LOCAL AND GENERAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 7 January 1931, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Strawberries are plentiful in Auckland just now, reports the “Star”. An Aucklander who visited Waikowhai described the scene on a local fruit farm. “The berries were so thick, after two or three days of sunshine, following rain, that when I stood at the bottom of the rows and looked along, the vegetation appeared red. They were so plentiful that their colour eclipsed that of the green leaves.”

A large octopus attacked Mr J. Newton, who is cruising in the launch Crusader with the Rev. Jasper Calder’s party, when they were at Stoney Bay, near Cape Colville, says the Auckland “.Star.” It threw a tentacle around his right leg. Mr B. Clark, who was near at hand, battered the octopus with a large stone, the only weapon available, and forced it to release its grip. It slipped into deep water and escaped. It is estimated that the tentacles of the octopus were 65ft. long. Since the beginning of May, the night shelter conducted by the Auckland City Mission has supplied 32,284 beds and 67,905 meals. The honorary medical officer, Dr. Barraclough, has attended 260 men and the aveiage nightly admission lias been 130 men. On Saturday night the oldest man in the shelter was 73 years of age and the youngest 20. “Men appear to be drifting into Auckland from all parts of the country,” said Mr Albert Wilson, the manager of the shelter. “More particularly, they seem to be coming from Wellington, evidently under the impression that more work is to be obtained here. Unless employment is found for a large number in the immediate future our accommodation will be so taxed that he will have no alternative but to turn men away. Needless to say, we will be loath to do that.” Mr Wilson makes an appeal for funds and goods to enable the mission to carry on its beneficent work during 1931. Michael Kearns, whose accent indicated allegiance to the Free State, caused amusement at the Magistrate’s Court this morning by endeavouring to avoid pleading guilty to a charge of drunkenness heard by Mr T. E. Maunsell, S.M. Three times he was asked, “How do you plead?” and each time he replied, “I was looking for my suitcase.” He then went into the witness box and explained that he was staying at Mi's Dwan’s boardinghouse and bad had his suitcase stolen. He was looking for a policeman. “Were you drunk?” asked the Magistrate. “Well, I wasn’t sober, sir,” was the hesitant reply. He was sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment.

In pleading guilty to a charge of drunkenness at the Magistrate’s Court this morning before Mr T. E. Maunsell, S.M., Thomas Patrick Kavanagli, a relief worker, explained: “I came into town from the Croixelles for my swag and happened to get drink.” “You happen to get drunk fairly often don’t you?” asked the Magistrate. “Well,” said the man in the dock, “it was Christmas time. You know what it is, sir; it is hard to avoid.’ He was sentenced to seven days’, imprisonment, it being his third conviction. He was without means when arrested. The Dunedin “Star” in an editorial on Otago’s exhibition in the Plunket Shield matches, says:—“lt was obvious even to the more inexperienced of cricket enthusiasts that there was something lacking in the leadership of the Otago team, especially during the period that Auckland was batting for the first time, and this has not been confined to the present game. It has been commented upon in the North, and while none will detract from the very fine services rendered to the game by Otago’s present captain In years past, 'in cricket, as in anything else, the time comes when there must he a change, and it is for the selectors. to look about now in the hopes of finding a player with the qualifications necessary for the filling of the responsible position of captain. They should not have far to search. In Blunt and Dunning are to be found players of much experience, who might be expected to develop those essential qualities making for successful captaincy of a representative cricket side. We would go still further, and urge the selectors to drop more of the older players whose best cricketing days are over. They should follow the lead set in Canterbury, and concentrate on the building up of a team that in a season ox- two may he thoroughly fitted to make a bold hid for supremacy in the Plunket Shield competition.’

Last year’s figures for building in the city of Wellington show a drop of nearly three-quarters of a million sterling or. those of the previous year, or nearly a third of the total building figures for 1929. In 1930 the total aas £1,297,278; in 1929, £2,049,487 —a drop in values of £752,209.

The Union Steam Ship Company’s passenger returns in the ferry services and in the intercolonial run for the main holiday month of the year, December, show a decrease in comparison with the figures for December, 1929, (states “The Post”). The WellingtonLyttelton ferry figures are down about 25 per cent., and the intercolonial returns have dropped still lower. While it is thought that there was also a decrease in the Wellington-.Picton figures, it is not anticipated that the decrease will be as great as in the other two services, the explanation probably being that shorter holiday trips have been more popular. Although the Wellington-Lyttelton returns show a drop of 25 per cent., there were of course some nights, at Christmas time particularly, when the Maori and Wahine were full ships and “shakedowns” had to be provided to accommodate all who wished to travel, hut over the whole month and taking into account also the New Year holiday period, the returns are below those of the previous year. To-night all miniature golf enthu.v.■asts, both ladies and gents, will nave ■the opportunity of winning a beautiful ,I’iigrnved curv which is being present'd by Messrs Healy and Son. We hate several enti’ies, but still room for m 0.., '.so bring along your friends. * Something special for the little girls ! Children’s Organdie Sun Bonnets, llelio, sky, green, and sunset, regular value 5/6. January special 2/6 at McKay’s tomorrow.*

January special at McKay’s ! A lucky purchase of Ladies’ Celanese Locknit 2 piece suits, smart tuck in blouse with flared or pleated skills, regular value 65/-. Special 35/-.* ' Japanese seaweed combined with pure paraffin is what doctors recommend for treatment of chronic constipation. These ingredients combine in Lubrolax, sold by W. A. L. Nees, Ltd., Chemists.* As alluring as mystery—with a strange charm unknown till now—that’s Petite Bleue Perfume, Godet’s latest creation. W. McKay and Sons, Ltd.*

