GENERAL NEWS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19946, 2 November 1934, Page 8

GENERAL NEWS

Cheaper Cigarettes. Arising out of the new tariff, reductions in the retail price of cigarettes came into force yesterday. Many retailers had allowed their stocks to reach low levels, and one firm had to charter an aeroplane to obtain delivery of fresh supplies.

Sharp Corner Removed. Considerable improvement has been made to a sharp corner at the junction of Elizabeth Street and the triangle opposite Chalmers Church, where a new building has been erected. Previously vision was obscured by a fairly high fence, but this has been removed and the sharp turn rounded off, giving better visibility to motorists.

Property Market Quiet. A property agent told a representative of “The Timaru Herald” yesterday that the property market was experiencing rather a lull at present so far as sales were concerned. There was, however, a keen demai.d for houses to let at reasonable rentals. July and August were particularly good months for selling and several properties had changed hands.

Police Court Case. In the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, before Mr C. R. Orr-Walker. S.M., who had associated with him Mr W. H. Hall, J.P., Robert George Bell pleaded guilty to driving a motor truck at night without lights, and with driving without being in possession of a driver’s license. On the first charge he was fined 15/- and 10 - costs, and on the second charge was fined 5/-.

High First-aid Award. One of the highest awards obtainable by students of the St. John Ambulance Association, the Grand Prior’s badge, has been won by Joan Dutton, a fifth form girl at the Wellington Girls’ College. This is the first time the award has been won by a New Zealand girl, and at the monthly meeting of the Board of Governors of the Wellington Colleges this week it was decided to congratulate the winner of the award and the college on the achievement.

Ten Coats Cold. In New Zealand it is customary, during the winter, to measure the intensity of the cold by the number of degrees of frost, but China has a different system. Speaking in Timaru last night, Miss N. Moncrieff, M.A., Y.W.C.A., secretary in Peking, told how the Chinese people wore numerous cotton garments—there was no wool for the poorer classes, and a famous saying in the winter was “ten coats cold.”

Unfortunate Brides. In the course of a lantern lecture in Timaru last night, Miss N. Moncrieff. M.A., who is a Y.W.C.A., secretary stationed at Peking, showed views of bridal and funeral processions. Explaining the former, she told how the bride travelled in a palaquin, which was heavily draped, and in the summer, cases had been known where the bride had died from suffocation and exhaustion. “Believe It or Not.” Two unusual incidents are reported from the Titirangi golf links. On Sunday week, playing at the fifteenth hole (known as “Temptation”), a club member lifted his tee shot to a great height, with a result that it did not travel far. After some search the ball was found in the ladies’ tee box. Last Sunday at the same hole a member played a long tee shot, and was assisted by others to look for the ball, which had disappeared. Eventually, and by a sheer fluke, one of the searchers discovered the ball wedged between the horns of one of the goats which are grazed on the course to keep the herbage down.

Relics of Te Rauparaha Raid. Several stone adzes of ancient Maori construction were turned up recently by workmen on the Pelorous Bridge Reserve, when obtaining some soil for top-dressing, states the “Marlborough Express.” From time to time Maori curios, including some articles of the valued greenstone, have been found on various parts of the reserves. The old Maori name for the locality is Titi Raukawa, and there are fragmentary traditions of a big fight or massacre that took place in pre-European times, when it was occupied by the Ngaitara tribe, who were forerunners to the Ngatikuia, the tribe that held it when Te Raupahara invaded the district. The relics were found about a foot under the top soil, and are interesting mementoes of the early Maori occupation of the Pelorus. i. ’' Race Stamps. Stamps which will probably be valuable in years to come are in the possession of Mr A. F. M. Paterson, of Timaru, who has received two letters which were brought from The Hague to Melbourne by the K.L.M. aeroplane flown in the Centenary Air Race by Messrs K. D. Parmentier and J. H. Moll. The stamps are of attractive design, one being the insignia of the K.L.M. (Royal Dutch Air Line), under which is inscribed “Per Luchtpost. Par Avion. By Air Mail.” Across the bottom of the envelope is marked “London-Melbourne Air Race, 1934.” the legend being surmounted by a reproduction of the Dutch ’plane. Towards the left-hand bottom corner of the envelope is an oval red cachet inscribed “Nederland-Australia. MacRobertson Race. 20 October. 1934. PH-AJU,” the final letters being the registration lettering of the ’plane. Apart from its philatelic value, the letter emphasises the speed at which mails may be expected to be delivered in the near future. Mr Paterson’s letter was posted at The Hague, Holland, on October 15, and left England on the day of the start of the Air Race, October 20. It arrived in Melbourne on October 24 and was received in Timaru on Wednesday, October 31. The postage on the envelope represented the equivalent of about 2/6 in English money.