CITY AND SUBURBAN

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 185, 3 May 1929, Page 11

CITY AND SUBURBAN

HAPPENINGS IN AND ABOUT TOWN

Miss Lilian McMillan, a housemaid, employed at the Empire Hotel, was knocked down by a motor-car in Oriental Bay at about a quarter to 10 o’clock last night, and was later admitted to the Hospital suffering from a small scalp wound and injuries to both legs.

The removal of an old veranda-post in Willis Street, a short distance south of Perrett’s corner, has left an obstruction on the side of the footpath in the shape of the wooden base of the iron post. The base stands well over a foot high and is a distinct source of danger when crowds are moving along the footpath.

The new warning signal of an impending change in the electric lights at. Courtenay Place is being acted upon as though the change to “safe” or “rightaway” had taken place, and there have been some close calls recently. Car drivers and tramway motormen should realise that they should not make a forward move till the green light is visible.

“A succession of late nights,” writes “Homeless,” “has impressed on me the nu. ’ er of motor-cars which have no home, but regularly are parked without lights in various streets. An occasional ride round the outskirts of the city by a council inspector should more than pay for the overtime and benzine, and rid the streets of a danger to late traffic.”

Although Mrs. McVicar has been returned to the Hospital Board again, it will be some time before she will be present at a meeting of the board. She went to Great Britain a few weeks ago, and intends to visit relatives in Scotland. Before leaving, Mrs. McVicar stated that' she would probably be away for at least a year.

“All this talk we hear of God taking people away is all bunkum,” declared Mr. A. Blaxall iu a lecture upon “Natture’s Way to Health” at the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall last night. “God does not take anyone away. People die because of their ignorance of natural laws. Plenty of sunshine, exercise, sleep, and natural food is the secret of good health and longevity.”

“I propose that the old Ladies’ Committee be re-elected,” said Mr. F. T. Clere at the annual meeting of the Wadestown Horticultural Society last night. A lady present objected to the phrase “old Ladies’ Committee,” whereupon Mr. Clere amended his motion, amidst laughter, to refer to “the young ladies on the present committee.” Shortly after, the chairman (Mr. H. Baillie) referred to “the old Men’s Committee.” “They won’t object,” he commented. “They don’t mind being old.”

Satisfaction that the society now had the use of a hall in which a successful show could be held was expressed in the annual report of the Wadestown Cottage Garden and Beautifying Society. “The past season was a landmark iu the history of the society, in that shows were held in the new Parish Hall, which is a credit and a great asset to the suburb,” ran the report.

After long years Queen’s Drive, between Coutts and Cockburn Streets, was widened, but still the promised footpath has not been provided. To kerb and channel this portion of the street, to provide a proper surface to the footpath on the slope to Freyberg Street, and a proper crossing at western end of Endeavour Street should not be beyond the resources of the new council, and be done before the winter comes in.

A correspondent writes that now the plebiscite of the electors has been taken with regard to charging for admission to the Zoo, there will be no open free day for the public once the Parliamentary sanction has been given. He suggests that two or three special days in the year might be set aside for that purpose, so that the public may visit the gardens. The correspondent claims that it is part of one of the city reserves, and there should be some open days in the year.

In the numerous tramway repairs which have been done just outside the tunnel at Hataitai, the bitumen has been gradually built up round the concrete slab at the entrance to the waiting shed until this slab is fully an inch below the general level. This now fills up with water and is a nuisance to waiting passengers. A small channel a foot long cut in the bitumen would drain the collected water into the surface water channel. Two or three minutes’ work would do it when a workman is there with pick and shovel.

The stopping of the lift between two floors of a city building ttie other day created some excitement for the occupants and the onlookers. An opening of about egihteen inches on to the higher floor was the only means of escape. There was nothing else for it but to clamber through. Assisted from both the inside and outside of the lift, several young women were the first to be “rescued,” and amidst cheers made good their way to' the upper floors via the stairs. After the lift had been emptied of all save the attendant, who appeared to be prepared to go down with the ship, the lift moved and ran smoothly to the next floor!

Excusing herself on the ground that she had had a few drinks, Mary McKenzie, a married woman, pleaded guilty in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday to a charge of stealing four pocket handkerchiefs, valued at 45., the property of Kathleen Carr. SeniorSergeant Butler stated that at about 1 p.m. on Wednesday, complainant saw accused take the handkerchiefs from a clothes line in her back yard. The police were notified, and accused was interviewed, but she denied the offence. The handkerchiefs were later found in a sideboard in accused’s house. The Magistrate convicted accused and ordered her to come up for sentence within twelve months, if called upon. It is surprising to what extent the public generally were ignorant as to the personality of some of the candidates at the elections. An outstanding example is that of Mr. R. Campbell Begg, who was a candidate for the Hospital Board. At the booths many voters were inquiring after they had voted, “Who is Mr. Campbell Begg?” and quite a number were under the impression that he was a Labour candidate, while a very considerable number failed to recognise in him the wellknown surgeon. A number, too, did not vote for him because they could not “place” him at all. More than one elector turned up with two different tickets, and in one case the reason given was quite a good one. The elector remarked upon the lengthy list of candidates, and not knowing them all or to wliat ticket they belonged, he brought the tickets because they at least helped him to make uu his mind for whom not to vote.

