GENERAL NEWS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18152, 29 December 1928, Page 8

GENERAL NEWS.

The “Timaru Herald” will not bo published on Hew Year’s Day (Tuesday next). The South Canterbury,' Freezing Works whioh closed for the Christmas holidays on December 22, will re-open for killing on January 7.

Yesterday all rivers in South > jOantertnuy, with tho exception of the Opihi, wore in good fishing condition. The last mentioned stream,, is ©xpeoted to be suitable for fishing to : day.

The first express south drew eighteen cars, and was twelve minutes late on-arrival at thh Tuparu railway station; ' owing to the heavy passenger traffic. ''

The self-enveloping system recently adopted by Telegraph Offices throughout New Zealand, made work a lot easier for the looal despatch section of tho Timaru Telegraph Office this year.

The young man Howes, who was accidentally- allot in tho chest; by a peariflo on Sunday last, and who was admitted ’to the Timani Public Hospital) - is nyiking fairly satisfactory progress towards recovery. ,

A light but warm rain: set in yesterday afternoon and fell at intervals during the ovenmg. While it, spoilt much of the pleasure of holiday makers, it will do a. certain amount of good, botli in town and country, though it was nob wanted by those win. at present arc hay making. Some housewives complain that sugar is always ‘‘up” during the jam ami preserves season. 'lbis season tho Alelhonnio Housewives' Association is t lying to get- in first. It Inis already passed a resolution to the oll'cct that a reasonable' price of sugar should be the first, of New Year gifts.

Despite, the,large crouds which,.congregate on Caroline Day in connection with' the c-arnival, there has been a noteworthy absccuco of petty pilfering and,pick-pocketing ibis year. Inquiries made at the police station yesterdayoli.pited tlie information that-, nothing of that nature had been -re pot he 1 1 - .the roof late. ....

A Press telegram from Auckland sttys that on Thursday morning a railway van containing parcelA of /inail ready for "tlie south-bound goods train/ was broken . into, ami ovor thirty packets ripped open. Tho interior of. the van was found in confusion. The.contents, of.; the packets we.ro gathered and taken''to the parcels packed and checked,' It is.- understood thnt- litt/lbmft value.Js:missing; • ' • y ..’y. '. . Found; in ' V seniibinconseioua- condi- ' Hon beside his'motor-cycle on tho.,Mgjn; North Itoad near -Geraldine,-V "R/Qifald. ' Weaver, a nephew, .of .. Mr' d M.- ! "A:; Weaver, o£'”Gera-ldihe, : was removed;.-■Eo, the Brae sidy /Hospital, on Thursday.- It j is assumedvtba.t-iiißf'C.ycle 'Bkid<fed, u ,s'ft'er strijaug ia ;pofcJiole, . and that the- riderwas thrown heavily to the ground. Inquiries made last evening revealed the fact; that the sufferer had regained/ sciousness,'and was making satisfactory/ -progress. ■- ; •-

The extensive milking operations winch have been developed tins season among the Maoris in the Wanganui, district are already justifying the experiment (says a Wanganui paper),/Practically the whole of those who joined the ■scheme; -have been entering into the worjc with /much zeal, and the results to-day are to bo, seen oli the arrival of the : hip3riv«r? steamers at the landing. As many, as. 7.0 nans have coif]© as a Consignment. The up-river settlements give every promise of becoming of considerable importance,

A Grevmouth angler, out after trout, had a thrilling experience) (reports the Greymduth Evening' - Star).- - Using a trout rod, he caught, and landed ,-_a.. 28 lb cel, 4ft 6jin. in length and,with, a girth b’f 17ih. "liiside the eel .wad found a - trout lOfin. long, and the.' remains of another which .-must haye-gope from JJjlb'.to 31b in; .weight.. The eel took over 'two hours to land. Recently: an’other angler landed 'a trout • with ja stone, about an inch and a half long- fn ita-. stomffph. , ,Up ( .was fishing itear Oinotq and thought at first that he had solved'the mystery 4 of disappearing golf b (ills,-' - - . - -W"' *Uw -.si-.

