Local and General News

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21126, 27 August 1938, Page 8

Local and General News

Inter-’Varsity Debate The Joynt Scroll Inter-University debate was won by Otago with 198 points, the Victoria College A team being second with 193. A Correction Mr W. M. Black, Fairlie, writes as follows—" Would you allow me to correct an error in the report of the South Canterbury Executive of the Farmers’ Union published in your paper on Monday about the Agricultural Bank. Your report states: ‘Directors to consist of three provincial farmers, etc.’ It should have been ‘Directors to consist of three practical farmers’." Sister Pattrick Memorial Fund Mr Ernest W. Hunt, the honorary treasurer of the Annie Pattrick Memorial Fund, reports that the amount received up to the present time is £561/3/4. It is anticipated that the appeal will be shortly brought to a close, and the committee will then arrive at some decision as to the disposal of the money collected. The amount will certainly be devoted in commemorating her name in some section of Plunket or Karitane work with which she was so actively and prominently connected for very many years. Ships, Not Boats! Berore the confirmation of the minutes at the monthly meeting of the Timaru Harbour Board yesterday, Mr D. C. Turnbull remarked whimsically that the only objection he had to make to them was that ships were described as boats. “Ships are not boats!” he remarked. 1 “The matter will be attended to in the future," promised the acting-chairman, Mr F. R Flatman. Webster’s Dictionary defines a ship as “any large sea-going vessel,” while a boat is “a small open vessel usually moved by oars or paddles, but often by a sail.” Ruapehu Ski Club The Ruapehu Ski Club's championships were held on Mt. Ruapehu yesterday. The jump was won by R. S. Duncan, of Nelson, who made three standing jumps of approximately 38 feet. S. Bailey, of Auckland, was second. E. Skardarasy then jumped and made an exceptional leap for the particular hill of 70 feet. The afternoon was occupied by the women’s and men’s novice races. Miss S. Storey won the former with Miss Fuller (Christchurch) second, and R. A. Krebs, (Napier) the latter, with S. J. Coutts (Auckland) second. The final race was the roped pairs, which was won by Miss Farrelly and A. Plummer, with Miss J. D. Harrison and J. C. McComish second. Conviction Entered A conviction without fine was recorded in the case in which Robert Edward Ladbrook was charged with permitting liquor to be consumed in his tea rooms when licensed premises are required to be closed. A room upstairs, which is reserved solely for letting to private gatherings, was let for such a purpose and liquor was consumed. The Magistrate agreed with the police that a restaurant meant the whole building owing to the express definition of “premises” in the act. The Magistrate also said it was beyond doubt that the defendant acted under a bona fide mistake of the law and a quite natural one for anyone not conversant with the Act. Defendant was ordered to pay 10/- costs—Nelson message. Firemen Desert Ship Forced to sign on four firemen to replace, a similar number who had failed to rejoin the ship, the Shaw, Savill and Albion steamer Waimana was delayed for more than three hours before her departure from Auckland for London yesterday. Instead of leaving at 7 a.m. she did not clear the stream until 10.30 a.m. The absence of five firemen was not discovered until the steamer was ready to leave her berth, and it was decided to anchor in the stream to await the defaulters. One man who had previously left the ship at 3.30 a.m. on a shore excursion arrived some time later, but there was no sign of the remaining four. Finally other firemen were signed on in their place for the voyage to England via Panama and Kingston. Wool Classers Should Be Trained A suggestion'that in the interest of farmers steps should speedily be taken to organise wool classing classes was made yesterday by Mr H. M. Christie, chairman of the New Zealand Wool Publicity Committee in an address to members of the electoral committee of the Meat Producers’ Board at Wellington. At present, said Mr Christie, there was nothing to prevent any person from undertaking wool classing work even although he might have no specialised knowledge of such work. In Australia it was necessary for wool classers to obtain certificates. Very little was done in New Zealand to train young men in wool classing work. “Many farmers unfortunately, have little knowledge of the requirements of the manufacturer,” added Mr Christie. “Incompetent classers continue to make the same mistakes year after year.” The Electoral Committee was of the opinion that an investigation of the whole question should be made by the Wool Committee and by various fanning organisations to bring about some improvement in the present method of training young men. Early New Zealand Books A 24-page pamphlet published in New Zealand in 1851, was sold for £2/5/-. It was a printed copy of a letter written by Henry Williams in reply to a statement by the Rev. E. G. Marsh. This was only one of the many rare items included in the first portion of the library of the late Bishop Williams, of Waiapu, and sold by auction in Wellington yesterday. The sale showed the growing interest of collectors in early New Zealand books. In addition to a number of public libraries, the Turnbull Library, Wellington, and the Hocken Library, Dunedin, were among the buyers who came from all parts of New Zealand. There were also several Australian buyers including the Mitchell Library, Sydney. The collection included a large number of books and pamphlets dealing with New Zealand colonisation, the Maori wars and early New Zealand religious history. Some printed for private circulation had been in the Williams family for three generations. Many of them are of great interest to the student of the relationships between the pakeha and the Maori people. Rarer pamphlets seldom seen on the open market made substantial prices. The confidence which students of the Maori race have in the well-known authority, Elsden Best, is indicated by the fact that a collection of his works in seven volumes brought £ll/18/-.