In Town And Out

Southland Times, Issue 23818, 16 May 1939, Page 8

In Town And Out

Power Interrupted It was found necessary yesterday to cut off the electric power to parts of Invercargill from midday until about two o’clock because of an arm in the 3000-volt line feeding part of the town area being burned through. In industrial plants dependent on electricity some inconvenience was caused. Punch or Fend? The difference between a punch and a fend in Rugby football was argued during a discussion by the Rugby Union last night on an incident which caused the referee in a senior match on Saturday to order a player off the field. Some of the members of the union contended that the offending player punched an opponent and others argued that his action was a fend. “If it was a punch,” said one member wfio was convinced it was a fend, “the player would have been sleeping yet.” Sheep Guessing Competition The results were announced yesterday of the sheep guessing competition at the Winter Show. The weight of the sheep was 248’>lb, and Mr A. Stimpson, of Longbush, guessed the correct weight. Messrs A. D. Pulley and I. A. Mackay, both of Invercargill, tied for second place with 2491 b. Two Old Newspapers A four-page copy of The Times, London, published on November 7, 1805, containing details of the British victory at Trafalgar, and a facsimile of The Times containing the story of Waterloo, published on June 22,1815, were brought to The Southland Times yesterday by an Invercargill resident. The facsimile containing tire account of the battle of Waterloo was reprinted as a supplement to The Otago Daily Times on June 18, 1915. The Trafalgar issue is still in excellent condition and every word of the four pages is legible. The account of the death of Admiral Lord Nelson, Duke of Bronte, the Commander in Chief, occupies a great deal of space. The message, as printed by The Times, was sent to the Admiralty from the ship Euryalus, off Cape Trafalgar, on October 22, 1805. The report of the battle of Waterloo is simply headed “London Gazette Extraordinary.” It is the official account of the battle as sent by the Duke of Wellington, to Earl Bathurst, his Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for the War Department on June 19, 1815, from Waterloo.

Field Competitions Three field competitions are to be held this year by the Southland Agricultural and Pastoral Association. In addition to the annual swede and turnip competitions for the Sutton Cups, a competition has been inaugurated for chou moellier. The areas for the competitions are: Swedes, four acres; turnips, five acres; chou moellier, two acres. Entries, which are free, must be in by May 27.

Abattoir Charges Abattoir charges in Invercargill compare favourably with those in other cities of similar size and several df the main centres, according to a return furnished to the Invercargill City Council. The charges for killing/sheep are actually the lowest of six cities for which rates were obtained, the charge being 1/1 j a head compared with 1/3 in Christchurch, 1/4 in Dunedin, 1/6 in Wanganui and Palmerston North and 1/91- in Auckland. In cattle charges the Invercargill rates are not the lowest, but are well within the range of other centres. The cheapest rates are 7/- a head charged in Christchurch. In Invercargill, Dunedin and Wanganui the charge is 7/6, in Palmerston North 8/and in Auckland 8/7. The annual abattoir revenue for Invercargill is £3564 compared with £3974 in Wanganui and £4227 in Palmerston North.

16,000 Applicants The great desire for academic learning that was sweeping India was causing an over-abundance of graduates, said the Rev. B. N. Eade during an address in the North Invercargill Baptist Church last evening. On one occasion vacancies for 200 persons as polling booth assistants were advertised and 10,000 applications were received.

Shipwreck 35 Years Ago Graphic details of a shipwreck, on the Victorian reef behind Warnambool breakwater nearly 35 years ago were recalled by two men who met in Auckland yesterday for the first time since the day they were thrown together as victim and rescuer. The friends who told this dramatic story were Cantain Leonard Robertson, Auckland, ship surveyor, and Dr Otto Bayer, of Melbourne, who arrived by the Monowai. It was on the night of November 10, 1905, that the barquentine La Bella, carrying timber between New Zealand and Australia, ran on the Warnambool reef and broke her back before being battered to pieces. Seven men perished and five were rescued next morning, all suffering from severe exposure. Among them was Captain Robertson, then second officer, aged 21. The rescue was effected by the lifeboat crew. Most of the regular members were absent at the time and among the volunteers was Dr Bayer, then aged 19.—Times Special Service.