NEWS IN BRIEF.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21241, 23 January 1931, Page 14

NEWS IN BRIEF.

An indication of the amount of holiday traffic on the roads in New Plymouth iff given by the fact that, petrol stations report good business, in some instances better than that of any previous, seasons. Fifteen building permits, representing a total value of £23,978 were issued by the Timaru Borough Council for the period ended January 7. Three of the permits were for dwellings, three outhouse additions, one gas holder, one service station, one shop, one workshop, an'd five garages. The best New Zealand butter comes from the Taihape district, according to what Mr W. Pellett was told by Tooley Street agents in London. Mr Pellett informed the Stratford Post that there had not been given any reason as to why* this was so, but some of his informants had expressed the opinion that the' less extensive top-dressing might have something to do with it. Barton’s, butchers, Manse street, Hattray street, and Octagon, for the finest sugar-cured hams arid bacon and smallgoods... Live embers left by a picnic party caused a fire to break out at Day’s Bay last Saturday afternoon prelates the Dominion), and spread into the bush. The strong wind which was blowing made the fighting of the fire difficult, and two hours elapsed before Mr W. Dick, caretaker of the Day’s Bay sports ground, and a party of helpers had the flames under control. At the same time a fire broke out in the gorse at Mahina Bay. Fortunately it was got in hand in time and no serious damage resulted. In a report submitted to a recent meeting of the Timaru Borough Council regarding the revenue from the baths on Caroline Bay, the town clerk (Mr E. A. Killick) stated that the takings were very small indeed compared with the previous year up until about December 20, and there would have been a serious shortage in the estimated revenue if it had not been for the very _ satisfactory business done during the holidays. Unfortunately the total takings for Novem-ber-Deceinber and the holidays were only £605, against £691 the previous year. Grandism (1235): Quite the best call Grand House Whisky, which is 100 per cent. Scotch, thoroughly matured by constant ageing-in-the-w00d... A request that the Hawke s Bay Hospital Board should utilise the railway in preference to road transport on all possible occasions was recently received by the board from the Department of Health. A reply which was framed stated that the board necessarily made use of the cheapest means of transport available, in the interests of the ratepayers, but, all other circumstances being equal, the railway would receive its suppqrt. . , The amount of warm rain experienced recently has resulted in the appearance of mushrooms somewhat sooner than usual (says the Taranaki Herald). Although the delicacy has not yet appeared on sale in shop windows, several mushroom hunters have already secured good bags. A few mushrooms have made their appearance on the New Plymouth racecourse, but the best hunting-ground appears to be the Oakura district. . Come and see our Show To-night. We are open till 9 o’clock Friday nights.— Scoullar and Cbitiholm, Limited... . On a recent Sunday evening a spigot in a joint in the water supply piping at the Atlas flour mill blew out (says the Timaru Herald), and as a result the basement of the building was flooded. JNo, damage was done to the plant, and apart from a few sacks becoming soaked everything about the premises escaped the water The ground about the exterior of the mill was flooded, the water encroaching upon the railway line. It is not known when the “ blow out took place, but, judging from appearances, a considerable quantity of water must have escaped. Work is proceeding apace on the new traffic bridge at the Woodville end of the Manawatu Gorge. In order to push ahead two shifts are being worked daily—from 4 am to 8 p.m. Work on the second coffer dam is the chief task at present, boring through Bft of solid rock with pneumatic drills having been accomplished. A pump is being used to cope with the water in the river bed. Viewed from the bank above the workmen look like midgets. A large amount of concrete work is involved in the job. . We are selling Penfold s port wine at 4s per bottle, house whisky 11s, pints os; cash with order. Prince of Wales Hotel. C. Hinchcliff, proprietor... . “ People want to know when earthquakes are going to happen,” said Professor Marshall during an address to the Teachers’ Summer School at Christchurch. “There are many earthquakes in New Zealand at present and the people of Takaka are alarmed at what is going on there and want an investigtion, but I doP’t see how there can be a dehmte answer.” When a big earthquake such as that of 1929 occurred shuddenngs usually went on for some time while the country was settling down to a state of stability, he said.

