NEWS IN BRIEF.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21258, 12 February 1931, Page 20

NEWS IN BRIEF.

The desirability of instructing children in the rapid evacuation of school buildings during earthquakes was stressed at a recent meeting of the West End School Committee (Palmerston North). “A school should be evacuated in 10 seconds, if possible,” observed Mr G. Tremaine. A fine example of the spirit of help in time of need was given in New Plymouth when a clerk paid off some relief workers who had been engaged in work at the Girls’ High School (states the Taranaki Herald). Each man out of his modest earnings offered to contribute 3s towards the Earthquake Relief Fund.

A hailstorm of terrific severity was experienced in the Levin district last week. The hailstones were described as being of unusual size, but no damage was reported. The country bore a mantle of white in places for some time, after the fall. • .nj: :,

“The first stock sale of the year at Dipton was rather an unusual ope,” declared a representative of a commercial firm to the Winton correspondent of the Southland Times, the other day. He rer marked that not only were there no sheep yarded, but there were present seven farmers, five agents, and a lamb buyer. Only two head of cattle were forward. Some of the agents had travelled from as far as Invercargill and Lumsden, and the cattle were not even offered.

“School Outfits" Week at the Mosgiel Warehouse. See special window displays, all at sale prices. Free pencils or rulers with all school togs. Over .49 years’ service.—A. F Cheyne and C 0... An example of wrong ideas that sometimes prevail has been mentioned by the rector of the Boys’ High School at Palmerston North (Mr J. Murray). Included among the parents enrolling new pupils was a woman who had stated that she had been informed by a friend that the expenditure of £4 was necessary to purchase text books for a first-year pupil. “As a matter of fact, the text books cost only about 31s, and many of these are used during the second year,” said Mr Murray. Chewings fescue seed is a product of importance in Southland. An average area of 6000 to 10,000 acres is threshed annually, and in the last 10 years the total value has ranged, with the exception of one year, from £60,000 to £128,000. Last year the return was £109,677 from 9808 acres, and in 1929 £107,458 from 9506 acres. The approximate return, therefore, is about £ll an acre, not a bad figure in view of the fact that it is not a crop that requires soil preparation and seeding. Barton s, butchers. Manse street, Rattray street, and Octagon, for the finest sugar-cured hams and bacon and smallgoods.. .

Having put in a telephone toll call to Hastings on the morning of the earthquake, an Ashburton business man was awaiting the answering call when he felt the earthquake tremors. Soon afterwards he was informed by the exchange officials that the lines were down in the Hastings area. Had he entered his call a minute or so earlier he would have been speaking to Hastings when the earthquake occurred.

Amongst the several problems studied in America by the secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (Dr E. Marsden) was that relating to cheese maturation. Some won-' derful new work in this direction has been accomplished by American chemists, and in hie tour of the laboratories Dr Marsden was fortunate in having ns pilot Mr R. H. Campbell, a New Zealand research scholarship holder, who is conversant with the recent work.

Spenal offer of sports coats, usually sold at 35s 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... The Christchurch Tramway Board is negotiating with the Public Works Department for the use of one-man cars with automatic rear exits (says the Christchurch Times). The Works and Traffic Committee reported to the last meeting of the board that advice had been received from the Montreal Tramways that 250 one-man cars, with rear exits, were in use there, and during 1930 there were no accidents. It was estimated that over 10,000 of these cars were in use throughout America. They were also in satisfactory use in Melbourne. It was, of course, noted that the fares system was not identical in all places, but the differences were not so vital as some people might think. The report was adopted. One of the largest special trains ever arranged left Nottingham for Bradford recently, carrying a large zoo. There were 30 vans and trucks, including six vans of lions—including a cub one month old—tigers, bears, leopards, and monkeys, six elephants in special elephant trucks, 24 horses in horse boxes, four living vans and two large vans of props, foodstuffs, and equipment. The train travelled at reduced speed, and several stops were made for inspection.

