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Taranaki Daily News, 3 June 1933, Page 6

“Surely you can pay me the delicate compliment of thinking I can read and write, and do a few other little things like that,” said Mr. Justice Blair to counsel in the Christchurch Supreme Court on Monday afternoon (reports the Press). “You do not need evidence to prove it. Just assume that I have average intelligence; that I know that the ground becomes wet when it rains, and that the sun rises and sets,” he added. It is reported from London that during a violent thunderstorm just over a week ago St. Paul’s narrowly escaped being struck by a “ball of fire.” According to a cable message received in Australia, witnesses declare that a fire ball twice the size of a football, with a fiery tail apparently three or four yards long, which appeared to fall from the sky, burst in St. Paul’s Church yard. Several thought the ball was sure to crash on the dome. The concussion broke windows in several buildings, including some in the General Post Office, which is several hundred yards away. Much to the surprise of the motor registration authorities of Napier, more motor vehicles have been registered this year than were last year. A few. days ago the indications were that fewer owners of private and commercial vehicles would register their cars find lorries, owing to the depression, but during the past two days the authorities have been besieged with Napier people effecting last-minute registrations. Approximately 1500 regis--trations were effected this year, compared with 1400 in 1932, the increase being in the vicinity of 100.

Bird lovers view with alarm the steady decrease in the number of our .native birds and the depredations of stoats, weasels, hawks, owls and wild cats, upon them (says the Southland Times). The sparrow hawk is recognised as a voracious bird-eater, and at present on display in Messrs. A. and W. McCarthy’s window is one of these birds which was shot at Mossbum while in the act of devouring a small bird. Still firmly clutched in its talons is the unfortunate “rifleman” upon which it was making a meal, when it was shot.

“And in those days there was a regulation that the nurses could receive a pint of beer a day,” said Mr. H. J. Otley, chairman of the North Canterbury Hospital Board, recalling some of the early history of the hospital at the opening of the Nurses’ Home yesterday afternoon. “And to show you how that was appreciated, one month there was an overdraft of 41 pints!” “We have the addresses of 3,000,000 people in the United States who normally spend the whole of their lives travelling,” said Mr. N. S. Walker, passenger representative in New Zealand of the Oceanic Steamship Company (Matson Line), who is visiting Christchurch. “As soon as these people see that business conditions have improved in America as a result of the advent of the new Government, they will begin to travel again, and for that reason we are at present conducting an intensive advertising scheme throughout the United States and Canada to attract tourists to New Zealand during the coming summer.”

An estimate that damage to the extent of about £2OOO was done at the plantation fire at Windermere recently was made by the county inspector, Mr. E. N. Johnson, at the meeting of the Ashburton County Council. He said about 20 acres of fallen timber, which would have produced about 1000 cords ,of firewood when cut, ten acres, of eight-year-old trees and 70 acres of the larger plantation were-all destroyed, as well as tools. “As the water in the race was so near, said Mr. Johnson,, “it would'have been a splendid opportunity to use a motor fire engine, and I have no hesitation in saying that the fire could have been controlled within an hour by that means.”

The agitation for the more extensive use by the Railways Department of silver pine sleepers from the West Coast has been resumed, as the result of an advertisement appearing in an. Australian journal, inviting tenders for 150,000 hardwood sleepers, under the signature of Mr. L. J. Schmidt, Tourist and Trade Commissioner for New Zealand. It is considered that such orders should be placed in New Zealand, to assist the endeavours being made to cope with unemployment. Inquiries made at Greymouth elicited the information that the matter is under the control of the maintenance branch of the Railways Department at Christchurch.