GENERAL NEWS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 24 November 1924, Page 8

GENERAL NEWS.

“There is just as much gambling m guessing the number of peas m a bottle as in running a roulette table The Rev. J. C. Paterson (Clutha l J resbvterv) at the 1 resbytery Assembly at Palmerston

Now ihat the Christchurch carnival has concluded, railway traffic has aga 1 n resumed the even tenor of its way. hor the last week small trains have been the order of the day, and until the Christmas rush commences no improvement in express traffic is expected.

The evening wanderings of a hedgehog on a farm in the Carnarvon district ended tragically the other night. The animal was found securely caught in a trap set in a rabbit burrow. Jt» is considered that the hedgehogs will soon become a pest, ior their numbers are said- to be rapidly increasing.

“If motorists will drive more carefully and drink less beer there will bo no accidents,” commented a member at a meeting of the Waipa Count. Council, when a request for the widening of the road at the dip on the way from Hamilton to the Te Rapa racecourse was under consideration.

Farmers in the King Country are complaining of the shortage of farm labour, and although some very high wages have been ottered there .seems to be no response. Considering the supposed shortage of work, and the amount of unemployment, this seeing to be an incomprehensible state or affairs.

“The conduct of this man was heartless,” said the Magistrate at Glnistehurch on Saturday, m lining Frederica W. .J. Garlick, a taxi-driver, £H for lcckless driving, and £5 for failing to stop the car when called on. The police said that Garlick knocked a man down and did not stop, though the fare asked him to, and a policeman called.

The erection of several up-to-date buildings in George Street has not only had the effect ot creating considerable improvement to tno architectural beauty of the town, but also of bringing into prominence a street that gives promise of developing into quite an important business and shopping centre; Jn addition to the buildings recently erected and others already under construction, tenders for the erection of a large building will shortly be called.

At the Stratford Magistrate’s Court when a young man was charged with a breach of the by-laws, the Magistrate (Mr A. M. Mowlpm) said that some men should licit be permitted to own cars, because they had no idea of tho power of which the,y had control. In short, they Jacked balance. Constable Gill, in reference to tho defendant in that particular case, said he was an only son. “Oh, I see,” said Mr Mowlcm, “spoilt.”

A remarkable instance of a narrow escape from fatal injury through being struck by lightning aceurrod at Tisbury. Mr dames McCann, a farmer in the district, and at one time a champion axeman, was getting through a wire fence during the thunderstorm, when a Hash of lightning struck the wires and ,tho fluid passed '(through. his body. Mr McCann was rendered unconscious lor two hours and still bears tho marks of his injuries oil his face and hands.

“The wool in the King Country is turning out in bettor condition than 1 have ever seen it,” was the opinion expressed by an expert who has resided for many years in this district. “Though the lambing has not been up to the percentages of former years, this has been general throughout tho Dominion. The King Country is in for a good year, and many who have had a hard‘battle this last few years will bo placed on their feet again,” were the parting words of the optimist states the King Country “Chronicle.”

It may not be generally known that rabbits were first introduced to Now Zealand by Mr Charles B. Carter, a gentleman whose name is perpetuated in a AVairarapa township (states an exchange). For the first .few years it was regarded as,a very serious offence to destroy a rabbit on Mr Carter’s property. In ten years, however, the whole district was infested with rabbits and it cost settlers of the AYairarapn an enormous sum to rid. themselves of the pest.

Last week the chairman of the AVlieat Board (Mr G. W. Leadley) showed to members of tho ALd-Canterbui,y Farmers’ Union half a dozen samples ot the wheat which the Government at present is buying ‘ train Australia, at high prices, and asked them to smell it, “if they dared.” Members did as they were asked and pronounced the wheat quite unsuitable for Canterbury millers for whom it had been imported. It was said that New Zealand farmers would be lucky if they got such wheat passed as decent fowl wheat, ,nnd it was lui - tlior stated that the wheat was full ot a variety of seeus as well as being affected by rust, and that it gave off an offensive odour.

A Supreme Court action of considerable interest to tho business community will bo heard at tho next sitting in Timaru. The National Mortgage and Agency Company is bringing an action against Messrs G. S. Meredith and Company, AA’aimate. arising out of cottain potato transactions between tho two firms, and a large sum ot money is involved. The action was to have come before the Supreme Court last month, but owing lo counsel engaged on both, sides being also engaged in lhe Flotirmillors’ case in Dunedin, the hearing had to be adjourned until the next sitting, which commences carh' next year. Tho action will be heard before a special jury and is expected to last several days.

At the monthly meeting of the Canterbury Education Board on 111 u rsu.i > last a letter was reee.ved from the Department advising that .the quest.on o the purchase of a new site and remo\.t of the school at Seadown would be considered when it was known what sums would he available lor tins and similar work when urgently school accommodation was provided where none ex s s a present. The Department advised that it did not favour the proposal to mill ige the present school residence at ''ilhmbridw, as, in the event of anothei teacher being appointed the res deuce might prove too laigm It -‘S decided to inform the Department that the Hoard was in agreement with the view taken, to ask for a grant for the provision of a portable sleeping room estimated to cost about LoO.

Air T. Kennedy, secretary. of the Geraldine Bra licit of the l< armors Union has received a communication from tlm Minister of Agriculture, in reference to the difference m price ol ••iipernlio'.iihate in Auckland and Canlorbnr- districts. The matter ,s now. iecriviiig tlm consideration o' the t-ov-rup’o'i( However, fhe mace quoted hr 11,0 works a! Auckland is 1.0. b. , timers o-- on trm-ks at tlm works. ul,ile in the South Island, the price includes railwav freight lo the noint nf doh'verv. After deduct our railwav i'roiidit and discount, the di'l’eren-e i u ■ nice between U"' <wo Islands is ,s Sd. This was most lil-elv accounted for by. I) was thought, tlm Kef that Die phuj„„ nr (he raw material in the '-mlm at llornhv came out at a lew slbuin'm nH ,vo than it cost t-> nine" it in the ..-orks at Aunk 1 nd. OlHv Bmto'-s were n, r , pnnvv c'p' t■ d cost of tbo "-orks a 1 pfnrnhv and the comparatively small oul put.

Harvesting operations will soon be in operation in iiangitikoi, and already the farmers are busy “tuning up’ their binders tor the coming season. The earliest crops of oats have now been in head some two or three weeks, and are beginning to show colour. These early crops do not promise very well, bat later sown ones will probably yield better results.

At a meeting of the Mid-Canterbury Farmers’ Union last week a circular was read from tho sub-committee of tlie Wheat Hoard set up to gather information regarding the marketing of wheat. The report was to the effect that it could not recommend any active steps regarding co-operative marketing of 1924-25 wheat. The Victorian scheme could be adopted with alterations for the Dominion where conditions warranted it. The Victorian Wheat Growers’ Corporation recommended keeping the present organisation iii existence for the collection and dissemination of marketing intelligence for one year, when the position should he reviewed. In the meantime the basis of an organisation capable of being developed into an active marketing organisation working on the lines recommended should be established. The sub-committee recommended that the board immediately take steps to obtain tlie best and latest information and publications bearing on the subject. Mr G. AV. Leadley chairman of the Wheat Board), saul that arrangements had been made toi tlie appointment of an officer for the collection and dissemination of information It w,ns desired that farmers should have as free a run as possible in order to get the best prices available. Some means of nrocurmg more and reliable information than tlie piesent facilities offered was absolutely es-