The parents or guardians of two boys who recently had an adventure with a motor car which belonged to someone else, have found that. the matter is likely to be one of some considerable expense to them (says the Taranaki Herald). A car was taken from a parking stand in New Plymouth on a Saturday night, and after being driven about the country ior several days, including two trips to Wellington, the two boys were apprehended in Wellington. They came before the Children’s Court the other morning on a charge of converting a motor car to tneir own use. One was a major offender and the other a minor. They were dealt with by the magistrate, and a considerable sum of money will be payable by the parents or guardians in connection with tne occurrence. Sale of Corsets and Corselettes. Ladies' flesh-coloured contille sports corsets, elastic waist, back fastening, 4 suspenders, unbreakable spiral steels, 7s 6d and 8s 8 goods for 4s lid, all sizes; floral contille corselettes. 4 suspenders, sizes 32 to 40, sale price 4s lid, were 7s 6d—T Ross. 130 Princes street.. , , , “The recently-invented camera tor taking photographs inside the body is just a development on previpusly-usea methods, said the doctor in charge of tne X-iay Department at the Christchurch Hospital (Dr Neil Guthrie). “ Hitherto tubes of varying widths have been used for examining body cavities, and these enable a doctor, by means of mirrors and in the tube, to see the organ which is required to be inspected. By. putting a camera in place of the human eye, photographs have been: taken of the inside m the body. By this means affected portions can be found and treated accordingly. This camera can, of course, only be used to photograph the stomach anu abdomen, and the tubes can be employed in any part of the body. Gray’s summer sale is now in full swing. All summer drapery has been heavily reduced in price. Milton buyers will take advantage pf this money saving ,P Under a decree published in December bv the Polish Government, Canadian and British shipping companies will not oe allowed, after June■ 30, to transship Polish emigrants at English ports, as is now the custom. This action has been taken ostensibly to compel British companies to establish a direct service from Polisn to North American ports. As this could not be done profitably, it is clear that the. real purpose behind the decree is to drive British shipping companies so as to leave the emigrant traffic wholly to tne Baltic-America Line, whicn was taken over by the Polish' Government early last year. It is reported that the Canadian Pacific has threatened to appeal to the Canadian Government to prohibit lobsli immigration if the operating concession held by the company is cancelled by Pola Tabasco! This is a liquid Bed Pepper, a most piquant flavouring for food. A few drops in a glass of soda water make the perfect pick-me-up or, dinner drink. 4 Durie and Co., 32 Octagon... , , * Dr Lewis Smith, consulting physician to the London Hospital, who is visiting Christchurch, has done a F reat n J*? al £ ishing in various parts of the world. On Dis last visit to New Zealand he caught over a ton of rainbow trout, and visited q iiswell for the big game fishing, Iwo years ago, in British Columbia, he caugnt the record salmon for the season, a beautiful fish of -53|lb. Dr Smith is a member of the Fly-fishers’ Club and vice-pre-sident of the Red Spinners, Angling bo- ■ cietv, both of London. He is an M.D. of the University of London, a fellow of t e Royal College of Physicians, and consulting physician to the London Hospital, which is the largest in Great Britain. He is making a world tour with his wife and Colonel Fry. They have come to New Zealand from Australia, J#va, bumatra, and Singapore;, . .., Grandism (1252): Tired? To-mghU put the clock on —lengthen your daysbuy.a bottle of Aragon Wine at the Grand Home Supply. Great value, 4s b MrE. F. Healy, M.P., who returned to Blenheim recently after inspecting three properties near the Conway which have been offered to the Government for .subdivision. was greatly impressed with then possibilities from the point' of view of closer settlement (says the Express). Tfie three properties are Fermehurst, a portion of Hawkeswood, and a part .of Con way Hills. Mr Healy was especially en-, tlvusiastic in regard to the M'Farlane Bros.’ property at Hawkeswood. It com prised about 9000 acres, he aaM. and a big proportion was suitable for dairying. It was beautiful , country, and at least two-thirds could be put into plough. Much of it had been under cultivation for year® Many people are speculating whether the more recent earthquakes that have been recorded in the Dominion are in any way connected with each other (says the Wellington Evening Post). There was the Arthurs Pass earthquake nearly two years ago and the Murchison earthquake 18 months ago.. Occurring in between these ttwo big ones were less severe shakes in Cook Strait and at Huntcrvillq. The question arises, are the shakes migrating along any known fault lme, are they isolated occurrences? Seismologists and geologists cannot atjiresent, answer these questions definitely, but it is anticipated that the correlation of observations now being made may throw some light on the subject. Men’s working shirts, sizes I4J to IT, striped “Tiger Twistj’ « plain grey “Oliver Twist, 7e lid. Khaki Veldt, 8* 6d. Posted anywhere for casn.— Kilroy and Sutherland. Ltd. 192 Princes street. Dunedin... - ■ The most exciting sport just now m Fiii is fishing for sharks from the picnic island of Nukulau, where Suvaitea spend their hot week-ends (writes the Auckland Star’s correspondent) . A great many large fish have been landed, the largest o hooked being 14 feet. Recently a sharlift Sin was caught after a big. tight. Later another measuring 10ft 6in was captured. But while all this is going on bathers, young and old, continue to dive off the wharf into deep, blue water alongside where the sharks are swimming. A most foolhardy piece of bravado occurred on a recent holiday. Sharks were being fought at the wharf when the Suva launca started to make for town. Several youngsters jumped on board of her, and when about 100 yards off the wharf jumped back into the water and calmly swam ashore. This sort of thing is getting on peopleVnerves, for in spite of all warnings the danger is laughed at, and, only a big tragedy will put a stop to the insane practlCßecause their performance and reliability are taking motorists in all parts of the country by storm, do not neglect your opportunity to investigate the claims of India Super- Tyres. Look for the Red Ring. Agents: The Otago Farmers. .. Whilst in America after attending the Imperial Conference, the secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (Dr E. Marsden), investigated the work being done in San Francisco and elsewhere with regard to the design of earthquake resisting buildings. He §aw a test floor 'which could be made to vibrate artificially in accordance with the known earthquake vibrations. The behaviour or model buildings on this floor recorded by means of a kinema. These experiments stated Dr Marsden, are of the greatest importance to New Zealand, where tne question of earthquake resisting construction needs to be studied more than ever. We are selling Penfold’s port wine at 4s per bottle, house whisky 11s, pints ps; cash with order Prince of Wales Hotel. C. Hinchcliff, proprietor... A striking feature of the very high tides during the past few days has been the extreme coldness of the water (says the Auckland Star). This is the time of the year when the water is, as a rule, seldom cold, and children usually like to paddle in it for hours at a time. It has been noticed lately that the children have shrunk from going very far out. Many delicate people who are staying, on the North Shore, especially to get sea bath•ing, have felt the coldnssa. They say this did not decrease after the first plunge, and afterwards they complained of a feeling of chilliness, evidence of which was provided by the blueness of’ their skin. One veteran bather said that the water at high tide felt something like the sea water at Lyall Bay, Wellington, which was the coldest sea water in summer that he knew. He felt sure that the earthquake had been the cause of a great ebbing and flowing of the tide from southern waters, and that we were feeling the effects of _it here. He thought the cold water of the last few high tides must have come from the south. Up *at Pukekoma, Some are fond of jam; Since Joe and Daisy were married, f They’ve eaten nothing but Hitchon s ham...