LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20768, 1 July 1937, Page 8

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Sheep Missing Sixty ewes, valued at about £BO, the property of Mr R. H. Roberts, Pleasant Point, were missed from his farm last week. The brand was “R.R.” in black, on the right shoulder. The police are making Inquiries. Order Made In a judgment summons case in the Timaru Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Mr H. Morgan, S.M., ordered G. Annett to pay M. Michelin and Co. Ltd. £22/1/4 and costs £l/11/6 forthwith, in default 21 days’ imprisonment, the warrant to be suspended on payment of £1 a week. •‘Cockles’ ” New Vehicles A statement that in the last four or five months 118 new cars and trucks were being sold each day was made by the Hon. W. Lee Martin, Minister of Agriculture, at Tuakau, when discussing returning prosperity. “Who is buying them?” asked the Minister. “The ‘cockles’,” replied a farmer amid laughter. The Minister remarked that 57 per cent, of the new motor vehicles were going into rural areas. Popular Marriage Month That June is a popular month for marriages is illustrated by the fact that for the month ended yesterday 32 licenses were issued by the Registrar, compared with 21 during the corresponding month last year. During the month the Registrar performed four marriage ceremonies, as against only one in the corresponding month last year. For the six months ended yesterday, 101 licenses were issued compared with 124 in the first half of 1936, and 11 ceremonies were performed by the Registrar compared with 10 up till June, 1936. Two To One Ratio The natural Increase in Timaru's population is at the rate of approximately two births to every death, according to the vital statistics for the six months which ended yesterday. Up till yesterday 214 children had been born in Timaru since the beginning of the year, and 103 deaths had occurred, giving a ratio of one death to every two births. Details, with figures for the corresponding period of last year in parentheses, are: Births, males 110 (110),.females 104 (103), total 214 (213). Deaths, males 53 (54), females 50 (55), total 103 (109). Returns for the month ended yesterday, compared with June, 1936, were: Births, males 21 (13), females 13 (23), total 34 (36). Deaths, males 11 (8), females 16 (17), total 27 (15). “Tin-Can” Mail Philatelists will be interested to learn that the Union Company’s steamer Maunganui, which leaves Wellington on August 27 for a cruise to the South Sea Islands, will call off Niuafoou Island, affording an opportunity of obtaining “Tin-Can” mail covers. To get postmarks of the “Tin-Can” mail on envelopes these should be properly addressed to the intended recipient and sent under cover of another envelope addressed to the Union Steam Ship Company, Wellington, and marked on the outside “Tin-Can Mall.” Loose New Zealand stamps for 6d for each envelope to be postmarked (21d for the necessary Tongan stamp and the balance for the islanders’ services hr handling the mail) must be enclosed. The envelopes should be of an adequate size to show off the post-marks satisfactorily, about 6 inches wide by 5 inches deep. First Visit to Port Representing the last word in modern ship construction and combining sleek lines with roomy cargo space, the Blue Star vessel Melbourne Star, which is on her maiden voyage to New Zealand, is paying her first visit to Timaru. The ship, which arrived from Bluff early yesterday morning, is attracting considerable attention at her berth at No. 3 wharf. With a gross tonnage of 11,076 tons, and carrying a crew of 70, the vessel has a maximum speed of 17.25 knots, and is under the command of Captain G. Wilson. She was built as recently as 1936, in the Birkenhead yards of Messrs Cammell and Laird, and is a twin screw vessel powered by two sets of vertical, Internal combustion engines, with direct action. Leaving here to-morrow, the ship goes to Wellington and Auckland, being due to clear that port for London on July 8. Yesterday a party of representatives of the South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, comprising Messrs W. M. Sexton (president), G. H. Andrews, W. A. Fleming. W. I. Tait and E. Darroch, paid a courtesy call on Captain Wilson and were taken on a tour of inspection of the ship’s many up-to-date appliances. On behalf of the Chamber, Mr Sexton welcomed Captain Wilson to Timaru.