LOCAL AND GENERAL

Chronicle (Levin), 21 December 1946, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Longest Day With the sun at the most southern portion of its apparent path, the longest day of the year, the summer solstice, will occure in New Zealand on Sunday. The longest day has very slight claims to the distinction, being only a matter of seconds longer than the days which precede and follow it. Flight of Silver To relieve the shortage of change in Dunedin banks and shops, the Reserve Bank is sending two tons of silver from Wellington. The silver was flown from Paraparaumu to Harewood yesterday by a Dakota of No. 40 Squadron, R.N.Z.A.F., and 1 will be forwarded to Dunedin by rail later. It will arrive there in Itime for the Christmas trade. Champion Boy Farmers The Stuart Wilson Cup, awarded annually .by the Education Department to the champion boy or girl j farmer of New Zealand, has been i won this yehr by Rex Ford, of the Douglas School, Taranaki. He grew a crop of potatoes which gave a yield equivalent to 31 tons 9 cwt. an acre. The cup was originally made j available about 20 years ago by Mr. |W. Stuart Wilson, of Wellington. Free Dental Treatment i The Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer has ! announced that the response from ' the dental profession for the free 1 dental scheme. had been excellent.

j a considerable number of dentists having contracted to'provide dental j treatment for adolescents under the i new scheme. It was anticipated I that the new arrangements would I be working satisfactorily next i February. • Appeal to Motorists The Minister .. of Transport, Hon. J. O'Brien, has issued a' further warnjng regarding the need for care when holiday1 motoring. With more petrol .and^pld can? and tyres, he asked motorists to'show consideration for others and particularly 'make allowance for errors of judgmenr on the part of children and elderly people. Pedestrians must J also observe their own simple jsafety rules. "Finally, to all road i users," said the Minister, "I would : say be sure your alertness and j sense of caution are not affected by j indulgence in alcohol." i 'Food for Britain j Evidence that most people are ;saving their butter and meat couipons for the Christmas and New J Y ear period is the result of the poor •j response experienced this week in | the Food for Britain campaign. i For the week ending December 20, J no butter coupons were surrendered ' and only 4l meat coupons. For the Iprevious week (ending December Jl3) 1,360 meat coupons valued at ! £17 16s were given in and 91bs. of : butter; £16/12/6 worth of this total Jwas collected by pupils of HoroJ whenua College, the average from the college being £8. The Levin [ Primary School' contributes an i average of another £3 and PorouItawhao School an average of £15 |per month. ;Warehouse Fire j The warehouse of Messrs. Fairi bairn Wright, Ltd., of Invercargill, land substantial stocks of groceries, jhardware, cigarettes and chemists' j accessories were completely destroy - jed by fire early yesterday morning. ' Units of the Invercargill Fire Brijgade were called out a few minlutes after five o'clock, but the fire [had such a strong hold on the [corrugated iron building by then jthat there was no chance of savjing it. The firemen concentrated 1 their efforts on saving the adjoin- | ing Public Works Department [buildings and equipment. A bandroom was severely damaged but fortunately the instruments had not been left. there. No details of insur- ! ances or estimated loss are yet ! available as the policies are held in Christchurch. Ending a Nightmare The Wanganui Harbour Board is effectively checking South Spit scouring and the recent erection of brush fenes, expected to check wind erosion where the Spit is at its narrowest, may soon cui-e the trouble permanently, says the Wanganui Herald. A costly nightmare to the board, the South Spit beach has been' the product of years of si^ting sand and pounding seas. Its restoration is similarly expected to take years, b.ut protective works begun on the South Beach three months ago have already achieved much. Water covers the beach only at high spring tides, Within a few weeks there is expected to be dry sand there at all stages of these tides. Restorative work on the South Beach is now almost entirely in the hands of the elements. Two groynes run out into the breakers, and the sand-catching fascines, sand-bags apd brush fences have been as effectiye as expected. \