General News.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19171, 30 November 1927, Page 8

General News.

The sub-committee of the Highways Committee of the Progress League will meet to-morrow evening to continue its deliberations regarding a roads policy for Canterbury. It is understood that considerable headway has been made, but a great amount of careful study remains to be done. Stoats appear to be rapidly on the increase along the Bakaia riverbed. Besides killing a considerable number of rabbits, they account for a good many quail, particularly at this time of the year when the birds are breeding. It is said that both weasels and stoats prefer feathered game to rabbits or hares. The date of the conference to be called by the Progress League to consider the power position in Canterbury will be settled at the meeting of the executive to be held next week. The League has received a copy of the resolution arrived at by the Ashburton Power Board in the following terms:— "That this Board strongly endorses the action of the Progress League in reviewing the power Biipply position, approves of the deductions it has made, and pledges itself to support any action it may take to press the Department to make an early start with the Waitaki scheme." The inconspicuous places iii which street numhers were located was made the subject of a complaint by Mr J. Stewart to last night's meeting of the Council of the United Burgesses' Association. He pointed out the difficulty of locating a place at night when the number was on the front door of a house and not on the pate or fence, and his motion, to the effect that the City Council be asked, when reconstructing the numbering of properties, to have the numbers placed in prominent places on the frontage of proper ties, was adopted. A suggestion that in the history of the early colonisation of the overseas Dominions of the Empire might be found material for moving pictures of Imperial interest has been made to the Secretary of State for the Dominions, Mr Amery, by Mr Allen Bell, member for the Bay of Islands. Mr Bell put his ideas before Mr Amery on Monday, and said later that Mr Amery would be pleased to put them before an official who had been sent by the British Government to America to investigate film production in that country.—Pbess Service. By those who know where to search for it on the slopes of One Tree Hill, Auckland, there may be found an indigenous plant which has medicinal properties, and which is said to be an infallible cure for bunions. It was a knowledge that the old-time Maoris had, and the information was passed on to Europeans. Recently one of the oldest ladies at the infirmary made a search for the plant, and was proud of her undimmed eyes when she speedily discovered it. She said that bunions was one of the few disabilities that she had, a legacy of a by-gone fashion when young ladies wore tight-fitting shoes.

