GENERAL NEWS

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 11 July 1923, Page 9

GENERAL NEWS

A frost fish was picked up on the beach at Waimataitai last .Monday morning.

The Patea County has 16) miles of bituminous roads built entirely out o revenue.

A London message reports that owing to the dockers’ strike the wool sales have been postponed until July

Typewriters which are painted white 1 all over are said to improve the users’ ; output whilst causing less eye strain, j

A Press message from Brisbane states that the New Zealand bowlers defeated Bundaberg by 17 2 to 159, and Maryborough by 206 to 123.

With the object of raising funds to purchase books for the Juvenile Library the schools of Timaru will give a combined concert. The School Committees’ Association at its meeting last night approved of such a concert being given.

The Timaru School Committees’ Association decided last night that the town schools should be given a half-holiday so that the children could attend the football match between South Canterbury and the Maori team to-day.

A Press Association message from j Sydney states that the New Zealand ! Soccer team concluded their tour by ! defeating Western Districts at Lith- . gow by four goals to one. Campbell, the New Zealand captain, is suffering j from influenza and did not play. j At a meeting of traders and nianu- ' factuicrs held in Christchurch yesterday to consider how best to increase the trade of New Zealand with the East, there was a small attendance. A motion was carried that owing to the lack of interest shown by the meeting, it would not be advisable to take any action.—Press Association. At the meeting of the Timaru School 1 Committees’ Association last night re- ■ ference was made to the system of grading teachers. Mr W. Gibb ex- 1 pressed his conviction that in some districts, at least, the grading was not done on an equitable basis, but was subject to the will of the chief inspector, ■ who on occasions did not appear to bo; averse to favouritism.

A movement is on foot in Westport (says a Press Association message) to endeavour to induce the Parliamentarians en route to the offioial opening of the Otira Tunnel to oome to the Coast via Blenheim, Nelson and Westport, proceeding to Greymouth and Hokitika and on to Otira, completing the tour at Christchuroh.

That South Taranaki dairy farmers have confidence in the dairying industry and are prepared to give high, prices for good dairy stock was amply demonstrated last week at a sale of a Mr James Hocking, of Otakeho (says the “Taranaki Herald”). One cow realised £3O, whilst many others brought from £2O to £25, the line averaging £lB 6s 6d. I

“All farmers know the best method of dehorning,” said Mr James King at the A. and P. Association meeting in Invercargill, “and that is to deal with the calves by using caustic soda.” “But that’s not dehorning,” said Mr James Fleming; “before you can dehorn you must have a horn to cut at.” (Laughter.) “Yes, it is,” said Mr King. “You simply nip the buds off with a knife instead of using big clippers later.” “What about pu'rcbreds?” asked an other. “I won’t stand for purebreds being dehorned,” concluded Mr King.

The other day a lady who resides at' Wanganui had occasion to walk up the passage towards the front of the house, and to her surprise she saw a young man hurrying from oue bedroom to another. The lady was hot on his trail, and caught him as he reached the verandah. On being asked to explain his conduct tlie young man stated that he was looking for the house of another resident. The lady was not altogether satisfied, and made him turn out his pockets; but, fortunately for him, he had not commandeered any of the household jewellery. On being released the young man made a hasty retreat for the gate.

An amusing incident of the Waikato War was related to a representative of the “Auckland Star” by a gentleman . verging on four score years. “We were j in a redoubt,” he said, “with some Im-! perial soldiers. One Sunday morning I j decided to go to the church parade. We voluntters were not forced to at-1 tend, but it was compulsory with the ‘Tommies.’ Although it was the middle of winter, with mud everywhere, yet those ‘Tommies’ turned out spick and span, with brightly polished hoots, while mine were covered with clay. My lieutenant talked very plainly to me when I returned, and because I said if lie would supply the blacking 1 would polish my hoots next time, my grog was stopped for tln - eo days. Promptly I rushed off to the canteen and got down three tots of rum before the orderly arrived to state that my grog was stopped.” | The prevalence of goitre among Christchurch girls was mentioned by Dr. C. C. Farr, Professor of Physics at Canterbury College, at a meeting of the Canterbury Philosophical Institute. He said one cause possibly might be radium

emanation. It was a gas of most potent character physically. One gram of it would produce the same phyhical effects as 100,000 grams of radium itself. The waters of many artesian wells in Christchurch had been examined in the physics laboratory at Cantermiry College, and radium emanation Jjad been found in all those examined. Radium was distributed widely in small quantities throughout the earth’s crust, and he would expect to find the emanation in all subterranean waters. Dr. Telford said the theory that the prevalence of goitre was due to radium emanation in artesian water was discounted by Professor Farr’s statement that the malady attacked the one sex more than another. If the theory wa.s sound both sexes should have goitre to the same degree, as presumably the sexes were equal in respect to water drinking. There are many Scotch people in the Auckland province who hail from that part of Aberdcenshiro where that greatest of all cattle breeders, William Dutliie, of “Coll.vnie,” lived, Mr Duthie, who passed away lately at a, good, ripe old age, was a confirmed bachelor, and left at his death over £200,000. He was known the world over as the “king of Shorthorn breeders,” and be did much with ills stock to improve the herds in all quarters of the globe, and notably was this done in our own Dominion. He was a. koen Scot, but was loved and respected by all who knew him. He had a very genial humour, and took in good part all the chaffing lie got about not taking unto himself a wife, in a country famed for iis beautiful women. He used to always curry a big, crooked stick, and one day at a cattle show, after he had had more than a usual “costing” for not getting married, he put the crook stick around the nook of a young woman who is now one of the matrons of Auckland, and said : “People snv i am no beauty, and cannot, got a lass: hut I’ve got a bonny otic now,” and! drawing the girl near to him, he kissed her on both, cheek's, amidst, the hearty laughter of many onlookers. lie was a very genial man, who never did things b,v halves.