General News.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20108, 11 December 1930, Page 10

General News.

Heathcofce County rates are coming in very slowly, more slowly than has been the case for very many years. At present there is about £14,000 outstanding.

The General Committee of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association decided yesterday to renew its annual grant of £lO towards the funds of the Christchurch Technical College. The foundation stone of the new Presbyterian Church, costing £3200, of which half is already in hand, was laid at Te Arohn yesterday by the Rev. George Budd, Moderator of the General Assembly.—Press Association., An application by the Lyttelton Returned Soldiers' Club for a grant to buy a section at Lyttelton and to erect a club hall was refused yesterday by the Canterbury Patriotic Fund, such an object not coming within the scope of the fund. Seven parties employed by the State Forest Service are engaged in culling deer, in the back country of Canterbury, but no reports are yet available of the number taken. Three parties are operating in the Hanmer district, two in the area bordering the Poulter River and Castle Hill, while two more are in Alf-ord Forest. One of the leaders of the unemployed in Christchurch was arrested by the police early last evening. He will be charged in the Magistrate's Court to-day. It' is understood that the police were searching for another of the leaders last nipjlit, with the intention of arresting him also.

According to the report issued yesterday by the Public Works Department there was a rise of nearly four inches in the level of Lake Coleridge for the nfeek ended last Sunday. The lake was then nt a level of 1662.1 ft, compared with 1661.8 ft on the previous Sunday. It is still almost Bft below the normal level of 1670 ft.

Professor J. Maemillan Brown has presented to tho Canterbury Horticultural Society a handsome silver challenge cup for award in the Hills garden competition for gardens on the hills 'from Heatheote to Tai Tapu. The first competition for the trophy .is to take place on December 19th and 20th, and the Society is inviting entries.

"It takes a man ten years to know his wife, they say. But it takes a good deal longer than that foi a mai. to know his farm,'' said Mr L. It. C. Macfarlane, president of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association, at the mass meeting of farmers held at the Civic Theatre yesterday afternoon to discuss the fall in prices of produce.

The examination paper of a candidatei for a preacher's license was likened by a speaker at yesterday morning g meeting of the Christchur.ch Presbytery to one of the figures in the Book of Daniel. "When I started to read the paper," he said "I was greeted by very careful handwriting. But towards the end the candidate relapsed into his own handwriting. Then I came to the feet of clay."

A trout found in the stomach of a. kawhai, caught on the Awatoto beach recently, confirmed the contention of a member of the Hawke's Bay Acclimatisation Society that at a certain age the trout swim out of the mouths of the rivers into the open sea. The particular trout found was sent to the research committee of the New Zealand Acclimatisation Society.

Replying to a question, the Post-master-General said that tenders had '•een received by the Government for the carriage of mails by air in New Zealand. Two were from New Zealand concerns and one from Australia. There was a possibility of a fourth from a New Zealand firm. He added that he hoped to have the matter completed in the next few days.—Press Association.

"You tin-mill-owners will now have to put up a tent beside the machine so that the men will not catch cold when they cease work, according to the Arbitration Court," said Mr Colin Mcintosh, president of the North Canterbury Executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, at the mass meeting of farmers yesterday alter noon. "What about an umbrella for the sunP" cried someone in the audience, amidst feugbtot*

The first Diesel-engined motor-bus to be used in New Zealand will be placed on the road in Auckland before Easter, according to the Auckland "Herald." _ Tho body is being built in the Dominion. Mr H. W. Harris stated at yesterday's meeting of tho Waimakariri River Trust that he knew who had cut the large hole in tho stop-bank near < hancy's, but had been unable to collect sufficient evidence to enable legal action to bo taken. "This is a time for universal sacrifice Tho whole responsibility cannot be shelved on to the farmer," said Mr 11. M. D. Morten, president of tho Canterbury Sheep-Owners' Union, at the farmers' meeting yesterday afternoon. "Everyone must be made to realise tho seriousness of the position and to pull together towards a solution of the problem. You must see that the Government summons Cabinet to decide what should bo donn." "I think shops should bo compelled to forfeit all goods stolen from them," remarked Mr F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the i'olico Court 011 Saturday, during the hearing of a shoplifting case, states tho Auckland ''Herald." The Magistrate said that every week lately people accused of stealing articles from shops were brought before him. He ihought that if city shopkeepers would take greater pains to safeguard their stock shoplifting would become less prevalent. Squadron-Leader L. M. Isitt, who tlew a Fairey lII.F. aoroplano from Auckland to Soekburn in remarkably quick time on Tuesday, expects to return north to-morrow. On tho down journey he was accompanied by Mr tiibbs, of Christchurch, who kept in constant wireless communication with Wing-Commander Grant Dalton (Diroclor of Air Services). Mr Isitt's visit to the south was mainly connected with photographic and radio work, and at present ho is awaiting instructions li-om headquarters as to his return journey. Tho need for greater co-ordination between the Railway Department and the carrying business with the object of doing away with the keen competition existing at present was urged by a deputation of master carriers from all parts of the Dominion, which waited on the Minister for Railways at Wellington. Mr Voitch, in reply, expressed the view that the passing or a Transport Bill would do away with ;i lot of friction that existed between tho Department and carriers, arid would do a lc-t to eliminate national waste.—Press Association.

