NEWS OF THE DAY.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12768, 9 February 1910, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Swimming sports will be held at Tapawera. on Friday next, commencing at one o'clock. A telephone .office and bureau has been -opened at Umukuri (Brooklyn, Riwaka). The delivery of telegrams is irregular. There have been (writes our Motueka correspondent) exceptionally heavy shipments of fruit in January, over one thousand tons going over the wharf during the last three weeks of the month. Raspberries were much more plentiful than usual, all the four local factories getting all that they required. Hops will be a Liuch lighter crop than usual, the bines not branching well down the strings. The last rain, will improve the yield, but it was too late to be of much benefit to the crop. AJI grain crops have turned out light, and even where the ..crop came up well, blights of various sorts have combined to keep down the yield in bushels. | Mr I. Johns, who has been in business in Trafalgar street for no less than fifty-one years, has decided to retire, and is offering his business and properties, for sale. Mr Johns has played his part as a good citizen, and has well and i fairly earned what he now seeks —a tew years of leisure. The establishment over which he has exercised control for so long a period of years has ever been in the forefront, but comparatively few are aware of what an extensive plant is contained in the spacious premises to the rear of the Trafalgar street frontage. Mr Johns in another column offers his business and properties for sale. After twenty-four hours of showery humid weather, there was an exceptionally heavy downpour of rain yesterday morning. The gratings in different streets were unable to cope with the water which ran into the gutters, and the footpaths were soon flooded. The lid covering the sewer at the junction of Waimea and Hardy streets was lifted to relieve the pressure, and water overflowed in all directions, pedestrian traffic being suspended- for upwards of an hour. The afternoon was fine, but the heat continued extremely oppressive. In the vicinity of St Vincent street, Hampdem street west and Toi Toi street the downpour was tropical in its intensity, and considerable damage was done. At the brick works a large quantity of pipes were damaged by water, and there were some slips on the hillside. The roadway in Toi Toi street was also scoured out. China is entering upon a new period of her history, and (observes .. the "National Review," Shanghai) the new period is marked by changes everywhere. Now we have China beginning to take up the exhibition as a means of advertisement, and as a means of commercial and industrial education. -..■'■ The London "Daily Mail" is. now. issuing a special edition for the blind, printed in Braille characters.: 'The paper offers to send a specimen copy to any address on receipt of a penny stamp. The Temperature.— At t v r.-e o'cloij this morning the thermometer outside his office registered 55 degrees.