In Town And Out

Southland Times, Issue 23306, 16 September 1937, Page 6

In Town And Out

Hungarian Visitors Surprised

M. Istvan Kelen and M. Miklos Szabados, the Hungarian table tennis players who visited Invercargill yesterday, were surprised to learn that they could not buy liquor in Invercargill. When visited at their hotel by a reporter of The Southland Times, one suggested that a drink would help in a discussion on sport. Explanations were necessary, and the licensing laws of New Zealand were outlined. M. Kelen laughed at Invercargill’s situation and remarked that it was the first place in the world that he had been unable to get a drink. “I think it is so silly,” he said.

Amusement Tax on Springboks’ Matches

A cheque of £1553 has been paid by the Canterbury Rugby Union to the Government as amusement tax on the takings at the matches played at Lancaster Park by the Springboks against Canterbury and New Zealand. This was announced at a meeting of the management committee of the union by the secretary (Mr J. O. McGillivray). Mr McGillivray also reported that the attendance at the match against Canterbury was 27,000 and that at the second Test match 40,500. At the Test match, Mr McGillivray added, there were 25,000 spectators on the embankment.

Exchange Vagaries New Zealanders are so accustomed to having the exchange rate heavily against them that it has come as a pleasant surprise to the Presbyterian Missions Committee to learn that it has lately been definitely in its favour in Canton, says The Dominion. The committee pays its Canton missionaries in Hong Kong dollars, and the exchange rate between these cities varies from time to time, now’’’favouring one centre and now the other. The latest advice the committee has received is that over a period of years the exchange has accumulated in favour of Canton an extent that will enable remittances from the Dominiqp__to be suspended for about three meffrffis.

“Invercargill, Scotland” A letter posted in Essen (Germany) to an Invercargill firm first went to Scotland because it was addressed “Invercargill, Scotland.” The envelope was marked “Not Inverness-shire; try New Zealand.” There was not the delay usually entailed when a letter is addressed to the wrong country, the reason for this being that as there is only one Invercargill in the world it was not necessary to try other countries before sending it to New Zealand. The letter was in reply to an inquiry made by the Invercargill firm, which had dated its communication June 21. The German firm, imagining the letter had come from Scotland, said it presumed that June 21 should have read July 21.

A Pigmy Princess Described as “Princess Übangi, a tree climbing specimen from the Übangi Forest, Africa,” a dark-skinned pigmy woman who arrived at Wellington by the Awatea was not seen by many in .the ship. Being only 27£ inches in height she was carried about the ship bundled in a rug and slung over the shoulder of a young man who appeared not at all impressed by his burden. Mrs E. McNamara, who is in charge of the pigmy woman, said that she was keeping to her accustomed diet of ants’ eggs, roots, honey and nuts. She was 32 years old and the conditions of her agreement stated that she was to be returned “dead or alive” to her tribe in two years’ time. Girl Guide’s Plucky Action

A girl guide, Alice Campbell, aged 15, made good use of the training she had received with her troop when she assisted in rescuing a companion from drowning in'the Ohjnemuri River, near Paeroa, last week. A young girl who had been visiting the Campbell family fell into the river- when playing with some other children on the river-bank. Alice Campbell entered the river and dragged the child to the bank where, with the aid of her mother, she took her out of the river. The child was unconscious, but Alice applied artificial respiration until the arrival of Dr S. L. Haslett, and the rescued girl was fully recovered. Dr Haslett highly commended Alice on the promptness of her action and her coolness in the emergency. By adopting the correct methods of artificial respiration she had aided considerably in .the revival of the unconscious girl.