General News

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22506, 14 September 1938, Page 10

General News

Fire Near Kennedy’s Bush Some anxiety fqr the safety of Kennedy s Bush, the area of native trees on the Port Hills, was felt last night, when a fire broke out at the edge of the block. The fire, however was confined to broom, gorse, and bracken at the outskirts of the bush, which was not harmed. Because of the danger to the bush, an appeal for volunteers to fight the outbreak was broadcast. A good number of voluntary workers made their way to the bush and the fire which broke out about 5 p.m. and burnt for several hours, was well under control before midnight. Due to a large extent to the work of the caretaker, Mr J. Gilby, the fire was confined to the edge of the bush, but had a frontage of about a quarter of a mile. A similar fire at the edge of the block some years ago threatened the bush, but no great damage was done. The area, which is part of the Summit Road Trust’s reserve, is a popular resort among city residents. Reduction of Petrol Tax “We reluctantly cannot report any likelihood of a reduction of motor taxation,” states the annual report of the Automobile Association (Canterbury). “We have issued many thousands of stickers pointing out that the present taxation is 104 d on every gallon of petrol purchased, and it has been suggested that, failing a reduction, the whole amount should be spent on Voads, as at the present time only 6d goes towards the highways funds'.” Greenstone and Paua Pearls collection of pieces of greenstone, paua shells, and paua pearls has been sent to the Canterbury Museum by a West Coast resident. The shells and pearls, of which there are about a dozen of each, will be used by the educational officer, Mr George Guy, -for the educational displays which are sent out to schools. The greenstone collection, consisting of 16 pieces of all grades, is an interesting one, according to the ethnologist at the museum. Mr R. S. Duff. Greenstone was probably first found by the Maoris on the beaches in the smad area on the West Coast between the Arahura and Teremakau rivers, where these pieces were picked up, and later it was traced further up the rivers, eventually becoming an article ot commercial importance. “Cold Pig” on the Shelves ‘‘Every bookseller of any size has his graveyard of what he terms ‘cold pig,’ ” said Mr A. J. Coveney in an address to the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Libraries’ Association last evening. “It is not what a bookseller sells, but what he doesn’t sell, that creates his biggest problems. To justify his being called a bookseller he must of necessity keep a representative stock, knowing at the same time that quite a percentage of his stock will not find a ready sale. A few copies of an important book left over may easily absorb all the profit from those sold.” Malicious False Alarms Malicious false alarms received by the Christchurch Fire Brigade since March 31 to the end of last month were slightly fewer than the number received in the corresponding period of last year, according to a report to the Christchurch Fire Board last night. The superintendent (Mr A. Morrison) said that since March 31 of this year 29 malicious false alarms had been received in 171 calls. In the corresponding period of last year 170 calls had been received. 32 being maliciously false. Mr Morrison added that 46 calls had been received last month, 19 being false and 10 maliciously false. The Wellington Emu The Wellington emu has now been sitting for seven or eight weeks and may hatch its eggs at any time. Its nest has many times been flooded and the six big blue-green eggs have received rough treatment. Last year the emu sat on nine eggs and hatched two chickens, one of which is still living.—“ The Press” Special Service. - Otira Gorge Road The Otira Gorge road is now in first-class order and- should be at its best in_ the coming summer, according to advice received by the Greyniouth>branch of the Automobile Association (Canterbury) from the Public Works Department at Greymouth. Binding will be put on the Dillmanstown-Wainihinihi road, on which there is loose metal. Well-known Yacht Sold The ketch-rigged cruising yacht Mandalay, probably the. best-known South Island yacht, owned and built by Mr George Andrews, of Redcliffs, has been purchased by a Wellington yachtsman, and is expected to be taken up the coast from Lyttelton in about a month’s time. The Mandalay is about 40 feet long and has an auxiliary engine. There is practically no east coast port from Wellington to Stewart Island which the yacht has not visited. Until the present season few big cruising yachts were owned in Wellington. In the last year, however, there have been many notable additions to the keeler fleets, some locally built, the majority purchased from other centres. —“The Press” Special Service. ) Values and State Houses The explanation that in reducing a valuation of a suburban property he had been influenced by its being situated among State houses built under the present housing scheme was made by Mr W. G. McClintock. a district valuer, before the Assessment Court in Auckland on Monday. The owner in this instance objected to the lowering of the valuation. Mr McClintock said he admitted that the State houses were of a good standard, but a private freehold property among them was undoubtedly affected from the sale or loan point of view. In any sale a factor would be that the property was surrounded by tenanted houses. England’s New Housing One of the developments in England that impressed Archdeacon Whitehead, who has just returned to Dunedin from an extensive tour of Great Britain and the Continent, was the enormous extent of new housing, both in _ the cities and in the country. He said, in an interview, that the architecture of a great deal of it was to be deplored. as was the great development of flat-building in the south of England. The north of England was not adopting flats, however. “They don’t like flats up there,” he said, “and this type of accommodation is still comparatively rare.” Automobile Association Membership In the year ended July 31, 1938, 2044 new members were elected to the Automobile Association (Canterbury), giving the association a total membership of 9445. “Our objective for the year was to pass the 10.000 mark.” states the annual report of the association. “We have not quite succeeded, but hope to have that number on our books by' the end of 1938.” Revenue for the year was a record, being j£9G2B 15s lid, compared with £B2IB 12s lid in the previous year. The surnlus in the profit and loss account was £992 19s sd, compared with £835 6s 7d the previous year: and the balance to credit at the balance date this year was £1376 13s lOd. Success of Rural Mail-box Service One of the effective.aids in reducing the isolation of country dwellers is the rural mailbox service, which takes the facilities of the Post Office practically to the farmer's door. These boxes, a very familiar feature of the countryside, are made to a weatherproof standard design at the department’s workshops, and for a moderate annual payment their users are provided with a miniature post office at the nearest practicable roadside point to their residence. It is a ‘.wo-way service, as box-holders are able to arrange with the contractor to buy stamps and post outward letters, purchase money-orders and postal notes, and dispatch parcels. Thus a number of things are done for the rural box-holder which the urban dweller must do for himself at the nearest post office. The finest testimony to the value of this system was its vigorous survival throughout the depression. During this period the number of rural mail-boxes actually increased year by year, the service being one which the country dweller was not going to do without even in bad times. The boxes totalled 19.338 in March, 1929. and increased by 5385 during the worst years of the depression. Since then the rate of expansion has accelerated, until to-day rural post-boxes total 29,341, an imurovement on the 1929 figures of more than 10,000.