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Southland Times, Issue 22774, 27 December 1935, Page 6

Last evening the Dominion Meteorologist issued the following information. —Though a very slight disturbance continues to move on to the Dominion from the south Tasman Sea, pressure continues high, especially to the north. The forecast is for variable winds, with north-west to west predominating at first, but later turning temporarily to southerlies at many places, of force light to fresh; seas in New Zealand waters rather rough at first about Cook Strait and elsewhere slight to moderate; in the eastern Tasman Sea moderate winds, between south-east and north-east prevailing,' and seas moderate; the weather will still be for the most part fair and warm, but with considerable low cloud and in places mist or fog, and some scattered intermittent rains probable over the South Island, more especially in Otago and Southland. ■

At the Dunedin December wool sale the Mosgiel Woollen Company paid the record price of 19d for super halfbred carrying “The Gums” brand, and grown in the Teviot district.

As the result of a fracas in a carriage of the last excursion train from Riverton last evening four young men will appear in Court this morning to answer charges of drunkenness and fighting.

A lighted cigarette butt is blamed for a fire which broke out in a stack of fruit cases in a detached shed at the rear of Mr M. J. Miller’s fruit shop in Dee street on Wednesday afternoon. The City Fire Brigade was called and soon extinguished the blaze, the only damage done being to the cases and the roof of the shed.

Visitors to Bluff yesterday found 'weather conditions very moist at the port. From early morning showers were frequent and in the afternoon steady rain set in. In spite of the threatening conditions a fair number of local residents made the trip to Riverton for the regatta. The rain will greatly benefit local gardens, which are already looking particularly well.

Many are the excuses put forward from time to time by persons who ride cycles at night without lights- One given in the Magistrate’s Court at Nelson was that the offender had been to a church parade, and the sermon took longer than he expected. Mr T. E. Maunsell, S.M., was of the opinion that after hearing a sermon, the cyclist should not immediately go and break the law.

The air survey of the fruit areas of Hawkes Bay has been completed by Mr Piet Van Asch, Flight-Lieutenant Gerrand and Flight-Lieutenant Rawnsley, of the Hawkes Bay and East Coast Aero Club. They have made a topographical mapping of approximately 70 square miles of the province. To carry out this survey on foot would have taken many months. From the a«* actual flying time occupied twelve hours.

Shortly after 7 o’clock last evening the City Fire Brigade was called to River road, Gladstone, where fire had broken out in the two-storeyed nineroomed house occupied by Mr Robert D. Coghill. One of the rooms on the lower floor was well alight, but the brigade extinguished the blaze before it could spread to other parts of the house. There was no one at home at the time of the outbreak so that its cause has not yet been ascertained.

A striking example of the effective use of publicity by the British Milk Marketing Board was commented upon in New Plymouth by Mr C. N. Vickridge, who recently returned home after a visit to England. At the Charing Cross underground railway station, he said, the board has erected on the platform an un-to-date cowshed where live Jersey cows are stabled and milked twice a day. The milk obtained is sold at 2d a glass at an attractive milk bar near at hand.

Java, a country almost exactly half the size of New Zealand, carries a population of 40,000,000. This fact was commented upon by Mr J. Tattersall, of Napier, who has just returned from a nine months’ trip to the Old Country. Mi - Tattersall, who flew over Java in an aeroplane belonging to the Royal Dutch line, stated that a feature of the country was the extremely concentrated cultivation. The vast majority of the inhabitants of Java were natives, the number of Dutch residents totalling only 250,000.

Railway traffic was again fairly heavy yesterday, though the rain which fell in the early morning changed the plans of many holiday-makers who had intended patronizing the Riverton regatta. The 7 a.m. express for the north carried 375 passengers from Invercargill, while the express which reached here at 1.10 p.m. from Dunedin had on board 265 people. Seventy passengers left Invercargill for the Limehills sports, but it was anticipated that en route many patrons would also join the train. A total of 210, about six below that of 1934, travelled by rail to the Gore Trotting Club’s meeting, while from Invercargill 1200 made their way by train from Invercargill to Riverton. In addition, 200 from Tuatapere, 225 from Wairio, 60 from Winton, 100 from the Clinton line and 30 from the Waimahaka line journeyed by the respective trains to the regatta. The total, however, was considerably below last year’s figure.

