LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 November 1938, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

To Palmerston North By Air. Mr H. Parsons flew a Miles Whitney Straight ’plane from the Hood Aerodrome to Palmerston North this morning, returning in the afternoon. Huge Hen Eggs. Two hen eggs about three times the size of an ordinary egg and each containing another egg have been laid in Southland. The weight of an ordinary egg is about 2oz. but these eggs weighed 6Joz and 6i,oz. The eggs were laid at Ryal Bush, and it thought that one white leghorn fowl was responsible for both eggs. Eclipse of the Moon. There was an eclipse of the moon lasting nearly four hours yesterday morning. The eclipse was not visible in New Zealand, however, but was seen in the Northern Hemisphere, the best view being obtained in that part of Africa lying between Aden and Timbuctoo. Adjustment Commission. The Wairarapa -Adjustment Commission, Messrs J. Handyside, Skeet and Brazendale, complete their work this week with the exception of a case or two which may from time to time come up for review. Actually, as the Wairararapa Commission, it was disbanded some tipie ago, and the members were appointed as a Manawatu Commission. The members will make their final visit to Palmerston North this week. Victim of a Hoax. A motorist hurrying out to Oreti beach, Southland, the other night was shocked to see in the half light what appeared to be a human body lying on the roadside. .He applied his brakes and brought his car to a violent halt. It was only after he was stooping over the object that he heard the chuckles of. a few boys lurkingin the bushes, and realised that he was the victim of a Guy Fawkes day rehearsal, and also that the “body” was a dummy. Buildings to be. Demolished.-

The six-storey Baker’s Building, on the corner of Hunter Street and Featherston Street, 'Wellington, and the two-storey Royal Insurance Company’s building adjoining in Featherston Street are to be demolished. These buildings are to be removed to make room for a large extension of the offices of the Australian Mutual Provident Society. The new building will be one of eight floors and a basement, and in design will be related to The existing A.M.P. building.

Destruction of Insect Pests. Farmers throughout - Canterbury will light fires during an eight-day period in the near future with a view to destroying grubs, butterflies, and other pests which would be attracted by the flames at night. At a meeting of the Geraldine branch of the Farmers’ Union the secretary (Mr P. G. Withers, Junr.)' said that the date on which the fires would be lit would be advertised. Members expressed the opinion that white butterflies were not so numerous this year as last season. Family of 32 Children.

“The French-Canadian population of Canada go in for large families,” said Dr A. G. Hall, of Toronto, direc-tor-general of the World Fellowship of Faith and Service, during an address to the Auckland Junior Chamber of Commerce. “Many of them have from 10 to 19 children, while some have 30,” Dr Hall said. He added that one French-Canadian member of Parliament had a family of 32 children and was exceedingly proud of them. On the opening day of Parliament he would take them all along. Cash Order System.

A request for an immediate inquiry into the operation of the cash order system was urged by a deputation from retail shopkeepers in Wellington, which waited upon the Minister of Justice, Mr Mason, and the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr Sullivan, yesterday afternoon. The deputation represented a group of individual business and professional people, including mercers, milliners, frock specialists, tailors, furriers, jewellers, ladies’ hairdressers, wallpaper merchants, saddlers, dental surgeons and sellers of leather goods. After hearing the representations, the Minister of Justice said that the Government had authorised an inquiry. “The inquiry is well under way,” he added, “and when completed Mr Sullivan and I will confer and see what can be done.”

Martin’s Fountain Broken Up. Workmen broke up “Johnnie Martin’s Fountain” in Wellington yesterday and carted it away as scrap iron from its site in the reserve at Oriental Bay, thus removing forever an object which has been familiar to the eyes of Wellingtonians for 63 yea'rs. A tramway waiting shelter is to take its place. Mr John Martin gave the fountain to the city in 1875, and it was originally erected at the corner of Lambton Quay and Featherston Street. He was one of the commissioners of the first Wellington Town Board, formed in 1863, and sat in the Legislative Council from 1878 till his death in 1892. When the fountain had been erected, a ceremony was held, and it is said that one of the first drinks taken at it was whisky and water, a prominent man ’getting the spirits at the Central Hotel, crossing the road and filling his beaker with water at the fountain. Civic Ceremonial.

The pomp and circumstance with which the first Auckland City Corporation was inaugurated in 1851 were described by Mr J. W. Shaw in an address to the Auckland Historical Society. The elected councillors, he said, were sworn in at the Courthouse before the Chief Justice, Sir William Martin, and in the presence of the Lieutenant-Governor, Colonel R. H. Wynyard, together with the naval, military and civil officers of the Government, the officers of the 58th Regiment, a numerous assemblage of ladies and a great concourse of burgesses, the day being observed as a special public holiday. The names of the Mayor and four aidermen were announced with a flourish of bugles, the Lieutenant-Governor gave an address, and the ceremony ended with the guard of honour presenting arms while the National Anthem was played and a salute of 12 guns was fired from Fort Britomart. Nothing to equal this, said the lecturer, had ever happened since.

Motorists in British Malaya pay only one direct tax of £5 for a 14 h.p. ear. They have no fuel tax, insurance oi driving licence to pay for.