GENERAL NEWS

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 2 July 1924, Page 8

GENERAL NEWS

During the past week only two cases of infectious disease were reported i” South Canterbury. These were both scarlet fever. On account of the. heavy rain last week the Manawntu river rose 0 leet 10 inches. This is the highest ri.so this year. The executive of the New Zealand Educational Institute has forwarded a cheque for £SO as a subscription to the Dominion Council of the II oncers Educational Association. The Customs revenue collected at Tinmru during the past month amounted to £8259 9s, as against £6580 17s 4d for the corresponding month . of_ last, voar 'l’lie beer returns of £720 15s 9d show ar. increase of i'S on the figures for .June of last year. Two name's which are inscribed on the .Memorial Window in St. Mary's, Geraldine, were inadvertently omitted from the list which was published on Monday. These names were: C. 11. Crowe and A. 0. Guinness.

A cable message from London says that all berths for migrants to New Zealand are booked up to the end ol August. The total assisteds for the year ended Juno 0, under tho new arrangement was 83(52.

A Southland man at present in Timaru stated that in his home province there had been five successive weeks of rain. “It’s a treat to come to a district, where there is plenty of sunshine,” he said.

The funeral of the late LieutenantColonel Lindsay took place yesterday and was largely attended. Four of the deceased’s intimate friends acted as pall-bearers, and the service at tho grave was conducted by the Yen. Archdeacon Julius.

The first lamb appeared' in the Tangitu district (King Country), on June 7, more than a month earlier than is usual (says an exchange), it and other Jambs will run a great risk of being eaten by wild pigs, which are very numerous and causing anxiety to the settlers.

The early stages of the work in connection with the War Memorial to bo erected in Timaru have been commenced. For the past day or two workmen at the Park have been busily employed felling trees and clearing vhe ground of the site selected for the memorial

Although the majority of the young trees planted along the Caroline Bay parade have taken well, a few of the weeping willow trees have died off, and in order to replace them the caretaker would be pleased to receive donations of youn£ trees, suitable for planting.

That legislation should be introduced providing that a 44-hour week should be made the law of the land was a request made to the Minister of Labour (Hon. G. J. Anderson) by a cl - nutation from the Alliance of L,.joui - . The Minister held out no hope, stating that this was a matter for the Arbitration Court to decide. The vital statistics for Timaru dis trict for the month of June, compared with those for the corresponding month last year, show a decrease of thirteen birttis, an increase of five deaths, and an increase of four marriages. The detailed figures are as follows, those for 1923 being given in parentheses:... Births 30 M 3); deaths-17 (12): marriages 11 (17).

Cabinet has granted the usual subsidy of £ for £ on a donation of £IO,OOO made by Sir Walter Buchanan M.L.C., for the establishment of a Chair of Agriculture, at Victoria University College, Professor Peren was recently appointed to the Chair as the first Professor of Agriculture at the College. (Press Association.)

At last night’s meeting of the West End Ratepayers’ Association it was stated that the present bus stops in the West End of the town were very unsatisfactory, and wit was decided to ask the Bus 1 Committee of the Borough Council to have the buses stop in Otipua Road. The question of the refusal of bus conductors to take perambulators was also raised, but no action was taken.

About 8 o’clock yesterday morning, reports a Press Association message from Wellington, there was a bit of a scare in the new Parliament Buildings. Just by the members’ entrance, opposite the library wing, by some means a. couple of baskets of waste paper caught alight. The blaze was put out with the aid of a fire extinguisher, but not before some panes of glass hact been cracked, and a portion of the varnished woodwprk surrounding the door scorched.

At the Drill Shed on Monday evening a very interesting address on life in the Royal Navy, was given to the senior cadets by Master at Arms Hutchinson, who- is at present touring New Zealand in connection with the recruiting of young men for service in the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy. Before leaving Timaru the Petty Officer also gave short addresses on the subject at the various schools in the district.

In Chalmers Hall on Monday night, before a large audience, the Rev. 1. Gladsome Hughes, 8.A.. delivered the first of a series of lectures on 1 sychologv. Mr Hughes spoke in a very interesting manner, giving a clear definition both of the old and the muy psychology, and he established a basis for tlie continuance of the study ol the subject. The lectures are open to the public, and will bo oi special interest to students of psychology * The second lecture will be given next Monday night.

