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Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 48, 20 November 1925, Page 12

An interesting and instructive visit to the Palmerston North Agricultural Show was made recently by about seventy senior pupils of Muritai School. The pupils were accompanied by the headmaster, Mr. E. King, the first assistant, Mr. C. A. Rendle, and Mr. W. Dick, of Day’s Bay, chairman of the Muritai School Committee. Tho party were greatly interested in the exhibits, particularly the school exhibits, as chiefly owing to Mr. C. A. Rendle’s enthusiasm they had made numerous entries in the school competitive classes, and the results achieved must have been very gratifying to the pupils and the masters, for they succeeded in carrying off no fewer than 33 prizes valued at £6, and 27 commended cards. This result was excellent, and the headmaster and teachers concerned wore congratulated on the complete success of the educational trip organised by them and the result achieved in the competitive classes.

CITY COUNCIL EMPLOYEE LOSES HIS LIFE ON RONGOTAI PAVING ' PLANT A distressing accident 'occurred at the city corporation’s new paving plant at Rongotai on Wednesday afternoon, resulting in the death of Gordon Stewart, the mechanic in charge of the plant. It seems that Mt. Stewart, a zealous and conscientious servant of the corporation, left the fire-board of the new hot-mix plant (recently made by J._ J. Niven and Co.) to. oil the tevolving parts, whilst the plant was in full action,, a task he had been warned not to do. A couple of fe’et above the level of the fire-board (from which the furnace Is fed) are sets of interlocking cog-wheels controlling the action of the mixer. Stewart had already oiled one set of cog-wheels on the outer side of the plant, ; and had regained the fire-board, when he saw that he had left the shield off, so he stepped up again and replaced the shield, and as he turned to descend once more to the fire-board, his coat caught in a second (and nearer) pair of cog-wheels. Realising that he was caught, Mr. Stewart tried to fling off his coat, but before he could do so he was drawn, into the machine, and his left arm went with the coat, and wap dragged out of its socket before anything could be done.

The alarm was given almost immediately, the machine stopped, and Mr. Stewart, still conscious, was lifted down from the position into which he had been drawn.

As soon as possible medical assistance was summoned, and Dr. Rawson was quickly upon the scene. At the same time the ambulance was summoned, and the sufferer was removed to the Wellington Hospital, where he died shortly after 2 a.m. yesterday. AR concerned with the plant and roadihg work are greatly distressed over the accident, for there was no more popular, or competent man on the job; modest and retiring by nature, yet so keen on his work that he had established new records in output, Mr. Stewart, who had been in the employ of the council for about two years, had proved himself almost invaluable in his position, and from the city engineer down, all sound his praises. He leaves a widow and four children. The funeral will take place this afternoon, and as a mark of respect, and to allow deceased’s mates to pay their last respects, the plants will cease work for a period.