GENERAL NEWS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18848, 10 April 1931, Page 8

GENERAL NEWS.

The third wool sale at Timaru is to be held on Monday next.

A cable message from New York states that Harold Lloyd is seriously ill with appendicitis, which made an operation necessary.

Mr Jesse Stone, a coal and timber merchant at Methven, was found in his office yesterday morning, with his head blown off.

Prices of sheep have improved considerably in the Wanganui district. A city auctioneer said that the best of breeding ewes were close up to a £1 now, and there was considerably more life in the market.

A sharp advance in the price of eggs in Wellington has taken place this week. Last Thursday they were 1/9 wholesale, first grade, full size. Yesterday 2/1 to 2/2 was the wholesale rate, and to-day up to 2/6, against 1/7 in Christchurch.

The level of Lake Coleridge rose slightly more than a foot during the week ended Wednesday. The rise was the effect of heavy rains brought by the nor’-west winds during the latter part of last week. The level of the lake yesterday was 1667.9 feet.

According to Mr J. Menzies, Health Inspector for South Canterbury, this district has been fairly free from infectious diseases so far this year, and the figures compare very favourably with those of previous years for similar periods. Nc notifications of infectious diseases have been received by Mr Menzies this month.

Broadcast teaching, Is the latest scheme devised by the Education Department. From Tuesday next the department intends to broadcast three short lessons every Tuesday afternoon from 2YA, -'Wellington. Subjects will vary, but each afternoon the programme will finish with music, in which the children are to join by singing the words to tune. Very few schools, however, have wireless sets installed.

Some very big yields of wheat and oats have been obtained in some parts of Canterbury. One farmer at Clarkville. Kaiapoi Island, threshed an average of over 100 bushels of wheat from a five-acre paddock, and from 20 acres the return was over 70 bushels per acre. Several farmers had yields of over 70 bushels of wheat, and one of them reported 105 bushels per acre for a paddock of Garton oats.

The Dunedin memorial to the late Sir John McKenzie, Minister of Lands in the Seddon Administration, is now a more prominent landmark than it was in its former position at Pukeviti (near Palmerston South). It is approximately 40 feet high and stands on Puketapu Hill, which is 1000 ft. high. It can be seen from all directions for many miles. The first cairn was destroyed by a gale. Handcuffed securely, and under escort by Constables Brazier and Walden, Leslie Richmond Henderson and Leslie Pearce were taken to Dunedin by the first express yesterday. They are to be sentenced there on charges of breaking and entering at Temuka. and with converting a car, while further charges of attempted robbery at Dunedin, and with using a corrosive fluid are to be heard against them. A large and interested crowd j watched their departure yesterday, while a photographer was active. When the man with the camera was noticed, Pearce turned his head away.

The contention that the present interpretation of the broadcasting regulations was unnecessarily restrictive and prevented the holding of broadcast debates on topics of educational interest to listeners was placed before the Postmaster-General (the Hon. J. B. Donald) by a representative deputation. In reply the Minister said that he would investigate the position and announce his reply in a few days. He also stated that the Post and Telegraph Department was overhauling the preL nt regulations, and alterations in the service would come into force at the beginning of next year.

A fire broke out last evening in some bedding in a front room in a cottage at No. 46 York Street shortly after 8 o’clock. The Timaru Fire Brigade was quickly on the scene, and. removed a smouldering mattress from the building, and put out the fire. No other damage -was done. The house is owned by Mr E. Cuthbertson, and was occupied by Mr D. Coutts. At the time the fire was noticed the occupants of the house were absent. The building is insured for £3OO. The furniture is alsCr covered by insurance, but the amount was not available last evening.

Charges arising out of the death of Robert Galvin Rabilly Nisbett, who died in the Timaru Hospital on Monday last, are to be preferred against Thomas James Cox and John Henry Fitzgerald, in the Timaru Police Court at 9 a.m. to-morrow. Messrs D. McLennan and A. P. Greenfield, J.P.’s, will preside. It will be remembered that Nisbett was picked up on Coonoor Road suffering from severe injuries on Saturday last, and that subsequently Cox and Fitzgerald were arrested in the locality. Inspector Bird will conduct the proceedings on behalf of the Police Department, and Mr A. D. Mcßae will appear for the accused.

“The Times” of February 23 announces that a rare misprint of a New Zealand postage stamp, which had passed unnoted by philatelists for some 27 years, has just been brought to light and certified as authentic by the expert committee of the Royal Philatelic Society, London. It is the 4d pictorial stamp of 1903, with the central view of Lake Taupo, printed inadvertently upside down, and will shortly be offered for sale in a London stamp auction. The only known sample of this printer’s error is so heavily cancelled that it is not surprising it should have escaped notice until now, the centre portion being almost obscured by the postmark. Nearly 900 children travel to school every day by motor in Otago. The Otago Education Board has let 32 conveyance contracts, 11 of which are in respect of schools that have been closed. In several other cases the conveyance was established to obviate the necessity of opening new schools, while arrangements have been made under which parents receive an allowance for driving their own children to school. The board at present has centralisation schemes under consideration, but it is considered that the scope for further schemes is not large. Already, however, the amouht which the board spends on the conveying and boarding of children is in the vicinity of £6503 Draughts become more noticeable with the advent of the long winter nights, and the space under the door is the most annoying source of cold air currents. England, Mcßae’s suggest that a Potts Automatic Door Pad should be fitted to the door of every room in which winter comfort is wanted. These Door Pads are easy to fix and cost only 6/- each. Call on England, Mcßae’s for full particulars.