The Dominion Dairy Con ference at Palmerston North yesterday resolved that the moratorium should bo extended for five years, but also adopted another remit that it should be gradually lifted, and that bona fde producers should be given firstchance of taking up their properties at any reduced prices submitted :.o outsiders. A subsequent resolution was to the effect that if tho moratorium is lifted the Government should come to the assistance of farmers by borrowing £25,000,000 in London for advancing through the State Advances Department.

The necessity for the establishment of a rubbish destructor in Timaru was referred to at last night’s meeting of the West End Ratepayers’ Association. Mr J. Anstey, who was present, . said that the question had been before tho Council quite a number of times, but was being held up on account of the expense which would be involved in erecting and maintaining a destructor. He thought that it would he a year or so before the Council would be able to go to such expense. A voice: “Tt wouldn’t be as expensive as an epidemic, would it?” It was decided that tlie- executive should be instructed to approach the other Ratepayers’ Associations with a view to asking the Council to build a destructor.

IMieu Sir Joseph .Wai'd passed through Timaru yesterday he was met at the railway station by a number oi his old friends who warmly welcomed him; expressed their pleasure at his restoration to good health, and who hoped that it would not be long before Now Zealand would again have the benefit oi liis services in the House. Sir Joseph thanked the deputation foi their complimentary references rid good wishes, and said ho was glad to say that, his health was now eoinplot'Hy restored. With regard to the political outlook, or his intention; concerning next election he said he would prefer not to speak, adding that he was at proseni an onlooker, and he was rot sure hut that he had the best of the game in that position. A Press message from Auckland states that the Jewish youth. Paul Henry Duval, who cut a pathetic figure in the Police Court on Friday last, when charged with disobeying the demands of his superior officer on the Port Augusta, and having attempted suicide, and whom Air J. IV. Poynton. S.M., declined to allow to stay in the Dominion, "appeared again before the Magistrate yesterday. Mr Goldsteiv., solicitor, said the shipping authorities were now quito prepared to allow Duval his discharge from the Pori Augusta, and the captain said he was quite willing. Af: Poynton, S.M.. said lie at: first thought the accused an undesirable, but had since found that he was not of this ivpo. lie would be discharged on both charo-AK.

The fine open winter which has been experienced in Timaru, with its abundance of sunshine, has given renewed life to the proposal that a sunshine recorder should be obtained for Timaru, to demonstrate beyond doubt that it has at least as much sunshine as any other town in the Dominion, and a great deal more than most. Otheitowns which enjoy a. great deal of sunshine, such as Nelson and Napier, are provided with sunshine recorders, and use their records to boost their climates in other parts of the world. A prominent business man in conversation with a “Herald” reporter yesterday, said that Timaru seemed to be very much behind in boosting its natural advantages.

There appears to be solid ground for the claim that New Zealand is the dairy farm of the British Empire. It was stated by Mr W. M. Singleton, director of the dairy division, at the conference of the National Dairy Association at Auckland, that no other country had anything like the same number of cows per 100 of the population. The industry employed 78,000 persons last year, compared with 50,000 in 1919, while the output of butter-fat had increased by 13 per cent. Dairy farmers were becoming alert to the value of herd-testing, and the latest record showed that over 146,000 had been tested, compared with 90,000 previouslv. The latest available census showed that in 1922 there was an increase of 1000 milking machines, and that 78,000 cows extra were being milked by machinery.

A meeting of the committee of the Tekapo Development League, was held on Monday night, when the following members were present —Messrs W. O. Long (chairman), J. Wilson, J. R. Bruce, R. Alston, P. B. Foote, G. E. Kerr, J. W. Kelly, W. Angland, H. Hall. Rev. T. Wilson Potts, T. Thomson, E. D. Mcßae. E. Porter, C. W. Wood, P. C. Vinnell, A. E. Lawrence, and R. Wedderspoon. An executive was elected as follows:—Messrs T. D. Burnett, M.P., C. E. Kerr, W. O. Long, H. Hall, R. Shillito, E. Porter, A. E. Lawrence and P. B. Foote: Branches of the League will shortly be formed in various centres, and the chairman of each branch will be an ex-officio member of the main committee of the League. At a meeting of the etxecutive, which was held later, Mr W. O. Long was unanimously elected to the office of chairman. A .sub-com-mittee was appointed, with- authority to secure an office, and other necessary requirements for the League. The appointment of 'Mr R. Wedderspoon as organising secretary was confirmed by the main committee.