IN TOWN AND OUT

Southland Times, Issue 22485, 21 January 1935, Page 6

IN TOWN AND OUT

NEWS OF THE DAY The Hitler Regime. “Before Hitler we had a very bad time, and it is just now also hard, but we hope it will be better with the time,” writes a German woman to her relative in Invercargill.* * Winton’s Half-holiday. At a special meeting of the Winton Borough Council on Friday evening, it was decided on the motion of Councillors F. Moore and H. Cooper, that Wednesday be the statutory half-holi-day for the borough for the ensuing year. The motion was carried without discussion. # *

Eclipse of The Moon. A total eclipse of the moon, partially visible in Invercargill, occurred early yesterday morning. The moon entered the penumbra at 0.39 a.m. and the umbra at 1.53 a.m. Totality began at 3.3 a.m. and ended at 4.31 a.m. The moon left the umbra at 5.41 a.m. and the penumbra at 6.55 a.m.; but as the sun rose at 5.4 a.m., the closing phases of the eclipse were lost here.

Drummond Sports Postponed. The amateur athletic evening sports meeting to have been held at Drummond on Saturday was postponed on account of heavy rain which set in during the tea hour. A.number of competitors and enthusiasts journeyed to Drummond for the fixture, but as it was still raining at 7 o’clock it was mutually agreed not to hold the sports, the competitors themselves agreeing that the conditions were too unfavourable.

All Blacks in London. Plans in connection with the visit of the New Zealand Rugby team to Great Britain this year have been amended slightly. The arrangement now is that the team will leave for England on July 31 and proceed direct to London before going to headquarters at Newton Abbott on September 4. The change has been made in order to give the opportunity of spending two days in London under summer conditions. The team is due to arrive in London on September 2. Conscience Money.

According to the latest New Zealand Gazette, the Secretary of the Treasury (Mr A. D. Park) acknowledges receipt of the following amounts forwarded by persons unknown as conscience-money to the New Zealand Government: 2/8 and £25/- forwarded to the Treasury; 8/- forwarded to the Mines Department; two amounts of 10/- each, forwarded to the Railways Department; lOd and 1/- forwarded to the Post and Telegraph Department; 10/- and 5/forwarded to the Customs Department. Car Stolen at Gore.

The theft of a motor-car occurred at Gore last evening, and up till a late hour last evening no trace had been found of the missing vehicle. The car, a sedan model painted dark wine, bearing the registered number X 29687 is the property of Mr James Brownlie, of Wigan street, and was left at the rear of Messrs Wright, Stephenson and Company’s building, Mersey Street, about seven o’clock in the evening. When the owner went for it about three hours later, the car had been removed. Cars Collide. Another motor collision occurred at the crossing near the water tower where Elies Road and Yarrow Street intersect. Mr R. Walker, of East Invercargill, was proceeding along Yarrow street towards Dee street at about 2.30 o’clock on Saturday afternoon, and when he came to the Elies Road intersection a collision occurred with a car driven by Mr E. Smith, of Edendale, who was driving north along Elies Road. Mr Walker’s car was slightly damaged in front at the point of collision. Both cars were able to proceed on their way.

South Island Scenery Belittled. An American tourist, Mrs Curtis Hastings, who with her daughter made a flight over Fiordland last week, informed the Southland Aero Club pilot who was in charge of the plane that she greatly regretted that the Tourist Department had not allotted her more time in the South Island. She had been advised at the office where she booked that the North Island scenery was much more attractive than that of the South and her itinerary had been planned accordingly. What she had seen of the South Island made her realize how inaccurate and unfair the comparison had been, and made her long to see more. *

Prompt Broadcast. It is an old saying that it is necessary to go away from home to hear the news. A case of this is reported by a Gore short-wave radio enthusiast who states that when listening to the Empire news service from the 8.8. C. Empire station at Daventry on Friday night he heard the announcement of the death of Professor John Macmillan Brown, Chancellor of the University of New Zealand, which was first announced to the New Zealand public in Saturday morning’s newspapers. The British announcer gave extensive details of the career of the late professor. The news service, which is broadcast each evening at 10.15 p.m. regularly contains items from all the chief countries of the Empire, as well as outstanding foreign items.

Giant Hollyhocks. The attention of a Times reporter was drawn on Saturday to twb giant hollyhock plants, each, strangely enough, being in the gardens of different persons. Mr E. Smith, of Nith street, has a hollyhock well over 13 feet in height. It measured 12 foot exactly just before Christmas but, like the beanstalk of pantomime fame, it is climbing heavenwards at an almost astonishing rate for it now reaches above the roof of the house. The seed of this plant, it is interesting to mention, was brought to Invercargill from Washington’s old home, Mount Vernon, near Washington, for one of the gardeners there gave it to Mr Smith’s son, Mr E. H. Smith, now practising his profession as an architect here. The other phenomenal hollyhock is in the garden of Miss Mabel Crofts, Spey street. Not only is its height, some inches over 12 feet, but several branches, each heavily laden with an abundance of beautiful, richly-coloured blooms, have off-shooted from the main stem.

Railing Southland Flower Show Exhibit A rather delicate task has been involved in arranging the safe transportation to Dunedin of consignments of exhibits to form the Southland section ot the National Flower Show to be held in the Otago capital to-morrow and on Wednesday. Yesterday twocovered trucks were commissioned- to rail all the growing plants which can safely be forwarded in advance, as well as appliances for setting up the large general exhibit. The exhibits sent by goods train from Invercargill last evening included pot plants, boxed plants, sundries, vases and so on. The advance party, Mr B. P. Mansfield and his assistants, left for Dunedin by last evening’s express and will have a busy time arranging the staging of the exhibits. The fruit, cut flowers, and vegetables will be loaded on the van and railed by this afternoon’s express. The flowers will first .be brought

in this morning to the Waitaki depot at Clyde street, where they will be opened, re-selected and re-packed before being loaded at the last moment on the van of the express. The consignment railed last evening included a dwarf Japanese pine valued at £2OO, while the total value of the plants was estimated at £5OO.