NEWS IN BRIEF

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23045, 23 November 1936, Page 16

NEWS IN BRIEF

Members of the Society for Imperial Culture, Christchurch, met recently '-.d say farewell to Professor J. Shelley, president of the society since its inception, who is leaving Christchurcn to take up the position of Director of Broadcasting. Tributes were paid to the original thought and adventurous spirit of Professor Shelley and also to his whole-hearted enthusiasm in many causes for the cultural welfare of the community. A woman who caught her shoe In the head of a workman's pick in Dee street, Invercargill, wrote to the City Council asking for £1 2s 6d, the value of the shoe. The letter was considered by the council, and it was decided that, while the council did not accept liability, an ex gratia payment of the amount claimed should be made to her.

Visits of old friends from afar doing their buying in the ladies' showroom at Gray's Big Store is the best indication that style, quality, and prices are correct...

A kangaroo, an emu, a greyhound, and two Scottish terriers were on board the Union Company's new momr ship Kauri when she arrived in Auckland, from Glasgow, via Australia. The kangaroo and the emu were brought from Melbourne for the Auckland <Joo and the greyhound, which also came from Melbourne, will be landed at Napier. The two Scottish terriers belong to the second officer. Mr J. Crawford.

The figure of £1,800,000 given by Mr M. R. Plornibrook, of Brisbane, as the cost of building the Auckland harbour bridge and causeways is a definite price, and not a tentative or approximate figure. This explanation was made the other day by Mr Hornibrook. who added that if his company's proposal was accepted they were prepared to do the complete job at that price. He said they had taken out the actual quantities of steel, cement and other materials, and had worked out the costs on the rates of wages ruling in New Zealand to-day; based on the 40-hcur week.

Ashpans (black, brass, or copper fronts) made to fit your grate. Also, log box linings, etc., made to order Dickinson's, Ltd., sheet metal workers. 245 Princes street...

During his transtasman flight Mr L. E. Clark was not completely alone. In the breast pocket of his lounge suit he carried a mascot in the form of a small carving of a monkey presented to him by a young woman just befjrs he took off from the Richmond Aerodrome. Mr Clark also brought with him several letters that had been handed to him at various points on his way to New Zealand from England. Reference to the passenger who, without money, commissioned a taxi and then told the driver to "take it out on his hide," was 'made at the sitting of the Taxi Committee of Inquiry in Napier. "Often we get a call to an hotel to take a passenger possibly for five or six miles, and then the passenger refuses point blank to pay the fare," said witness. "We would' llltft some definite protection against this sort of thing, on more simple lines than the issuing of summonses. We look upon it as a form of stealing." Do not forget the assorted hamper of necessaries for Xmas and New Year cheer. State your requirements and vour order will be promptly attended to by W. Crossan, Waterloo, Caversham.. .

Strong criticism was made of the Tourist Department at a meeting of the Napier Chamber of Commerce, when the department's action in omitting Napier from the publicity booklets was described as "scandalous and wicked apathy." "When I was in Wellington I was struck by the apathy of the Tourist Department about publicity for Hawke's Bay and Poverty Bay," said the chairman, Mr L. C. Rolls. "Delegates to the Empire Congress were handed a slip of paper, but nothing to indicate to them that Hawke's Bay was the main beef-producing province of the North Island or that Napier had been stricken by earthquake." The second International Congress of Forestry was opened in Budapest recently bv Admiral Horthy, the Regent of Hungary. Thirty-five countries were represented, at the conference by 300 delegates. The head of the British delegates, Sir Arthur Robinson, was elected vice-president. Grandism (3043): Perhaps you are wondering what to give . dad and mother this Christmas. Ask for the Grand Hotel Price List... There is evidence of an increase of native pigeons in the Whangarei district this spring. For several years there has been apprehension lest this valuable native bird should become extinct in the Whangarei district, but this year it is definitely on the increase. At Waikaraha and Parua Bay, on the Whangarei harbour, pigeons are very plentiful. The unemployment situation in Australia seemed better than in New Zealand, said Mr D. F. Smillie, who returned to Palmerston North from a short trip to the Commonwealth. The people seemed to be quite happy, and he had found them as hospitable as ever. Just outside Hobart he had seen what were known as the "dole plots." a piece of land which had been given practically free and on which unemployed had built homes and were cultivating the ground. Strength, flavour, aroma! All are found in the favourite "Bourbon"* brand of coffee and chicory. "Bourbon" is produced by specialists. Instructions in every tin... A warning against the dangers of using canoes thoughtlessly at the beaches near Christchurch was uttered by Mr A. I. Cottrell, the retiring president, at the annual meeting of the Canterbury Surf Life-Saving Association. "A canoe in the breakers is good fun." Mr Cottrell said, "but it is not safe to venture beyond them. It is so easy to lose a paddle or to capsize, and it is not fair to members of the life-saving clubs to take risks aquarter of a mile from the shore.' Mr T. S. Dacre clinched a discussion on overhead power lines and poles with an anecdote, at the last meeting of the Christchurch Beautifying Association. Several years ago he had shown an English visitor round Christchurch. Before he left, the visitor had said: "And you call this city Christchurch? " Mr Dacre had agreed. " What you ought to call it," said the visitor, '"is Warsaw." "Why?" asked Mr Dacre. "Because it is the 'City of the Poles!'"

Turnbull's Sample Room, Middlemarch.—Mon. 23rd, Tues. 24th, Wed. 25th: Special showing of Xmas and summer goods from the Mosgiel Warehouse. Your inspection invited; 3 days only. Call early—A. F. Cheyne and C 0...

What was apparently a first acquaintance with the " lake flies " which swarm over visitors to the shores of Lake Ellesmere was made by the Minister of Public Works (Mr R. Semple) recently when he visited the site of the proposed outlet for Lake Forsyth. " They look like wasps," said the Minister,' and investigated by poking his stick at a swarm of the insects on a cliff face. But he forsook both Ministerial dignitv and language when the whole swarm flew into his face. Actually the lake fly is harmless enough, except for a habit of blundering into the mouths and ears of those who meet Extensive preparatory work is going on for a great national census of the whole of the Soviet Union. The enormous scale of this census, arranged for January 6 next year, is shown by the fact that for it will be required 1,200.000 enumerators and 120,000 "instructors," over 1000 tons of paper for the printing of 55,000,000 census forms in 30 languages, and 210,000,000 cards for recording results. Calculating machine factories are already producing special machines for summarising the results. Census bureaux have been established in all republics, regions and towns. The census has already begun in certain northern districts, which are practically cut off from the world during the winter. A ladv who is kind enough To entertain a neighbour Finds Hitchon's Ham the finest thing To give the meal a flavour...