IN TOWN AND OUT

Southland Times, Issue 22475, 10 November 1934, Page 4

IN TOWN AND OUT

NEWS OF THE DAY Cowslip with Many Blooms. A cowslip bearing 106 blooms was sent in to the Times Office yesterday by Miss Todd, of Belgravia, Waikiwi. This is stated to be an unusually large number. ♦ » » • Sultry Conditions. Invercargill has been experiencing weather of a hot, sultry nature during the past two days. Yesterday a high, warm wind made conditions out of doors a little uncomfortable. «.» » • The Flying Scholarship. The number of entries for the Southland Times flying scholarship has now reached 111 and the officials of the Southland Aero Club, from information that has reached them, anticipate that possibly another dozen will come in before closing date, 21st inst. * * * *» Sanders Cup Contest. Next year’s Sanders Cup contest, which will be held at Stewart Island, is creating a great deal of interest among yachtsmen in the North Island, and it is certain that a large number of enthusiasts will come south to watch the boats in action. In Wellington trials have already been held, the first of these being won by Janet. Mataura-Clinton Road. Work on the road from Mataura to Clinton through Kaiwera will be carried out as soon as money is available, it was stated at yesterday’s meeting of the Southland County Council. A petition from 107 residents of Mataura and the surrounding districts asking for the completion of the road by the summer was forwarded to the council by the secretary of the Automobile Association (Mr J. S. Dick), who explained that the project was supported by the association. * * * * Christmas Mails. The Christmas mails for Great Britain by direct ship consisting of newspapers, packets and parcels which leave by this morning’s express to connect with the Port Dunedin at Wellington, equal last year’s despatch. The Mariposa, which travels to San Francisco, will cany the last mails from New Zealand for distribution in England before Christmas. Letters must be specially addressed and posted at the Post Office, Invercargill, by 6.15 a.m. on November 15. The mail reaches London on December 13. « * ♦ . * Armistice Day. To-morrow, Armistice Day, commemorates the sixteenth anniversary of the signing of the Armistice by Germany. The customary two minutes’ silence will be observed at 11 a.m. In view of the occasion and for the more fitting observance of the period of silence, church services will commence at 10.45 a.m. Ex-servicemen will parade at 10.45 at the War Memorial, where a short service will be held at which the Mayor (Mr John Miller) and the secretary of the War Funds Association (Mr John Tait) will speak. Wreaths are to be placed on the memorial.

Radio Interference Cured. Welcome news to radio listeners who have long been troubled with interference in reception is the announcement contained in a recent English magazine that an anti-static aerial has been produced which, it is claimed, definitely cures local interference. The writer of the paragraph lives in a block of new steel-framed London flats in which, on account of lifts, water-pumping motors, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners and fans, reception of even local stations was most unsatisfactory. With the new aerial all the British stations were received without any trace of local interference, and even on distant lowpowered Continental stations a trace of background noise was discernible only by listening carefully into the speaker. If this apparatus proves to be as satisfactory when put into production for the public as on this preliminary test, a new era of radio reception is promised. The Byrd Expedition. The Byrd Expedition supply ship Bear of Oakland, which is always an object of interest to Southlanders visiting Dunedin, has completed an extensive overhaul and has also had a new foremast fitted. The vessel is now at Port Chalmers, and will return to her former berth at Dunedin after the departure of H.M.S. Dunedin on November 17. The Jacob Ruppert, which has occupied a berth at Port Chalmers since she returned from the Antarctic several months ago, is also in first-class order. The personnel for the ships is now being selected. It is expected that the Bear of Oakland will leave Dunedin on December 26. She should reach the pack ice about a week after her departure when the Jacob Ruppert will be advised of the condition of the pack. This report will determine the sailing date of the latter vessel. At the Great Barrier RearAdmiral Byrd and the members of the expedition will be embarked, together with the equipment, for the return voyage to New Zealand and the United States. # » • » Fire Near Scenic Reserve. A change in the direction of the wind from north-east to north-west came to the rescue of the Seaward Bush scenic reserve last evening after a fire on the area east of the reserve, which is under the control of the City Council Reserves Department, had been burning all day. It was early in the morning that the fire broke out and the Superintendent of Reserves (Mr B. P. Mansfield) at once ordered the members of his staff and a force of unemployed men to the scene. Though the outbreak was not of large proportions, the seriousness of the danger of its spreading caused the fire-fighters to bend every effort to get it under control. Late in the afternoon the position was serious, but by the evening, when Mr Mansfield made another inspection, the flames had subsided and only smoke, which the wind was blowing away from the scenic reserve, was visible. Mr Mansfield will again visit the scene first thing this morning and all necessary precautions will be taken to avert any possible danger to the reserve.

Wool Prospects. Wool producers and dealers are awaiting with interest the first wool sale of the season at Auckland on November 27, as it will give a fair indication how prices will run for the season. For a time recently the outlook was discouraging, but at the moment there is a slightly better tone about things, which are not expected to be as bad as was at first thought. Higher prices than those obtaining in London for some time are confidently anticipated, although, it is said, the values that were ruling last season will not be obtained (says the Dunedin Star). A good clip is expected, since the winter was a suitable one for wool-growing. Although it was cold, there was plenty of feed, and the condition of the sheep could not be better. One noticeable feature about wool is that fine qualities have been selling during the past few years at very high prices, compared with the crossbred types. The recent trend of the sales at Home has shown that the gap between these two qualities has closed up, and the demand for crossbreds has really become stronger than for fine wools. It is said that this indicates that the low price

ruling for crossbreds has caused a greater demand for the articles manufactured from this type of wool, and apparently this demand still continues.