LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 19049, 30 June 1924, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Auckland Harbour Board loan has been fully subcribed ou the Loudon market.

Th c Northern Advocate states that there is a patient in the Whangarci Hospital who weighs 17st and is 95 years of age.

The announcement of the death ot Miss Charlotte Harbour, at Dunedin, brings to light a story of a strange misadventure which betel her three months ago. She was alone in her employer’s office one afternoon and accidentally got imprisoned in the strongroom, where she was discovered next morning. She was taken home and returned to work, three days later, but only for cue or two days.

“Do you mean to say you sold the property for half the ’ Government valuation?’’ asked His Honour Sir John Salmond of a witness at the Supreme Court, at Gisborne. “Yes, your Honour,” was thc reply. “It’s usually the other way round, isn’t it?” asked His Honour. “Not in Gisborne, sir” replied the witness. “It is generally recognised that Government valuations here are 100 per cent, too high.”

Strong comment was made by the Wellington Hospital Board on tho action of the Health Department in refusing to grant a subsidy to the Radium fund. The chairman said the Minister knew all along what was being done. Deputations had waited on him and he himself had been in close touch with the Department all through. Now eight months had gone by, and it was time the matter was settled. The Minister’s reply was a smoke screen to cover the Department’s long delay. Other members spoke of the Minister’s action as “a slap in the face,” “a breach of faith,” and so on. Finally it was decided to get into communication with tho Department again.

Office girts arc almost unprocurable in Adelaide, according to business men. As fast as girls are turned out of business colleges, high schools, and technical schools they arc snapped up by eager employers. Numerous applications for shorthand-typistes and girls with a knowledge of book-keeping are received every day by the business colleges, and less than half of those arc filled. “A qualified girl looking for a lob is unknown these days.” said one manager of a business college recently. “The only difficulty is to know what is the earliest time a girl can be allowed to take a position without prejudicing her future business career. So keen is the demand for office girls that even those who are not fully proficient can obtain employment. As fast as we can train the girls they are snapped up. In fact, we cannot fill half the positions that are ottered.”

“Anyone interested in the meat export business must see that there are far too many freezing works in the North Island,” remarked a local gentleman connected with the trade, when in conversation with a “Chronicle” reporter last week. “In order to carry on our business with reasonable overhead charges, wo have to put through certain quantities of produce. Suppose we have 1500 head of stock in the works to-day, and we can increase the killing capacity to 2,000, tho extra five hundred head costs only the actual labour.” He pointed out that it was a very big factor to freezing companies to have the turnover, and the fact of there being too many works resulted in high overhead charges, and a rush to get stock, which caused exporters to pay too much for it. The meat export trade was a speculative business, at best and one could only anticipate the market. During the last two years, tho markets have beeu against thc buyers, and the season had started with high prices, and finished with low ones. “The legitimate freezing business,” he declared, “is for freezing companies to trade the stock for the growers. This is largely done in Canterbury, where the great bulk of the meat is shipped on account of the growers. ’’

A problem which had not yet been solved was referred to by Mr. T. M. Paterson M.A., LL.B., during an address in Dunedin on “Law and Accountancy.” The problem was that of theoretical and practical knowledge He said that in law it was quite possible for a student to secure his degree without ever having drawn up a document. It was also quite possible for a man to become an LL.B, even if he did not know a bill of lading if he saw it in his soup. (Laughter.) Students of accountancy were in a somewhat similar position, but they had more actual practical experience, as they were trained in business houses. In most Cases the graduates of the Commercial Faculty at the Otago University had done, and were doing, quite well, but there were a number of men who had been brilliant students but who were failures when they commenced actual practice.

The" attendance at Wembley on Thursday brought the total to over five millions since the opening of the Empire Exhibition.

The Rialto buildings in Manners Street, Wellington were sold a day or two ago for £28,700. The property has a frontage of 60 feet to Manners Street and 219 feet to Lombard Street.

