IN TOWN AND OUT

Southland Times, Issue 20614, 12 October 1928, Page 6

IN TOWN AND OUT

NEWS OF THE DAY The Two Periods. “There are two periods at which a man cannot understand a woman,” said a speaker at a banquet last night. “Before marriage and after.” Rats About. “I had three chicken coops made to start chickens in,” reported the farm manager of Lome Farm to the Hospital Board, “but I was dubious about putting them in the sheds. The rats have been very plentiful.” Express Late. It was a very long express that drew in to Invercargill nearly an hour late. Dunedin was reached half an hour behind time and some more minutes were lost at Wingatui and other stations. Stewart Island Bookings. At least one boarding-house at Stewart Island is booked up for Christmas and New Year, and the following months' are rapidly filling up. Many inquiries are being received in all quarters for camp sites and for cottages. regard to the latter very few are available at any time and are now mostly booked up. Changing Conditions. “That is the kind of evidence I frequently heard over 15 years ago,” said Mr G. Cruickshank, S.M., at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, afternoon, when a witness spoke of the loss in value of his horse through shock received in an accident. “I always hear about depreciation to motor cars nowadays,” the Magistrate added, “and I haven’t heard that sort of evidence for 15 years.” Sea Birds in Town. Another of the small sea-birds to which reference was made yesterday, was found in town, Mr J. Cole, Scandrett street, picking one up on his lawn. The bird appears to be a fulmar, which is one of several species of sea-birds of the family procellariidae, allied to the albatross and petrel. Among well known species are arctic fulmar called also fulmar petrel, malduck or mollemock. * ♦ Vegetable Market. There is a glut of lettuces on the market at the present time. Most of the samples are of inferior quality and slow of sale. A notable rise has accurred in the onion market, the price of 5d per lb. being quoted yesterday as compared with 4d per lb. the previous week. Spring cabbage is conspicuous by its comparative absence, only very small lots being handled at the marts. New potatoes have not come forward as yet, but are due any day now. New Season’s Tomatoes. The first of the new’ season’s tomatoes were on sale in Invercargill yesterday. The consignment came from Christchurch and realize up to 2/7 per lb. wholesale and 3/-/ per lb. retail. Hothouse grown, the sample was of exceptional quality but failed to bring the price consistent with this first-of-season fruit. This is accountable for by the fact that so many Island-grown tomatoes of good quality are available at the present time. Service to West Coast Sounds. Messrs Georgeson and Pasco, who returned from Dunedin by the express last evening, informed a Times reporter that they had practically completed arrangements to run a regular service to the West Coast Sounds. The Taratahi will be luxuriously equipped and visitors to Milford by the track will be able to return by boat via the other lovely sounds. The Tourist Department was keenly interested in the project when Messrs Pasco and Georgeson explained it to them in Dunedin yesterday and their support is assured. Ketch in Trouble. As the auxiliary ketch Twilight was making its way to Halfmoon Bay from Bluff yesterday afternoon under full sail her mainmast snapped clean off. Passengers on the tug Southland were witnesses of the accident. The ketch was captained by W. Hanning and two others were aboard. A sail was soon hoisted on the mizzen and the vessel proceeded to Stewart Island. No fears are entertained for the safety of those abroad, all of them being experienced seamen and well acquainted with the locality. She is equipped with an 8 h.p. engine which, however, would be of little use to her in the heavy weather yesterday. Soirit of Election Time. “We can only hope that apart from the near approach of the general election and its possible political bearing on the problem, other avenues of employment of a more permanent nature may open up at an early date to relieve the unpleasant economic conditions we have experienced during the past eighteen months,” states the secretary (Mr T. Pryde) in concluding his report on unemployment to Hospital Board members yesterday. “That’s rather suggestive, Mr Pryde,” commented a member. “Well, I know of cases of men on unemployed work at Tapanui who were receiving 12/- per day. but are now getting 14/- per day. This always seems to happen about election time,” was the reply. Mataura River High. For the 24 hours ended at 9 a.m. yesterday .70 inches of rain fell at Gore, while still heavier falls were reported in the back country. The Mataura River, which for some time past, has been slightly above normal, rose quickly yesterday and late in the afternoon was between four and five feet above its normal level. The rise, however, cannot be attributed solely to the unusual amount of rain which has fallen lately, but is partly due to the rapid thaw of the snow on the high country caused by the strong winds. Yesterday the Waikaka also rose rapidly and threatened to flood the road at Howe. Visitors to Gore, from that direction were surprised at the rapid rise of the stream and did not unduly delay their return owing to the possibility of their not being able to get through by road. Advice To Revellers. At the banquet of the Marist Debating Club last night an instructive story was given as a personal experience by a speaker. Being newly married, a young man promised his wife when he left for a social evening that he would be back by one o’clock. He was slightly ‘wrong in his reckoning and it was nearly three, o’clock when he took his boots off at the front door. Stealing quietly, upstairs, he found his wife sound asleep, but to make sure, he turned the hands of his clock back to one o’clock. As he slipped into bed his wife woke up and asked the time. Proud of his achievement, he switched on the light and showed the clock. He imagined himself to have passed the danger and was just slipping into sleep when the clock struck—one, two three. “Never change your clock hands if its a striking clock,” was the final advice of the speaker.