NEWS IN BRIEF.

Otago Witness, Issue 3773, 6 July 1926, Page 38

NEWS IN BRIEF.

A mako shark which weighed 3111 b was caught off Ninepin Rock, Bay of Islands, recently by sportsmen from Whangarel. Other mako were seen, which shows that these fish can be caught at any season. For the oft of a raincoat, Robert Bruce Olliver, alias M‘Kinley, aged 27 years, who was stated to have a bad record, was sentenced to three months, with hard labour, by justices of the peace at Blenheim. The second burglary within a week took place at Alan Wilson and Co.’s shop, Ashburton, where thieves broke a back window, taking 50s from a coat hanging in the shop, and also os trom the till, and a small quantity of cigarettes. Herbert John Lilly, a youth, was convicted and ulmitted to probation for three years on a charge o' attempting to kiss a girl who was a passenger by the Lyttelton train, and also with breaking a pane of glass A student at the- Otago Dental School, whose name was suppressed, charged on Friday at Christchurch that on May 26 he goi the sum of £5 at Invercargill bv false pretences. He was remanded to Invercargill on July 7, the police stating that other charges were pending. The award of the storemen and packers has been filed bv the Arbitration Court at Wellington. The wages are as follows: —Storemen and packers in charge of two or more men (other than casuals), £4 15s; other storemen and packers, £4 ss; juniors, from £1 5s at if years to £6 at 20 to 21 years. Arrangements are being made for a conference of South African veterans to be held' in Wellington about the end of August. Owing to the big increase in membership throughout the Dominion, it is anticipated that the gathering will exceed in point of numbers any previously held by this organisation. Under the heading, the South Otago Hospital Board’s expenditure, estimates for the current year the following items appear:—Balclutha hospital buildings. £2000; equipment, £2400; water (Balclutha hospital), £300; medical superintendent’s car, £455; medical superintendent’s residence. £2600. Clarence Amos Wood, who recaptured recently after escaping from Alakatote Prison Camp, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment with p-d labour by the magistrate (Mr C. K. Orr Walker), who said the sentence would be a warning to others. Accused at present is serving a two years’ sentence for ab.’uction. For affixing an advertisement r> a telegraph pole in Wellington Harold Thomas graph pole in the city, Harold Thomas was charged in the Magistrate’s Court and fined £l. Mr E. Page, S.M., said the practice was illegal and must' be stopped. Septimus G. Knight was fined £2 for evasion of stamp duty by dividing £~ 5a rent received into three separate amounts Cor receipting. “I must express admiration for the sportsmanship of the crowds in New Zealand,” stated Captain Cowan, of the Indian Army hockey team, when speaking at the Palmerston North Luncheon. Club (reports the Manawatu Times). “In New Zealand the crowd seems more pleased when the Army team scores a goal than when their own team does.” Sometimes it is difficult to press a # cloth or linen skirt in such a way as to keep the hem even, and not have the skirt appearing longer on one side than the other. An even line can be secured by pressing the skirt upwards. This prevents the material being stretched in the wrong direction ,and a/verts the ugly sagging too often seen. A youthful cyclist afforded somewhat of a thrill to people on the wharf at TanCanga, by taking a plunge into the harbour, icycle and all. There was a strong tide ruuning (says the Auckland Star), but the vouth was promptly rescued by Captain Wells, of the Northern Co.’s Tuhoe, who sprang into the water and held him up till further assistance was forthcoming. The bicycle was later recovered with a grapple. Mr John R. Burge, a retired railway servant, of Nelson, who died at Southampton while on a visit to England in May last, made the following bequests:—Nelson Public Hospital, £IOO for providing a bed in the children’s ward; St, Andrew’s Orphanage, Nelson, £100; Home Mission Fund, Nelson Diocese, £25; building fund, new cathedral, £25; and Dr Barnado’s Homes, London, £IOO. Arrangements have been made by the Railways Department to make a charge of one shilling for the reservation of seats on trains (says a northern exchange). Under the present system a passenger from a terminus can resefve a seat on payment of od, while those who wish to have a reserved seat from intermediate stations are required to pay Is 6d—od for a telegram and 9d as reservation fee. A daring and despicable theft took place on the Okoia road recently (says the Wa nganui Chronicle). One of the local farmers heard a early in the evening, and hastening out to investigate found two of his turkeys i..issing and a motor car disappearing in the distance. The settler, with ready resource! rang up his neighbour to .keep a watch aud take the miscreants' number, but thev had taken the recaution to cover ie number plate. It has becdtne more the rule than the exception for ratepayers to attach humorous —or sarcastic—footnotes to tlelr Power Board accounts when forwarding P m to the county clerk (Mr A. J. Service) (reports the Southland Times). The latest perpetration comes from a ratepayer In the Eastern District who states; "I hereby lend this money (£23 ids 3d) for live years at 5 per cent to the Southland Electric Power Board.*'

