GENERAL NEWS

Wanganui Chronicle, 2 September 1950, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS

Police Recruiting Campaign Disappointment at the result o£ the police recruiting campaign in Wanganui Iq date was expressed by Inspector W. Drown yesterday. “Tfie response has not been as good as was expected," he said, “but we are hoping for better results soon."

SJany I'rosts ip Augpst. Fjftgen frosts tyere recorded in Wanganui last m° n, h. compared with four in August of last year. On lour days during the month, there was more than 10 hours' sunshine and onlyon two days was no sunshine recorded. The rainfall for the mqntji was 3.76 inches. The heaviest fall was 85 points. At Your Sel-vipe.

The postmaster at a busy tourist centre in the South Island answereo a knock at his door at 8.20 o'cloclf one night agd a “dear old lady" asked: "Are you the postmaster’;" He replied that he was. "Weil, would you till my fountain pen lor me—l always fill it af the post office." The postniastar lilled the pen from *he household ink bottle. State Rental Houses. The average length of time under construction of State rental houses handed over to the Government last year was 49 weeks. Twenty per cent, of the houses were built by Rehabilitation Department trainees who did the work as quickly as experienced tradesmen. This information was given in the annual report of Hie State Housing Department presented to Parliament this week.

Wool fop Vyeilingtqn. Woql fqr transhipment to qn overseas vessel at Wellington was loaded at Wanganui yesterday by the scow Te Aroha. Because of a high southerly in Cook Strait and as the wool is not required in Wellington till Monday, the vessel’s departure wag postponed till this tnorping. Further wqol for Wellington will b e loaded at Castlecliff on Monday by the Hqlmburn, which is due tomorrow.

Tokens For Books As from yesterday boo}< tokens are available at booksellers throughout New Zealand. A person can purchase from a bookseller a token which Will be accepted by him or any other bookseller. 'fhe token consists of a greeting card and stamps and is valid for exchange into books to the full value Indicated by the stamps, which are beings issued in denominations of 10s. More than one stamp can be affixed to a card. Stealing Of Sheep.

The jury iii a Supreme Cpurt case at Gisborne this week iq acquitting a farmer who had been charged with the theft of sheep added two riders. The first was that the practice of marking sheep with a cattip marker should not be permitted. The second was that the Stock Department should not permit the registration of stock brands of a similar character to farmers in close proximity to one another.

Fatfieris Day. Tomorrow, the first Sunday in September, is known as Father's Day. The origin of this observance is rather obscure, but .it is generally regarded as an occasion for putting the male parent on a fuss. The family present him with gifts, he is usually relieved from such duties as mowing lawns and digging the garden, and, if he is particularly lucky, he gets breakfast in bed. Gifts vary, of course, and it is conceivable that rolling pins, minus the inscribed cards, have figured among the presents.

Use of lid Health Stamp The 144 health stamp which will be issued on October 2 will not be available for the posting of accounts, the Post and Telegraph Department advises. The lid stamp represents a penny for postage and a halfpenny for health, and the stamp can be used for accounts only with the addition of an ordinary halfpenny stamp. The ltd health stamp, however, can be used for postage of notices of meet ngs. newspapers and other articles coming within the definition of “printed matter." Schools Re-opening. All primary schools under the control of the Wanganui Education Board and all Wanganui convents, with the exception of the Sacred Heart Convent, will re-open fop the third term of the school year on Monday. The Marist. Brothers' School has one extra day holiday, resumiiig classes Tuesday. The Wanganqi Technical College, St. Augustine’s High School. the Wangaiiuj Girls' College, the Sacred Heart Convent and t he Friends’ Sciiool all re-qpen on Tuesday, September 12. The Wanganui Collegiate School rpopens on Thursday, September 14.

Novel Experiment-Sheep-dogs have a reputation tqi sagacity, but they will have something really complicated to puzzle out if one Central Otago man's ideas conic to fruition. He has persuaded a ventriloquist with a visiting revue company to give him a course in ventriloquism so that he can control his doge from two points, ’the venlriloquest, intrigued by the proposal, bitt somewhat uncertain just hqw his pupil intends lo make it. operate, sqid that the general idea vvqs to work the nqgs on a sori of dual control. “Anyone who cares to practice for long enough can ba a ventriloquist," he said. “Most people give up after a few months, i am most interested lo see how this will work out."

Rabbit Control. Approximately 4000 rabbits had been destroyed during th ■ three months ended July 31 last, reported the chief inspector, Mr. E. C. Robson, at the August meeting of the Kiwitea Rabbit Board. He added that since taking over his duties oq Jqne 23 he had made a preliminary inspection of the whole of the district and had obtained the scrv'ces pl’ a working inspector for a block in the Kawhatau Valley area, but had beeq unsuccessful in an effort to obtain a casual rabbiter to assist. Certain areas in the district where (lie rabbits art fairly qumg|'pus were lo receive early allention