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Southland Times, Issue 19277, 23 June 1924, Page 4

The Fire Brigade was called out lastevening to deal with a chimney which had caught fire in a house in Jackson street.

“The woman has six children,” said the Hawera Hospital Board secretary when at a recent meeting some outstanding accounts were under consideration (reports the Star). “That’s enough,” said a member, “write it off. She’s done her share.”

“Most of the fires with which we have to deal are due to gross carelessness,” stated Mr Jerram, general manager of the State Fire Insurance Department, when dealing with the loss ratio at the opening of the department’s new building recently. “There are too many fires,” he said.

“Have you any houses to let?” said a weary-looking woman on a recent morning as he stepped into an Auckland land agent’s office. The reply (states the Star) was, “No, madam; we get five or six inquiries for houses every day, but only two were put in to let for the last eighteen months.”

Lately, portions of wreckage consisting of pieces of Baltic pine planking, which had apparently formed part of a ship’s hull, have come ashore (states the Hokitika correspondent of the Grey River Argus). Judging by their heavy coating of marine growth, they have been in the water a long time.

As evidence of the mildness of the winter in South Canterbury a resident of Totara Valley left at the Timaru Herald offices the other day a box of ripe raspberries, which he had picked that morning. There are also a few ripe raspberries in sheltered spots in gardens in Timaru, and in many cases the canes have not yet lost their leaves. Spring bulbs are also unusually forward.

Bad half-crowns are said to be in circulation in the Dominion, and at least one of them has reached Eltham. The Argus was shown one of them recently. It was a splendid imitation, and difficult to distinguish from the real thing. It would pass unsuspected through some hundreds of hands until someone took the trouble to “ring” it. When that is done the fraud is palpable.

A railway carriage window on the New Plymouth express, accidentlly broken by a lady while lifting her bag from a rack, was a source of amusement to the passengers (says the Manawatu Daily Times). Deftly drawing the blind the lady and the mishap escaped notice of the guards for a hundred miles. When discovered at Masterton the passengers were closely questioned, but no one could remember who did the damage until the lady pulled out her purse and asked “how much?”

A somewhat remarkable coin (or token) has been shown a member of the Hawera Star staff. It is about the sine of a shilling, but nearly double the thickness of a twoshiUing piece. On both sides appears the lettering “Thirty-six Shillings,” in capitals, but there is no date or other mark to indicate when it was issued. It was found in Mr A. Baldwin’s garden at Manutahi, .md had no doubt been buried for many years, years, as it is much discoloured, making it difficult to tell what metal it is made of. It was submitted to a test by a jeweller, wbo pravranced it brass.

An Auckland Press Association telegram states that a man named William Scaffe, aged 38, a resident of Devonport, died in the hospital on Saturday night. He was watching a Soccer match when he collapsed on the side , line. N. J. Gribbe, aged about 21, a well-known amateur hurdler, collided with another player while playing for King’s Old Boys in a Rugby game and sustained a double fracture of the leg.

There was a good attendance at the Bluff W.E.A. Literature Class on Saturday evennig when Mr T. R. Fleming, M.A., dealt exhaustively with Tennyson’s “In Memoritm.” Mr G. R. George occupied the chair, and the discussion was shared by Messrs D. D. Steadman, J. Aitken, J. Cameron, Revs. Roberts and McGregor, Captain Harbord and others. The usual vote of thanks included the lady members who provided supper. Mr Fleming said his visit to the Bluff class had been a pleasurable experience and he wished it every success.

To a Hawke's Bay Herald reporter Mr H. A. McLean demonstrated the other day the inflammable nature of gas which is issuing from his oil-bore at the Breakwater, Napier, The gas burns with an orangecoloured flame, and would prove excellent for illuminating purposes. Mr McLean stated that the gas is of a better quality than that previously discovered in the district. The depth of the bore is now 460 odd feet, and the prospectors are working on a stratum of hard sandstoue rock. A sample of the gas is to be analysed.

A movement is on foot to arrange for a meeting of those residents of South Canterbury who went to Timaru in the ship Peeress in 1874, the object in view being the holding of a reunion of those early immigrants. When the Peeress arrived off Timaru fifty years ago (says the Timaru Herald) the sea was too rough for her passengers to land, and after remaining at anchor for two days to see if the sea would abate, she went on to Lyttelton, and landed her Timaru passengers there.