One hundred years ago on Wednesday the celebrated scientist and author, Charles Darwin, was eating a Christmas dinner in New Zealand. His companion at the time was the Rev. William Colenso. who was responsible for printing the first translations into Maori of a part of the New Testament, and who was inspired bv Darwin to make a careful and valuable classification of New Zealand ferns. Except for the missionary station at Waimate, Darwin was not impressed with New Zealand. He came to the country in . H.M.S. Beagle, the commander of which was Captain Robert Fitzroy, who was appointed Governor of the colony in 1843. It was during this expedition, which lasted from the end of 1831 until October, 1836, and on which he visited many parts of South America. Tahiti, and Tasmania, as well as New Zealand, that Darwin gathered much of the information of fauna and flora and geological conditions of varying climates which equipped him for settling the factors of biological evolution, as set out in “The Origin of Species.”

“Someone started jazzing in a church hall on a Sunday night,” said Mr W. M. Hobkirk, when asked in Wellington why there was so much objection to jazz in Scotland. Mr Hobkirk, who was formerly a prominent teacher and lecturer in music in Edinburgh, arrived by the Rangitane to spend a holiday in the Dominion. He said he did not condemn jazz. In his opinion this type of music was nothing more than a reproduction of the old-time rhythm which had been used by composers such as Bach and Handel because the musical instruments then available did not have sufficient sustaining power for the notes that developed later. There was a certain amount of American influence in the everyday music of Scotland, Mr Hobkirk said, but it was mostly through the radio and had not affected the love of national music or the pipes to any extent. He was emphatic that the love of the Scot for his national music would never die. Mr Hobkirk said quite definitely that he hated crooning. “I consider it an unnatural thing to hear any man croon,” he said.

Ulster, which followed closely along the lines adopted by Great Britain, had not suffered very materially in the past economic depression, and was now progressing very favourably, said Dr. John Rusk, of Belfast, when interviewed in Wellington. Dr. Rusk attributed the industrial progress of Ulster in part to the fact that the Government was a strong one, and composed largely of successful business men. The ship- building trade was showing considerable promise _of improvement, and the tobacco industry was making great advances. “The linen industry has been under a cloud for many years, but is beginning to show slow but steady improvement,” said Dr Rusk. “It is now meeting the requirements of the United States by manufacturing patterned cloths for table use in all colours and classes.” Dr. Rusk said that other Belfast industries, such as distilling and rope making, were also progressing favourably. He mentioned that at one time the city had the “quintuplets”--a shipbuilding yard, a distillery, a rope works, a tobacco factory, and a linen factory—all then », the largest in the world.

Christmas greetings by cable were received yesterday by his parents from N. A. Mitchell, a member of the 1935 All Black team. It is interesting to note that the All Blacks are not now going to visit Canada on their way home, and that they are scheduled to arrive back in New Zealand at Auckland, on February 23.

To have Christmas coming in the middle of summer is a novel experience for members of the Marylebone Cricket Club touring team at present in Christchurch, and Mr E. R. T. Holmes, captain of the team, in New Zealand, mentioned that it was the first time in his life that he had had a cold bath on Christmas Day. “I see that it has been snowing in England recently, and far from having a cold bath the first thing that one does after having the Christmas pudding is to return to a roaring fire as soon as possible,” he said.

A 12-inch lizard, apparently not in the best of tempers, confronted a Napier family in the garden one afternoon last week. The strange visitor was discovered in the garden of the nome of Mrs Robinson, of Vautier street, and the occupier, adopting the only practical course, picked up an axe and quickly kibed tne lizard. So that they could be identified rhe pieces were later taken to Dr. J. Allan Berry, who had difficulty in identifying the species as it did not conform to any known New Zealand lizard. Finally he discovered that it was an /xustralian reprile anu quite harmless. How it came to be found in a Napier garden is a mystery, but the probability is that it was harboured in a fruit, wheat or timber consignment. Actually the technical name of tne lizard is prachysaurus rugosus, and when full-grown it reaches a length of 12 inches. It has a very short, blunt tail, and is found in all parts of Australia. This discovery prompts the question whether the reptile is an isolated specimen of this particular family, or whether the species is breeding in this country.

