NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 31, 7 February 1939, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND NEWS ITEMS

42 Years’ Service. After 42 years' service, Mr. F. B. Bell, who has been manager of the Thames branch of the Bank of New South Wales for the past six years, is retiring as from March 31. Mr. Bell joined the bank in Dunedin in 1896 and was transferred to Thames after a few months. After two years there Mr. Bell was moved to New Plymouth and then to Auckland. Later he was promoted to the position of accountant at Napier. From tnere he was appointed manager of the Naseby branch in Central Otago. HL final move was back to Thames. Aerial Holiday. An aerial holiday in a Miles Magister machine has been arranged for the next week or 10 days by Mr. and Mrs. R. Diggle, of Pukekohe. Mr. Diggle, w ho has been a member of the Auckland Aero Club for six years, has hired the machine from the club and left Mangere aerodrome yesterday with Mrs. Diggle for Christchurch. From Christchurch Mr. and Mrs. Diggle will make flights over the Southern Alps, to the West Coast and over the southern lakes and glaciers. Danger front Cigarettes. Every motor-car should be equipped with ash holders," said Mrs. Knox Gilmer in the course of her speech at the opening of the National Flower Show at New Plymouth (reports the Herald). "A careless picnicker oi motorist might be the means of endless trouble.” she added, “as a cigarette butt tossed from a car among dried grass by the wavside, or a fire carelessly left after boiling a picnic billy, might be the means of starting a fire which would cause endless destruction. and lay waste many a beautiful hillside. We don't want in New Zealand what has been the experience of people in Australia,” she said. Possibility of War. The possibility of early trouble in Europe is mentioned in a circular issued in the last few days to members of the Support Company, First Battalion, Canterbury Regiment. “The situation regarding possible war is fatmore serious just now than many realise.” states the circular, ‘ and 1 can tell all ranks that many senior officers arc convinced that we maj be mobilised even before the annual camp in March.” A great and grave responsibility rested on the volunteers to perform their duties as soldiers to the best of their ability, concluded the circular.

Seagull’s Unusual Death. A seagull met sudden death, in an unusual manner, on tjie s.s. Kakapo, at the Greymouth wharf, last week. Alighting on the wire of a derrick which was being used to unload a £iotor car from the vessel, the gull tooi’c no notice of movement in the wirt, which gradually carried it up to the derrick block, which acted as an efficient guillotine. Seamen who wit- , nested the incident stated that never before had they seen a seagull allow itse?f to be dragged into a block in a like manner.

Permission Granted. An unusual request for permission to take degree examinations has been granted by the Senate of the University of New Zealand. The application came from a student who is now undergoing reformative detention, and after discussion in committee Senate agreed to allow him to sit as an externe. In the minutes recording the decision, the dissent of the Chaneeltor, the Hon. J. A. Hanan, was recorded at his request.

Health Camp Benefit. The benefit received by children attending the health camps held in Timaru and at Waimate by the South Canterbury Health Camp Committee is indicated by the final weighing of the children, which disclosed an increase in the weight of all the children who attended the camps. The greatest increase recorded by one child was that of a country girl in the Timaru camp, who put on 121 b during the 25 days she was in camp. The greatest increase made by a boy at the Timaru camp was 81b., while the average increase was 3 l-101b.

Chinese Appreciation. In a shop window in Napier is to be seen a photograph of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and Madame Chiang, which has been sent to the Hon. W. E. Barnard through the Con-sul-General for China at Wellington Styling herself Mayling Soong Chiang Madame Chiang has autographed the photograph, which also bears her name and that of her husband in Chinese, with their red seals. Mr. Barnard, as chairman, and Mrs. Barnard have been active in the work of the New Zealand Council for the Adoption of Chinese Refugee Children. Electric Sign Ablaze. For the second time in the past three days lire,broke out in the electric sign on the Farmers’ Co-opera-tive Auctioneering Company's building in Victoria Street, Hamilton, on Friday night. The outbreak, which occurred at 10.30 p.m., was attended by two machines from the Hamilton fire station. As in the first instance, the fire was extinguished by turning off the electric power. Apart from slight damage to a clock above the sign, no loss occurred.

Mishap to Lorry. Stout timbers in the side railing of the Okitu Bridge, Wainui Beach, prevented a lorry from taking a 50ft. drop in the creek below when the vehicle crashed into the side of the bridge. The mishap was caused by the breaking of a spring as the lorry was approaching the bridge, and tore out a large section of the railing before coming to rest extensively damaged in a precarious position.

* Tame Native Pigeon. | Mrs. H. T. Parry, of Hokitika, who owns a fine aviary, has a very uni usual bird among her pets. It is a 1 native pigeon which she has reared i and tamed to a remarkable degree. I The bird was given to Mrs. Parry by a bushman in South Westland, who found it when it had fallen from a nest and had been injured. After careful nursing the bird recovered and is now about a year old. It is one of the most tame and friendly birds in the aviary. Its diet consists of practically any part of the family meals, but it is particularly fond of porridge. Maori Children’s Visit. A party of 50 Maori children from | the North Auckland district will , arrive in Auckland next Friday to I spend a week in the city. The trip : has been made possible principally by the efforts of the teachers and committee of the Moehau school. The children will be accompanied by their teachers and several members of the school committee. Ten of the children 1 will be from the Waihaua native I school on the Kaipara harbour. Few I of the children, who will stay at the Waipapa Maori Hostel, Parnell, have ever been away. from their homes beI fore.