'A wonderful record was put up by the Mauriboville district in th© : Great War ■ when every eligible man • ,voluntered for, service, and only two were rejected as medically unfit, onVbeing'a cripple. The local school is particularly fortunate in its staff and parents, who assist;in every-way to-make,.the children loyal and patriotic citizens of the Empire. Many of the pupils'are descendants of the first settlers, who cam© from Denmark, Sweden and Norway in 1872. Mauriceville, which was named after the late Sir Maurice O’Route,' -is a, few miles north .of Masfcertpn. , y

“■What,; is the difference-between,,Re-formative - detention,- penal servitude, and hal’d labour?-’, was a question, recently asked a class of schoolboys undergoing an examination in civics. One bright youth evidently a supporter of Sir, .Joseph Ward, replied “reformative detention; 'was ;whkt the’Reform' Party deserves. 1 Penal/ kefyitude -is' What Would d'o‘ the ’Labour' Pa'i'ty- gpod/'and bard labour is what the' United i Party is going to have.” Incidentally the: above conundrum is one which would take more than 'the brains of a-school-boy to answer. - ■ '”' <

A''very considerable increase' in' tha number ‘of messages >received .and-..for-warded,: and a flight decrease in, transmissions, was- experienced by.-the Timaru Telegraph Office on Monday, when making a comparison ,-with the telegraphic traffic for Christmas . Eve of . last.year.- . Messages.- forwarded this year, totalled IBSfV this /number : representing an. increase... pf- .608,, ~on the figures for twelve months ago. transmissions on .Monday numbered 1565, as against 1572 in 1927. Inward messages also showed a large increase, the number received being 197 /, as against 1455 last year/ ■■

A Press ‘ As'sociaticra Tiiessage ; 1 - from Wellington say's that the Secretary of the Department of External, Affairs, Mr C, A. Berendsen, returned to, Wellington from Samoa on Thursday. At the instance of the -1 Administrator of Western ■* Samoa, Colonel Allen, Mr, „ lierundsen, in association, with, the I’ubhe Service Commission (Mr P. Yerschaftelt) and Mr Park (Assistant-Secretary to the Treasury) inquired into the finance and staffing of the Samoan Civil Service. It is expected, as a result of the inquiry, 'certain recommendations will be made to the' - 'Government!

“Smoke .and., noise are, tw0.... tilings that we have not,[given' attention to,” said Dr Thacker at - a meeting of the General Commititte of Health AVeek in Otostphurohu. , , One. had, only. ,to go up pn the Cashmere Hills Ip see. the smoke overhanging the’ railwaiy' statiofi;: Smoke said-tihe doctor, - 'was one of tlieigreatest destroyer’s of life.. He.had noticed that in cities all over the world a, movement was afoot to miniiriise noise. The City Council was trying, to put. down the noise nuisance .in., the, city v and he thought tliat the cbmmittee should write complimentary letters to the council and the Automobile Association. The. suggestion was approved., „ , ,

That, the carelessness of the New Zealand public is somewhat-astonishing was demonstrated,, to a “Herald” representative yesterday, when he paid a visit to tho “lost luggage”' office at the Timaru railway station. : A large proportion of the people who ; travel, inadequately and . carelessly label their parcels and truiiks. lii one day during tho Christmas rush’,' six purses were found,- and not, one of -these contained the name of tho owner. Overcoats, cameras and umbrellas wore among the articles loft, and tho officer in charge, stressed the need of owners, placing their names on such articles and on the ■inside of their bojkes and purses.

Shortly before 7 o’clock last evening a collision .occurred at -tho comor of North and Harper Streets between a taxi and a high-powered motor cycle riddon by a young’man. The taxi; which was proceeding down North Street,, turned into Harper Street, and the motor-cyclist, who was overtaking the car, in endeavouring; to pass, struck tho taxi and collided with a telegraph post on the corner. Fortunately, tho accident was not attended by any serious injury, the cyclist receiving slight: cuts about tlio face ami hands, which ,did . not. necessitate medical attention. Tho taxi escaped without damage, Init the 'motor-cycle was considerably damaged. *»

