NEWS IN BRIEF

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23717, 26 January 1939, Page 20

NEWS IN BRIEF

The band shells at the Centennial Exhibition, Wellington, will be finished by the beginning of next month, when an official test of their acoustic properties and those of the parade between them will be made, probably on the first Saturday in February. This will be the last occasion on which the grounds will be open to the general public before the official opening. Thereafter the gates will be closed, except for those on business. Grandism (3710): Never race a tram to the crossing—if it’s a tie, you lose. You're a sure winner when you shop at the Grand Home Supply Store... “ Every swimmer is one more citizen with a life insurance policy free of charge and with a partial cover on other people.” said Mr P. A. Mathioson, one of the professional coaches for the Dominion “Learn to Swim” campaign next month, when addressing voluntary instructors in Christchurch last week. The beaches in Wellington and m the South Island are no credit to New Zealand, according .to Mr A. Glance, of Perth, Western Australia, who said in an interview in Invercargill that there was not enough provision for the entertainment of the public. There were very few buildings such as bathing pavilions and tea rooms on the beaches. Referring to Oreti Beach Mr Glance said that the sand was black and hard compared with Western Australian beaches. Quality Coffee! The world’s best— Blue Mountain Jamaica freshly roasted and ground daily, is only obtainable from A. Durie and Co., coffee specialists. 32 Octagon. Dunedin.., After being in hospital for six years, as the after-effects of. an injury sufr fered while playing football when a boy, Mr Norman Battler, well known to hundreds of former patients, and originator of the New Plymouth Hospital Ex-patients’ Association, has been discharged. The term is the longest in the history of the institution. Motorists using the suspension bridge at Puketapu (Hawke’s Bay) during the gale last week had an unenviable experience. Catching the full force of the wind, the structure rocked violently from end to end. The corkscrew rolling action made the bridge most difficult to negotiate, and rather than go across many motorists made the 11-mile detour through Omarunui and Springfield. Some motorists 1 who did venture across had their cars thrown against the side by the swaying of the bridge, the decking at times being at an angle of 20 degrees, which added to the difficulty of the driving. Have you seen pur “ three-in-one * bins for sugar, flout, and broad? Painted to suit the colour scheme of your kitchen or pantry. Moderately priced.—Dickinson's, Ltd., 441 Princes street. Dunedin... Waipukurau experienced the hottest day this summer last week, when the temperature reached 90.4 degrees. Welcome light rain began to fall at 9 p.m. As a result of the burning wind the country is rapidly drying up. Many hay crops were blown away by the high wind. First-hand experience of the devastating effect of sand thrown into moving machinery has been gained by an Auckland youth, who recently rode his bicycle, ’ a new machine, through the fine sand of one of the West Coast beaches. On attempting to clean his machine he found that the sand had penetrated into every bearing and working part. There was nothing for it but completely to overhaul the cycle, washing out the sand with benzine and fine oil. Even then the work of the grinding sand on wheel hub and pedal bearing was only too apparent in deeply-scored running surfaces. Milton men have the opportunity of purchasing Shoes at greatly reduced prices. They should call at Gray’s Big Store for these bargains in black or tan shoes...

One of the most glorious black eyes ever to enter thf Port of Auckland adorned the face of one of the bellboys on a Visiting vessel which arrived in Auckland recently. It. was no common “two a penny" eye. It had all those delicious shades of purples, blacks and greys that are the hallmark of the “ best ” black eyes. The youthfull possessor of the “ beauty,” far from being proud of his adornment, was modest to the point of self-efface-ment. When asked how the other fellow had got oh he muttered something about a little affair that might happen in the near future, as a result of which he would share his distinction with somebody else. But to the seamen on the ship the bellboy’s possession was a source of nautical humour. As each one passed he would spring to attention, salute and utter the mystic words, “Aye! Aye! Sir.” And the bellboy bowed modestly and blushed. There is no fuss about the hospitality tendered at Crossan’s "Waterloo.” The best of drinks are always obtainable there, and many appreciate this fact... Experienced travellers on the New Plymouth-Auckland highway may be surprised to hear that one bridge crossed is five miles in length, but that is so according to the Automobile Association figures. At the Mokau River bridge, the distance to Auckland is stated at the Taranaki side as 185 miles, but where one enters the Auckland province at the other side of the river, the signpost indicates that that distance has been* shortened by five miles, “Auckland, 181 miles ” being the inscription. , The lift-tower of the hew Government building in Jean Batten place, Auckland, the steel framework of which is now nearly complete, promises to be nearly as conspicuous a landmark as the round tower which until a few years ago decorated the Victoria Arcade next door. The older structure, which crowned the shaft of one of Auckland’s earliest passenger.: lifts, was erected in the ’eighties. It was demolished in the course of a scheme for modernising the building and providing more shop space on the ground floor. Rising higher than, any part of the arcade, the tower on the new building will be prominent, although it is set well back from the street line. 1939 Bargains Bigger and Better. It’s frock week. See special window displays. Ladies’ frocks from 3s lid up. Every frock reduced. Call early, while the selection is good.—Mosgiel’s Drapers. A. F. Cheyne and C 0... “The Elizabethan did not get out of bed and turn on his wireless every morning and listen to a heterogeneous collection of music—he showed some and learnt more discrimination in music,” said Mr H. C. Luscombe, 8.A.„ Mus. Bach., when addressing the summer school at Napier on “ What Music: can Mean to the Man in the Street.” “The man in the street who comes along and says that he does not know anything about music is quite prepared to enlighten his mind on the relativity theory or a cricket match, but he is not interested in music,” Mr Luscombe said. “He does not want to know anything about it. In such a way we gel; a public who cannot discriminate at all. between what is good and what,, is bad in music.” An Australian woman visitor to New Zealand was discussing articles of food with a friend the other day and was loud in her praise of New Zealand potatoes, which she declared were far superior to Australian-grown. The latter she described as, generally speaking. not fit for human consumption. “ Look out, look out! ” The cry startled passers-by in Fort street, Auckland, the other day. Looking up, they saw a wooden plank hurtling: through the air near the post office building in the course of erection on. the old site between Fort and Shortland streets. The plank had been resting on the top of the tall iron framework of the building, and had been caught up by the tempestuous wind blowing at the time. It fell on the roadway without hurting anyone, but a van driver who happened to be standing nearby got a nasty scare. Hitchon’s bacon is supreme; It’s fit for either King; or Queen. Buy a pound and nicely fry, You’ll soon be back a roll to buy...