General News.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20101, 3 December 1930, Page 10

General News.

"We are keeping our word," Ct. J. W. Beanland told a questioner at yesterday's meeting of the unemployed, "and we have one hundred men employed this week, and will have more next wool; '' Tile fencing of lliccarton road is going ahead rapidly, and the bond of the river has now lwen reached. The now fence is being placed behind the first line of trees, and it allows a line view of the parks from passim* cars. In the Botanic Gardens, bedding-out work is finished and the parks and gardens generally have never looked better. The Sumner Borough Council has applied to the Unemployment Board lor a subsidy of £-0J in order to provide work of a total value of £;};X> eiore Christmas. The unemployment loan and street works are almost completed and if thg Board grants the subsidy it will enable the men engaged on these works to be employed for a further period.

A slight, but sharp earthquake shock was experienced at Rangiora at about 3.20 a.m. .yesterday, ami although it wa> nut severe enough to do any damage, the loud, rumbling ao.se which precid c'd the shock, woke many residents. The tremor was recorded at the Chi\s;church Observatory, the time being 'd.'SA a.m.. but itß intensity was not sufficient to indicate direction or possible point of origin. The Union Company's new steamer Monowai was thrown open to the public at Wellington on Monday, at a charge of sixpence a head, the proceeds to go to the Plunket Society. As a result of this action the society bene (its to the extent of about Ai 33, 1-IUU people having gone aboard. —Press Association. A fire which occurred in a Pahnerston North warehouse on Saturda\ afternoon is said to have been caused <-y a boy's unwary action with a cigar ette lighter He had filled it with benzine, some of which had spilled on bis handf Without realising this, he tried the lighter arid the petrol burst into flame and his hands were badly burned. He dropped the lighter, anil the petrol oozed out and started the lire. The study of Shakespeare lias always been one of Professor J. AJacmillan Brown's keenest interests, and on the visit to England trom which he has just returned he wus able to see at first hand the new Stratford memorial theatre. He was escorted through the building and shown the plans by the architect, Mr Sheppard, who, lie remarked, had married a daughter ot Mr Sleigh, formerl'- ot Christchureh The walls were already built up about 30 feet, and tho theatre promised to be a fine one

The three drivers and cars which deud-heated in the open class of a recent reliability trial are to take part in a petrol consumption test on Tuesday even ng next to decide the winner. Messrs M S. Nottingham and H Christie will drive a Willys and n Willys-Knight respectively, and Mr C. 11. Hay ward will drive a Babv Austin The petrol consumption will bo worked out on the ton-mile basis, and the run will occupy about nr. lioui and a halt over a route to be explained at the commencement of the trial. It will start from the K.B.K. garage. _ - was drawn this week by u £«' i Walsh, general president ot the rocleratecj Seamen's Union of New Zealand, to what he alleged was tiie <; ° rn P e t'tion of the chartered Matson liner Malolo in carrying mails and passengers trom Sydney to Wei mgton. It ivas learned yesterday, however, that so far as mail is concerned. the postal matter can be and is dispatched in shins of non-British nationalities between Australia and ew Zealand. The ne-w Japanese vessels for example carry tn n il s The Malolo disembarked five passengers permanently at wellington, and when the vessel left 011 Saturday she hod two now passengers for San Francisco aboard These, however, were American citizens.— Pees- Servioo. The proposal to form a Conservancy Board to control the estuary of the Avon and Heuthcoto rivers, which was approved at a conference of representatives of the local authorities interested on October Ist, hn* not been overlooked in the meantime. Mr W. H. Nicholson. Mavor of Si-mner told a reporter yesterday that the drafting of the necessary legislation. to be introduced next session, is in hand. Correspondence has been entered into with the Marine Department regarding the provisions of the proposed legislation. When the Bill is drafted it will be submitted for consideration to a conference of rPDrP.'pnt" ,i -n» o' the Christrhnrch City Council, the "ninncr and New Brighton Borough Councils, and the Heathcote County Council.

Jt is reported that Mr Harry Carse, of Onehungn, has died in his 74tli vcar, leaving a large collection of New Zealand flora to Canterbury CoJlege The Rector of the College (Dr J Hight) has so far had no word of the beouest. Mr Cnrse was n teacher who took a great interest in New Zealand botanv. Tn the '"Manual of New Zealand Flora," Cheeseman writes of him : —"Mr H Carse now resident in Mongonui County, has botanised in several portions of the Auckland provincial district. He lin« given special attention to the 'cvpsrnceae.' ndd>"ne 'schoenus carsei' and 'tepidospermn filiforme' to the list of those already known to occur in the colony. He was also the first to observe the curious little nlant which I have provisionally described under tfa# name, 'trithuria inoonapicua.' K

When thp proposed alterations to Knox Church, Dunedin. are made, it is to install an aeousticon for the benefit of those who suffer from deafness Finance lias been (lie difficulty in the way ?f providing this mast necessary equipment, wlr.ch is now found in most large churches, says the ''Otago Daily Times." The cost of ihe installation will be about £6O.

An Auckland resident just back from a tour that took him up the Pacific, across the Atlantic, and, via the Mediterranean, to New Zealand, says that the only ship on which "safety drill'' was carried out with any degree of thoroughness was the en route to Vancouver. On the ships in the Indian Ocean the drill was almost a farce.

