HERE AM THERE

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12637, 23 May 1919, Page 4

HERE AM THERE

Alleged to have sold cocoa to retail*! ers at 2s lOd a lb instead of 2b Bd,l Messrs Dan Lewis and Sons, wholesale grocers, Hanley, were fined £SO on each! of tho six summonses at Hanley, and wore ordered to pay costs in respect ojj fifty other similar summonses, the total' of fines and costs luring £328. The do* fence urged that tho mistake was ducc to having to employ inexperienced girl clerks. “ ' lord Major lias many duties tlirust upon him,” said the Lord Mayen of London. He bad been asked 1 to be a matrimonial agent, urged to exploit a euro for influenza, and asked to getj the German submarines for use as Thames steamboats. Finally, a person) had threatened to bring him up in his* own Court if ho used nails any more) for his horses’ shoes. A sparrowhawk has made its appearance in the Hutt district, and, without any formal ultimatum, has declared war on cage-birds (says the “Post”). Canaries appear to bo the particular prey. One morning last week Mr J. H. Fairburn found one of his canaries dead in its cage, with its head bitten clean off. Later on a larger canary, owned by Mr E- J. Hill, disappeared in a manner that' suggested tho ■work of a Chinese illusionist- On examination, it appeared that the unfortunate bird had been pulled through the top of the cage with little ceremony. Dr Martin, of Ngaruawahia, waa urgently summoned to Ituakawai settlement, Raglan Harbour, a few days ago (says the “ Dominion”), and upon arrival found fourteen persons suffering from poisoning, caused by eating bush honey. (Some of them were in a serious state. Drastic remedial measures were immediately applied, and all the patients are now convalescent, though some will bo affected for some time. Eighteen persons partook of the honey, four apparently not being affected. Among tho victims were a family of eight, named Hadfleld, of Horotiu, who were spending a holiday at Ruakawai. Masterton will achieve tho honour within a few days of being the first town in New Zealand to be completely furnished with automatic telephones (says the “Dominion”). According to the chief telegraph engineer (Mr A. E. Shrimpton) toe system will bo “cut over” from the manual to the automatic on Saturday night. May 31, and thereafter the “Hello Girl!” will not be known in the metropolis of Wairarapa. The system which is being installed in Masterton is that supplied by the Western Electric Company of England and America, the same that is ultimately to be supplied to Wellington and Christchurch. “ Burglars who served in the Army are going back to their old trade,” said a British police official. • “ These men deliberately elect to live by stealing because they find it adventurous. It was with the same spirit that they joined the Army. At least > one convicted burglar wOn the Victoria Cross-” Confirmation of this characteristic ia provided by a captain in a famous fighting regiment, who declares thatone of the bravest men in his company, a corporal with a D.O.M. and other honours, declared himself a professional thief. " His one , regret,” remarked the officer, “was'that Hie recruiting authorities would not let him describe his occupation on his attestation papers as ‘burglar/” The first national war factory to he sold is the aircraft engine factory at Edmonton, which has been bought by Messrs Straker, Squire, Ltd., the motor manufacture**, for £140,000. This i? £7OOO more than it cost to build. The purchasers, states the Ministry of. Munitions, propose to transfer all their manufacturing activities to tho factory, which will be organised on the lines of quantity production. It is anticipated that 6000 workpeople will be employed- The firm’s programme is tc concentrate on a six-cylinder car and a four-cylinder commercial chassis. According to present plans 2000 complete vehicles will he produced from the factory within tho first year. | In order that there shall bo no risk of, overlapping, the Repatriation Department and the War .Relief Association now exchange lists of cases dealt with at each meeting, and, according to the secretary of the association (Mr A, O. Leach), there is perfect liberty of action established in the overhauling of each other’s files (says the “ Post”). Such an understanding was very necessary and desirable, and the scheme was working smoothly. Mr Leach stated that the work or the Repatriation Department had not lessened the demands made upon the association. During the last sis-months the number of cases dealt with had increased 100 per cent, and the tendency was , in the direction of a further increase. At present the association dealt with an average of one hundred cases weekly. A new postage stamp of three-cenfl denomination has been issued; in the United States to commemorate the sue-* cessful outcome of the war. The design presents a standing figure of • Liberty Victorious, with a background conn posed of the flags of the five countries! which were most actively engaged ml the cause- The figure of Liberty is hen meted, the upH&J part of the Wy .is encased in scale armour, and a flowing skirt falls to the feet- < -The right hand; grasps a sword, the point of which rests on the ground at the feet of the figure f the left arm is partially extended, and the hand holds a balance scale, repre-4 seating justice._ Back of the figure apy pears the American flag, at the left are! draped the British and Belgian flags,, and at the right the Italian and French) flags. The whole design appears upon a shaded panel, and is reproduced in. a, purple tint. A petition to which numerous signatures are being attached in the Wairarapa asks the Government to undertaka the deviation of the Rixnutaka railway! lino (states the “ Dominion ’ ’). A route) has been surveyed, and levels taken ton the construction of a lino through the! ranges, with an outlet at the Tauhere-' nikau gorge. This route would give, an easy grade, hut the residents of Waira-i rapa do not favour it, on the ground fihat it would nob open up any good country. The route most favoured is by meajis of a tunnel through the hill! into the Wainui-o-mata valley, with aui outlet into the Wairarapa below Feathorston. The petitions intend also tot ask the Government to straighten the; Ruamahunga River by directing its] course through the Pouawha lagoon./ By doing so the Wairarapa lake would! be turned into a farming area of 43,000 acres, and the 60,000 acres which smv round the lake, and which are subject) to flood during six months of toe yeary would bo kept dry. The Government's embargo on civilian flying, which it was understood was to be removed on April 1, is likely to bo prolonged (says tho “Daily Mail ”). it is stated that tho new Transport Ministry, of which Sir Erie Geddes is head, considers that in view of civilian flying becoming a means of general locomotion it should_ bo controlled by that Ministry. This view is understood to he contested by the Air Ministry. Unless a solution is reached soon civilian flying will he delayed. The Air Ministry is believed to have completed its arrangements for the early resumption of civilian flying. These include the opening of more than 100 aerodromes where civilian airmen, in. return for a lauding fee of 2s 6d, ss, or 10s, according to the size of tha machine, would receive the latest information necessary to air navigation. A scheme has also been prepared for the renting of sheds at these aerodromes to private firms or individuals, and the letting of storage space at nominal rates. Facilities will also tie provided for the use at current prices of R.F.A,_ equipment, transport, and personnel in cases of emergency. Tha letting of aerodromes for short periods for purpose of aerial exhibitions o>* sports is also under consideration.