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Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16377, 27 June 1927, Page 8

Insurance on all fire risks in New South Wales, with the exception of offices., and dwellings, will he increased by 10 per cent, as from July 1. In amplification of the statement that the Companies bad suffered heavy losses, an official from one, company who said that he quoted from the Government Statistician’s report, mentioned that for the six years from June 30, 1920, to June 30, 1.926, the total premium revenue for fire insurance received by the companies in New South Wales was £11,879,966, while the expenditure was £11,845,904, leaving a surplus of £34,000 — eqpal to only 6.28 per cent.

Mr Heybeyt Bertsehy-, silks manufacturer, has come all' the way from Switzerland to take a, busman’s holiday, reports the Auckland Star. Although he. is in New Zealand to explore the avenues of trade, it is 31 r Bertschy’s intention to see as much of our alpine scenery and general tourist attractions as possible. ITis home town is Darrenaeseh, near Zurich. Mr Bertsehy declares that the last, two tourist seasons have made the Swiss people most optimistic as to the future. Though badly hit economically during the war, he declares that his country is now making an excellent- recovery. With a standard of living considerably higher than their neighbors, the plight of Switzerland has not been altogether a luippy .one.

Some interesting samples of wheat have been received by -Mr. W. G. Gallagher, of Ashburton, from a West Australian funner who recently visited New Zealand. This wheal was grown on sand plain country, the purchase price of the land being bs an acre, spread over a term of 20 years. The average return was from 10 to 16 bushels an acre. 8 lie varieties of wheat are : Hard Federation, Bold Early, Rah otta Wonder, and Mabama. In order that their suitihilitv for the district may ho tested, the samples have been handed to Mr. McKay, of the Ashburton Experimental Farm, who lias consented to conduct- experiments. It- is interesting to state that in Australia the wheat is obtained by stripping, and that the straw is not handled.

It is reported that the property known as Mount Pleasant, situated north of the Oamaiu golf links, has been purchased by a syndicate, which intends cutting it up for residential sites. Following the recent student affray at the Christchurch Railway Station

the Canterbury College Board of Governors has informed the students that in future they will view such disturbances in a serious light. The police also intend taking action under the Police Offepces Act. Mr. W. Lock has received a letter from a lady in Saba, an island in the Dutch West Indies, asking if lie could purchase or find a market for homemade silk or linen fancy work (states the Nelson Mail). The lady states that as there are no factories .banks, or offices on the little island to employ females, their only employment is needlework. The males go to the United States for employment, and the females have to do this fancy work to help them *Vlong. <

For the first time in several years a fall of snow has occurred in Oamaru. In some places the snow was two or three inches deep, while in others it was nearly a foot. It is feared that on the outlying stations considerable losses of sheep will he reported.

“Berlin is a great city, well laid out, with a number of very fine buildings, many of which, however, show signs of neglect, presumably for want of money to effect- repairs,” Said Mr. T. H. Wilson, in an address to the Whangayei Chamber, of Commerce, On going through the ex-Kaiser’s palace, one was struck by the absence of all pictures of that person, and the guide was very unwilling to talk of him at all. The only monument referring to the late war was a life-size statue of a soldier throwing a bomb; but of previous wars there are monuments without er.d. Unemployed were not visible, and everybody seemed to be at work. It was a rare sight to see a motor car on the country roads between Berlin and .Holland.”