General News.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20490, 8 March 1932, Page 8

General News.

From Mr P. O. Webb, on behalf of the Point Elizabeth Coal Company, the Mayor (Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P.) has received,- for his Relief of Distress Fund, two tons of coal. In aid of the Mayor's Relief of Distress Fund there will be community dancing on Cranmer square to-night. In addition, the Woolston Band, under Mr R. J. Estall, will play the selection which was the test one at the recent band contest. One definite case of infantile paralysis was" reported to the, Health authorities yesterday morning, bringing the total up to four for the week ended noon yesterday, as compared with five reported during the previous week. Of the eighteeh definite cases reported since the beginning of the year, two. have, proved fatal. Oil Thursday Mr P. Haily, conciliation commissioner, will preside over a Council of Conciliation to deal with the application of the Amalgamated Engineering and Allied Trades Union for a new award. The assessors nominated by the Union are Messrs J. Scorgie, Greymouth, and F. Harman, C. A. Piper, W, McCracken, T. Woods, and' G. T. Thurston, all of Christchurch. City rates collected . yesterday amounted, approximately, to £3600, making the proportion of rates collected to date to rates levied about 38.68 per cent., as compared with 33.86 per cent, on the corresp6nding date last year. On Saturday the actual amount collected was £1934 16s Bd, the proportion being 32.60 per cent., as compared with 32,68 per tent. Inst year. Eleven days and two half days will olapse before the 10 peiv cent, penalty is added to rates unpaid. The amount of rates levied by the Riccarton Borough Council for 1931-32 is £17,641 5s sd, and at March 3rd the amount paid was £15,294 17s, leaving £2346 8s 5d outstanding, to which a 10 per cent, penalty is to be added. At the same time last year £2359 3s 6d was outstanding out of a* levy of £19,290 2s 2d. As usual, a great majority of ratepayers paid the rates on the last two days. lu making at earnest appeal .to street collectors of experience to send in their names to tne City Council Chambers, Manchester -street, the Mayor (Air D. Gf. Sullivan, M.P.) said yesterday that at least SQO collectors were wauted for the street appeal to be made on March 18th in aid of the Mayor's Relief of Distress Fund. Already 102 names had been received, and lie wo'uld be i?lad if all willing to assist would send in tlieir names as soon as possible.

