Local And General

Chronicle (Levin), 20 September 1949, Page 4

Local And General

Randroom Furnishings. The need for beUer furniture for the band ro'om was raise'd at la'st night's meeting of the Levin Borough Council, it being stated. that the bandsmen were handicapped by liaving to sit dowri on broken chairs. Forms were suggested as an alternative. The Mayjr, Mr. H. B. Burdekin, said he agreed that somerhing should be done and it was deeided to pursue the question further. Noisy Motor Cycles. Could the traffic inspector's attendon be drawn to noisy motor cycles in Levin's sireets during weekends, asked Cr. R. A. Frederikson at last night's meeting of the Levin Borough Council. The . trouble, he said, was caused by the riders cutting out the silencers. "I used to do it myself when I was young, but I know better now," he added. It was deeided to draw the matter to the attention of the inspector. Shortage Of Milk Cans. A severe shortage of milk cans is causing widespread concern among Auckland; dairymen. ...Atthough the season is not yet in full swing, some farmers already, it is stated, are forced to waste milk because they have not enough cans to take it to the factory. A shortage of materials is said to be holding up local manufacture and insufficient cans have arrived from Britain to overcome the shortage. Wanganui Radio. Radio station 2XA Wanganui — the fourth of the new two kilowatt broadcasting units to be installed — will coihe on the air for the flrst time at 8 p.m. on Thursday. The Minister said that the station would maintain a broadcasting schedule similar to that of um.rtiu, Hami .on, an'd Whangarei which were on the air for seven iiours daily. . The Wanganui station will operate on a frequency of 1200 kilocycles. Bicycle Stands Needed. "When are these new bicycle stands going to be erected in Oxford Street," asked the Mayor, Mr, H. B. Burdekin, of the borough overseer, Mr.. E. Lycette, at l&st night's Borough Council meeting. Mr. Lycette said he would be working on them this week. At a previous meeting of the council Mr. Burdekin also raised the question, stating that the position was getting very serious. Cr. A. J. H. Allen said he had seen bicycles up to 14 deep againsc posts on the footpath. Sow's Record Litter. A claim from the Wairarapa that a sow in farrowing a litter of 18 pigs had established a New .Zealand record and possibly a world record recalls a beUer feat by a Hawke's Bay sow. About 1917 a Tamworth sow owned by the late Mr. A. F. Gallien gave birth to a litter of 21. One of the pigs died at birth and as the sow could not feed her big family ah effort was made to mother six to another sow, but this proved unsuccessful and the six weakest were. killed. The sow reared the remaining 14. Elephant Fish. Lyttelton and Timaru fishermen are catching big hauls of elephant fish which are coming close in shore muoh earlier than usua1. E'ephant fish come in for breeding each year in what fishermen term the "marrying season," but this year, possibly because of the mild winter they have appeared about a monih' or six weeks early. They are popular with restaurant and fish shop proprietors. They do not keep well in cool storage, as the flesh becomes tainted with ammonia. Fishermen have been experimenting, and the most successful method to date has been the removal of all the skin, cartilage an'd backbone before putting into cool storage. By this means elephant fish were kept in good condition for eix months.

Complaint About Nuisance. A complaint that "obnoxiouS odours" resulted from the dumping in the Hokio Stream of offal and bullocks heads from the abattoirs was received * from : a newiy-formed body, the . Hokio Beach Residents' Committee,, by the Levin Borough Council last night. Cr. C, Sherwood, chairman of the abattolr committee, said be thought the offal complained of had been"~buried there 'some years ago and had come to the- surface. It was deeided to refer the matter to the health inspector,. Mr„. W. J. Guinan.. (