them ashore, he said, “thev are sure fast workers. The rainfall registered in the Oamaru district for the month of Jus y bw from 4m to sin (states the North Otago Times). In some localities it has been even mdre than that. The gramd has received a thorough soaking, and f“™«* are naturally jubilant. In last year the average rainfall over the district was little more than an men. . For Children’s Hacking Cough. Woods Croat Peppermint Cure.— . Great as has been the increase in the demand for phosphates from Nauru and Ocean Islands durmg the past few years, there appears to be no qaU for apiwehension on tho part of agriculturists of New Zealand as to whether the supply will hold out Mr A. F. Ellis, British Phosphate Commissioner, stated that although the total export from the two elands tor the last five years amounted to nearly 2,000,000 tons, and it was considered that even allowing for a largely increased demand, there would be ample supplies available for 100 years to come. , _ Milton men ! You can get great tergains in strong, dependable working boots at the “Big Store” Sale.... After all has been said and done, the financial ship of the State « «uwu«S among shoals (states the Christchurch Sun). Careful steering is essential. The margin of gain from the excess of exports over imports is still much too tom, and tends all the time to'further shrinkage. Ihe dominion has to borrow at the rate of nearly seven million pounds sterling a year to meet its interest on debts and promote development of national resources. It is toe duty of the Government to lead the country in toe' practice o- economy and thrift. _ , . . , Oculists’ prescriptions should be entrusted onlv to specialists. —Peter G. Dick, DB O A F.I O. (London), optometrist, specialises in oculists’ prescriptions. 490 Moray place, Dunedin. .. Speaking to the competitors at the conclusion of an elocutionary class at the Timaru Competitions recently, the judge, Mr S H Osborne, in stressing toe importance of the study of literature on th© part of elocutionary students, stated that if he had a son and wanted to supply him with a library he would give him a copy of the Bible, a copy of Shakespeare s works, and a dictionary. “It he mastered those, ’ said Mr Osborne, “he would have a fair idea of literature.” Superfluous hair removed most effectively with “Anticrin.” 2s 4d. posted.—Waters’ Pharmacy (under Savoy).... A Timaru resident who, when a boy, had some experience with katipos on sandhills in North Canterbury, states that whenever his mate and he caught one of these handsome little venomous spiders thev placed it on paper and held it down by one leg with a stick. On being teased with another stick it promptly gave the stick a nip and then very smartly whipped round with the other end of its body and gave a dab. As the body was raised it was noticed that a fine web was attached to the stick, and along it there slid down a drop of fluid, like water, which toe young observers assumed was poison. The correspondent reports that he caught and tried hundreds of katipos, always with the same result. He asked if the fluid were the poison that has made the katipo notorious. Obanism (1223): Drink good spirits always —it pays. You get excellent quality at the Oban Hotel. Country orders our specialty... While sheep were being mustered on a property known as Titler s Hill, near Wakefield, one of the dogs drove some 17 sheep over the Slip, which is practically perpendicular (says the Nelson Mail). The sheep landed some 17 to 20 feet below the break, and all efforts to move them failed. The next day Messrs R. H«ult and C. A. Baigent decided to lower two boys securely tied with ropes to the level of the sheep so that the latter could be secured and hauled to the ton. After several hours’ hard_ work 14 sheep were rescued. The remaining three had fallen to the bottom of too cliff hundreds of feet below and were killed. It was a risky job, and everyone did his part well. 'Why doth the little busy bee Como down so very bard, When every one in Milton I? using Hitchon’s lard....