LOCAL AND GENERAL

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23278, 14 August 1945, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

First Aid Examination.—The following members of the Bank Street Methodist Girls’ Life Brigade, 10th Company, were successful in the elementary first aid examination: Nola Fitzsimmons, Doreen McKerrow, Ann Dingall, Patsie Weith, Noeline Parkes, Maureen Weith (all honours). The class was examined by Mrs Moffat.

Clothes for UNRRA.—The women of Timaru had worked wonderfully well in response to the appeal from UNRRA, said the Mayor (Mr A. E. S. Hanan) at a meeting of the Borough Council last evening. Much good clothing had been provided, and about 60 cases would be provided for the needy people of Europe.

Dangerous Driving.—The practice of parked cars joining traffic without drivers signalling a start was dangerous to Council buses, said Cr. F. Chittock at a meeting of the Timaru Borough Council last evening. He suggested that the Borough Inspector should be instructed to keep a watch for offenders.

High School Band.—ln welcoming returned service personnel to Timaru, the Timaru Boys' High School Band had played a worthy part, said Cr. J. McDougall at a meeting of the Timaru Borough Council last evening. The Mayor (Mr A. E. S. Hanan) said he had complimented the band recently and commended members for their good work.

Response to Appeal.—As soon as the UNRRA appeal was broadcast, pupils of the Timaru Girls’ High School were asked to contribute used clothing for dispatch overseas and approximately 500 articles, all in good order, have been forwarded. Several of the weekly collections are being devoted to the same object, and already amount to £ll/1/41. A number of forms have also knitted attractive bedcovers to add to the school collection.

Unemployment Benefits.—There were fewer recipients of unemployment benefits during the last financial year, by comparison with 1943-44. According to the report of the Social Security Department for the year ended March 31, 1945, which has been presented to Parliament, 1250 persons received unemployment benefits during 1944-45, compared with 1701 during 1943-44. A further 806 were granted emergency benefits during 1944-45. A Lucky Dutch Ship.—The HollandAmerica Line has disclosed that the Nieuw Amsterdam, a visitor to New Zealand on more than one occasion, has completed 400,000 miles and carried 300,000 Allied troops during the period of the war. Frequently carrying 3000 men—six times her normal capacity—this ship has had the rare good fortune of never even experiencing a narrow escape and has travelled virtually without incident.

Deposits of Pollen.—lt is now generally established that the yellow dust that has been seen in many parts of Northland during the last few days is the pollen from pinus insignis trees. It; is stated that this pollen has been seen on the ground in former years, but not to the extent of this season. In spite of the rain the dust is still prevalent in many areas, especially where these are many pine trees.

Wife’s Dress Allowance.—“ Does this witness know anything about that sort of thing? Is he an expert?” asked counsel in the Supreme Court, Wanganui, when an accountant said in evidence that he had calculated a wife’s dress allowance and spending money as being valued at £1 a week. Mr Justice Fair: “Every man is an expert on what his wife spends on tiress, or, at least, he thinks he is.”

Intending Teachers Learn.—Six Form VI pupils of the Timaru Girls’ High School, intending teachers, visit the Main and South Schools and the Kensington Free Kindergarten once a week for observation work. This Was mentioned by the headmistress (Miss V. F. Townsend) in her report to the Timaru High Schools Board of Governors at their meeting yesterday. Miss Townsend expressed her appreciation of the response made by staffs of primary schools to the suggestion of observation work for those senior pupils intending to proceed to Training College next year.

Burglary in India.—An explanation of the New Testament reference to “thieves that dig through and steal” was offered by the Rev. James L. Gray in an address on India to the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Geographic Society. Mr Gray explained that Indiah villages were surrounded by thick mud walls for defence and to keep out thieves. Enterprising robbers, however, would often dig a small tunnel under the walls and pass through a young child, who would gather up all he could lay hands on, passing the thing's back through the hole. Mr Gray said he believed that it was this practice to which the Bible referred.

Not Big Business.—The suggestion sometimes made and rather widely believed, that Chambers of Commerce represented “big business,” was emphatically wrong, said Mr S. W. Peterson, president of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, at a meeting of the council last week. Compared with the numerous small and mediumsized businesses who were members of the chamber, the membership of the big companies was relatively small, he said. Of the total of almost 1000 members of the Wellington Chamber nearly 900 were small firms and individuals in business and in the professions. The balance comprised large and mediumsized organisations. Athletic Ruling.—A letter received from the International Amateur Athletic Federation by the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association stated that if a competitor runs on the chalk line separating and bordering each lane he shall be disqualified because in such case he has left his lane. The question whether a competitor was permitted to run on the line or not had been raised at a previous meeting of the N.Z.A.A.A., and it had been decided to ask the international federation for a ruling. Members of the association agreed last night that the ruling should apply to both the inside and outer chalk lines, and that each New Zealand centre be asked to notify all clubs of the correct ruling. Schoolgirls’ Hockey.—Tire unsuitable condition of the field and Craighead’s inability to field teams have interfered seriously with play throughout the season, but the teams have enjoyed thefew matches they have played. By keeping as closely as possible to their practice time-tables, they hope to reach a standard worthy of the opposition they will meet from West Christchurch High School whom they visit for the annual match on Friday. It is intended that a number of school teams will participate in the Hockey Association’s six a-side tournament planned for a date early in the third term, stated the report presented by the headmistress of the Girls’ High School, Miss V. F. Townsend, to the meeting of the Board of Governors yesterday.

Damage by Snow. —“I regret to report that the damage by snow to trees on the property is considerable, and fear that more than one of the oldest specimens may have to be removed altogether,” stated the headmistress of the Timaru Girls’ High School (Miss V. F. Townsend) in her report to the Board of Governors yesterday. “ ‘The big snow’ retarded some parts of the winter term programme and necessitated postponement of others, but by arranging late opening and early closing of the school during those days when conditions were dangerous, it was possible for classes to carry on in the normal way. Naturally, the pupils took full advantage of this rare opportunity for snow-fighting. My thanks are due to a number of senior boarders who performed yeoman service in clearing the snow from the environs of the

school, and so minimising the possibility of accidents on slippery surfaces.”