Lyall Bay is constantly extending its borders, habitations, and population. A number of new residences are now springing up on the west of Queen’s Drive, opposite Cruickshanks Street.

“The question is one of fact,” said counsel in a case at the Supreme Court on Wednesday. “Perhaps that is why we hear so much law,” remarked Mr. Justice MacGregor.

On account of the forthcoming elections, the next meeting of the Hutt County Council will be held on Friday, May 17. The annual meeting of the council will be held at noon on May 22.

The glassy surface the bitumen on city streets is assuming will soon call for non-skid devices for citizens’ footwear, as a skid (and these are common) would be more serious for a mere human being than for a car.

In an endeavour to arrive somewhere in the vexed problem of education, the Island Bay Home and School Association are arranging for an address on the Minority Report of the Syllabus Revision Committee at their next meeting, on May 20.

Mrs. M. A. Kerslake, a resident of Aplin Road, Ngaio, slipped on the floor of a factory in Marion Street shortly after noon yesterday, and frac- - tured her right wrist. She was attended to by the Free Ambulance and removed to the hospital.

Upon a “Dominion” reporter making inquiries at the Taranaki Street Police Station regarding the identification of the body found in the harbour on Tuesday morning, it was ascertained that the Onehunga (Auckland) police are also making inquiries.

It is reported that two of the unemployed workers in the city have been endeavouring to secure a hall rent free for meetings they desire to organise, but have not received a sympathetic hearing in Labour circles, and are now turning to owners of halls who are not associated with the Labour movement.

A sprained right ankle and left wrist were suffered by H. Smith, a motor mechanic, who resides at 24 Harrison Street, and who fell off a motor-cycle at 5.45 p.m. yesterday. He was - attended to by the Free Ambulance and taken to the hospital and then to his home.

At last night’s meeting of the Hutt River Board it was decided to write to the other river boards of New Zealand asking their support in an attempt to get the date of the triennial elections put forward from early January into May in order to coincide with the county elections.

Although the big landslip, which occurred in the Crescent off Grafton Road has been made good, little progress has been made towards putting the road itself into a better state. This is the one-way route for downhill traffic from Roseneath to Oriental Bay, and the short piece of Grafton Road linking up with either end of the Crescent is in almost as bad a state of repair. It was hoped these two sections of road would have been paved or sealed before now.

Counsel in the Supreme Court on Wednesday was endeavouring to show that the price anticipated for a property at a sale could not be taken as its value. When he was very youug, said counsel, he was told of a female slave who was put up for auction. There was no bid. “Where is the man who was going to bid 20,000 dollars?” asked the auctioneer. Someone replied, “I guess he hasn’t come.” Mr. Justice MacGregor: “The lady must have at once depreciated to zero.” (Laughter.)

Animals are more sensible in health matters than many human beings, according to Mr. Alfred Blaxall, physical and health culturist. In a lecture in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall last night, Mr. Blaxall declared that no one could get an animal to eat when it was ill, and yet human beings loaded the system with food when it was not required. AU the vitality of the human frame was required to throw off disease, and it was a mistake to ask the digestive organs to deal with food which was not required at such a time.

A new model car was spinning along Mercer Street about 10 o’clock yesterday morning when the power suddenly failed, and the machine came to rest gracefully opposite “The Dominion” office. The owner armed himself with a spanner, and crawled underneath the car ostensibly to deal with a loose bolt in a universal joint. The job took longer than he anticipated, and he was patiently pursuing his search when he was hailed in peremptory, if somewhat shrill tones, by someone standing alongside the car. Imagining that it must be a policeman or a traffic inspector who was so insistent, the motorist, who by this time was smothered in oil, dust, and perspiration. laboriously crawled from beneath the machine, only to be confronted by an urchin of some eight summers. “Please, sir,” said the youngster in dulcet tones, “have you any cigarette cards?” The motorist’s face was a study; he was so flabbergasted that he drew the hand which grasped the spanner in dazed fashion across his perplexed brow, leaving a broad smear of grease. After a look at young New Zealand which spoke volumes, he once more crawled underneath the car to resume his argument with the universal joint.