Some strange things come into the hands of the local police. There is at present at the Police Station a 601 b case of prunes, which was picked up on the road. It is now in custody awaiting an owner. /"

A well-known South Wairarapa dairy farmer sent twenty cull cows to the freezing works. They were the lowest testing cows of his herd, and, having ascertained this, he at once sent them to the works instead of passing them on to anyone else.

The following colours have been registered for the Aramoho School and gazetted:—Black, with red band through the centre and a narrow gold band on each edge, with monogram in the form of a shield with letters “A.P.S.” inscribed.

Interesting developments are expected in connection with the coal prospecting operations in the Woodville district. Tho Examiner says that a local prospecting syndicate is being formed, that options have been secured over the likeliest areas, and that skilled prospectors will be set to work in tho course of a few days.

It is an old saying, and one popularly accepted, that if the birds build early it is the sign of an early spring. This year the sparrows nave already started worn in and about Dunedin. Nature observers say that they, have not before known the building of nests to commence in June.

The Taranaki Education Board proposes to institute classes 'in soil science, animal husbandry, crop husbandry, and farm economies, combined with practical demonstrations, at Inglewood, Stratford and Hawcra. The object is to give tuition to farmers’ sons, who through any disability are unable to take advantage of the secondary school classes.

Rev. John Paterson commenced his ministry at St. Paul’s yesterday morning, when he preached to a very large congregation. The reverend gentleman's sermon, which was based on “Seeing Jesus,” made a marked inpression on the congregation. There was another very large gathering in the evening, when Rev. Paterson delivered a powerful sermon on “The Purpose of the Church.” At the morning service the choir sang “To Deum,” and in the evening “The Gloria” (Mozart) and “The Glory of the Lord.”

The truth of the commercial eptgram that “it pays to advertise” has been strikingly borne out by an experience of the Commonwealth Government. In 1922 the consumption of canned fruits in Australia amounted to about 5,000.000 tins. In 1923 the Federal Government began a propaganda campaign in order to dispose of the pooled fruit on its hands. As a result of its efforts the consumption of canned fruits in Australia increased to 15,000,t000 tins in nine months. The New Zealand Government might easily take a leaf out of Australia's book of knowledge with benefit in several directions.

Striking evidence of the rarity of gold as a means of exchange in ordinary commercial circles was provided by a n experience which occurred in Hamilton last week. A Whitiora resident, Mr. C. J. Cullen, sent a boy to the money order office for a postal note, and the boy received a half-sovereign as part of tho change. He then had to do some shopping, but not one of the tradespeople approached would accept the coin. Three of them expressed the opinion that it was a gilded sixpence. The resident asked whether anyone had seen a sixpence with St. Georga and the dragon on It. and remarked that it would almost appear that gold had not been in circulation during the life of the present generation.

There appears to be solid ground for the claim that New Zealand is the dairy farm of the British Empire. It was stated by Mr. W. M. Singleton, director of the dairy division, at the conference of the National Dairy Association at Auckland, that no other country had anything like the same number of cows per 100 of the population. The industry employed 78,000 persons last year, compared with 50,000 in 1919. while the output of butter-fat bad increased by 13 per cent. Dairyfarmers were becoming alert to tho value of herd-testing, and the latest record showed that over 146,000 had been tested, compared with 90.000 previously. The latest available census showed that in 1922 there was an increase of I'ooo milking machaines, and that 78.000 cows extra were being milked by machinery.

Some excitement was caused recently when a strange cow wandered into a house in Dunedin city. The animal entered the house through an open door and walked into the drawing-room. It then went along the passage and put its head into a storeroom, but upon endeavouring to back out found that its horns had too wide a spread to allow it to make its exit. A drover then arrived on the scene, and, with the aid of several pedestrians eventually, freed the animal, which lost no time in regaining the road. Two amusing incidents occurred when tho cow first entered the house. One man who had just come from the upper portion of the building dashed into the Street, and when told by a neighbour to go back and chase the cow out, replied: ‘‘No fear, the thing will butt me.” Another member of the household who happened to be in the passage made a great sprint, and, clambering out of a window, reached a fire escape and sought refuge in the back yard, much to the merriment of those who saw hint.

