NEWS IN BRIEF

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21362, 16 June 1931, Page 14

NEWS IN BRIEF

“If there had been two drivers like myself there would not have been a collision,” was the rather modest statement of a defendant during a traffic case in the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court last week (reports the Sun). The defendant, however, failed to give way to a car approaching from the right, and was fined £2 and costs.

“I am sorry to state that New Zealand butter is not as well known in the British Isles as it should be,” said Mr H. Henry, an Irish visitor to Christchurch, during an interview with a Press reporter. “In every household one hears reference to fresh or Danish butter. It is a pity that your butter is not as widely known or used as Canterbury lamb.” Because 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... “ When she did not take any notice of my signal I called out to her to stop, but she only smiled at me,” said a traffic officer in the Auckland Magistrate’s Court the. other day, in giving evidence against a woman motorist, who was charged with failing to obey a traffic signal (says the Herald). The defendant was fined 10s and costs.

Mounted on a rostrum decorated yritb a brightly-coloured poster advertising the Eastbourne ferry service on Friday, an auctioneer vainly attempted to find a new owner for the ferry steamer Duchess, which ran during the summer in the Kawau service (says an exchange). The best bid was £2050, considerably below the reserve, and no sale was made.

T. Ross.—Stock of new season’s gloves, hosiery, corsets, ladies’ and children’s vests, cardigans, and' umbrellas for next two weeks will be sold at 20 per cent, reduction on present low prices, or onefifth off all purchases of 2s fid or over.— T. Ross, 130 Princes street... The total freight hauled through the Otira tunnel last week will show a substantial increase in the figures for the previous few weeks due to the hold-up of shipping in Greymouth owing to bad conditions on the bar. The tonnage figures amounted to 10,118, the bulk of which is represented by coal.

“I have heard more complaints about cold weather in New Zealand than ever I have heard in Canada,” said Mr J. M. Thompson, a Canadian business man, when addressing members of the Auckland Creditmen’s Club last week (states a northern paper). In spite of the rigorous climate in Canada he had not suffered a cold for 30 years. Then he came to New Zealand and fell a victim. At a recent valuation of the animals in the London Zoo, the tortoises were valued at £IOO a cwt, and snakes at about £3 a foot. The value of the whole collection is placed at £35,000.

Among recent thermal changes at Rotorua is a marked subsidence in the Lobster Bath (says an exchange). This fine pool, situated in Kuirau Reserve, has been very popular as a free bathing place, but the water has now fallen four or five feet and little of the old attraction remains. There are many speculations whether the level of the water will be restored, but no rules can be laid down for the actions of geysers and hot pools. Annual Winter Sale in full swing. Bigger selections and bigger values 'than ever. See windows. Call and looi round; no one asked to buy.—The Mosgiel Warehouse. A. F. Cheyue and Co.. . At a meeting of the Westland Competitions Society the balance sheet of the recent festival showed a deficit of £32 (says an exchange), and with current expenses for the year the credit balance has decreased from £l5O to £lO7. v ■

“I cannot understand this drawing at all,” said a woman witness in the Auckland Magistrate’s Court the other afternoon, when shown a plan illustrating the scene of a collision between two motor cars (says the Herald). “Women can understand the most’complicated schemes of dressmaking, but they can seldom understand plans,” remarked the magistrate, Mr F. K.-Hunt.

