NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 136, 6 December 1938, Page 10

NEWS OF THE DAY

Bogged in Her Garden.

To be unable to move through being bogged up to her knees, and unable to let anyone know of her predicament, was the experience of a woman at Abbotsford, near Dunedin, during the weekend storm. While cutting a cabbage in the garden her feet went down in the mud created by the rain, till she was up to her knees. She had to remain until her daughter happened to look through the window about 20 minutes later, and went to her assistance. It was impossible to haul her out, and eventually she sat on a box while she was dug out.

Progress of Wellington A.A.

The progress being made by the Automobile Association (Wellington) was disclosed at the monthly meeting %i the executive last night in a return giving particulars of subscriptions paid for the first three months of the association year ended November 30, compared with the figures for the corresponding period of the previous year. The total for the stated period of the current year was given as £6485 10s, compared with £5226 3s 2d for the first three months of 1937-38. It was also reported b3 the secretary (Mr. W. A. Sutherland) that the membership now stood at 7900 odd, and that he anticipated the 10,000 mark would be reached by Christmas.

Cricket Presentation.

In view of the very fine performances with both bat nnd ball by H. M. McGirr, of Nelson, while playing for the past Wellington cricket representatives against Present at the Basin Reserve on Saturday, it was decided by the management committee of the Wellington Cricket Association, on the motion of the chairman (Mr. J, H. Phillipps), last night, to forward to him a cricket ball suitably inscribed. McGirr scored 104 not out and took six wickets for 74 runs. • 1 Infectious Diseases. For the week ended yesterday, 23 cases of infectious, disease and four deaths—three from tuberculosis and one from pneumonic influenza—were reported to the Wellington office of the Health Department. In the central Wellington district there were eight cases of diphtheria, five of tuberculosis, four of pneumonic influenza, two of scarlet fever, and one case each of erysipelas and hydatids; and, in Nel-son-Marlborough, one case of diphtheria and one of erysipelas were reported. Tribute to School Committees. A warm tribute to the work of school committees was paid by the Hon. W. Nash (Minister of Finance) at- the opening of the garden fete at Randwick School on Saturday* He said that it was impossible for the Government, Education Department, or Education Board to do for the Scholars or schools what had been done by the school committees. The personal association of members of the school committee and their wives with the school was something that could never be achieved by any Department. For Erring Motorists. "We drive safely. Do you?"—one of the slogans in connection with Safety Week—has suggested to a prominent official in the motor world a new penalty for the motorist convicted of driving offences. His suggestion he has passed on to "The Post," expressing the hope that Mr. Semple will see it and incorporate it in the forthcoming legislation being framed with a view to sending erring motorists to gaol for the weekend. For minor offences not- warranting the loss of liberty, he suggests that motorists be compelled to carry on their cars a streamer bearing in large letters the words, "We don't drive safely." The ridicule which this would engender, it is suggested, would be a guaranteed cure for bad car manners. Went the Wrong Way. To assist in the expeditious berthing of the Awatea at the Queen's Wharf on her arrival from Sydney today a light line, to which a hawser was attached, was fired ashore from a specially equipped gun, somewhat similar to a sawn-off rifle. There was a loud report when the gun was fired and the line, with a weight at the end of it, flew into the air, but instead of coming to rest on the Awatea, fell across a crane jib, the head of which was 100 feet or more above the wharf. It was only human nature to give the light line a tug in the hope that it would come down, but instead of this producing the desired result, the weighted end of the line became curled arpund the crane jib and stuck fast. As luck would have it, there was plenty of line left to get hold of to pull the hawser ashore without bothering about releasing the end of it. This was a job that was left until later in the morning. Taken For a Ride. While "gentle" southerly breezes blew in Wellington yesterday quite a number of citizens of both sexes had unwittingly to indulge in the game of hat chasing, and the retrieving of errant headgear amongst the moving traffic was not always easy, and sometimes the hats when retrieved were not in .as good condition as they had been a few minutes .previously. But one of the latest in green hats was more aspiring than its brethren.' It started on a journey, the upshot of which is not known to those who witnessed the episode. The owner, a dapper young man, was in Manners Street when a vicious gust of wind came. A fruitless grab with the hand, and the hat was in the air describing graceful parabolas. After looping the loop, it descended on the back of a swiftly-moving transport vehicle labelled as plying between Wellington and Napier. The driver did not see its arrival or feel the extra load, and, with • the hat nestling among some packages, he continued on his way oblivious of the gesticulating hatless young man. It is some 200 miles from Wellington to Napier—a long way to go to retrieve a hat, even if it is the latest in verdant hue. Scout Jamboree. Leaders have been appointed for the New Zealand contingent of 600 Boy Scouts who are to attend the jamboree in Sydney at the end of this month and the sailing dates for the two parties have been arranged. Each party will comprise 300 boys .and the contingent will be the biggest of its kind ever sent from New Zealand. The New Zealand Centennial jamboree organiser, Commissioner J. E. F. Vogel, will leave Wellington by the Awatea on December 13 in order to study the administrative organisation of the Sydney jamboree. In this way he will be able to apply the latest developments to the 1939-40 jamboree to be held in Heretaunga, Hutt Valley, and expected to "be attended by some 5500 scouts. The northern party of boys will leave Auckland by the Awatea on December 20, and will return on January 16, and the southern party will leave Wellington on December 20 by the Awatea, and will return on January 23. It will be led by Mr. J. R. Middleton, Wellington, and Mr. F. McIvor, Christchurch. Representatives of scout headquarters' attending the jamboree will be the Dominion Chief Commissioner, Mr. H. Christie, Wanganui; Mr. D. A. Dale, secretary; Mr. J. R. H. Cooksey, Napier, contingent leader; Mr. A. J. Veart, Auckland, sea scouts commissioner; and Mr. E. Manthorp, Timaru, and Mr. A. W. Gordon, Rotorua, display scouters. It is expected that the Australian Scout Association will reciprocate by sending at least as large- a contingent to the New Zealand jamboree next year.

How Many Jews in Timaru?

How many Jews are there in Timaru? This was the crux oi' a question "before Mr. Justice Northcroft in the Supreme Court at Christchurch yesterday, states the "Star-Sun." Mr. J. D. Hutchison asked for approval of a new scheme for the disposal of a trust fund left in 1881 for the benefit of the Hebrew synagogue and congregation. As there was no synagogue and no Hebrew congregation in Timaru, Mr. Hutchison proposed, on behalf of the trustees, that the trust fund, amounting to £300 and £191 accumulated interest, should be administered for the benefit of the Hebrew congregation of Canterbury. If it were shown, said his Honour, that the number of Jews in Timaru was too small for it to be practicable for them to form a congregation for worship together, the application would be a proper one. It appeared that the Christchurch rabbi visited Timaru for special occasions, such as weddings and funerals, and it might be that the number of people there of the Hebrew faith was sufficient to form a congregation if facilities were available. His Honour adjourned the application to enable affidavits on this point to be put in.