NEWS IN BRIEF.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21212, 18 December 1930, Page 22

NEWS IN BRIEF.

The Government hydro-electric station at Mangahao is able to supply, all Wellington's electric needs at the present time (says the Dominion), and the Evans Bay station operates, only on a special call being made. Grays have a large stock of Christmas novelties for Milton’s needs at very moderate prices... A decision to refuse permits for the screening of pictures on- Christmas Day was made by the Auckland City Council last week. Applications for permits were received in respect of seven theatres. The best Christmas gift to a -lady is a pair of pure silk stockings. We hold an enormous range in black and 30 new shades, all English made, full-fashioned, perfect fitting, guaranteed wear, 6s lid, 8s lid, 9a 6d, 10s 6d, lie 6d. 12s 6d.—T. Ross, 130 Princes street... There is in the Newtown Museum, Wellington, a propeller blade from a GrahamWhite aeroplane .which, it is reported, was brought down during the war in defending London against air raids. It was presented by Mr R. H. Wilson. Since the completion of the Palmerston North City Council’s new water reticulation scheme for the city the water pressure has increased by SO per cent. Grandism (1204).: The man who drinks Grand Hotel Wines or Spirits ' gets quality, and that is what you want for Christmas. Place your order now... Thirteen steel collars have been placed round the top half of the destructor chimney stack at Clyde quay, Wellington. When attention was drawn to a crack in the chimney some six or eeven weeks ago, it was stated (says the Dominion) that repairs were to be effected to the lightning conductor, ' but it was then seen that it might be wise to strengthen the structure (as , had to be done in the case of the old tramways power house stack in Jervoie quay). Building permits issued in Wanganui last ,month were:—Six additions to dwellings. £476, one now' dwelling’ £644, four additions to business premises £136, five new motor sheds £126, four new general sheds £79. one addition to shed £B, one permit to shift shed £24, one new storage shed £300; total value ■ for 23 permits £1792. Bathing suits, towel wraps, towel mufflers, towels, bathing slippers, and rubber caps are now ready for the holiday trade at Gray’s Big Store. Milton... ” This district is doing better than any other swimming centre in New Zealand," remarked the chairman of the Hawke’s Bay Education Board (Mr G. A. Maddison), when the report of th e New Zealand Swimming Association’s educational officer for the Hawke’s Bay Centre was received at the last meeting. It was stated that 1901 certificate© were issued to children in the Hawkers Bay district last year. Apparently returning from a visit to Father Christmas, a small girl was walking along Lambton quay, Wellington, the other day, when a large balloon escaped from her grasp and went bobbing among the traffic. Her escort, a middle-aged man, gallantly dived in pursuit. He ran across the street, dodging several cars on the way, but his chivalry was unavailing (says the Dominion), for when he was almost up with the balloon it burst loudly. His little companion accepted a shapeless piece of rubber with mixed feelings. . Special offer of sports coats, usually sold av 36s 6d, reduced to 22s 6d; flannel trousers, now 15s 6d; white tennis trousers, 12s 6d. Post anywhere. Money refunded if not suitable. —The Ascot, corner Princes and Rattray streets.., For some unaccountable reason, tha terns which every year their nesis on one of the three low-lying islands of the inner harbour, Napier, have this year ■ forsaken their, nesting place on the last of the three islands and have now settled on the middle one. The birds are there located in as large numbers as ever (says the Telegraph), and at the present time are all nesting, the island being covered with the little hollows containing two or three speckled eggs laid by these birds.

