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Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18590, 28 December 1934, Page 4

'Christmas is one of the most popular periods of the year for weddings, and since December 20 a total of 35 has been solemnised in Auckland. The bright scene on the Auckland waterfront, on Wednesday night during the Harbor Board’s fireworks display, was enhanced by the illuminations on ihe tourist liner Oronsay, which was outlined with thousands of electric lights. The vessel presented a beau•iiul sight and was visible from many parts of the city and suburbs. Both funnels and the foremast were outlined, and lights were strung from the stem to the foremast head and to the mainmast head and down to the stern.

“The normal seasonal increase in industrial activity is reflected in statistics, illustrating the state of business m November,” reports the Government Statistician. “The number of men a charge on the unemployment fund on November 27 was 56,439, a decrease ot 2888 since the previous month. A marked improvement in the employment situation has been evident even during the slack months of the current year, the winter increase in unemployment being considerably less than in 1933. In fact, the peak’ level during the. current year was recorded in January, usually one of the lowest months in the year; ’while the November total was 22 per cent, lower than that recorded at the same time last year.” During the past few days, a number of business promises in Gisborne have suffered small but annoying losses through the activities of larrikins, whose interest in. the holiday decorations has been purely destructive. One well-known drapery and mercery establishment has lost 70 flags from its premises, and an adjoining firm suffered similarly, though to a lesser degree. Various other shops also have lost flags and bunting used for exterior decorations in connection with the Duke of Gloucester’s visit, to Gisborne, and left in situ over the holidays. Evidently more than one person has been involved in the larrikin ism, as the flags and bunting stolen were hung well out of reach of the average person, and it is presumed that roystering youths have mounted each other’s shoulders to tear down the decorations. Shopkeepers who expended money to make their premises especially attractive for the holiday season are not likely to draw much ‘satisfaction from this form of in- , (crest in their efforts.

Work on the Invercargill airport construction will be carried out under a co-operative contract system. Mrs. Frances Sheen, a Temuka resident, when travelling by motor to Dunedin on Christmas Day with her husband, received a broken leg when the car collided with another car at Evansdale Bridge. Tormented by heat, insects and the pain of a broken leg and a dislocated shoulder, a young man, Mr. Ronald Wahl, was forced to lie out in the open for 12 hours after being thrown against a tree from a runaway horse. The young man, who was employed on Messrs. Stratford Bros.’ property at Flemington, Waipukurau, left for a ride. When lie had gone some distance the horse bolted and made straight for a tree, beyond which was a sheer drop. The rider jumped off, but as he did so the horse swerved and threw him against the tree with great force.

The crater lake on Mount Ruapehu has shown its greatest activity for some considerable time during the last few days. A visitor to the Chateau, Mr. O. Wilson, of Bulls, climbed the mountain on Thursday and found the lake in a very disturbed condition. A dense column of steam was rising to a height estimated at 1000 ft. above the surface of the lake. The water Was evidently at a very high temperature and was boiling violently in places, presenting a remarkable contrast to the surrounding ice cliffs. There were no signs, however, of the water having risen above the ice cliffs on to the surrounding snow.

Bent on speing as much of Europe as possible in the space of three weeks, Mr. C. C. Davis, who returned to Christchurch last week, travelled 3000 miles by car in the three weeks at., his disposal. He crossed 10 from tiers and was obliged to change his currency 10 times. On 10 occasions he arrived at. the customs barrier and all that, he was required to do was to sign a paper. On no occasion was he asked to open his suit cases. Mr. Davis spoke highly of the roads on; the Continent, which he says are broad and well paved. He added that foreign travel was an unalloyed pleasure,. thanks to the assistance of tho English Automobile Association. An interesting test in color vision was recently carried out at the Southland Boys’ High School. The test, which consisted of the Ishihara standard set, of color cards, was given to 200 boys, and of this number n-o fewer than 12 (6 per cent, of the ‘total) were found to be defective in color vision in a greater or less degree; of these 12, three were found to be completely red Wind, and three completely green blind. It is generally claimed that 5 per cent, of males (and only 0.5 per cent, of females) suffer from color blindness in some form, so that the above figures agree closely with the average usually found. Color vision testing is now recognised as an essentia] aid in vocational guidance.

Over 4000 pieces of New Zealand woods are used in the inlaid casket which will contain the address of welcome to be presented to the Duke of Gloucester by the Mayor, Mr G. W. Hutchison, on behalf of tho citizens of Auckland. The address itself is contained in covers of even more intricately inlaid wood, in which over 3000 separate pieces are employed, while the lettering of the address, much or which is in 'burnished gold, recalls the patient work of the medieval illuminators. It will be a gift worthy of the Royal recipient. Probably no address has ever left tho city with a greater number of different, kinds of our naturally beautiful woods. About 40 varieties of timber have been included. Maori motifs have been used throughout by the designer, Mr .T. Park, of Onehunga, and harmony of design has been the main object.

Visiting Gisborne yesterday in connection with an effort to arrange for the appearance of the Grenadier Guards Band here, Mr R. 11. Woodcock, representing Messrs. J. and N. Tait, the well known theatrical combination, received gratifying evidence of the interest aroused by the prospect of a visit from the famous band. He inspected the Childers road reserve, and pronounced it satisfactory for the purposes of outdoor concert work and for a demonstration of marching by the band, and intimated that if the facilities in Opotilri and Whakatane are suitable, and band will visit Gisborne and one or both of the Bay of Plenty centres. Mr Woodcock also found local bodies in the district willing to give every facility for tho appearance of the Grenadier Guards Band in Gisborne, with a view to minimising the cost of bringing the band here.