LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16635, 18 January 1922, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Police desire owners for a quantity of jewellery and other articles supposed to have been stolen from bathers a; Karaki Beach. Messrs R. R. Gotv (Wellington). A E. Ramsden (Wellington). C. F. Treadwell (Wellington), arid W. T. .Truscott (Auckland) are staying at th© Clarendon.

“ London was * tennis-mad * last Rummer states Miss Eleanor Gunsou, of Auckland, who recently returned to New Zealand. The public courts in every park and garden were crowded from dawn to dark. No matter in what direction you turned there were girls and men playing tenuis, and so great was the increase in tho number of players that at one period it was impossible to buy balls. 5 ’

“ Our country is in a bad wav just now, especially Kimberley, with all the mines closed down,” writes Mr H. C. Bennett, manager of the Springbok footballers, in a letter to the secretary of tho Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union. “ Half the town are on relief works at present, and things are getting worse. Still we smile and try to take our pleasures as usual. f wish T was back again in your part of tho world,” he adds.

“ At a pleasant little function at Scott’s Hotel in Melbourne,” writes a correspondent to th© “Argus,*’ “the Cocos staff of the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company presented Captain Simmer, the popular commander of the Orient Steamship Company’s Omar, with a gold cigarette case and matchbox with his monogram inscribed, enclosed in a handsome case. The presentation was made by Mr A. JPitcher, the company’s Perth superintendent, who is now on a visit to Melbourne, and in tho presence of the Melbourne staff. Captain Simner remembers these exiles, and when passing the islands drops overboard a cask filled with good things, fresh food and magazines. If time permits, the Cocos boat goes alongside the Omar, and the lonely cable men get glimpses of lovely women and call blessings on Captain Simner’s head.”

A good deal of interest in the expen monts with electrified seed wheat has been manifested in tlio Ashburton County ibis season (says the *‘ Guardian*'. A firm of Christchurch millers supplied equal quantities of electrified and ordinary 'Tuscan seed to be grown side by side for comparative purposes. On© favourable report, from Mr D. J. M’lntyre, Digby’s Bridge, has been received concerning the test, but other farmers are not favourably impressed. At the Ashburton Experimental Area there aro four plots, two grown from electrified Tuscan and two from the same variety of wheat simply treated with formalin in the ordinary manner. The verdict is plainly for the ordinary seed. The electrified plots are both later and thinner. On this first test it may be supposed that the electric process of treating seed wheat is not going to increase or accelerate germination or give better results in the final return

The many New Zealanders who have soldier relatives laid to rest in the British Military Cemetery at Old Cairo will be much gratified to learn that the graves there are lovingly cared for hv faithful friends of tho New’ Zealand boys. The last mail from Egypt brought to the parents of a Dunedin lad who is buried there a letter from the wife of Major Rabaghati, a lady who during the war did much for the comfort of our boys, first by organising tea rooms and later by her V.A.D. hospital service. The letter contained several photographs of the cemetery, a newspaper account of tho solemn service o,f remtembrane© that was held there last Armistice Day, and flowers from one of the beautiful wreaths that decorated the graves on that occasion. The central “ stono of remembrance ” was surmounted with the flags of the Allies, a banner inscribed “Their name liveth for evermore.” and a wreath of floral emblems. The same parents received from the offker-in-charge of base records last month a photograph of the official headstone over their boy’s grave- • The peculiarity about receiving this notice now is that they themselves had tlie official headstone replaced by a more permanent and suitable on© fully three years ago. House propeity business in Auckland is stated by agents to have milch more ‘life” in it than was the case in November or December, reports tho “ Herald.” A. considerable number of sales are reported to have taken place since the offices reopened after tho holidays, and the. firms concerned look uoon this as an encouraging sign “ There still seem to be any number of house-hunters,” said on© agent, “ and nearly all of them want a bungalow of about six rooms with a quarter of an aero or so of land in the suburbs.” Properties of this class at from £I4OO to £I6OO he considered were not likely to remain lona - on the market. Larger houses were harder to sell, particularly if a good deal of cash was wanted. A phase of the position that had become more marked lately was stated to bo tho number of people living in flats who were anxious to obtain houses of their own. It was gathered tlq*t this applied particularly to married couples with young children, who had been unable to buy houses beforo because of the high prices. The decline in values since tho spring was estimated to be about 10 nor cent. A fair demand fof small all op property in the suburbs, up to £4OOO or £SOOO, was also reported by agents. There was less inquiry for building sections owing to houses being more easily procurable than they were. The Northern Territory of Australia is coming into the boom at last. A number of people appear to have had had their imagination fired to a whit© heat of enthusiasm with regard to the oil producing possibilities of the country. Recently (says a Melbourne paper), over a hundred licenses have been issued by tho Home and Territories Department to oil exploratory parties, and even if th© prospectors fail in their search for oil they will at least gain an intimate knowledge of tile Territory, and it is thought that they mav possibly be induced to settle down there and assist in developing tho country. Of course should any of the exploratory parties bo fortunate enough to “ strike oil ” in payable quantities tho Commonwealth would no longer have any need to regard tho Territory as its “ white elephant.” On the contrary, it would become an exceedingly valuable acquisition. Most of th© prospecting for oil which has been started in tlie Territory is being financed by small syndicates. The cost of a prospecting license is £lO, and the license holds good for twelve months. Tn some instances prospecting parties have taken out licenses enabling them to search for oil over areas covering 1000 square miles. A photograph to send each of your friends is th© best way to solv© the gift problem. Let Steffano Webb take it,. Peterson’s Buildings, High Street. Telephone 1989. 1513 Is your bottled fruit, worth threepence per dozen bottles? If so us© HASTIE, BULL AND PICKERING’S EXTRA HEAVY BINGS, which whisper tho secret of success in bottling. Only threepence per dozen more than the cheapest make* 270