CITY AND SUBURBAN

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 33, 2 November 1929, Page 13

CITY AND SUBURBAN

HAPPENINGS IN AND ABOUT TOWN

i Representatives of cycling clubs in Wellington waited on the Mayor (Mr. G. A. Troup) yesterday afternoon, in connection with the work of repairing the Hutt Road cycle track, which was recently postponed until next year by the Wellington City and .Suburban Highways Board. The Mayor said he was not in a position to be explicit in the matter, as in any case the carrying out Of such a work from loan money was subject to the approval of the Government Loans Board. He also reminded the deputation that the City Council was not the only body concerned in. the matter of restoring the track.

That a man suffering from concussion of the brain or a serious injury to the head can act the same in every detail as a drunken man, was the opinion expressed by two well-known doctors in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. The two medical practitioners referred to Were Drs. E. H. M. Luke and E. W. Giesen. They both said that it was practically impossible for a medical man to tell the difference between an intoxicated person and one suffering from injuries to the head. If a man smelt of drink, however, he could easily lie mistaken to be drunk. Dr. Luke said that he knew of a case where a man had been arrested for drunkenness only to be found dead in his cell the next morning. It was an almost impossible thing for a doctor to tell the difference, and it would therefore be even harder still for a policeman.

The special message which appeared in the “Dominion” yesterday concerning the discovery of a Georgian coin at Caversham. Dunedin, caused Mr. W. Crane, of 135 Tasman Street, to bring into the “Dominion” office yesterday a georgian coin in a wonderfully good state of preservation. From appearances it resembles a twopenny piece, being 1 5-Bin. by lin. in thickness, and weighing 2oz. The coin is stamped Georgius 111, Dei Gratia, while the date (1797) and the figure of Britannia on the reverse side are plainly distinct. Mr. Crhne states that tiie coin has been in possession of his family as long as he can remember. He is a member of tiie Wellington Bowling Club, and has had a lot of fun by using the Georgian coin for tossing purposes on the green. Every time it falls to the ground with a dull thud, the opposing skip invariably asks, “What the devil’s that?”

A broken steering-gear is attributed to all sorts of things, but to have it attributed to heavenly intervention is surely a new one on the motoring community. In the Supreme Court yesterday counsel was asking a witness if he did not think it dangerous to follow close behind another car at a high speed. Counsel suggested various things that might happen, and then said, “Now what would have happened if the steering-gear of the front car had broken?” To which witness replied. “Oh, that would be an act of God!” (Laughter.)

The tender of Dunsheath, Ltd., has been accepted by the City Council for the supply of an air-compressor for the City Engineer’s Department. The price is £485. Messrs. A. D. Riley and Co’s, tender for the supply of a travelling crane for the Tramways Department has been accepted. The figure is £575. , When working on the steamer Opihi at the Taranaki Street Wharf yesterday afternoon, Tom Jeromson, a waterside worker, was strr.cK by an oil drum, as a result of which he received a lacerated wound on the scalp. Jeromson, who resides at 3 Todman Street, Brookyln, was conveyed to the hospital by the Free Ambualnce. A very trivial occurrence may cause a great deal of inconvenience, as happened on Thursday morning when a shower of rain caused the delay of three trains between Thorndon and Ngaio. A train leaving Wellington iu the early morning was either underpowered or overladen, so that its locomotive could not grip the rails properly on the grade to Ngaio. It took so long to do the trip that both tiie 7.10 aim. and 7.20 a.m. trains from Ngaio with people bound for work were delayed at that station. Trains frequently struggle on this hill, but it is not often that two other trains are held up as well. Apart from his charming personality, his facility as an after-dinner speaker is sufficient to make His Excellency the Governor-General Sir Charles Fergusson, a popular guest wherever he may be. In the course of their Excellencies’ travels they have had many novel experiences, some of which Sir Charles has related from time to time. If the story should be against themselves the more His Excellency enjoys the humour of it. He related one or two such incidents yesterday. Their Excellencies were visiting one place in the north, and the host, wishing to pay a compliment, said as they were leaving, “It is hard to realise you have been here only 24 hours. It seems so much longer.” At one function Her Excellency entertained the old people by singing some Scottish songs. They seemed to be so appreciated she asked if there was any other song they would like her to sing. “Yes,” promptly replied one of the old ladies, “ ‘God Save the King.’ ” On another occasion they were paying an official visit in a distant part of the Dominion. Shortly after their arrival the Mayor told them they were the first vice-regal party to visit that place. “We were much uplifted,” said His Excellency, “and that evening we went to the civic reception in the village hall. If there were 12 people there, that is a liberal estimate. The Mayor remarked ‘lt is very difficult. Your Excellencies, to get people to turn out on an occasion of this sort.’ A remaik which quite put us in our place, but we afterwards learned that the Mayor had forgotten to advertise the fact that we were coming.”