GENERAL NEWS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19960, 19 November 1934, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS

Railway Excursionists. Yesterday excursion trains between Timaru and Christchurch were again well patronised. Passengers numbering 346 arrived from Christchurch, the city-bound train carrying 231. The Band Contest. The test pieces for the band contest to be held in Timaru next February arrived on Saturday. “Comedy Overture,” arranged by Dr. John Ireland, the test piece at the Crystal, Palace this year, is one of the pieces. The other selection is “Grand Selection,” Haydn, arranged by W. Rimmer. Success Abroad. Malcolm G. Connor, a young New Zealander who has spent the last few years in England, where he won the 100 guinea cup for the Southsea to Isle of Wight race, in which he broke the record, has arrived in New Zealand, and intends to attempt to swim Cook Strait.—Press Assn, message from Wellington. Drinking at Dances. “There is too much drinking; I have seen girls of 13 and 14 drunk,” said a council member at a meeting of the Plokianga County Council, when a letter was received from the Methodist Church authorities asking that it be made a condition of hire of the hall for dancing that no intoxicating liquor be permitted in or near the hall. The council decided that it could take no action, except to give its moral support to the request. Buying British. “I think that we should make it a very strict rule that our goods should be British, wherever possible,” said Mr J. L. Y. Martyn, at a meeting of the Raglan County Council, when the purchase of a car by the Waikato Traffic , Control group to replace Inspector R. Metcalfe’s car which was recently damaged, was under discussion. Other members of the council confirmed the principle of purchasing British goods and giving Britain preference, on the ground that it was New Zealand’s principal export market. Opening Up Again. For the first time since February 5, 1931, smoke was seen issuing from the chimney stack at the Wairoa freezing works last week. This was the result of a short testing out that was taking place. Gradually the works are coming into shape in preparation for opening, and contractors and employees alike are doing their utmost to have everything in readiness for the killing of early lambs as quickly as possible. Gangs are at present working three shifts with the engineering fittings, and good pogress is being shown in this direction.

Arbitration Court. The Arbitration Court—Mr Justice Frazer (president), and Messrs A. L. Monteith (employees’ representative) and W. Cecil Prime (employers’ representative)—will commence a two clays’ session at Timaru on Wednesday. The Court will then proceed to the West Coast, where it will commence its sitting on November 28. About the middle of December the Court will return to Christchurch, where it will hear medical evidence dealing with West Coast cases. The Court will complete its year’s work at Wellington, where there are several industrial matters to be disposed of. A Massed Attack. An unusual and rather one-sided battle was waged in Courtenay Street, New Plymouth, at a comparatively early hour on Thursday, the combatants being a weasel and a platoon of sparrows, but the weasel concentrated its efforts on escaping from the massed attack of its smaller enemies. Counterattack was useless, for about 20 birds attacked fore and aft and on all flanks simultaneously. Slowly the weasel made progress towards a grasscovered vacant section, but even when the animal was smothered by long grass the sparrows continued to dart at their enemy. The Simple Life. A well-known member of the Maori race was talking to a reporter in Wanganui on Thursday, when a dis-tinguished-looking young woman passed by travelling very light so far as clothing was concerned, and without stockings. “You will note,” remarked the Maori, “that the modern women are getting back to the Maori civilisation so far as clothing is concerned. They are adopting the advice of many of the medical men to expose their bodies to as much sunlight as possible, and generally, as far as possible, to follow out the simple life of the Maoris in regard to diet, etc. What is the use,” added the Maori, “of women wearing stockings when they are only a nuisance.” You had better ask the drapers what they think of the latter question,” replied the reporter. Anything but Quiet. Quiet is usually expected to pervade an examination room, but at St. Andrew’s, Palmerston North, on Wednesday, where an economics paper for degree students was in progress, there was just a little static. There were the aeroplanes zooming overhead; in a building next door the organ was complaining and the hymn-singers were not quite at their best. In the near distance a leashed dog lamented his fate, and down the street shrieked a heavy car with horn-button depressed. The mid-afternoon train rattled through the city practising a penetrating new whistle. Then the meeting next door adjourned, and in the confusion a distracted baby aired his displeasure with the world. But for these trifling discords, the peace of an oppressive summer afternoon reigned supreme.