■ “If cut-throat trading were forbidden, would that not help the unemployment situation?" asked . a questioner in the audience at an address by the Minister of Labour (Mr'S. 6. Smith) at Wanganui. ' He said that shops selling goods at wholesale prices were partly responsible for the lessened .amount of work available. “I don’t believe in cut-throat methods," replied Mr Smith, “but all the same wholesale prices mean cheaper living." The Government, however, ought not to interfere with private business. What England expresses, Ireland emphasises and Scotland endorses, is the fact that the India Tyre manufactured in Scotland is an outstanding example of the ability of the British manufacturer to produce the world’s best tyre. Otago agents, The Otago Farmers’, Dunedin... When Mr J. R. London was on his feet at a recent meeting of the Auckland City Council, the Mayor (Mr G. Baunon) remarked that a member of the gallery ap- . peared to think the meeting was a vauacville show. “I can assure him it is not,” , he added, “ and if he does not behave himself, I will have him removed." Mr London: “ I am not 1 concerned with what the boy in the gallery says, or does, but I am concerned with the ‘ tripe ’ that some cf the councillors talk." Holiday-makers are advisel to consult the Mosgiel motor engineer for their patent camping trailers, complete .with two full-size double beds. —Phone 34, Mosgiel... , ' Discussion at. a recent meeting of Me Wanganui Unemployment Committee w»u $-. gested that accepting labour from the departmental bureau was like taking a dip in the-bran tub. Nobody knew what “prize" he had drawn until afterwards. One member told how he had asked for a man to dig post holes and do p bit of teneral fencing. _ “ They sent up- a ’quailed man,” he said* “but he sharpened the posts and drove them in.” “That’s nothing,” another representative replied. ‘ I was sent a qualified gardener and- he dug in all my broad beans." On the recommendation of the Parks Committee, Auckland City Council decided to enter into negotiations with nine property owners for the acquisition Of turthef properties in Grafton Gully. The area involved in the proposed transactions is three acres two roods five perches, and the land is valued at £1242. Should the negotiations not prove satisfactory the properties will be acquired under ilia Pubhc Works Act. '• The areas will ba eumcient to complete the council’s bush, preservation policy in Grafton Gully. Mams, ox; tongues for Xmas and New. learj pnmest quality, prices lowest; 1 unlimited supply.—Barton's... An extraordinary 1 creature of far from pleasant-aspect was found -by an Invercargill fruiterer when unpacking a case of bananas from Fiji, or Nino Islands. About.-five inches in length, the insect, believed to be* a tarantula scorpion, with a deadly sting, .was still vigorously alive . ? its long confinement in the case., It had 40 legs, each pair attached to a , scale- l ike joint in its reddish-brown body, and the long sting projected about half; an. metv The insect is said to live upon, poisonous spiders, and its appearance certainly does not encourage indiscriminate handling. A fragrant and unusual Xmas Gift! aend your friends some “ Blue Mountain Jamaica -—the finest coffee grown on earth. Only obtainable from A. Durioand Co., 32 Octagon, Dunedin... . No sport is now wholly reserved for the masculine sex. Women.haVe invaded - the _cticket, football, hockey, and athletic field;_they eVen box in America and on the Continent, stalk'deer in Scotland and New Zealand,' and fly to the uttermost ends of the earth. Women anglers are coming along in increasing numbers each year, according to Mr CL I. ’Dasent (secretary of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society). Ten. years ago only 20: licenses were issued to women, and so far this season-IX2 have' been taken out by the fair sex. Up to date some 1654 licenses have been issued this season in Wellington district, and Mr Dasent estimates that the number |will increase to' 2000 before the. end of the season. An almost . iihmediate start with the reconstruction of the East Coast main highway _ between Gisborne and Tolaga Bay is foreshadowed, by the arrival of lorries and men from Auckland (says the Poverty Bay Herald). The heavy plant is being brought down from Auckland by a scow chartered for the purpose. The plant includes a steam navvy and road' roller, as well as the bitumen-heating apparatus. Gisborne unemployed have been interested in the contract, and have been making inquiries as _ to the whereabouts of the men in authority, but it is believed that the. contractors are bringing most of tbeir men from Auckland. Men’s working shirts, sizes 14} to 17, striped “ Tiger Twist ” or plain grey “Oliver. Twist," 7s lid. Hhaki Veldt, 8e 6d. 'Posted anywhere for cash,— Kilroy and Sutherland, Ltd., 102 Princes street, Dunedin... An,echo of ;a. competition in. member ship increase, conducted last year between the Gore and Gisborne Returned Soldiers’ Associations, was heard (says the Poverty . Bay Herald) when a Circular from New • Zealand headquarters, read to the Gisborne executive, revealed that that branch stood fourth on the list of New Zealand branches in point of numerical strength. Christchurch headed the list, with Dunedin, Auckland,.. and -Gisborne in that order, and Wellington fifth. Much satisfaction was expressed by members of the committee regarding the good standing of the local association in the list. “Where is poor old Gore?" asked one member. “’Oh, Gore is hanging .on very Well- indeed. That branch now stands seventh," replied the president, Lieut.-colonel Gambrill, . who added that the Dominion strength was 7720. In the course of an address upon salmon at the Wanganui Rotary Club’s luncheon lost week Mr E. P. V. Scaly stated that one of the varieties of Pacific salmon—namely, the quinnat —had • been successfully acclimatised in the snow-fed rivers of Canterbury, However, Mr Sealy added, he was not of the opinion that a commercial industry would ever be successfully established there, as the rivers . were unsuited for netting, the fall from the Southern Alps to the sea being _ considerable, and the current of the rivers was consequently too heavy for the successful use of nets. The estuary of the Waimakariri appeared to him to be the only area of any of the quinnat rivers that lent itself at all to the use of uets. We are selling Penfold’s port wine-at 4S per bottle, house whisky lie, pints 6s; cash with order. Prince of Wales Hotel, C. Hincholiff, proprietor,.. Last week the British Pavements, Ltd., completed laying ■ the bituminous concrete •roadway from Woodend to Rangiora (says the Christchurch Times). The leugl’i of the section of road is four miles, and the cost of the work £3500 per mile, carried out under contract to the Rangiora County Council. The_ hot mix was laid in a single course 2} inches in depth, at an average rate of nine chains per day, the'whole distance being covered in 35 days. With the exception of ,a abort length between the new Waimakariri bridge and Chaney’s, there is now a continuous concrete or bituminous road from Christchurch to Rangiora. _ Money savers and spring cleaning bargains the order of the day at the Mosgiel Warehouse. Big reductions in all departments. Call or write early.—A. P. Cheyne and C 0... • , “1 am fuljy convinced that the Waikato River is entirely suited for Atlantic salmon,” said Mr C. A. Whitney at a cent meeting of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society. Mr Whitney asked the society to bring pressure on the Government to make provision for tfce- passage of fish while carrying out the scheme for the stoppage of erosion at the Arapum hydro-electric works. If action were not taken without delay and the river were blocked it would be impossible for any good fish to be in the river in the future. The matter will be placed before, the Public Works Department and the Tourist Department. “Unless it is absolutely necessary tor an employee to work on a holiday, bo must take it,” said Mr A. G. Williams at a meeting of, the Heathcote County Council, when an application for additional staff holidays to his annual leave was made by an employee. “No one should he permitted to accumulate the odd, holidays that occur during the year, and add tbem to his annual leave, .as it means that our employees are absent too long, and possibly just at the time when there may be a rush of work.” It was decided that the extra days be granted to the employee this year, but not in future. Now, porky, keep your head up, , For you’re eoon to be taken To that famous bacon factory, For that famous, savoury bacon...