GENERAL NEWS

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 12 July 1923, Page 7

GENERAL NEWS

A Taumarunui Press Association message says that the injured in the railway disaster in hospital are all doing weil.

At the Magistrate’s Court in Timaru yesterday judgment for plain tilt by default was given in the case McGiuei, Davies and Co. v. A. P. Gawne, claim £8 9s lOd.

\ Brisbane cable message states that the Board of Control of tlie Australasian Coursing Union has allotted the sixth Australasian Waterloo Cup to New Zealand.

The South' Canterbury Hockey Association has been in communication with the Canterbury Association in reference to a match to be played m Christchurch, and July 21 has been confirmed as the date of the fixture.

Another Government official in a position of trust was arrested in Wellington last evening—John Craig Neill, who was a clerk employed in tlie Labour Department. It is elleged (says a -tress Association message) that while in the Government omploy he stole £IQO.

An important conference will be held to-night between the Timaru Borough Council and the South Canterbury Power Board, the subject for discussion being the proposed purchase by the Power Board of the Council’s electrical plant.

Some strong comment was made at the meeting of the Timaru Main School Committee last night over the Borough Council account for £lO for a halfyear's water rate. One member thought it was most iniquitous that a school should have to pay for water for the use of the children.

The new Mataura dairy factory, which was officially opened recently, is equipped with the. most up-to-date machinery. It contains 12 vats, but is capable of holding 15 1000-gallon vats. There are three lauding stages, three pasteurisers, and three whey separators, besides many labour-saving devices. Tho old factory building has been converted into a curing shed.

Appreciation of the quality of Nelson apples is contained in a letter to Mr A. Gilbert, of Stoke, from Mr \\. Humphries, bank manager, of Capetown, stating that a shipment or Jonathans, Delicious, and Stkrmers Mr Gilbert sent him arrived in good condition. “I am very pleased witli them,” lie wrote, “and so are my friends who participated. I think they are a great credit to your country, and to you as a grower.”

A thousand tons of pig iron came from India to Dunedin by the VVaitemata, consigned to one foundry that specialises in ranges (states an exchange). Work in that line is pretty brisk just now. The firm in question is casting every' day of the week, including Saturday; and other rangemakers in Dunedin are also supplied with plenty of orders. This spurt in tlie black trade is to a certain degree general. Things are decidedly more lively than they were three months ago.

An amusing example of the difficulties which confront the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge was given by the Archbishop of Canterbury at the annual meeting of the society. In West Africa, he said, they could, not get native funes to fit tlie words or the hymns, but eventually they got a great native singer to sing into a gramophone so that a record could be made of the tunes. Disaster followed the experiment, however, as the lung power of the singer was enormous, and he absolutely blew the machine to bits.’

The “Sydney Referee” contends that in view of the defeats sustained by tho New Zealand Soccer team at the hands of several country teams, the selectors should visit every part of the State before selecting the Test teams, wit}i the object of including worthy country p]avers in the teams representing the State or Commonwealth. On the other hand (states a Press Association cable message) many Association officials dismiss tlie country defeats of the New Zealanders airily, contending that the visitors concentrated on winning “tho ashes” and treated the other games as picnic contests.

David Munn, with several aliases, who was arrested a week ago by Constable Munro on several charges of securing gifts of clothes by false pretences, was before the Court in Timaru yesterday, wdien Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M., was on the Bench. Senior Sergeant Fahey explained the accused’s modus operandi. He went from house to house with a pitiful tale that he had a wife and six children in want at Christchurch, and as a result several people had given him clothes suitable tor children and adults. He had £l4 in his possession when arrested, and he was a single man. Fie had hired a room in the Express Company’s buildings, where he displayed the clothes which were given him, in the same way that a traveller display's his samples. Mr W. D. Campbell appeared for the accused an’d asked that he should bo given another chance. Accused said that if given another chance he would never come before the Court again. He added that he did not drink. The Magistrate placed accused on probation for a period of two years, and ordered him to report to the probation officer every Saturday afternoon.

A correspondent forwards the following referring to “the best niethod of destroying rats,” 2700 of which weie, it is said, caught in a warehouse m one niuht bv the use of tubs and watei, as follows Get old tubs, take away the tops, and supply their place with parchment or stout brown paper. On tins iOf two or three nights in succession leavo a few fragments of cheese, bacon, or other dainty dear to tiny rat palate. Lean a piece of board against the side of the tub to serve as a ladder, and allow tho rats to become thoroughly accustomed to the future trap. Aft ol a few days place a brick upright at the bottom of the tub; fill with water to a depth of Gin, so that the top of the brick is just high and dry;■ and cut the parchment in slips in such a manner as to give way at the sliglitesu pressure. The first rat tlnrt_ ventures on this falls, of course, into the watei, and quickly' makes its way' to the brick, and then ensues a battle roy'aj, accompanied by' much squeaking. Now the cry of a rat in distress invariably attracts every rat within hearing, with a view to a possible meal upon their unfortunate relation. So others quickly share the fate of the imprisoned rats, and large numbers are thus caught.

'The tremendously involved work which is frequently thrown upon, the Native Lands Office is well illustrated by a case—one amongst many -winch is occupying tho attention of the Gisboinc office at the present time, it has to do with the division of a block of Native land surveyed in 18b!) in the \\ ati an district, some distance' irom Avairoa. The boundary runs through a flax swamp, and the landmarks and corners shown on the old plan do not coincide with the plans drawn receiil Iv, w ith iho result that one group of Natives consider that they have ground for claiming a larger slice of the flax swamp than they have had possession of. The dispule has been going on almost since the survey was first made, and officials in the local office are. delving back into minute-honks of tho dim past and onwards in the hope of getting some definite evidence to settle the mailer (states the “Gisborne. Times”). No great area, of land is involved, and its value is not great, but insticr; demands that it he given the fullest possible ini"»sthiation.