"If you are genuinely unable to get work you may rest assured that you will not be deprived of your sport so far as this club is concerned," Mr W. A. Britten, chairman, told members of the Sydenham Football Club "at its annual meeting last evening. He said that the club would be ready to meet hair-way any player who was unable to meet his full liability for subscription. An electric locomotive ran off the rails at the Christchurch railway station yesterday while pulling .into the siding where the carriages for the 2.10 p.m. train to Lyttelton were standing, at the points leading into the Port dock. The rails and trf.eK were torn up for a short distance, but no great damage was done to the locomotive. After a slight delay for the next few trains the. service was continued. "We had 80 on the list at one time " said, the chairman of the Christchurch Tramway Board (Mr E. H. Andrews) at yesterday's Board meeting, commenting on the report. of the Works and Traffic Committee. The report stated that the file of papers relating to unpaid fares continued to grow, notwithstanding the warnings issued'from time to time. It had been necessary to lay information for breach of the by-law against a number of people. At 5 p.m. yesterday Captain Matheson, flying a Puss Moth, arrived from Kotorua. Tho trip occupied 6 hours dumin, stops being made at Hamilton Hawera, Wanganui, and Wellington' Mead winds were met.between Hamilton and Wellington, otherwise tho trip was uneventful. Capt. Matheson had as paijsengers Mr J. B. Morrison of Kotorua. and Mr H. T. Morton of Te Kuiti. ' Several days ago a homing pigeon came to the farm of Mrs E. Roberts, Quail Downs, Waiau, and showed every inclination to stay. The bird was tame and fed out of Mrs Roberts's hands. She has shut it up, and is feeding it regularly, hoping that tho owner will claim it. Tho pigeon has one metal ring on tho left log, inscribed "N.Z. 31-W. 885," and a green rubber bandon the right leg, numbered 914. A. magnificent specimen of the golden-rayed lily of Japan, whose native home is tho slopes of Fujiyama mountain, has been grown by an Otorohanga resident. It bore 75 blooms and was almost perfect in appearance. Another resident has grown the flower with from 80 to 100 blooms. Its treatment includes a cool, damp place for tho roots and the sun for the head. The latest schoolboy "howler" comes from a primary school in the Auckland suburbs. In answer to tho question as to why Captain Cook went to the island of Tahiti, a boy said that the famous oxploror wanted to find the goddess Venus. Had tho boy said that Cook visited tho island to observe the transit of the planet Venus he would have been awarded full marks. The intention to cancel the registration of the Christchurch Tramway Officials' Industrial Union of Workers, recently announced in the Gazette, is the result of an application made' by the Union ( the eleven members of which , have decided that they are able to work so harmoniously with their employers, tho Christchurch Tramway Board, that there is no necessity for the protection of a Union. The onion has been in existence for twelve years, and its assets will be divided among tho members ._ Registration will be' cancelled within six weeks, unless cause is shown to the contrary in the mean- ~ time. The application by the electrical workers or Canterbury, Nelson, and Westland for a new award will come before a Council of Conciliation-totday, over which Mr P. Hally, Conciliation Commissioner, will preside. A crosscitation has been lodged on behalf of tho employers. The assessors for the employers, as set out in the crosscitation papers, are Messrs C. '&• Thompson, H. Bourke, J. I. Smail, and D. I. Macdonald, all of Christchurch, and L. C. Vickery, Springs-Ellesmero Power Board, Leeston. For the union, tho assessors are: Messrs A. J. Cromie, J. A. Wills, both of Nelson, A. Lemin, Greymoutli, M. R. Johnson. J. Barter, and F. W.' L. Bradford, all of Christchurch; An increase of three cases of infectious and other notifiable diseases was recorded in tho Canterbury and West Coast health districts during the week ended noon yesterday, as compared with the previous week. The total was 21, as follows Canterbury: Scarlet fever, 8; diphtheria. 1; enteric fever, 1; tuberculosis, 2- infantile paralysis, 4; pneumonic influenza, 1; food poisoning,' 1: puerperal fever, 1; hydatids, 1. West Coast: Food poisoning, 1. Deaths were: One from pneumonic influenza in the Canterbury district. and one from food poisoning in the "West Coast district. The first meeting of the recently constituted committee to control the new Art Gallery was held yesterday afternoon, under the chairmanship of the Mayor (Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P.). Other members present were Crs. J£. ,H. Andrews and J. W. Beanland, Dr. G. M. L. Lester, and Messrs A. F. Nicoll and R. Wallwork. Mir R. E. McDougall, who presented the gallery, was present by invitation. Apology was made for the absence of the Deputy-Mayor (Mr. J. K. Archer). The proceedings were not open to the Press, but will be reported in due course'to the City Council. ■, "Owing to unforeseen circumstances, it has been necessary for me to postpone my long planned visit to New Zealand until November, 1982, when I am surely coming to fish for five months,", writes Zane Grey from Altadena, California. ''Right here seems a good place to do what Mr Trevor S. Withers, of Auckland, is responsible for, and that is to apologise to New Zealand anglers and retract what really I never wittingly meant — an aspersion upon their sporting spirit. I did attack New Zealand tackle and method, and believe i was justified in doing so. But I did not mean to. broadcast a slur on the sportsmanship of the rank and file of New Zealaud fishermen. And I am sorry that I was misunderstood. Mr Withers has taken the trouble to: write me often, ,and his persistence and earnestness have persuaded me to this step. And when I fish New Zealand waters again, I hope to have. the pleasure and satisfaction of seeing the experienced anglers using cane or hickory rods with reels on top, and that they stop a fish and fight him. instead of following him out to sea, and that the use of harpoon and triplo gang hooks, which I condemned so radically, has been given up." West Coasters, when you come to Christchurch and want a taxi, come across the road from the railway station to our garage, and get a Gold Band Tftxi and save money-—our lowest faro ia only Is, why pay more. Patronise the firm that brought the fares down. 'Phones 34075 and 35572. Thank you. , -4-2 Artistic wedding portraits _ .. beautifully posed . . , a Stoffano " .Webb speciality. Come in and inspect our work. Studio, 252 High street. —6 Now, more than ever before, the farmer needs the most efficient helps to increase his income. And, considering the reasonable price of modern implements, there is no need for him to put up with obsolete and worn-out Ploughs, Cultivators, and Harrows, when our up-to-the-minute model's are so low in price. " Write for details. Booth, Macdonald and Co., Ltd., Christchurch. —6