Dr. F. J. Borrio, in appealing for support for St. John Ambulance Association, at last night's meeting of the Waimairi County Council, mentioned a case in which the presence of an ambulance officer had been responsible for the saving of a young man's life after his neck had been broken. The man was still alive and the case was known far beyond New Zealand. The young man in question had recently taken part at an athletic meeting. Appreciation of treatment accordod him in England recently by tlio lloyal Automobile Club was expressed by Mr 11. \V. Lawitnco at a meeting of the Wellington Automobile Club. Ho was concerned in a serious motor mishap, arid after he left for New Zealand the club took the case up and settled it later with Mr Lawrence. Members of the Wellington Automobile Club goini* abroad carry Home a letter of introduction to tno Hoval Automobile Club, with which they are enrolled as visiting members. The Highways Board is slipping, said Mr W. J. Walter at last night's meeting of the Waimairi County Council. In the past I have supported thein, but now, county members of the Board are negleeting their work. Here wo havo our roads carrying 90 per cent, of foreign traffic, and the Board will not declare them secondary roads. It is time tho Highways Board was cleared out, and Parliament should immediately attend to it. Cr. Chapman: Why not a South Island Board? Cr. Walter: A South Island Board would bo no good. Twelve Hanmor sections, each of 32 perches' area, fronting the Jollie's Pass road, were offered for lease at an auction held at the office of the Commissioner of Crown Lands (Mr W. Stewart) yesterday. Only two of them were disposed of, at the upset rental of £2 10s per annum, for a lease ot 21 years with right of renewal for similar periods. The remaining sections are now ooen for se'ection by anyone desiring them at the upset rentals. A further auction, of an Ashbnrton township Kcotion( is to bo held at Asliburton to-day.

Shearing operations of wool-growers in tho Bush District have been considerably hampered this season by wet weathe . states' the "Wairarapa Age." A wel: known sheep-farmer of Tiraumea (I.ketahuna), who has kept a record of rainfall for the past half century, said that the present season, from the point of view of rain interfering with shearing, was tho worst experienced for 47 years. In 1883 it took him 9 weeks to shear his flock and this season he thought it would take about 12 weeks.

Quito a number of tho unemployed have taken advantage of tho liberal terms offered in connexion with the eale of tickets in the Old English Stage Coach Art Union. The conditions aro that tho sellers retain one-half of the amount realised by the sale of tickets. Some sellers have been able to earn from 20s to 30s a day, though it has involved hard work to do so. The proposal of a syndicate to take 100 books was turned down as opposed to tho intention of assisting the unemployed. Ahout 300 books still remain to be disposed of before the end of this month.

Chiefly on the ground that others than learners would take advantage of the concession if free admittance- to the Municipal Baths was granted, the City Council's Baths and Fntertainr.ients Committee refused the Swimming Centre the free use of the baths during Learn-to-Swim Week. The position is that the Centre has been given the exclusive uso of the baths for one hour daily during Learn-to-Swim Week, the .committee raising no objection to instruction being given. Apparently tho Centre interpreted the refusal to grant the free use of the baths as meaning that they were to be excluded altogether from the baths.

The last shots of concrete in the lining of the new Mount Victoria Tunnel, Wellington, were fired yesterday from a machine which pumps it behind the mound. The contract will be completed in about two months, or about four months within the time stated in the contract. Tho contract price was approximately £135,000 for the tunnel if it wero 2045 ft long. The lining will be complete in a few days, when the final section of concrete has hardened and the steel mould has been removed A raised footpath, six feet wide and six feet above the road level, has yet to be constructed. Two vertical air shafts have been constructed, but the amount of forced ventilation necessary has yet to be determined.— Press Association. Travellers by rail will be able to set a Gold Band Taxi at their Branch Garage, opposite the Railway Station as from November Ist. In the meantime. 'phone 34-075 or 35-572. It will pay you handsomely. Thank vou. —8

Weddings are specially catered toi by the Gold Band Taxis We have two classes of Bridal Cars from 7s Gd per hour, and every uno of our brides haye bad good luck, so why pass us and risk bad luck. 'Phones 34-075 and S6-672, and book early, «—4