All British! The coffees and chicory used in th,e * Bourbon ” brand are all Empire products. Blended by A. Durio and Co., coffee specialists, 32 Octagon, Dunedin. “Bourbon” for breakfast... The Greymouth port waterside workers intend accepting the 10 per cent, cut in good part (says the Press). One of their number states that the reduction., would not be greatly felt if the men were able to work full time. As it was, for the past three months the average per man nad been about 22s.per week. There -were 180 men working on the wharves. The recent shallowing of the Greymouth bar was the chief cause of the present slackening in shipping. “The ugliest yet” was the, description placed on the new number plateil by Mr H. Butcher at a meeting of the" council of the Auckland Automobile Association the other evening (says the Star). “The new plates," he said, “spoil the appearance of any car." The association decided to forward a remit to the annual meeting of the North Island Motor Union suggesting that the authorities be approached with a view to having the number plates painted a more pleasing colour in future. We are selling Penfold’s port wine at 4s per bottle, house whisky 11s, pints 6s; cash with order. Prince of Wales Hotel. C. Hinchnliff, proprietor... An officer on an overseas vessel now at Lyttelton, who has occasion to visit the High Commissioner’s office, stated that Sir Thomas Wilford was the most popular High Commissioner New Zealand had ever had (reports the. Christchurch Times). This applied both to those he met socially and those he met in business. “Anyone can secure an interview with him,” said the officer, “ Unlike Others who have held the position he is most approachable. “There are many hotels in Auckland which have not , ohiy good buildings, but also excellent appointments; they are really a credit to the city,” said Mr E. ’ C. Cutten, S. M., chairman of the Auckland Licensing Committee, at the annual meeting. of the committee (says the Herald). “On the o'ther hand,” continued the magistrate, “ there is still a number or old wooden buldings remaining, and this committee is of the opinion that in a city such as Auckland they should not exist. In several of these cases we expect to hear of proposals for rebuilding during the coming licensing year.” Men are wearing leather coats with all round telts this winter. The “ Ascot ” Outfitters, corner Princes-Rattray streets are showing the best value at £5 15s, and will post any size anywhere for cash... - With respect to the decision of the South Canterbury Acclimatisation Society regarding the lifting of the embargo on fishing worm bait in the Opihi River, Mr C. H. Coxhead informed a representative of the Timaru Herald that he was opposed to worm, and creeper bait, and the intention of his motion with regard to lifting the embargo was that if it was to he lifted at all it should be above the Pleasant Point bridge. On no account would he favour either forms of bait below the bridge. , ' A degree of efficiency in the distribution of wates rarely obtained was shown in the returns furnished by the-town clerk to the last meeting of the One Tree Hill Borough Council (says the Auckland Star). The town clerk reported that for the six months ended May 31, 60,309,680 gallons were pumped, of which 10,869,680 gallons were unaccounted for. The percentage of water not accounted for n4d been reduced from 36.8 per cent, in 1928 to 20.4 per cent, for the six months ended November last, but had increased again to. 21.6 per cent., aid endeavour* were being made to locatei leakages. Engineers considered that a 25 per cent, loss was good.- : '' * All prices at Gray’s Big Store have been brought into line with to-dayV reduced values. 'An inspection will repay, yon when you visit Milton... • “ ' The blacK ball which, for Jong years, has played its'part at the Durie Hill Signal station, still continues to fulfil its duty between 12 noon and 1 o’clock, rising to proclaim the lunch hour* (says the Wanganui Chronicle). Small boys thought they would play a joke on the signalman recently and they filled the leather up with stones. For several days the hoisting took a great deal more energy and the signalman was at a loss to discover the cause. Pulleys were oiled and ropes looked at carefully, but there was no improvement until the weight inside the ball was discovered. At the last meeting of the Wanganui Harbour Board a move was made to dispense with this signal • station, but a majority vote, made probably out of sentiment, decided that the old order should remain.

Shop at Barton’s.—Cooked ham, sliced, Is 8d; whole cooked hams. Is 6d; halfhams, cooked, Is 7d; smoked bams, Is Id; bacon, large rolls, BJd per lb; bacon, light rolls, 9|d; bacon, half-rolls, lOd; rashers, 0d to 15... A fine cheetah skin, to be worn by the drummer of the Ponsonby Boys’ Brass Band, was placed on view at the annual meeting of the band the other evening (says the Auckland Star). The treasurer, Mr J. Whitfield, stated that' the cheetah had been shot in East Africa' by Mr Sergeant, of South Africa, who, while on a visit to Auckland last year,, had given the skin to the late Mayor, Mr G. Baildon, for presentation to the best boys’ band in the district. The cheetah skin was considered by outhoritiee l at the Zoological Park to be a very fine specimen, and equal in value to a good tiger skin, which often cost as much as £3OO. . Men’s working shirts, sizes 14J to 17, striped “ Tiger Twist ” or plain grey “Oliver Twist,” 7s lid; Khaki Veldt, 8s 6d. Posted anywhere for cash. — Kilroy and Sutherland, Ltd., 192 Princes street, Dunedin... , \

In the Wanganui Herald reference wag made recently to hedgehogs killing chickens and eating eggs. A Wanganui resident, who formerly farmed in the South Island; has a friendly word for the little prickly nocturnal wanderers. He states that on his place there were scores of hedgehogs. He kept poultry in the farmyard and the hene used to lay in hedges, etc., and new had he known an egg to be eaten or a chicken to be killed by. a hedgehog. However, he added, they would lap up milk put out for the cats, or pick the meat off bones tossed out. He had seen a hedgehog and a cat together drinking milk out of the same saucer.

Grandism‘(l3s6): When you pay 12s or more for a bottle of whisky you are paying for quality—why not have it? Grand house, 12s bottle, in a class by itself... A correspondent of the Wanganui Herald writes: It is a well-known fact that in the days of our grandfathers it was a regular thing to take quantities of wheat to the mills to have it gristed. The cost of gristing was 9d per bushel. The farmer, for instance, taking 48 bushels of wheat to the mill received a, ton of flour, 8001 b of pollard and bran on the payment of £1 Ifis. The gristing business in these days was considered Uf be one of the most payable propositions of the flour-miller. The annual, turnover in this department determined the value for sale, as the takings over the bar would in a hotel. Even with the old obsolete machinery, 48 bushels of wheat, 601 b to the bushel, made a ton of flour. Now, with modern conditions, the position is altogether different, and flour to-day is in the region of £l7 5s per ton, leaving £5 5s per ton for the cost of manufacture. Says Annie to John every morning We really economise must; Says John to Annie, “ Aye truly. But you won’t cut out Hitchon’s I trust.”..