“You say that a creditor was going to issue a speffdy summons against you,” said counsel at a creditor’s meeting (reports the Poverty Bay Herald). “Did he have reason to believe that you were going to leave the district?” “No,” replied the bankruph. “Well, bow could he issue a speedy summons?” asked counsel. "He said he was going to summons me right away,” explained the bankrupt. “Oh, that is a different thing,” remarked counsel. “Right away means at least a month ahead.”

At the inquest touching the death of William King in Westport Hospital on Friday morning, evidence was given that deceased, from a break away in a line out in a junior football match at Granity on the preceding Saturday, received a kick or knock from another player’s knee. He recovered sufficiently to play a little longer, and then left the field, says a Press Association Telegram. He became seriously ill that night and has removed to the hospital, where he died. A verdict was returned that death was the result of injuries to the abdomen, accidently received in a football match.

A steady stream of water flooded the floor of a local billiard saloon on Saturday afternoon as the result of the exceptionally heavy fall of hail, followed by a steady downpour of rain. Owing to the accumulation of hail in the spouting, the rain was unable to get away quickly enough and the water found its way in through the roof close to the walls of the saloon. Fortunately none of the billiard tables were damaged but it was found necessary to close the saloon for a time until the water could be cleared away. The water flowed across the floors to a depth of about an inch and not a little found its way through the flooring into the premises beneath. In one of these, a bookbindery establishment, a qualtity of paper was damaged, wlile in another a supply a bread, which WJuld otherwise have been used to help sat iffy the wants of patrons at supper, was ctmpletely soaked.

“Educational Aims” was the subject of a very interesting address given before the members of the Southland branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute on Saturday morning by Mr T. R. Fleming, M.A., Senior Inspector of Schools for the Otago district, who is temporarily filling a similar position in Southland. Mr J. Lenihan presided over an attendance of 40. In the course of his remarks, Mr Fleming stated that care should be exercised in the choice of literature for reading in schools and suggested that the works of Browning, Coleridge, Matthew Arnold and certain books of the Bible were the most suitable as a foundation for such a purpose. He also emphasised the point that while examinations could not be dispensed with at all, he was of opinion that written examinations were tending to render impossible in the primary schools a proper study of English litera ture. Ou the motion of Mr Steadman a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Mr Fleming for his interesting remarks.

A pigeon that was lost twelve months ago has been discovered at a show and a claim has been made by the owner, who is a New Plymouth fancier and a member of the Egmont Homing Club (says the Taranaki Herald). He stales that the bird was entered to take part in one of the club’s races from Wanganui, and with others it was started on May 29, 1923. Nothing was heard of it again, and it was given up as lost. The other day a member of the club recognised the bird—it had taken a first prize—in o.ne of the pens, and its identity was subsequently confirmed by the claimant’s ring which it still carried on its leg. Reference to the catalogue showed that the bird was entered by a Wanganui fancier, who is a policeman, which allays any suspicion that the bird might have been unlawfully detected. The rightful owner is now taking steps to prove his claim by the records in the club’s books.

The Commercial Travellers’ and Warehousemen’s Association held a musical evening in their rooms on Friday evening, and a very enjoyable time was spent in harmony and music. Mr L. Foster, the President, presided, and assisted by Messrs A. Hinton and E. Fletcher, arranged a good programme of song and story. Songs were given by Messrs R. Barnsdale, L. Foster, W. J. Drummond, T. Baird, F. Pope, G. Fletcher and W. Conner; recitations by Messrs* R. Smith and Carter. Mr J. E. Perry', pianist, proved himself to be all that could be desired at the piano. There was a large attendance, and everyone enjoyed the programme and admitted it was one of the best presented to them in the rooms. The President, in a short speech, stated that this musical evening was only the forerunner of many more, and trusted that the members would rally round and bring a friend. He thanked the menlbers for their attendance, and the members and secretary of the committee for their valuable help and assistance in making the evening the success it was.

