ITEMS OF INTEREST

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20892, 23 November 1937, Page 14

ITEMS OF INTEREST

“Just let us have one minute’s silence,” called out a member of a country branch of the Auckland Farmers’ Union a day or tw r o ago. The president looked astonished, and said if was not Armistice Day. “Oh, no, but just listen to that lovely rain; let’s hear it properly,’ was the surprising reply. “Oh,” said the president, “you can lie in bed and listen to that.” “But,” came the retort, “it will be too late then.” So for a minute the farmers listened in to the glorious patter on the iron roof. The shower did not last long, and the meeting proceeded as before.

Cries for help from a man sinking in a swamp near Montpellier, Southern France, were heard by farmers but went unheeded for 60 hours, when the man was found dead.

London’s fire brigade, which answers an average of 100 calls each week, is now 2000 strong. One hundred years ago It consisted of only eighty men.

The Scottish Hall presented an animated appearance on Saturday evening when the Timaru Highland Pipe Band’s well-known weekly dance was timed to commence. Throughout the evening the large attendance testified to the excellence of the entertainment. A special attraction “Shall We Dance?” by courtesy of the State Theatre and novelty numbers, evoked keen public interest. The winners of the “Shall We Dance?” competition were: Miss Sheridan and Mr N. Nelson. Miss Hughes and Mr J. Low. Miss Thicket and Mr Thoreau.

Dunedin, fourth city of the Dominion to-day. led all others in population figures 60 years ago. In January. 1877, the population was estimated at 23.365, with Wellington next on the list, boasting 16.130 inhabitants. Christchurch (12,815) just headed Auckland (12,024) for third place on the list. Dunedin has now changed place with Auckland. Wellington and Christchurch maintaining their relative positions. The death-rate in Dunedin In October, 1877, was higher than that of Christchurch or Auckland. Wellington had the highest death-rate in the Dominion in that month, but this was accounted for in that a toll of seven lives was taken in the month by two fires.

“The moral problem today is greatly complicated by the new’ status of woman,” said the Rev. E. D. Patchett at the Methodist Synod in Auckland. “Nothing has been more disturbing to the balance of life in many directions than the emergence of the twentieth century woman. The ultra-modern girl is the most amazing new creation in this strange new world. In two or three decades she has outdistanced the normal progress of her sex in any two proceeding centuries; she has thrust her way into many new avenues of employment; she has flung aside the conventional restrictions that have hampered her full self-expression. There can be no question of putting the hands of the clock back. With all the perils of the present we welcome the freer and fuller life that has been won. The question is how is a finer self-discipline to be achieved to give balance to this fuller freedom? This is where the women’s organisations of the country can greatly help. This is where the home must make its influence felt. This, too, is where the moral training of the secondary schools and colleges must be enriched and enlarged.”

At a recent wedding in Christchurch the bridegroom was a policeman, and had, as his best man. a fellow-member of the force. The officiating minister had to propose the health of the contracting parties, and (says the StarSun) he began by remarking that as both bridegroom and best man were policemen and the fathers of the bride and bridegroom were also “Johns” (their Christian names), the guests

would need to be on their best behaviour. He went on to say that the bride had an arresting disposition, had detected good qualities in the bridegroom, and had effected a smart capture. Court-ing proceedings had taken place, and, after due trial, they had that day been given a life sentence, which could only be reduced by the bad, not the good, conduct of the parties. He hoped the bridegroom would show his wife uniform kindness, not give her too much hard labour, and not allow her to appear too often in plain clothes.

A warning against the use by nonswimmers and children of large rubber or inflated toys and motor tyres, especially on beaches w’here an off-shore wind prevails, was issued this week by the Wellington Surf Association. “Several cases where fatalities almost occurred were reported last season when non-swimmers and children had drifted out beyond their depth, and in two instances great difficulty was experienced in avoiding fatalities,” the association states. “Greater care and supervision is needed in this direction if accidents are to be avoided.”