New Zealand as an important economic unit in the British Empire family should receive a good advertisement in Great Britain through the visit to the Dominion of Captain W. C- Price. He has just arrived in Wellington as a special commissioner of the Daily Telegraph (London), making plans for the publication of a 20-page illustrated supplement for distribution in June or July next. The object of this supplement will be to impress British readers with the vital part played by New Zealanders in meeting their everyday needs and to promote closer understanding between the peoples of the two countries. In the preparation of the material for the supplement Captain Price hopes to secure the co-oper-ation of the members of the present Government, though plans were discussed in London last summer with the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates and Sir James Parr. Articles will be written by acknowledged authorities on New Zealand trade policy, financial situation, and economic development, and on the many phases of New Zealand cultural, commercial, and pastoral activities. Great attention will be paid to the attractions to tourists, sport, transport, and communications, and the social conditions of the New Zealanders.

Through representations made by the Mayor of Auckland, Mr Ernest Davis, to the Admiralty, one of the steering wheels of H.M.S. Calliope, a vessel associated with the disastrous hurricane which occurred in Apia Bay, Western Samoa, on March 16, 1889, is to be presented to the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Through the High Commissioner, Sir James Parr, the Mayor sought the gift of the service bell and one of the steering wheels, and he has been advised that the latter part of his request had been acceded to. There was, however, no service bell, on board the warship. The gift will arrive in Auckland early next year, and will be brought from England in a cruiser, probably the Achilles, which will leave for the New Zealand station. It is recalled that in the Samoan hurricane six warships were destroyed and 150 men lost their lives. The Calliope was the only vessel of all those in Apia Bay to reach the open sea, and ride out of the storm. To leave the harbour the warship had to pass the United States man-o’-war Trenton, which almost blocked the fairway. She made the passage with only feet to spare, and the American sailors cheered her a: she ploughed into the storm and headed for the comparative safety of the open sea.

In this issue the Railway Department advertise particulars of train arrangements operating over the New Year Holidays. The present augmented mail and express train service will continue to run between the main centres, while special trains and cheap fares have been provided for those travelling to Tuatapere Sports and other holiday events. Readers are advised to retain the advertisement for reference purposes.—Advt. The Most Palatable Whisky, “DEWAR’S.”—Advt. “Beautyform” Corsets and Corselettes. Full stocks of these wonderful value garments now on sale at Southland’s only agents, Wicks’ Ltd., Cash Drapers, Invercargill and Gore.—Advt. We have a beautiful selection of gifts for baby. For the older folks hosiery, locknit underwear, handkerchiefs and vests at Miss Noble’s, The Baby Shop, Dee street.—Advt. New Year gift selections made easy by shopping at Carter’s Suit Sale. Men’s British hats 4/11; men’s fur felt hrts usually 19/6, now 10/6; men’s blazers 21/-, 26/6, 29/6; men’s flannel trousers 9/11, 12/6 to 25/6; Godwins guaranteed socks 3/6; also great variety goods suitable for gifts at Carter’s Suit Sale. See advt. front page.—Advt. Madeira Hand Embroidered Linen from THOMSON AND BEATTIE, Southland’s gift store since 1869, is a gift that can be given with our assurance that it will delight the most fastidious women. Small pieces from as low as 2/3, Tea Waggon Covers 6/6, 7/11, to 9/11. Supper cloths 17/6 and 13-piece Luncheon Sets 25/6. Thomson and Beattie Ltd extend the Compliments of the Season to their many friends in Southland. —Advt. THE NEW YEAR GIFT that will please everyone. GIVE T CAMERA and you give lasting pleasure. A splendid range of Folding and Box Cameras at prices from 7/6 upwards, at STEWART’S PHARMACY, Dee street. (Advt.) North and South American Skunk Ties, at prices that defy competition. American Opossum Throwovers and Ties, finest quality, from 17/6 to £3 15/-. Now is the time to get your requirements as prices are going up every week, and remember, ladies, the best is always the cheapest in the end. We stock only the best. THE MUTUAL FUR COMPANY, Manufacturing Furriers, Tay street. (Advt.) “STICK THOU TO WHAT IS BEST.” —Byron. Keep to Baxter’s Lung Preserver to banish coughs and colds. “Baxter’s” is best. You’ll ensure speedy relief if you use this pleasant, soothing remedy. Not even the worst cold is proof against “Baxter’s.” The children love it —and its special tonic properties give them back their natural energy. Ask for “Baxter’s” .in the economical family size, 4s 6d, or the handy sizes, Is 6d and 6d.—Advt.