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Taranaki Daily News, 27 August 1930, Page 8

A 'small tin hut at Westport belonging to the Defence Department was recently destroyed by a scrub fire on the rifle range. Last week two men arrived from Christchurch to hold, an inquiry into the affair and to arrive at an estimate for rebuilding the hut. It seems & waste of public money, says the Greymouth Star, to send two men all th© way from Christchurch to investigate such a trivial matter. The expenses incurred by the inquiry would almost be more than the value of the shed.

“The general idea is that when oil is struck it immediately ‘gushes,’” remarked Air. J. H. Forde, chief chemist to the Vacuum Oil Company, in a lecture on petroleum at Christchurch. This happened only occasionally, he said, about 95 per cent, of oil wells having to be pumped. One Alexican “gusher” produced 120,000 barrels. of oil a day for some months. Another arrived so suddenly that it .ignited, and burned fox’ a year, the loss of oil being estimated at 70,000 barrels a day. A successful “old-time” 'dance was held in the Hillsborough Hall last night under the auspices of the hall committee. There was a good attendance and under the supervision of Alessrs G. Alarsh and J. Rogers, masters of ceremonies, the dancers spent a pleasant time with the assistance of music played by Martin’s orchestra. Supper was, served by a committee of ladies under the leadership of Airs. H. C. Sampson, while the general arrangements were attended to by the ball committee, of which Air. N. F. Skelton was chairman,

gome slides were shown at a meeting of the Wellington Philosophical Society recently of the first attempts at aerial survey made in New Zealand. This was done in the King Country. The aerial photographs showed many details omitted from even the most recent maps, and, when explaining the slides, Air. H. T. Ferrar, of the Geological Survey Department, expressed the opinion that the Dominion’s map-making was about 20 years behind that of other countries at a similar stage of civilisation. The cost of aerial survey he estimated, at about £8 per square mile, as against a total cost of £25 by other methods.

The New Zealand Church Congress, which was to have been held in January, 1931, in Christchurch, has been postponed until February. 1932. This step has been taken, said Dean Julius at Christchurch, because it was found that there was not sufficient time to make the necessary arrangements and because the bishops would have just returned from the Lambeth Conference in January, 1931. They would have a, lot of work waiting them on their re-, turn and it was felt that it would be better to hold the Congress in 1932. A way. to make money grow was suggested by Air. 8. Vella at a meeting of the Onehunga Borough Council. The Alayor reported that a recent collection for ex-servicemen had realised £BO, and the association was handing the money to the council for expenditure in th© employment of ex-servicemen. The sum would carry a subsidy, thereby helping ex-servicemen still further. Mr. Vella said he presumed the council would subsidise the £BO first, making the fund £l6O, and then the council cOuld apply to the Government for a subsidy of £2 for £1 on the whole amount, providing a total of £4BO. Thirty-two and a-half acres of grass paddock lent for the championship ploughing match at Prcbbleton, Canterbury, were turned over recently. Th® amount allotted to each of the 41 competitors varied from half, an acre to an acre and a-half. Farmers state that the average cost of ploughing an acre of medium land is -about 12s. At that figure the cost to a farmer of turning over the land ploughed by the competi-' tors would have, been approximately £l9. It is stated, however, that the shortness of the land allotted to each competitor mado it a difficult matter to plough the rest of the paddock later, in view of the amount of turning required for the team. ’ The VJaiwakaiho hqrsp t fair will he htfld to r of all. classes will be offered.*;'.