A party of Gore sportsmen who went on a deer-stalking expedition to the Blue Mountains had a trying experience. Owing to a heavy mist, which came down over the mountains, the party, with one exception, was unable to find its way (reports the Mataura Ensign), and was forced to spend the night in the open. The mist lifted the next morning, and the party found its way out little the worse for the experience. The new Napier Boys' High School, comprising a fine block of buildings erected at a cost of £BO,OOO, and embracing all the most modern features of school architecture and equipment, was officially opened on Saturday afternoon by the Minister of Education (the Hon. R. A. Wright) before a very large assemblage. Following the ceremony the public took the opportunity to inspect the buildings. Subsequently the Minister was entertained at dinner. Despite the lateness of the season shipments of ewes are still being made to Addington, and the Kahika lifted a full 'oad from Gisborne (says the Poverty Bay Herald). Recent shi-y----ments have not attracted much competition, and at last sale values were down by 4s a head. Many of the ewes that lteve recently been sent from Gisborne have been heavy in lamb and poor in condition, factors which militate against good prices being paid for them. The season 19 much more prolonged than usual, and it is understood that several further shipments have still to be made. The observation of meteorological conditions is a special study at the Mount Somers School (says the Ashburton Guardian), for which purpose the department has granted a number of instruments, including maximum and minimum thermometers, wet and dry bulbs, and a hydrograph sheet patented by the head master (Mr P. H. Jones), who is a keen student l of meteorological matters. Storms are frequently forecasted by these budding “weather prophets,” and the time may not be far distant when the school’s forecasts will gain a higher degree of reliability as further knowledge and observations have been gained. The two months during which the new regulations have been in operation have not been long enough to demonstrate the working of th? Customs preferential tariff, which does not apply to goods containing less than 50 per cent, of British value (remarks the Wellington Post). As was to be expected, previous to the alteration a quantity of goods was rushed into the country, and sin:* the regulations have come into force a drop in the non-British goods has been recorded, but the balance has yet to be struck. In the meantime a number of articles have been “queried” whilo cable advice is being sought about the percentage of British-created value. Tattooing, which for roanv centuries was much practised among the Maoris, is now practically a lost art. Older settlers and citizens will remember the magnificent tattoo patterns amongst the former men and women of high rank. Now it is doubtful if there are any old Maori men left with tattoo on their faces. Some of the old dames may still be seen with the well-known chin and lip markings. Up to a couple of years ago not of the vounger women had this adornment denoting wifehood. A year or so ago a tattoo expert from the Watrarapa district went to Taranaki, and quite a number of young married women had their faces duly inscribed. _ Residents of Sumner are taking steps to see if the Minister of Interial Affairs will sanction an art upion for the purpose of raising £25,400 to reclaim M'Cormick’s Bay, which is situated at the -*t- end of Redcliffs, and has an area of about 50 acres It is at present crossed bv the trams on a causeway. It is proposed that the whole of the bav within the causeway should be reclaimed for the purposes of sports grounds (reports the Lyttelton Times). Assuming that the permission of the Minister is given, it will be necessary for the promoters to obtain the sanction of the Sumner Borough Council and the Heathcote Countv Council, both these bodies having jurisdiction over the area concerned.