The British Medical Journal contains article's by'Professor Dixon and Dr O. B. Heald, two prominent medio® authorities of England, pointing out tho dangers which' may follow tho improper use of ultra-violet lamps. Dr Dixoit says: Many of the lamps emit rays to which-man lias -never before boon exposed. The evidence of the harm they may do is overwhelming. * Few of us would dare to -have.a prescription containing poisons dispensed by an untrained person, but the dispensers of lavs are uncontrolled, unroeisterod, and may he- unqualified.” "Warnings, he said, have been given' in England, I 1 ’ranee, and America as- to the serious accidents which may result from the use of ultra-violet, irradicatious- handled by in, omtietetil persons. Dr Dixon says that ‘-t real mein by radiation may be oil her heiiiTieial or harmful; that.- its rmploymeiil, hr Unskilled' people max’ cause serious ill-oll'ccis to ihe pafienl-, and I suggest lliai the lime has com© when some sort of protection must be extended to the piibUc."'-

A Press Association message from Dunedin 'says that'the Labour /Department in -Dunedin lias registered the names of. 180 men- who are- out . of work. Of tliis number, the. Works .Committee of' the City Coffiucil'i: has •decided to employ 30 all married"'men. with families, at worifs in and -around 'the city, at standard wages. They will be paid out of the granti’-of £2OOO by the Government to the-; City Council.

One o£ tbe;many remarkable incident* at the great gathering of Maori's 'ah Pakiaki,. Hawke’s Bay, after the ounse-, cration of the Bishop of Aotearoa/ was. a. presentation made to tho-new;- Bishop, ;by Mita./TsiUpcpolti, the patriarch of: the Mita stepped • -forward, at the gathering -witlivtlie aid;,of a beaut-i----fully-mohntea cane, presented,to liiiu at R.atpruai/by.:.the -Duke ofNyork;, wft was. naturally/''one of the . most/treasured /possessions-of the old Maori/but,/after ■an oration editable to the occdsj&n; he handed;; it tp ■ Bishop Bennett, .“voui are in ;.youf ' own country under the .blessing .of* your God,” he •,said/; Uand this will remind you of our King;”’. A touch of humour was imparted to the pncßiedmgs at a recent bankruptcy meeting in’Auckland', when debtor, a -DalmataaioySiv'as asked the name/of: his native town. It tui-ned out to be a place called Vrgore. As may bo imagined, such a, word is easier written than said. The' pronunciation completely baffled *tlifi meeting, but it presented no difficulties'to the native. ' As 'near as can be' Indicated, the sound is “virjoik,” but it is a real pronunciation puzzle to those who know not the i Dalmatian ’language. The problem was j solved by/the Official Assignee’s typiste, i who got the letters safely on paper. Vrgore is alnfost worthy to rank with that unpronounceable war time classic, the Russian town of Przemyst, generally rendered as “schmitzel”—or sounds to that effect.

the “talkies” is increasing. l ■ There was an entertainment under this head recently, and it pleased many, though it did no tsa-tisfy all critics. It is recalled that many, years ago at the Lyceum Theatre, Sydney, Mrs Spencer,' who succeeded her. husband in : control i of Spencers Pictures there, produced, a synchronised entertainment of picture and talking machine. Mr Stuart Doyle, of Union Theatres, . comments :■■ “It is time that Mrs Spencer introduced the chronon-inegaphorie, which was a synchronisation of picture and 1 sound, but the only really successful record; was that of Harry Lauder. The in volition was dropped. The enormous organisation behind the present method of synchronisation (the Western Electrio Corporation) ensures that the talk-ing-machine will develop.” What makes a school a'good, school? Speaking to Scots College boys in Wellington the other evening the GovernorGeneral/S'ir Charles Fergusson, told them It was not the amount of scholastic success a school enjoyed , the spirit"of the boys at the school. Everybody in a school, he said/from the principal! Rown, should have the pride and honour of his school at heart. Everyone should be determined that his school was ’going to be the best school that over, '’was, and never 'hear;, a word againsfc.it. If a. hoy remembered that; he would nob do anything that was nob qpite straight or bring' discredit- on his school. Tf he did something that was really worth doing he would be proud of it, because it would be giving a good name to his school. As we come to the close of our busiest year, we pause for the moment to glance backward over the piifli w 6 have travelled.That path has’been made more -pleasant.by the friendly co-operation of our clients. May the holidays bring you a 'rich store of friendship, happiness, and contentment, and may the incoming tide "of.: the New Year, carry,,you far toward, the golden .shores of peace and plenty. We hope you will remember that we are always anxious and ready to serve you; ; Cordially yours,-England, Mcßae>,Ltd, ••• •.