In Town And Out

Southland Times, Issue 23390, 23 December 1937, Page 6

In Town And Out

Matriculation Results

It is stated from the University of New Zealand offices that the results of the matriculation examination will probably be made known about January 21. Christmas Poultry

Poultry will be a popular item on the Christmas dinner menu this year. In Invercargill the demand for poultry has been greater this year than for a number of years past, and the supply has been equal to the demand. Prices are slightly firmer than they were last year. Dressed ducks have been sold at 8/6 to 10/6 a pair, fowls at 6/6 to 10/-; geese at 6/6 to 8/6 each and turkeys at 15/- to 30/- each.

War Memorial Cleaned The South African war memorial has been cleaned for Christmas. During the past two days workmen have been busy removing accumulated dust from the memorial and wire brushes have restored to the trooper his former coat of glistening white.

Solicitor in Action A well-known Invercargill solicitor demonstrated to citizens yesterday that the age of chivalry is not yet dead—at least at Christmas time. A small girl in Dee street had her toy balloon swept from her hand by a sudden gust of wind, and the learned passer-by leaped after it with a dive pass that would have aroused the envy of Craven, the famous Springbok scrum-half. Both elevation and direction were flawless, but the strength was misjudged and the balloon lost its shape with a faint “pop.” However, damages were cheerfully awarded in the sum of one penny. New Drivers Tested

The holiday stimulus to the sale of motor-cars in Invercargill has had a corresponding effect on the traffic branch of the City Corporation and the city traffic inspector (Mr E. Stopford) has been engaged during the last few days in testing the ability of several new drivers. A big proportion of these are university students who have just learned to drive; others are people who have waited till the approach of the holiday period before buying new cars. On one day this week no fewer than eight drivers were tested. Visitors to Stewart Island

Already a big number of visitors has arrived at Stewart Island for the holidays, and it is expected that a record will be set this year. On Friday the ferry steamer will make two return trips from Bluff, and it is proposed to run three trips a week in the New Year.

Schoolboy Messengers It has been the custom for country grocers to employ schoolboys during Christmas week to deliver parcels and thus relieve their staff—a profitable arrangement for all concerned, in many cases giving pocket-money to the children of poor parents. However, this year, grocers have been warned that “The Labour Department will not allow any contravention to the proportion clause; therefore, grocers must refrain from employing any extra junior labour which will constitute a breach of the award.” As seniors and regular grocery juniors are at a premium, it has been suggested that the employment of schoolboys would not do any harm.

New Pictorial Stamps A new issue of pictorial halfpenny stamps in February will be the first in New Zealand permanently to bear a portrait Of King George VI. Pictorial issues for the Cook and Niue Islands will be extended on May 1 to range from a halfpenny to 3/-, instead of utilizing over-printed New Zealand stamps for amounts over 1/-. A portrait of the King in a vignette will be reproduced on the 1/- stamp, while appropriate island motifs will be incorporated in the 2/- and 3/- issues. Printed in two colours, the stamps were prepared in England from designs by Mr J. Berry, of Wellington, and will be printed by the Government Printing Office. Pharmacy Examinations

A new syllabus for the Pharmacy Board’s examinations was set out in regulations published with the Gazette last evening. The amended regulations aim at bringing the qualification for a registered chemist up to the level in England and some Australian states, with which New Zealand has a reciprocity agreement.—Press Association. Dunback Boy’s Progress

Frank Murphy, of Dunback, Otago, who was sent to London by public subscription for an operation on the brain, continues to progress. After a holiday on the Channel coast where the fog horns “made noises like cows and,” he writes, “remind me of Brindle, Jersey and Darkie,” he has returned to London. He has joined his mother at the Toe H Hostel, attends the London Hospital daily for X-rays, has joined a troop of scouts, and has commenced work at Sir John Cass School. There are 500 pupils and he finds the hours, 9-4, “much longer than good old Dunback.” Mr Alan Churcher, organizer for Toe H in New Zealand, had arrived in England and visited the boy whom he had escorted from Otago to Wellington last August. On his thirteenth birthday he went to the pictures for the first time, and on to see the Cenotaph, the Lord Haig statue, and a museum. His eyes are still affected to some extent and, as the surgeons desire to keep him under observation for several months, no plans can yet be made for his return.

A Gigantic Blast With a complete absence of detonation, fully 20,000 tons of metal came down at the Amo railway quarry at Waimate after the firing of a half-ton charge on Monday. The charge was more successful than anticipated, and the tracks of the railway leading to Waihao Downs have been covered by rubble and stones to a depth of from 10 to 15 feet for fully 40 yards. Some of the stones weigh up to 25 and 30 tons.