Mr. Gordon Fraser has been elected president of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce.

It is said to be better born lucky than rich. On Friday evening the borough traffic inspectors found on the Heads Road a brief bag containing a bottle of whisky, a bottle of beer, a loaf of brown bread and a prayer book. On Saturday the owner —a well-known local disciple of a gentle art—duly turned up, and with expressions of gratitude, claimed his lost luggago.

Members of the St. John Ambulance Society, in uniform, attended divine service at Christ Church last evening. During the sermon, the Rev. Mr. Hobbs referred to the good work that the society was carrying on, and mentioned the fact that it was inaugurated in the time of William the Conqueror, being then divided into three soldiers, priests and ministers.

Several Canadian teachers applied for the position of school janitor because there was a salary of 1200 dollars attaching to the latter job while they were only receiving 1000 dollars for teaching. This reminds the Montreal Gazette that not many years ago the Commissioner of Municipal .Service of that city advertised for a senior law clerk at 1020 dollars a year, and a furnace-man for the municipal baths at 1080 dollars.

Sixteen Lincoln ranis from tho flock of Messrs. J. W. Hughes. Maxwelltown (Wanganui), and ten rams from the estate of the late R. R. Hamilton, Manutahi (Taranaki), are being exported to rhe Argentine early next month. It is understood that further consignments are to be exported from the flocks of the Bland Rayner Estate and Messrs. W. Perry and Sons, of Masterton.

To have one's collarbone fractured, and then to continue playing a game of football after the accident, not knowing the nature of one's injuries, was the case of a player in the Ashburton team, N. Tasker, last Saturday week. Tho injured player finished the match, and it is stated that not until an interview with a doctor on Sunday night did he know that his right collarbone had been fractured.

After twenty years’ service Mr. E. A. Batt is severing his connection with the staff of Sargood, Son, and Ewen, on Tuesday next, and on July 18 he is leaving for Sydney en route to England on a business visit, from which he will return by way of Canada and the United States. Mr. Batt has arranged to join the directorate of Messrs. Bannatyue and Hunter, of Wakefield Street. During his stay in England he will make it his business to visit the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley Park, and will possibly spend some little time on the Continent.

The perfection which high grade art poster printing has reached is demonstrated by the London Midland and Scottish railway posters which Messrs Young and Collins are exhibiting in connection with golfing on the famous Gleneagles golf course. The posters are really fine pictures of this magnificent course and the artist gives a really glorious view of Gleneagles, which will be greatly appreciated by all golfers. The New Zealand Railway Department might with advantage follow the example of English railway companies in advertising ‘‘places worth while” in the Dominion.

A businesslike witness in the Supreme Court at Wellington whose careful bearing may bo judged from his description of someone’s manner as “not friendly, but perfectly polite, almost jocular,” was being cross-examined by Mr. C. P. Skerrett, K. C.. and evinced a desire to more thoroughly grasp the nature of the question being put to him. “I am afraid.” said Mr. Skerrett, “that I am getting thick-headed.” and paused expectantly. "I am not go ing to contradict you, Mr. Skerrett,” replied the witness, also after a pause. “I congratulate you,” said Mr. Skerrett. amidst the laughter of the Court. “If you were as quick in your answers as you are in your ratorts, we should get on very well together.”

A special broadcasting programme, KGO, of Oakland, California, arranged for the benefit of New Zealand listeners-in, was enjoyed by a number of Wanganui wireless enthusiasts last evening. The programme. which commenced at 8.10, New Zealand time, was extended over a period of twenty minutes, and was heard quite distinctly by Mr. J. Lea,, of Duncan Street. This en thusiast advised that tho concert opened with a solo, with piano accompaniments, followed by a lecturette on the help of radio in con struetion. The concluding number was a tenor solo, “Mona,” and the station signed off at 1 a.m.. Pacific Coast time. The concert was arranged by the General Electric and Telegraphic Co., and was transmitted from tho Hotel St. Francis, San Francisco.