LOCAL AND GENERAL

Chronicle (Levin), 3 December 1946, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Birlhrate Increasing The vital statistics for November, supplied by the registrar, Mr. H. J. Henderson, show a sharp increase in the number of births, 22 being recorded as against 12 for the same period last year. Comparative figures for deaths are 8 (6), marriages by registrar 1 (1), marriage notices issued 9 (3). Marque Collapses A violent gust of wind caused the sudden collapse on Sunday of a large marque accommodation, "Scout Shop" in Market Street, Hastings. One women helper was injured when struck on the head by a flying tent pole. She was Mrs. Agnes McConnachie, aged 40, of Pakowhai Road, who suffered head injuries. Her condition is not serious. Only a Whisper Tne voice of Communism, so strongly sounded in overseas affairs in the past few years, is the merest | whisper in New Zealand politics. (This was vividly illustrated in the ; election returns. There were three i Communist candidates, and their j declared following-- in' the elector- | atqs chosen was: Arch Hill 520, I Island Bay 329, and Christchurch ; Central 289 — a total of 1138 out of ' the 35,942 electors who voted in : those areas. j Heavy Rainfall Recorded j With 28 days still to record, the i rainfall this year is higher- than j the average over the past 14 years, j according to figures obtained from i Mr. H. Harvey/{this morning. The j average yearly * fall is usually 43 ; inches, whereas up to the end of .November, 44.05 inches have been | recorded. The total rainfall for the imonth was 3.44 inches as compared j with 1.15 inches during the same period last year. Last November was a particularly dry month, rain falling on only five days, against 18 jdays for the same period this year. Freak Pig Embryo Preserved in a large jar, a freak pig embryo was brought into the Manawatu Standard Office yesterday by Mr. G. S. Wilmshurst, an employee of the Kiwi Bacon Factory. The embryo comprised one head, two bodies joined at the bris - ket, eight legs, four ears, and with five toes on one foot and four toes on each of the other seven; and was taken from a sow slaughtered at' the factory yesterday. Slaughtermen at the factory say that in their experiencC they have never seen anything like it before. Forfeited Deposits Apart from the bets won" and lost on the European elections, the sum of £90 has been "won" officially by the Consolidated Fund. The total represents the deposits of nine unsuceessful candidates who failed to reach 25 per cent. of the votes polled by the successful candidate and accordingly have forfeited their £1Q deposits. None of the eandidates concerned was a member of the two main parties contesting the election. Three represented the Communist Party and the remainder were independents. N.Z. Exports When speaking at the opening of the " Stratford Agrjcultural and Pastoral Show, the High Commissioner for the United Kingdom (Sir Patrick Duff) said that, over a period of three years prior to the > war, 53 per cent. of Britain's imports of mutton and lamb, 59 per cent. of her cheese, 29 per cent. of her butter and 24 per cent. of her wool were purchased from New Zealand. "Looked at from your end," he said, "after deducting what you consume yourselves, New Zealand's entire mutton, lamb and cheese supplies, 97 per cent. of her butter supplie sand 58 per cent. of her wool are bought by B'ritain." Animals Reach Zoo Immigrants of unusual interest to Sunday strollers on the Welling ton wharves were new arrivals for the Wellington Zoo which reached port aboard the Union Steam Ship Company's inter-colonial vessel Waitaki. They were two African lionesses, one lioi\ and a pair of huanacos — the latter South American representatives of the camel family. All the animals are from the Melbourne Zoo and were brought to Wellington via Dunedin and Lyttelton. They were unloaded first thing yesterday morning and proceeded straight to the Zoo as they had been gjven the necessary clearapces by veterinarians both in Melbourne apd her§.