IN TOWN AND OUT

Southland Times, Issue 21577, 15 December 1931, Page 8

IN TOWN AND OUT

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Unemployment Debate. On' Tuesday evening (December 22) Mr W. C. Denham and Mr Alex. Glass will meet in debate in the Victoria Hall. The subject chosen is "Has the New Zealand Labour Party a practical cure for unemployment ?” Mr Denham will take the affirmative and Mr Glass the negative. The Afayor of Invercargill (Mr John Aliller) will preside. A charge will be made I for admission and the profits will be given to the Alayor’s Unemployment Fund. Fire Suppressed. It is an old saying that fire is a good friend but a bad master, and it proved very true yesterday morning at 9.20 when the Fire Brigade received a call to Victoria Avenue. Some tree cuttings were being burned in the course of ordinary trimming operations when a breeze sprang up and the fire threatened to get beyond control. I It was feared that the fine avenue of trees along the side of the park might become involved in the blaze and the brigade was called. The fire was extinguished without much difficulty. * * * * Meat for Unemployed. The request made by his Worship the Mayor (Mr John Miller) for meat for the unemployed will receive favourable attention, according to a telegram to his Worship from the Minister in Charge of Unemployment. Air Coates telegraphed: “The request in your telegram with reference to meat for the unemployed will have immediate and most favourable attention.” Further donations to the Mayor’s Christmas Relief Fund have been received from “Anonymous" £4 and “Christmas Cheer” £l. * * * * A Talk From London. Under the auspices of the Southland Motor Association a talk by Mr Stenson Cooke, secretary of the Automobile Association, London, on the Road Traffic Act of Great Britain will shortly be broadcast from a local radio station for the benefit of motorists. At last night’s meeting of the General Committee of the association a letter was received from Mr Cooke stating that he was forwarding a gramophone record of a talk by himself on the act and it was decided to arrange for the broadcast of the record and also to advertise the date of the talk. * * » « “The Cold Lakes!” “One thing I take exception to and that is the sentence ‘The Cold Lakes have a charm of their own,’ ” said the president (Mr D. J. Wesney) at last night’s meeting of the General Committee of the Southland Motor Association when referring to a write-up of South Island roads forwarded I by the touring manager of the Auckland I Automobile Association. “Our secretary rewrote a portion of the write-up, altering the name to the “Southern Lakes’ and sent it back.” The secretary (Air J. S. Dick) remarked that in all the Tourist Department’s literature the lakes were now referred to as the “Southern Lakes.” » * # < The Te Anau Road. ‘The Public Works Department is keen to get motorists to use the Te Anau road,” said the president (Air D. J. Wesney) at last night’s meeting of the General Committee of the Southland Alotor Association, “and the engineer on the road will only be too pleased to buttonhole camping accommodation for anyone who gets in touch with him.” Air Wesney went on to say that no motorist should camp till after 40 miles along the road and that would obviate the risk of fire in the bush as cleared spaces would then be available. He would strongly advise all motorists to use the road, which was a splendid one. A trailer could be taken to the end of the road and the car turned there quite comfortably. The new bridge over the Eglinton River would be completed in a week. * * * * Maternal Instinct. An unusual encounter was witnessed in Palmerston street on Saturday between a blackbird and a cat. While four persons were in conversation in front of one of the business premises, a young blackbird was seen to enter the door and began to settle down in a receptacle containing cabbage plants. The commotion attracted the attention of a cat, which is one of the occupiers of the shop, and it made an attempt to score a meal. The young bird appeared to be wounded, and the cat was just about to grab it at the door when its mother appeared on the scene and to the surprise of the interested spectators stood up to the cat, beating it about the head with its w’ings. The cat momentarily retired, but returned to the attack only to be again frustrated. Eventually the mother and her offspring made for the top of the building opposite, where after a short stay both made for new pastures. One of the spectators, a visiting naturalist, said he had seen a rabbit defeating a weasel, when defending her young, but it was an interesting fact to ktaow that certain species of the feathered tribe were not backward in championing the rights of their brood when their lives were in jeopardy.—Riverton correspondent. ♦ * » » Long Dry Spell. The lengthy spell of beautiful sunshine is not being relished by the farming community although to members of the sporting fraternity it is accepted with open arms. It is now some months since the province generally had what may be called a soaking rain, although there have been a few light showers, but these made little or no impression on the hard surface. The farmer's lot is not altogether a pleasant one, for stock have fallen back, although most of the farm work has been completed. Riverside pastures have been considerably affected and it can be quite plainly seen that the grass has withered away as a result of this long spell of sunshine. The Dipton district is reported to be receiving more than its share, and when light showers have been experienced in other centres they have avoided Dipton. According to one farmer the driest spot between Winton and Mossbum was the Dipton area. He said that rain was urgently needed in the Winton district, and that thirty hours’ rain for the Mossbum and Lumsden farmers would be a Godsend, but he remarked that the situation was much more serious around the Dipton district. “You can take it from me,” he went on, “the situation is critical, and if rain does not fall shortly we will be all faced with serious results." Another farmer stated that in a number of instances cattle were being hand fed with straw. With no moisture in the ground, dairy cows have gone back in their milking and consequently factory cheques have been reduced. The sheepfarmer is even worse off, for he finds that he will have difficulty in getting a good percentage of lambs away at the first draft. Lambs this season have not had an opportunity to fatten and fat lamb buyers will be faced with a good deal of rejecting.—Winton correspondent.