Local and General News

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIX, Issue 21866, 20 January 1941, Page 4

Local and General News

Provincial Anniversaries The anniversary of the foundation of three provinces in New Zealand will be celebrated this month. Wellington was first proclaimed a province on January 22, 1840. On January 27, Taranaki province Will be one hundred years old, while on January 29, Auckland will celebrate its 98th birthday. Influx of Visitors More than 2000 visitors from Christchurch and Dunedin arrived in Timaru by the excursion trains yesterday. The first train from Christchurch brought 900, and the second 450 passengers, a total of 1350. A further 700 visitors arrived by the excursion from Dunedin, making a grand total of 2050 for the day. The train to Christchurch yesterday morning took 425 passengers from Timaru. Public Works In Hawke’s Bay Public Works constructional activity In Hawke’s Bay Is gradually being closed down to release men for seasonal and farming jobs, and in commenting on this the district engineer, Mr A. Dlnnie, said that at present there were comparatively few men engaged in the district. The principal job was the Walkaremoana hydro-electric scheme, and this would be completed before the men engaged there were released. Shortage of Law Clerks “At the present time I do not know of any clerk with experience who is unemployed,” said Mr N. H. Good, secretary of the Auckland District Law Society, When giving evidence before the Auckland ManPower Committee. Experienced men for temporary positions were not available, he added. Mr Good said he had received various requests for men to look after legal offices, and he had been unable to get them. Show Abandoned Owing to Kensington Park, where the Whangarei stock shows are held, being required by the military authorities, the Whangarei Agricultural and pastoral Society has decided to cancel the auttllhn show, which was to have been held on March 7 and 8. It was considered that the society Would not be justified in requesting that the territorials should vacate their camp for the days of the show. The society is, however, to arrange for the continuance of the national bacon pig championship. Imperturbable Chinese Photographs of a terrific bombing of the city of Chungking by the Japanese were used by Mr W. H. Donald, now visiting Auckland, to illustrate how impossible it is to break the morale of the Chinese. The bombing was done on the occasion of the great dragon-boat festival, and photographs taken almost as soon as the bombers had passed showed that a crowd estimated at 20,000 had gathered on the river banks and crowded the boats in continuance of the festivities. Mr Donald has been living in Chungking as confidential adviser to Marshal Chiang Kai-shek. Courage of Britain Admiration for the manner in which London is standing up to the ordeal of the air blitzkrieg is expressed in a circular letter from the Rev. G. P. Trench, general superintendent of the Flying Angel Missions to Seamen. “There are terrible scars on this greatly beloved city,” he says. “As an Irishman, perhaps one may be allowed to express one’s admiration for the English people in this time of trial, their devotion to duty, calmness, courage, humour. There Is a firm faith in the future. The Whole country, Whatever the trials may be, is ‘standing to’ without fear or panic.” Visitors Enjoy Band Concert With more than 2000 visitors from Christchurch and Dunedin yesterday a large audience enjoyed the concert by the Timaru Municipal Band at the Caroline Bay Sound Shell in spite of the showery conditions early in the afternoon. Under the baton of Lieutenant W. H. Osborne the band presented an attractive programme as follows: March, “The Harlequin”; hymn (by request), “Stranger of Galilee”; cornet solo, triple-tongueing polka, “The Warrior”; selection, “Minstrel Memories”; popular song (by request), “Roll Out the Barrel”; euphonium solo, “La Belle Americaiie,” Bandsman T. Osborne; fantasia, “Military Camp Parade” and march, “New Zealand.” Women Yachtsmen Several Auckland yachts have women in their crews; some of the boats are owned and sailed by Women. But one of the most consistent sailors over a long period is, perhaps, Mrs R. E. Fenton, of the Panmure Boating Club. Although she has passed her 60th year, Mrs Fenton and her two daughters have sailed the 16ft yacht Tui for the last 10 years with no mean triumph over all-male crews of other boats, especially in the narrow waters of the Tamaki River. Her success in the first of three races for the memorial cup given to commemorate her late husband was a popular one among her fellow-club members. Cabinet Changes The Ministerial changes which were agreed upon at a caucus of the Parliamentary Labour Party last month are expected to take effect to-morrow, according to the Labour paper, the “Standard.” The new Ministers wfll be Mr A. H. Nordmeyer (Oamaru), Mr J. G. Barclay (Marsden) and Mr P. K. Pailtea (Northern Maori). Two Ministers are retiring from office owing to ill-health, the paper adds. They are the Hon. W. Lee Martin, who has been Minister of Agriculture since 1935, and the Hon. D. G. McMillan, who has been Minister of Marine since last June. No announcement has been made concerning the portfolios which will be taken by Messrs Nordmeyer and Barclay, but Mr Paikea will represent the native race in the Ministry. Chemical Supplies Irregularity of shipping and delivery difficulties in England are causing various temporary shortages of drugs and chemicals among wholesale suppliers which are being reflected among retail chemists in varying degree. It is explained by wholesale merchants that except that the licensing system has prevented any building up of stocks, import restriction has not played an important part in the present situation. Licences have not been refused for the supply of chemicals and the ordinary drugs used in medicines. However, the world scarcity of olive oils, due directly to war interfering with the French and Italian supplies, the wiping out from import licence schedules of toilet goods, and the effect of war on the supply of cod liver and other oils, have produced shortages among both wholesale and retail chemists. Crop Mysteriously Flattened The flattening out of a whole field of maize, some five feet in height, on the main road between Hastings and Havelock North, remains a mystery. This occurred last week, during a very hot spell, when the temperature reached nearly 90 degrees in the shade. The crop was the admiration of all passers-by, as it looked so strong and healthy, then one morning, without any visible cause, half the field was discovered flattened out, all in the one direction, and during the next day or two the rest of it went the same way. There had been no wind to speak of during the previous week, only hot sunny days. The only explanation offered—which did not seem convincing—was that the maize had grown so well, because of a beneficient spring, that the tops had outgrown the strength of the roots. The whole field of maize had to be cut for cattle feed.