Interesting details of the new giant Cunard liner were 'given in the House of Commons, when Mr W. R. Smith, Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade, moved the second reading of the Cunard (Insurance) Agreement Bill. He said that the new ship would be 1018 ft in length, would have a cubic capacity of 7,300,000 ft, and a tonnage of 73,000. The Cunard Company, he declared, was making an attempt to bring back the prestige of British shipping. The second reading was agreed to. The hull of the new ship, will take a year and a-half to build. Trade on the Clyde will be greatly relieved when work is in full swing, as the vessel will take three and a-half years to build and will employ 3000 men. She will cost between £4,500,000 and £5,000,000. The new Cunarder will be by far the largest ship ever built. The largest ships at present are the White Star liner Majestic 56,621 tons 915 ft in length, and the United States liner Leviathan, 59,957 tons and 907 ft. One may hear any day in the city—even in holiday time—an expression of the belief that the one thing that will rescue Australia from all her troubles is virtually to begin, over again (writes a Sydney correspondent). , The abolition of all arbitration awards and of all taxation statutes is especially urged. Great portions of a citizen’s time are taken up in the consideration of obligations to furnish taxation returns and the consequent payments. Most persons engaged commercially or industrially in executive positions are almost unceasingly harassed. The full list of laws, awards, returns, and so forth could not be compressed even in the most condensed form into this column. No other State has laid so much on the shoulders of the men who make the wheels go round. Every day sees some new duty devised. Exasperation is intensified to bursting point. The latest requirement is but small, outsiders may think, but, added to all the others, it is as the last straw. A recent act created a new authority in Sydney—the Transport Board—but motoring seems to be left to the police traffic office, except for ’buses. The traffic office now demands the notification of any alteration made in a motor-car since registration. The notification and the certificate of registration have to be forwarded. or a fine of £SO may be imposed.

Miss Lily Copplestone, who last Friday swam 33j miles down the Waikato River in 8 1-4 hours, is shortly to attempt to lower Miss Mercedes Gleitze’s time across Wellington Harbour. reports the “Waikato Times,” which al-o states that Miss Copplestone is confident of reducing it by at least one and a half hours. Miss Copplestone will also endeavour to cross from Young Nick’s Head to the breakwater, Gisborne, in Marcn next. Two seasons ago Miss Copplestone tried to swim Cook Strait, but had to give up owing to the cold. The tollowing Christmas' she swam the Kiwhia Harbour, and she has .dsc made swims across Tauranga- and Lyttelton harbours The “Times,” says the local interest in Miss Copplestone’s Waikato effort, which broke the ladies’ Australasian record by three and a half miles was very disappointing. In Wellington it is believed that there is also a possibility of another well-known lady swimmer assisting in Miss Copplestone’s attempt on Wellington Hai’bour. So far Miss Gleitze is the only woman to have accomplished the task and C.' Claridge the only man. Their times respectively were 7 hrs 3 mins and 3 hrs 25 mills, Claridge’s swim being made in March 1929 and Miss Gleitze’s last Christmas Day.

A grocer in a Hawke’s Bay country town the other day stated that one of the results of the present low price levels was the large number of farmers anxious to find a market for butter and eggs. Such a position* (says the “Telegraph,” is only to be expected in such a season, for it is only in times of hardship that the average'sheepfarmer comes to realise the value of the smaller products of his property. A Hawke’s Bay farmer who has returned from that district, reports that very little cropping is being carried on in the Waikato, farmers finding that it is more economical to top-dress their pasture paddocks, force the 'growth of grass, and then turn it into either hay or ensilage. The paddocks are ready for grazing again after a brief spell following mowing. The preparation and fallowing of the ground in connection with cropping involve a good deal of expense and waste which are obviated by turning the surplus 'grass into supplementary fodder.-

Napier and Hastings experienced several earthquakes during the weekend, though none were of a startling nature (states the “Telegraph”). The first tremors were felt at 7.26 p.m. on Saturday, the shock being of a gradual nature and not noticed by everyone. The ’quake, however, lasted for about a minute. Early on Monday morning, at five o’clock, two further slight shocks were felt.

In to-day’s issue the Railway Department advertises special trains and cheap fares in connection with the motor cycle sports at Richmond on Saturday next. “Why toasted?” queried a Nelson man of his tobacconist, as he picked in a tin' labelled “Toasted” from the counter. “Extracts the nicotine,” replied the tobacconist, “nothing else will. I suppose you know that the imported leaf contains far too much nicotine to be good for you? And, mind you. nicotine’sjust as deadly a poison as prussic acid. Slower in its action, that’s all. Affects heart and nerves, principally. Very slow —but very sure; I’m letting -ou into the secrets of the trade !” “I suppose there are several brands of toasted?” asked the customer. “Only four,” was the reply, “but that’s quite enough—ijiild, medium and’ fuU>flavoured—Riverhead Gold, Cavendish, Navi' Cut No. 3 and Cut Plug No. 10. Yes, I sell a lot of all of them. You see you can’t beat them for flavour and bouquet. You’d like to try one of them? Well, as you’re an old smoker, try Cut Plu< T No. 10, fullflavoured.” “Right!” was the reply. “I’ll give it a go.” Now he smokes nothing else.*

Constipation or intestinal sluggishness is no doubt a universal curse. Rut now you can obtain quick, gentle relief from Dr. Don’s Laxative Granules, made from a physician’s prescription, non-hahit-forming and not-fat-producing, 1/6 packet. Obtainable from R. W. Martin, Chemist.*