IN TOWN AND OUT

Southland Times, Issue 21728, 14 June 1932, Page 4

IN TOWN AND OUT

NEWS OF THE DAY A False Alam. A false alarm, occasioned by a leakage in the valve of the sprinkler system installed in the Corporation tramway sheds in Leven street, was responsible for the City. Fire Brigade turning out in response to the call at 3.56 p.m. yesterday. Local Dog Fancier’s Success. Considerable success was achieved at the recent annual show of the Dunedin Fanciers’ Club by a local fancier, Mrs S. D. Stewart, who returned to Invercargill from Dunedin by the express yesterday afternoon. Her two Irish setter dogs gained seven first and two special prizes including the awards for the best setter in the show, the best opposite sex and also the best brace of setters. What’s in a Name! T. Metcalfe, the big Southland forward who secured selection in the New Zealand team for Australia, after the North—South Island game, is by way of being a dry wit, comments a writer in the Christchurch Sun. Like J. Hore, the Otago hooker, he is a butcher. When he was so described in a northern newspaper last year, before the Test match between New Zealand and Australia, he constituted himself a deputation to the management, and announced that he preferred to be known as a “meat surgeon.” » * * * Conscience Money? Last week the Oamaru police received an envelope through the post containing an unsigned letter and a several-stoned diamond ring. The letter read: When passing through Oamaru about seven years ago the enclosed ring was found. At the time it was put aside and forgotten. The sender regrets this, but sincerely trusts that you may find the owner.” According to the police records no such ring was reported lost and the authorities are anxious to receive any information which might lead to the finding of the owner. # • Full of Faith. The implicit faith which overseas correspondents have in the Post Office officials was illustrated when a mail bag was opened at Sumner a few days ago. The address was, “Mr , came to Sumner in 18G5.” Local inquiries were immediately instituted. A plue was found leading to further inquiries in Woolston. These were followed by some prospecting in the North Island, as a result of which the actual person was found at Otorohanga, near Te Kuiti, and the letter delivered. It was then discovered that the recipient had been away from Sumner for 30 years Departure of Students. The students of the Prebyterian Theological Hall, Dunedin, who last week conducted a mission of evangelism and witness in Invercargill, won for themselves the regard of many people in this city. This was obvious from the size of the crowd which assembled at the railway station yesterday afternoon to bid farewell to Professor S. F. Hunter, M.A., D.D., and the students who were leaving on their return to Dunedin. Prior to the departure of the express 'cheers were exchanged anc the people present joined in the singing of “For They Are Jolly Good Fellows.” * # Sheep with' Gold Teeth. When, some months ago, there war published in the Southland Times a photograph of the lower jawbone of a sheep’s head which, bought by a Mrs Barrett, of Victoria, was found to have the teeth coated with virgin gold, it was little thought that a Southland sheep would slavishly follow the fashion. Yet such has proved the case. During the week-end a local resident obtained a sheep from Spar Bush, and after the head of the animal had been bciled it was discovered that every tooth bore a coating of metal with the unmistakable dull gleam of gold in places. It is suggested that continual cropping of gold-bearing pastures resulted in particles of the precious metal adhering to the sheep’s teeth. # * * ♦ Registration of Poultry Opposed. “In view of it being mentioned in the Press that legislation is proposed at the next session for the passing of an Act to register fowls and eggs, that this executive deems it is high time that any more of such proposed childish legislation should be cut out, and the country and the farmers saved from being put to any further waste of time in branding eggs, filling up more returns, and facing further costs in such times when it is so necessary to curtail expense to both the Government and the producers.” The above is the text of a remit from the Nightcaps branch of the. New Zealand Farmers’ Union which ’will come before the Southland Provincial Executive for consideration at its monthly meeting on Saturday. # # # Waitaki Hydro Works. The Oamaru Chamber of Commerce has made representations to the Minister of Public Works and Employment (the Rt. Hon J. G. Coates) stating that it views with alarm the report that over 300 men are to be discliarged from employment at the Waitaki Hydro Works and urging that these men should be retained by using unemployment funds to carry on the work. The chamber considers that it is highly undesirable to remove men from useful work to swell the army of unemployed where they will be put to work of a kind that has little or no practical value, and that in view of ’ the money already sunk in the Waitaki scheme, the work should be prosecuted with all possible vigour in order to secure an early return on the capital already invested. Headlamp Invention. An ingenious device for signalling turning intentions when driving a motor car at night was demonstrated by Mr J. H. Collett, of Invercargill, to the members of the general committee of the Southland Motor Association last night. Mr Collett’s invention consists of red lights fitted to both headlights of the car with a special red light affixed at the rear of the car. Before turning to right or left the driver operates a switch which extinguishes the headlight on the side to which the driver intends to turn and lights the red bulb in that lamp. When the driver proposes to turn to the right the special red light at the rear of the car is switched on. Several members expressed approval of the invention and it was decided to demonstrate the device at the quarterly meeting of the South Island Motor Union at Waimate next week.