GENERAL NEWS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 12 April 1926, Page 8

GENERAL NEWS.

A bit! era was seen at AVaslidyke on Saturday. These birds, which are rare ill these parts, are protected. Tim receipts from the scenic railway at the Dunedin Exhibition totalled .CIO,1)00 up to Saturday last. Tho I'Yslival Hall, on the other laid, has proved very unprniil a hie. It cost; pir,,U(l() and there has been no profit from il.

Throe trawlers in Molynetix /Jia.v (stales lire Gluthu u .Kivi) Press”), have quioklv earned T'IOOO out ol Hat lish ejiught' and sold. 11' a sardine fishery was opened it would soon realise tens ol' thousands.

Summerlike conditions wore in evidence on Saturday and Sunday, the lic-afc at times bordering on oppressiveness. The unusually high temperature for this season of the year tempted hi any people to indulge in a dip in sea er river, and induced large numbers to spend the day in the country or at resorts which generally bare lost much of their attractiveness by mid-April.

The Education Department has at last agreed to the principle that every new school should be provided, from the start, with a flagpole. A letter was received from the Department by the Auckland Education ’Hoard recently, stating that it had been decided to erect a simple, flagpole for each new school, tho ilugpolc to be attached to the building.

Section S 3 of the Fisheries Act, 1908, provides that regulations may be made prohibiting or regulating the export from New Zealand df trout, salmon, or any other acclimatised fish. It is now thought desirable to prohibit tho export from New Zealand of quiniiat salmon, and an Order-in-Couneil Ims been made preventing the export of such fish except, with the consent of the of Marine.

The new black and white number plates issued by the Government are. Loginning to make their appearance 1 on automobiles in the Xortli Island, in use on the streets the plates appear to be more easily read than the now familiar green and white variety, and are certainly neater. 'Che only objection belli towards them by motorists is tlio processes to be gone- through before the plates are issued, the annual re-registration being regarded by many as a tedious business.

A party of AVaimale sportsmen embarked on a deer-stalking expedition in the upper reaches of the \Vaitaki river during Easter. The bag was a good one. as they found ibe deer to be very p'entiful. herds of seventy and eighty being frequently seen ; but the heads secured were poor, the best being a ten-pointer. Station-owners in tho vicinity of tho deer country, it is stated, are alarmctUat the manner in which the deer are devouring the food, and would welcome an extensive culling. Literally thousands infest the country, and they are- becoming a greater menace than the rabbit. So great was the success of the «c----eursion whieli ran from Timaru to the Dunedin Exhibition on Saturday last, and so evident was the desire for such a train; that not ail who sought seats on it could obtain them, and the Railway Department has been asked to run another similar train on Saturday next, or on next Saturday week. The latler will be the closing day of the Exhibition, and n special train will run from Christchurch to it. It is thought, however, that there will not he sufficient room on this train to. accommodate all who will want io go from Timaru, and if the Department > is satisfied that, another special from ' Timaru will be well patronised it will run one. A very enjoyable entertainment in •aid of tiie ball funds was bold in the Fairview Flail on Thursday evening, wlieii a pleasing programme of vocal and instrumental items was presented by a Timaru concert party. wellvaried programme was submitted, as follows: —Bongs, Miss Cliff: songs. ;Mr It. Holdgate; instrumental duos, Messrs Lewis Bros.: sleight of hand. Mr G. Griffiths 1 songs. Mr H. Masher; songs, Mr E. Rudd. Miss McGvath acted as accompanist. A hearty vote of thanks to the performers was carried by acclamation on the motion of the chairman, Mr T. Butcher. The remainder of a pleasant evening was devoted to dancing to music supplied by Messrs Lewis Bros.’ orchestra.

A very successful garden party in aid of the funds of- St. Saviour’s Orphanage was held in the Orphanage, grounds on Saturday afternoon. With ideal weather conditions prevailing there was a largo attendance, and good business was reported from the numerous games and stalls that were supervised bv a willing band of workers, under the control of the St. Saviour’s Orphanage Committee. Opportunity was also taken hv the visitors to inspect the institution, which was thrown onen for tho occasion, all who availed themselves of tho opportunity express-, ing their appreciation of the splendid lines upon which the Homo is conducted. Those in charge of the various stalls were as follows: —Afternoon tea, Mcsdamcs AV. H. Unwin, M r . Bond. K. Taylor, A. .1. Bridgewater, M r . Raymond. C. G. Bryan King, G. A. Hart, D. C. Turnbull, R. Hunter-AVeston, Gladstone Robinson, A. C. Afurrav.,G. S. Cray. L. A. Knight, Miss Sharp; cake stall, Afesdames Gtiyon Macdonald. .1. Scott, Aliases Tripp, Barker, and Blnkiston; sweet sta'l, Misses Alison •Johnston, Brenda Newman, Helen Orbe'l, Margery Cartwright, .fane and Bottv Cossins; competitions. Messrs C. G. Bryan King, and C. S. Hammond. Air A. J. Bridgewater and the 'staff of the Homo lent valuable assistance. Tho business done at the stalls was cpiite satisfactory. ■

It was a merry crowd of excursionists who left Tiinaru by special -train on Saturdav morning for the Dunedin Inhibition —so merry that before the train reached its destination it was known as “the. Tiinaru circus train,” a name which it retained till it reached Timaru on the return journey at 4 a.m. yesterday. It was a train of eighteen double carriages—the limit allowed by the- railway regulations—and there was not a vacant seat on it after Oamaru had been left behind, stops having been made at Pa room, St. Andrews, Studholmo and Oamaru. to pick iip passengers. The train was timed to leave (5 a.m., but so many people sought to travel by it, and there was so much to do in dealing with reserved tickets, that it was twentyfive minutes to seven before it got away. liv the time Pa’merston was reached most of the lost time had been made up, hut it was lost, again at Waikouaiti, whore a long wait, had to he made' to enable the northbound express to pass, and Hie excursion train had to be “cut in hair 1 as it was too long for the siding. On arrival at Dunedin, at 11 a.m. the weather was beautifully fine—like Timaru weather at its best —and it continued so all day, so that the South Canterbury visitors were abh v to spend the day at the great exhibition under the happiest possible conditions. Those who had not been before found a wealth of a 1 tractions to absorb their enthusiastic interest, while those who were paying their «eenud visit were interested in the additions which had been mad" since they bail first been there, notably in the great British Court, and in the provincial courts of AVellington and Auckland. The famous Argyll and Sutherland Band played to delighted and exceedingly large audiences, both afternoon and evening, when never-to-be-forgotten programmes were submitted in a manner surpassing all ordinary instrumental music 1 . On the return journey the train left Dunedin at 11 p.m., and only one of the 590 passengers was hoard to express the (•pinion that the* day had not beeii one of unalloyed pleasure and profit.

The sport of miniature rifle shooting has fUen firm hold in New Zea’and. and clubs are now preparing for another successful season. Kngland, AlcHar. U-h, are the South Canterbury specialists in the supply of rifles, amiiiuuit’o.M, targets, cleaning rods ami sundry requisites. Their now pr.ee list is now ready and club secretaries or others iiiforesfed who have not received a copy, arc requested to make early amplication. Several new features, including Vickers’ four-wav sights, are listed this season, and the values offered are certain proof of the pre-emin-“Mee of Tiinaru : is a distributing centre for the South Island. ~,