News in Brief

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 643, 22 December 1932, Page 10

News in Brief

Anti-electrocution Device. To provide protection from the danger arising from broken power lines falling on fences, a scheme has been put into operation on trial by the Wanganui-Rangitikei Power Board with a view to further adoption if successful. The scheme briefly is to replace certain existing fuses with automatically reclosing oil switches, under which system power would be automatically cut oft at the switch nearest the break on the power supply side. Conditions Improving. “ Indications coming from the other side of the world do point to an improvement in conditions during next year,” remarked Mr W. A. Veitch, M.P., when speaking at the annual prize-giving ceremony at the Central Infants’ School in Wanganui. “We have been passing through difficult times and we are far too apt to believe that because last year was bad the next year is going to be worse, and so on. That is a mistaken outlook. We have a fine country and although we have not yet begun to feel the benefit of improved conditions, the fact remains that in Great Britain and the United States matters are improving and there is no doubt that during the coming year there will be a reflex of those conditions in this country.” Audit of Public Appeals. The question of the auditing of public appeals was mentioned at the last meeting of the Wellington City Council. Mr W. Appleton said he was very pleased to see that Happiness Week had been so great a success, but he would like to ask whether that and similar appeals to the public were the subject of properly audited reports to the town clerk. The public had been very generous, but he thought that they would be even more generous if they knew that all appeals were subject to audit and report. The accountants of the city would willingly assist. The Mayor, Mr T. C. A. Hislop, said that an audit of the Happiness Week accounts was being prepared. Street-day collections were subject to audit, and he agreed that all appeals should be so treated. The German Owl. Eradication of the German owl is sought by the council of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, which is seeking the co-operation of the Native Bird Society and other acclimatisation societies. The feathers of eight birds which were stated to have been found in an owl’s nest near Clarkville, were exhibited by the president (Mr L. A. Shand). There were three young owls in the nest, which contained the feathers of the following birds:—Chaffinch, wax-eye, starling, blackbird, thrush, kingfisher, hedge sparrow, skylark, and the tail of a mouse. Mr Shand said that, though fantails were numerous along the north branch of the Waimakariri in other seasons, there were none there now. The feathers went to show how the owls menaced tuis and other birds in the bush. Another member stated that a German owl had killed a full-grown chukor in the society’s pens at Greenpark.