The harvesting of grass seed by hand is at present in evidence in many parts of the Auckland district (says the New Zealand Herald), The seed on the stalk is now ripe, and on roadsides and vacant sections individuals and groups are to be seen cutting and bagging the seed heads preparatory to threshing. A good deal of the yield will no doubt be marketed, but in other.cases, where the being done by farmers, it will be retained for use in sowing new grass on their farms. “ Mummy ” wheat is a variety of wheat much grown in Egypt, explained Dr F. W. Hilgendorf to a party of teachers, who visited the Wheat Research Institute’s breeding station at Lincoln. The Egyption fellah often profited by the tourist s ingenuousness by selling him wheat of this type, purporting to have been taken from the tomb of an Egyptian mummy. There was laughter when he informed his hearers that the natives’ profitable custom had been the cause of one tourist seriously advancing the theory that there had been no improvement in wheatgrowing in 3000 years.. , ~ , Sale of Corsets and Corselettes. Ladies flesh-coloured contille sports corsets, elastic waist, back fastening, 4 suspenders, unbreakable spiral steels, 7s fid and 8s od goods for 4s lid, all sizes; floral contille corselettes, 4 suspenders, sizes 32 to 40, sale price 4s lid, were 7s fid. —T. Ross, 130 Princes street... . "In America I saw just how they nncl it so easy to supply so many fruit boxes to us promptly on order, and how they do it at the price,” said Mr H. E. Napier, manager ot the New Zealand Fruitgrowers Federation, when addressing a meeting of growers at Loburn. "I visited one big mill near Seattle, and there were 50,000.000 feet of lumber ready for cutting. With the machinery they had at the mill, and the lumber available, they could cut our order for 1,000,000 cases in from 10 days to a fortnight. I would confidently seitf that mill a rush order for the whole of the requirements of the dominion, especially as the concern has four other mills in the territory.” Men’s working shirts, sizes 14} to 17, striped “ Tiger Twist ’ or piain “Oliver Twist." 7s lid. Khaki Veldt, 8s Od. Posted anywhere tor cash.— Kilroy and Sutherland, Ltd., 192 Princes street, Dunedin... Two Wanganui farmers were discussing a suggestion that if some of the farms in the district were cleared of blackberry and other rubbish it would- mean work for the unemployed and make the farms more productive. One farmer replied (says the Herald) that this work should have been done some years ago when times were good and money plentiful. However, rates of wages were then’ so high that it was in many instances an unpayable proposition to put men on to do that class of work. _ ' . ... ~ The Russian, like the Oriental, did not have much sense of time, Professor J. L. Wrigley told his audience at the Summer School in Christchurch, when speaking of the Five-Year Plan of the Soviet. Thus he rarely had much use for docks, but now he worked systematically in industry he had to be more precise. This had been well illustrated by a recent caption he had seen: "Ivan works in a factory; he needs a clock.” Consequently, a firm had gone to Russia to turn out 1,000,000 alarm clocks and watches a year. _ Gray’s summer sale is now,' in full swing. All summer drapery has been heavily reduced in price. Milton buyers will take advantage of this money saying opportunity... ■ The American field events athlete, Harlow Rothert, who arrived recently for, a tour of New Zealand with. George Simpson and Rufus Kiser, has a high reputation on the Pacific Coast as a footballer 1 and has brought to the Dominion in his kit an American football, which differs in shape from the Rugby ball. It has been suggested by the American representative of the N.Z.A.A.A. that an exhibition of kicking, passing, etc., by Rothert and Simpson might prove of interest to the New Zealand public, and it has been decided by the council of the N.Z.A.AA. to obtain the views of the athletic centres in this connection. A serious grass fire broke out at Ealing, the other morning (says the Timaru Herald), after the express had passed through. The outbreak occurred on railway property and spread to a nearby plantation, also the property of the Railways Department. The flames were fanned by a strong nor’-wester and for a time threatened to cross the railway line and sweep through the dry country to the sea. Two gangs of men were sent out, however, and with the aid of about XoO settlers from various parte of the country, the fire was under control by about 1 o’clock, but not before the plantation, which was a chain wide and approximately 20 chains long, had been destroyed. The Ashburton County Council has asked the district railway engineer to provide extra patrol men while the ‘fire danger A good New Year resolution! Coffee for breakfast every morning! And those who order the “ Bourbon ,r brand from their grocer get pleasure and satisfaction the whole year through... . Setting out for Hangaroa the other morning, to attend a customer’s needs in the matter of transport, Mr W. Newcomb. a Gisborne contractor, made a non-stop run of 30 miles from his residence. When he pulled up- his lorry in the Hangaroa, he was amazed to hear relieved squabs from two bantam chickens, whose roost on the rear axle of the machine must have been a tricky one throughout the long ride. The chickens are in the habit of roosting under the lorry at night, and in the hurry of his early-morning start. Mr Newcomb had failed to notice that the birds were still asleep there. Once the vehicle was in motion, the bantams evidently lacked the courage to leap to the ground, and stuck glumly to their roost as far as the first stop. Once oh terra firma again, theyshowed the greatest objection to .remounting for a “steerage passage’ back to town, and after a short chase, they were confined in a sack for the homeward 11 “School Outfits ” Week at the Mosgiel Warehouse. See special window displays, all at sale prices. Free pencils or ruler* with all school togs.. Over 49 years service.—A. F. Cheyne and Co. .. According to a statement by Mr VV. Howitt. chairman of the relief committee of the Auckland Hospital Board, the lumber of grocery orders issued since the office opened this year has exceeded all previous records. On account of the unemployment prevailing, the office has had to be augmented. Mr Howitt states that whilst the waiting rooms have been crowded, every day, prompt relief has been granted and every consideration shown to the applicants. At the same time the committee is anxious to know when some relief will be obtained from the Unemployment Board. The story that elephants, when they fee! that death is near, migrate to some remote and ■ secluded valley to die is, after all, a myth. At any rate Mr W. Buckley,-who writes about big game hunting in Africa, declares that many old elephants die in the rivers, when they are taking mud baths. Some few may wander back to favourite breeding places, but such spots are well-known to natives. Mr Buckley says that he has never heard of an “ elephant cemetery.” He thinks. that there must be thousands of tons of ivory buried in the mud of the Nile and presumably other rivers hold large quantities. If an elephant i« too weak to get out of the mud it just sinks. Special offer of sports coats, usually sold au 35s fid, reduced to 22s fid; flannel trousers now 15s fid; white tennis trousers, 12s fid. Post anywhere. Money refunded if not suitable—The Ascot, corner Princes and Rattray streets... A novel Christmas “ box ” was handed out by a Wanganui railway official, but, unlike most unexpected gifts, it is doubt-' ful whether this one was fully appreciated (says the Herald). The man was wending his way home with an armful of parcels when he was accosted on the street by a doubtful looking individual who demanded money. The man’s attitude was threatening, but the railway ■ man treated him with respect, and replied: “ Rightoh. Just wait till I put down my parcels. He did so, but instead of diving into his pockets ' for money, he clenched his fist and connected neatly with the chin of the desperate one. The contact had the desired effect, and the official informed the police that they -frould. find a recumbent form at a certain place if they cared to come along. When the police arrived, how ever > the alms-seeker was well on his way and posted among the missing. You will hear the little piggy sigh. As his great big brother leaves the sty. For he knows he has been taken To become Hitchon’s famous bacon...