The risk run by people standing near mooring lines when vessels'are berthing was demonstrated in a forcible manner at Auckland the other evening (says the Star). A ferry steamer ran alongside the Stanley Pier and a fine was thrown over the bollard. There was a strong northerly wind blowing at the time, and the vessel swung away from the wharf, with the result that the line fouled the combing running along the edge of the breastwork. So great was the strain, that a length of the combing measuring about six feet was tom up and hurled on to the wharf. The ticket collector, who was standing by, was struck on the leg, and knocked down by the flying wreckage, but escaped serious injury. For tunately, there were no other people in the vicinity at the time of the occurrence, for, hail this been the case, the 'accident would probably have had seriots consequences. After part of the breastwork bad been torn up, the hawser, which happened to be a new one, snapped, ano the vessel was blown away from the jetiy r it being several minutes before she / was finally tiMDUcht akwgjfode.

Contrary to expectations (states the Westport News), Greymouth Harbour Board’s revenue, for the eight months since the Otira tunnel was opened, is a record, being £48,000, as compared with between £44,000 to £46,000 for the corresponding period in the preceding year.

“I am what is termed a profiteer, although I do not share in the profits, ’* said a witness at the Arbitration Court recently (the Lyttelton Tinies states), when describing the nature of his work. The nianure and soapworkers’ dispute was being heard. The witness said that his work was mixing ingredients. It was stated later that the term was not known officially. A Westport Press Association wire states that Arthur Norris, a sawmiller and a native of Charleston, died yesterday morning at his residence, death being due to pneumonia supervening on a severe cold. He was a member of an old Charleston family, and with his two brothers was engaged in sawmilling. Formerly he was employed in mining in Charleston. He leaves a widow and five children. The recent appearance of cheques without the usual impressed twopensy stamp duty has caused certain of the business community to wonder whether or not their banker© had made an error (says the Auckland Star). The position is that the stawp duty, though still payable at the rate of twopence »>er cheque, is no longer denoted by an impression on the cheque form, and jieraons handling cheques may accept unstamped cheque© with confidence, that r, so far as th© stamp duty is concerned. The innovation is the result of suggestions made to th* Government to expedite the issue of chequt forms. These had a habit of congregatint by the million at the Stamp Department in Wellington, for the purpose of having stamp duty impressed upon them before issue to the banks for distribution to th?.ir customers. Under the new system, the banks collect the twopenny stamp as before, and pay the amount over to the Government, and the Stamp Department is saved the very considerable labour of stamping each individual cheque. Sufferers from Eczema, Psoriasis, Acne and Scalp Troubles will be keenly interested to learn that Mrs 11. H. Gaudin, Principal of the “Klexema” Treatment, will he visiting Invercargill on June 25, 26 and 27. Consultations from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or by oppointment at 138 Spey street. Mrs Gaudin will be visiting Gore on Saturday, June 28. (Advt.). "Youth” and “Typhoon,” two stories by Joseph Conrad, the great contemporary novelist (whose recent book, “The Rover, has attained the distinction of a best seller i, will be the subject at the weekly meeting of the W.E.A. Literature Class, to be held in the Y.M.C.A. Rooms, Tay street, on Tuesday evening, at 7.30 o'clock, as usual. Those interested are invited to attend.— (Advt.). High-class Tailoring at Thomson and Beatlie’s. Fit and style guaranteed. The new range of materials for Tailor-marie Suits and Overcoats are exceptionally choice this season. Prices for suite of tweeds and worsteds from £9 9/- to £ll 11/-. Overcoats in many shades and weights—prices to order £7 7/, £8 8/- and £9 9/-.—(Advt.). Nice beverage I There is no tea on the market that sings - mre merrily the song of the sunbeam,, than Baxter’s Choice Rava Tea. Pure, fragrant, rich liquor 2/8 per lb. 51b 12/6; lOlbs for 25/-. (Advt.) “A truce to . this unpleasantness.”— D’Aubrey. Nothing is more inconvenient and unpleasant than an Autumn cough or cold. Occurring right at the commencement of the cold season, such complaints may lead to aerious complications unless treated at once. The ideal remedy is, of course, Baxter’s Lung Preserver —the rich, wanning, penetrative specific that is always to be relied upon. A dose in time may save trouble later on. Also a splendid tonic. Generoussized bottle 2/6; family size 4/6. Chemist© and stores. —(Advt.) A cold in the head makes one nriserablo. Ixise no time in getting “NAZOL.” Clears out colds and catarrh in double-quick time. 1/6 for 60 doses.— (Advt.).

Keep influenza at bay by taking “NAZOL.” Its soothing, penetrating, heahnj? properties, give instant relief to cough.© and colds. 1/6 for 60 doses.—(Advt.).