NEWS IN BRIEF

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23016, 20 October 1936, Page 16

NEWS IN BRIEF

A Wanganui girl recently applied for a position to do light household duties. The hours were attractive, 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. She inquired regarding the remuneration and was informed that it would be 2s 6d per week and she would be expected to bring her own lunch. For the dark mornings we have alarm clocks from 8s 6d.—Peter Dick, jewellers and opticians, 488 Moray place, Dunedin, C. 1... The question of the weekly pay day in factories was the subject of brief comment at a recent meeting of the Auckland Manufacturers’ Association. A letter was received from the secretary of the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation, stating that the' Petone Borough Council was suggesting that manufacturers should consider adopting Tuesday in place of Friday as pay day. “My impression,” the letter stated, "is that there is a feeling among manufacturers that it would be better for various factories to adopt different days, thus avoiding both rush banking and rush shopping caused by concentrating pay day for factories on any one day of the week.” The president of the association, Mr J. A. C. Allum, thought it was something for the various firms to decide. “It is really a matter for individual trades, to incorporate in their awards,” he added. Grahdism (3014): A safe, natural way to instant sleep. Sedna Tonic Wine rebuilds and gives renewed energy. Bottle Bs. half 4s 6d...

“I didn’t know until the next day: that he had left one of his portmanteaux behind,, so I rang him up to tell him I would send it along.” The speaker was referring to the remissness of a passenger who left Wellington on the last trip of the Awatea for Sydney. It sounded almost fantastic to hear, quite casually a man ringing up a friend on a vessel then probably 400 miles out at sea; yet most people are now aware that the Awatea is within telephone range of every place in New Zealand.

An octopus about six feet across was encountered last week by the Rev. H. Heaslip, of Hikurangi, when he was trying to recover a shell from a rocky pool at Ocean Beach, Whangarei Heads. He saw the tentacles of the octopus reaching out toward him, and immediately scrambled back to the edge of the pool. The octopus persisted in its endeavour to reach Mr Heaslip. and extended two of its tentacles some dis-. tance out of the water, which was about four feet deep. Mr Heaslip struck the octopus with a piece of wood, but. although stunned by the blow, it still tried for a time to reach him. He had no Implement with wnich to capture it. It, is unusual to find such a large octopus so close inshore, where it could be a menace to small children bathing. Best quality regulation dust drums, obtainable at Dickinson’s, Ltd., tinsmiths and sheet metal workers. 245 Princes street. Dunedin...

Covered with barnacles, a sealed bottle dropped from the motor ship Havel in Australian waters on July 10. 1935, was found exactly 13 months later on the west coast'lo miles south of Kaipara Heads, by a Public Works Department employee. The bottle contained a well-preserved message from an Austrian, Mr Hubert Irxmayer. of Wolkersdorf, near Vienna, and Mr- Paul Kleinertz, of Elberfeld, Germany. In addition to passages written in German, the vpencilled note covering both sides of the paper stated: “Good luck to everybody. Bye-bye Australia, byebye my old friends. I’m coming back. Your Paul. Whoever finds this letter, please write back.” Acknowledgment of the find has Been forwarded by the finder, who is now awaiting a reply to. learn where the bottle was. thrown into the sea. • ■ •.'r r ' . ■

Special showing of curtains, cretonnes, shadows, hearth rugs, squares, and linos, this .week. See special window and interior display. All new goods. Prices right. Buy - now;-—' The Mosgiel Drapery Warehouse, A. F. Cheyne and C 0... A well-known Auckland firm of indent agents have forwarded a copy of a letter sent by the New York head office of a rubber company to one of its branches. The branch had sent a letter to the Auckland firm, and had addressed it to “Auckland, C.L.,” which the head office pointed out should be “Auckland, C. 1.” The manager sent the letter to -Auckland with an amusing note concerning the mistake of ope.of the clerks, who had also become ' mystified in connection with the postal district number. He asked one of his fellows what “ C. 1.” meant, and the other, evidently surprised at his ignorance, replied that it stood fo? the place where Auckland was, in the Cannibal Islands, .- i > ; Ex Fordsdale and Rangitata. our new season's Blue Mountain Jamaica. Only from A. Durie and Co. coffee specialists. 32 Oetaeon. Dunedin. If a word of advice can be appreciated by local fire brigadesmen (states the Marlborough Express) then it is to warn them against making the same mistake as 'was made by a member of the Kaikoura Fire Brigade recently. Awakened by the firebell in the middle of the night this keen fireman leaped from his bed, and, throwing off his pajamas, put on ms coat and helmet, and was making for the door when his wife asked him if he was not going to wear his trousers. Had he not been given this gentle reminder, it is doubtful how he would have fared after he had arrived at the fire. He opened a bottle of Whisky and threw the cork in the fire! He was a man after my own heart! It was a bottle of Wm. Crossan’s best and straight from the Waterloo..,. There were a few of those present at the John Clifford centenary, which was celebrated at the Auckland Baptist Tabernacle the other night, who remembered when the distinguished preacher was oh a visit to the Dominion some years ago. When he left Auckland to go south most of his luggage was on board the second Tongariro, which was wrecked on the East Coast, and became a total loss. Amongst his most treasured possessions was a gold presentation watch, which was stowed carefully away in a locked drawer in one of his cabin trunks, and this went down and was never recovered from the wreckage. He lamented the loss of his watch, and he said that he did not care if all the rest of his luggage was never salvaged, but he did want to try to retain his watch. His wish, however, was never gratified, and on his return Home his many friends made him the presentation of another gold watch, a replica of the lost one. Spring cleaning time is well provided for at .Gray’s Big Store, and Milton housewives will do well to , inspect their stocks of curtain nets, rugs, linoleums, broofiis, brushes, paints, etc., while this special work is in progress... By the election of 10 new members the other evening the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce was able to achieve the distinction of surpassing in membership the Auckland Chamber, in spite of the greater size of Auckland city. The chairman of the Membership Committee (Mr R. W. Midgley) announced that with the new members, the total membership was brought to 537, two more than the Auckland total of 535. This achieve- ’ ment was the realisation of endeavours that had been made for some time. Visitors to the West Coast beach of Piha have been a little puzzled at the sight of two flags, British and French, flying over the caretaker’s shed by the parking ground. An Auckland reporter found that the caretaker was a native of Brittany, France, and had been in New Zealand since the war. The caretaker explained that the French flag was not flown on account of any special occasion, but that it was his practice to have both emblems hoisted. Two skulls on the roof of the shed also attracted attention, and there was considerable speculation as to whether they were those of cattle. The caretaker said these were the bones of porpoises which he had found washed up on the beach.

When you’ve walked for many a mile And your feet are tired and achin’. Your face will light with a gladsom* smile When you think of Hitchon’s Bacon...