In the News

Southland Times, Issue 23989, 2 December 1939, Page 6

In the News

Porpoises At Bluff A large school of porpoises entered Bluff harbour yesterday afternoon and after playing about for some time, went out to the open sea again. Old residents of the town consider a visitation of this nature an unfailing sign of approaching bad weather.

Reward Increased Because of the extent of the wanton damage to corporation property, the Invercargill City Council has increased the reward for information that will lead to the conviction of offenders to £lO.

Cash Payment for Meat A request that all purchasers of meat pay cash for their goods has been made by the Invercargill and Suburban Master Butchers’ Association. As all butchers now have to pay cash for their stock they are anxious to avoid granting extensive credit. Customers are asked to comply with this request from December 1. No Recruits Yesterday

There were no recruits yesterday at the Invercargill Defence Office for the special force.

Infectious Diseases

The medical officer of health for Otago and Southland (Dr T. MacKibbin) reports a comparatively small list of notifiable diseases for the Otago and Southland health district for the week ended yesterday. There were two notifications of tuberculosis in Otago and one of scarlet fever; Southland had a clean sheet. Cause of Train Crash An old earthquake fault in the embankment was the, cause of the train crash on the Christchurch-Greymouth line last week, according to the district engineer of the Railways Department (Mr P. H. Morey) in a statement on his return to Christchurch after inspecting the site of the crash. The heavy rain on the preceding day and night no-doubt accelerated the slipping of the ground, said Mr Morey, who added that the crash had not resulted from any breakdown in the automatic signalling apparatus. Discussing the plans made by the department to recover the wrecked engine, Mr Morey said that two 40-ton cranes would be taken to the site this weekend and it was hoped to have; the engine back on the line by Sunday. Fire In Mataura

About 3 o’clock on Thursday morning the Mataura Fire Brigade received a call to a fire which had broken out in a one-roomed hut on wheels situated on the river bank in River street and owned by Mr A. Gillies. The fire had a good hold when the brigade arrived and,the hut was practically destroyed. There was no insurance. Returned Soldiers’ Picnic

At a meeting of delegates of the Invercargill Returned Soldiers’ Association and sub-associations last night it was unanimously decided to hold a combined picnic at the Riverton racecourse on February 24. Arrangements have been made with the Railways Department for special trains from all districts in Southland, and as the general ■ public will be invited ,to join the returned men in their picnic a big crowd is expected. A comprehensive sports programme has been arranged. Nine-Leaf Clover A nine-leaf clover, found by Beatrix Fisher, of Mokotua, has been sent to ’The Southland Times Office. Tar-Sealing on Main Road Tar-sealing is being carried out on the main south road between Arthurton and McNab, and motorists are advised by the Automobile Association (Otago) to reduce speed in this section or they will find their cars liberally bespattered with tar, states The . Evening Star, Dunedin. There are warning signs erected near the area. There is now little of the main south road to be sealed, and when a section below Arthurton is completed the whole distance between Dunedin and Invercargill will be sealed. There are several bad sections on the Chaslands road between .Balclutha and Invercargill, and considerable care is needed to be shown by motorists who use the road. On week days, too, a look-out must be kept for timber lorries which are using the road freely. At the present time workmen are engaged in improving the surface of the road and it is hoped that their work will be finished by Christmas.

No Political Scapegoat The council of the New Zealand Carriers’ Federation at a meeting in Wellington yesterday resolved that the industry had no intention of being a political scapegoat and regarded with disfavour all attempts to make political capital out of transport.—Press Association. Maori Language

Ignorance of the Maori language in New Zealand was appalling, said the Rev. Lawrence Rogers in an address to the Christchurch Business Men’s Club. “Maori as spoken in Christchurch is not Maori,” said Mr Rogers, who said it worried him to hear people chewing over the language. Actually, he said, the Maori language was quite simple to learn, although some people considered it difficult. Calves’ Freak Birth

A Shorthorn Cross cow, the property of Mr T. Houston, sen., One Mile, Queenstown, gave birth to twin calves in a very unusual manner recently. The cow gave birth to a calf on Saturday afternoon and was milked as usual until the following Tuesday when soon after the second milking she gave birth to another calf. Several farmers with many years experience of handling cows say that they have never heard of such a happening.