"I found Vienna somewhat faded — fine but shabhy," said Professor J. Macmillan Brown yesterday on his return from abroad, "kven Llie music •.■coined somewhat poverty-stricken. There are. however, still many public places of amusement, and these are great Iv frequented. It is obvious that the people have not given up tlici pleasures, although they have xnade them less striking." Although the mild weather experienced early in the spring; gave rise to hopes of an early supply of lambs for export (says tfie "New Zealand i lerald' ), colder conditions subsequently have proved such a setback that 110 lambs are coming to the fi oozing works at present Frosts have been oxperien 'od in the W'aikato (luring the last week .in two occasions and the growth of new grass has been checked to such an extent that it is reported farmers are resorting to feeding hav and ensilage again. The New Zealand Land Settlement and Development League is still beiiia inundated with applications from people who desire to settle on the land, and the expected stream of parents with boys leaving school at the end of the year has already set 111, says the "Xeiv Zealand Herald." "They • ome asking for bread and unfortunately I can give them but a stone." said the secretary, .Mr N. G Gribble. commenting on the position ile add«-l that the matter was of the utmost urgen -y. A new use for discarded oil from motor-cars, etc., has been discovered by a West Gore resident. Last year lie painted one or two of the trees 111 his orchard with used oil and had ex (.client results in brighter foliage and better truit I'rom the trees. lhi.s year he has extended ihe experiment to include practically every apple tree in ins garden and has also included some rose bushes. The old oil has a very marked effect in the destruction ol insect life. Ono of the unemployed reminded the Mayor (.Mr J. K. Archer) on Monday that the unemployed had votes, and that, he might need them. Speaking to the unemployed yesterday Mr Archer said that lie did not want the.ll to be under any misapprehension on the subject. He (lid not care two straws what happened. "In the first plafe." he continued. 4< l don't know whet hot I shall be a "andidate or not. if 1 am a candidate. I am not goin.' to bid for the votes of men of that type. Between now and the general election I am to carry out this iob as it ough*t to be carried on'." Applause greeted the Mayor's remarks

Two examples of ea.ses in which eiri umst:intin) evidence was just as cogent as direct evidence were given recently by Mi' -Justice IJk'.ir in the Supreme Court at Napier. "11 you fin J n trout in your milk-jug," said bis Honour, "yon are fairly safe in assum inf. that there is something more than mills there, that there is water '{'fill is purely oircumst." nt ial eviden-e Take another ease. If a man sees a •■at take a canary and eat it that is direet evidence But the circumstantial evidence is just as strong if the man rnmos into a room, finds a c.-vre empty, feathers lying around, and a eat wiping feathers off its whiskers—irid no cm nary." A stir was created in Hastings recently when a clerk sleeping on the promises a local Uank fired fnur revolver shots through a window, thereby attracting a eon.-tabic and several passers-by. says an exchange Thrice someone had telephone*] the clerk intimating that the hank was on fire, and thoimh he made thorough investigations he ua.s unable to discover signs .if an outbreak The firinu of the shots was his method of calling the police, who were informed ol the circumstances A search of the hank and other premies in the vicinity was unfruitful and the conclusion was reached that someone was playing n joke.

"The time is coming when the (|iiestion of overlapping among local hollies tins to he tackled." declared Mr W. Harvey, during a discussion at a meeting of tlio Napier Chamber of Commerce "Take our own district," added -Mr Hnrvev. "There are councils and hoards everywhere. It seems 10 he the policy of the Government to increase the number Every time a local body wants to extend its activities it i.s told that it will have to form another body—a drainage board, or a domain hoard, or something. The cost of administration is climbing rapidly and it almost makes one want to return to the old provincial days, with one body in control. I am satisfied that it would bo a step in the right direction. Thcro are too many bodies. The whole thing is n burden on the taxpayers If anvone starts anything half the difficulty is to get the consent of other local bodies "

Don t miss the big auction ot Gramophones and Furniture at Livingstone's Auction Rooms at 1 p.m. to-day. 1 A bride came all the way from San Francisco to be manied here so that she could rido in New Zealand's best Bridal Car. Surely this speaks for itself so 'phone 34-075 or 35-572 for the Gold Band Taxis' Bridal Cars. Thank von 2 John .Johnston, Ltd.. merchants, established 18C3. Direct importer? of British and American hardware ami machinery. 'Phone 4. P.O. Box I. Rangiora. j Farmers, when you come to town on Wednesdays, remember it will only cost you half the price to go to the 8a ley ard s if vou 'phone for a Gold Band Taxi. So why pay moref 'Phones 34-075 and 35-572. Thank you. a The P. and D.D Perfect Potato Planter With our improved Machine anil two or three horses, one man single-handed, can plant from 3 to 4 acres a day with fertiliser up to scw+B per acre, making a better lob than baud planting Tsing one ol these machines. Mi E McCarthv las! year got a remarkable crop at Prei ble ton Another fourteen purchasers £?nt excellent results p n nd D. Duncan Ltd. 190 Tnam street Christchurch and at Ashhurton ft

British Hay-Making Equipment of latest ideas, covering the whole job, fr cutting to stacking—or baling, as the case may be available at competitive prices, for immediate delivery! Albion Mowers, single or double spee'd, Sweep Rakes, all varieties, Mast and Boom Stackers, also Swinging Stackers and Power-driven Stackers, Power Hay Balers, all our own make—Mower only excepted—constituting an All-British line standing for Service, Durability Value and Trade Reciprocity! Dinna forgetl Special Pamphlet Post Free. Booth, Mudontld wad CJa, Ltd.