NEWS IN BRIEF

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22823, 6 March 1936, Page 14

NEWS IN BRIEF

"The new year has seen a big improvement in the property market," an agent informed a representative of the Timaru Herald recently. Sales were more numerous, he said, while good houses for letting were practically unprocurable. Come and see our show to-night. We are open till 9 o'clock Friday nights.— Scoullar and Chisholm. Limited... "It is not always possible for a Minister to be in this district," commented the Minister of Agriculture and member for Raglan, speaking at Huntly the other day. " However, I hope that I shall always be at your service, and if your troubles are written to me you will be assured of attention. If it is impossible for me to visit the electorate, under the co-opting system, one of the other members will be available to investigate the matter." When Donald was helping himself, rather liberally to M'Pherson'g bottle of Whisky (bought at Wullie Crossan's) M'Pherson cried out: "Hold on, Donald, yer toasting a. New Year, not a Centenary.". .

A local appeared in the Hawke's Bay Herald recently about a lady in Auckland, aged 80 years, who wished to meet a life mate of her own age. Later in the morning an old man came into the office, and requested to be told the lady's address. '

The Napier Aero Club lias adopted a design for the club blazer, with an entirely red blazer and a silver monogram on the pocket. Red and silver are the colours of the club, and the monogram is the work of the club captain (Mr T. P. Husheer).

Grandism (2821): Dunedin'e favourite, Granvin, is replacing spirits. A special wine fortified with the best three-star brandy, and only 5s the bottle... The output of the Kaponga Co-opera-tive Dairy Company has been well maintained this year (says the Hawera Star), despite a very poor spring which considerably reduced the number of cheese manufactured in the earlier part of the • season. Present indications point to the season ending on a par with last year. "There is no need for, sustenance at all," commented the chairman of the Southland County Council (Cr T. Golden)* when discussing the revised rates of relief, under scheme No. 5, and sustenance at the fortnightly meeting. "There is always plenty of work available in Southland for able-bodied men," he added. Last 10 days of sale. Oddments at gift prices. See windows displays. Hats, frocks, coats, and summer underwear all greatly reduced. New winter goods opening.—The Mosgiel Drapery Warehouse. A. F. Cheyne and C 0... A sudden whim to move to an adjacent table saved three young women from possible injury when they were about to dine in an Auckland restaurant the other evening. They had just settled themselves whra a huge electric fan suspended from the roof crashed down on the table they had originally selected and scattered the contents In all directions. ' Since the recent cyclonic storm (says the Auckland Star) an old resident has been busy searching his diaries for entries concerning storms in the early days, and, he has. discovered that the worst storm which he recorded occurred on January 30, 1897—just two days short of 39. years before this year's storm. Entries m the diary show that market gardeners and orchardiste were heavy sufferers. Foliage was "blackened and blasted," having the appearance of a thorough dousing with boiling water. One entry shows that the keeper of the diary surmised that the blackening was due to salt spray, and entries in the note book might well describe the recent visitation. "Bourbon" for breakfast! This favourite coffee makes strong appeal to those who know the worth of a genuine beverage.— Duries, Specialists, 32 Octagon, DunFor some years sheepmen in the Mackzenie Country have been troubled with sheen losses through some members ot their flocks eating tutu while being driven. This year the Mackenzie County Council has sprayed the tutu with sodium chloride, and it is considered that droving is now very safe. The sodium chloride (says the Timaru Herald) has. readily disposed of the weed, and conditions Bhould be much improved for the Tekapo sale on Saturday, when outside buyers are expected to bring their .sheen downl from the sale without any risk of tutu poisoning". . , This year Wanganui has received a visit from an abnormally .large number of insects says the Chronicle).. They have made their homes chiefly in the trees along the sides of St. John's Hill. Whenever the sun is shining these pests create a considerable din not. unlike the sound of hissing steam escaping from a giant engine. The staccato noise of the Insects can be. heard for a considerable distance from St. John's Hill, and is sufficiently loud in volume to be heard abov« the din of road traffic. Whv borrow your neighbour s lawn mower? Yours is a better machine it Dickinson's sharpen [t-Mws. Limited, 245 Princes street, Dunedin... It was agreed at the annual mee'ting of the Early Settlers' and Historical Association of Wellington that daring the coming year the society's collection of pictures and mementoes of all kinds connected with early New Zealand be catalogued in readiness to be handed over to the Dominion Museum, to be placed tor safe keeping for all time in the annex set apart in the new building for that purpose. It was stated by the president of the association (Professor F. P. Wilson) that there were two .proper institutions in which to place such historical material and mementoes—the new Dominion Museum and the Turnbull Library. . In the true gold miner hope nsver dies. One of them, talking to a Westport News representative recently, stated he knew; a reef—in the Buller County—from which he could' extract enough gold to pay off the whole of New Zealand's .National Debt. But he was not yet ready for this. He had some other places in view from which he could get a fair quantity \ot "old, and he intended to work these first until he had acquired sufficient money to ensure that he himself had a substantial share in the reefing project when he took it in hand. Doing the preliminary work and opening out the reef would be fairly costly, but he had not the. slightest, shadow of doubt as to the ultimate issue—and lie again emphasised his belief that there would be gold enough in the reef to pay off our National Debt.

The notice of intending buyers is drawn to the 2s 6d, ss, and 10s bargain tables at Gray's Big Store, Milton. Inese include drapery, ladies' wear, hardware... The body of Kehar Singh, who was killed in a landslide at Okirae recently, was cremated according to Indian custom on the banks of the Wangaehu River in the presence of a small gathering of Indians. Maoris, and Europeans. A pyre seven feet high was constructed, and (says the Wairarapa Daily Times) the body, on a pier of green willow, was < placed on it. Foodstuffs were then distributed, and also the contents of a box of butter. More wood was piled on, and after a chaplain had read services the son of the deceased lit the pyre.

" I have the highest regard for the work of the Hospital Auxiliary," said Dr J. P. Hastings the other morning, when referring to recent criticism made by members of the auxiliary to a remark he made at a meeting of the Auckland Hospital Board, of which he is a member. "My view is that the work now being done by the auxiliary should be undertaken by an almoner appointed by the board, who should control a separate department. This 18 done in England. It was far from my mind to say anything in the spirit of carping criticism, but I certainly do think that a change to the almoner system could be made with advantage." At the party—jokes and laughter. And we wondered what came after. Paddy thought 'twould be fish or lamb— Lo and behold 'twas Hitchon's Ham...