Yesterday afternoon the Mayor and Mayoress (Mr and Mrs J. K. Archer) and the Town Clerk (Mr J. S..Neville) and Mrs Neville paid a visit of inspection to the Deaf and Dumb Institute at Sumner. Although the number of registrations of men out of work at the employment branch of tlio Labour Department was 235, as compared with 383 at the end of October, trades union secretaries say that unemployment is still very bad. This state of things will be remedied to some extent when the freezing works resume operations. An eight-page brochure has been issued by the Lyttelton Harbour Board setting out in detail the arrangements for the celebration of the Board's jubilee on December 16th. The order in which the harbour works and equipment are to be inspected is set out, and concise information is given regarding the harbour and its equipment. As the result of recent conferences between the Auckland City Council representatives and the Government, the Prime Minister has agreed to recommend Cabinet to accede to the request of the Council that a Commission of Enquiry should be set up to make a complete survey of the transport problem in the Metropolitan area in relation to passenger traffic, as affected by the tramways, railways, and motor omnibuses.—Pbess Service. The danger of leaving fish hooks lying about the grass was illustrated at Eltham the other day, when a Stratford woman met with a painful accident. She was walking through the grass toward her car when her feet became entangled in a piece of string, with the result that a hook attached to the string was flung against her leg with such force that it was deeply embedded in the flesh, and she had to return to Stratford, where an operation was necessary. Dance hall etiquette was referred to in the Magistrate's Court at Auckland, when a young man, explaining the circumstances leading to his acquaintance with a girl, saia: "I met ner at a dance, but I was not introduced. You do not wait for introductions at dances nowadays." "Times have changed considerably since I was young," remarked cross-examining counsel. "In my day, we never asked a young lady for a dance until we were introduced." "You would not get any dances now, then," said witness.—Press Association. A Cheviot correspondent writes: "With reference to the item in the General News in Monday's Press regarding the claim made by Inglewood that they own the largest mushroom, it may be of interest to your readers, if the measurements of a mushroom gathered on the property of Mr E. P. Honeybone, Cheviot, were published, which are as follows:—Circumference 33 inches, diameter at the widest part 12 inches, at the narrowest part 11 inches; stem 9 inches in circumference and 3i inches in diameter. The mushroom is at present displayed in a shop window in the township of Mackenzie. The Canterbury Education Board this year has been fortunate in the receipt of two substantial donations towards its school garden work. Over 1000 rose trees and other shrubs were given by the Christchurch Nursery Co. (Messrs Grant, MoDonald) for distribution amongst the North Canterbury schools. The Ashburton County Council has given £5 in prize money for best school gardens in their county. The judging of these and the MacFarlane Shield will be carried out next week by Mr J. Young, Curator of the Christchurch Botanio Gardens, in conjunction with Mr Winsor, member of the Education Board, and Mr Moodie, Chief Agricultural Instructor. An adventurous voyage across the Tasman was experienced by the 35ft yawl lona, which left Auckland on September 3rd for the Queensland coast. The only members of the crew were two Auckland men, Mr R. Tange and Mr L. Eide. It was their intention to call at Norfolk Island en route, but this plan was abandoned owing to severe head winds and rough seas. Finally the lona reached Mackay on October 17th, and later proceeded up the Queensland coast to Cairns, via Bowen. According to the latest advice they intended to remain at Cairns until the hurricane season was over, and then try their luck at trading in New Guinea. In the past, when Christmas Day has fallen on a week day, the railway authorities always have put on a special train on Christmas morning for the convenience of motorists desiring to visit the West Coast. Seeing that Christmas Day this year falls on a Sunday, Mr J. S. Hawkes, secretary and organiser of the Canterbury Automotile Association, suggested to the railway authorities that a special train, leaving Springfield for Otira at 2 p.mon Saturday, December 24th, should be put on so that motorists going to the West Coast, but having business in town in the morning, could travel by it. As this train has been well patronised in past years, the railway authorities had agreed to run it. Tt will bo a mixed train, carrying passengers and cars, provided sufficient business is offering.

Spend a pleasant half-hour wandering through our new upstairs Showroom. Over 6000 feet of space laid out with the most attractive display of goods all recently opened for Christmas tune. Camping and Travelling Requisites, Picnic Hampers, Tricycles, Toys, Brass and Copper Goods, and England's best China and Crystal in" grent profusion. Goods will be set aside until Christmas if desired. Mason, Struthers and Co., Ltd., Colombo and Lichfield streets. -6 Undoubtedly the young people of today have every opportunity, when one considers the usefulness and instructiveness of Radio. It is certain that a Crystal Set is the most advantageous Xmas Present for 1927. Complete Crystal Sets, Headphones, Aerial Wire, and Insulators can be bought for 30s at J. I. Smail, Electrical and Radio Engineer, Carey's Buildings, 734 Colombo street, Ohristchurch. —$ J. Johnston and Son, Morchants, Kangiora, established 1863. Sole agents in North Canterbury for celebrated Massoy-Harris farm implements. Catalogues and prices on application. P.O. Box l. 'Phone 4. —5 Before buying a Hay Sweep be sure you see our improved rear hitch folding pattern, reducible in two minutes from thirteen and a half feet to nine feet. The only important improvement made in hay sweeps in the last twenty years. P. and D. Duncan, Ltd., Tuam street, Ohristchurch. g Twin City Tractors must go up in price early next year! They are about 25 to 40 per cent, lower now than they should be, so the moral is get in now, if you want the best tractor on the New Zealand market at an "introduction" P" ce - Every "Twin City" owner is a Twin City "booster." Catalogues and fullest particulars by return post. Booth, Macdonald, and Co., Ltd. 0521