ITEMS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 173, 18 April 1932, Page 11

ITEMS IN BRIEF

About People and Events RANGATIRA DOCKED The Union Company’s new turboelectric ferry steamer Bangatira was lifted by the floating dock yesterday morning for cleaning and painting. The Bangatira arrived from Lyttelton at 7 a.m. yesterday, landed her passengers and mails at the Ferry Wharf, and left the wharf again at 8.50 a.m, for the dock. She was manoeuvred into the dock by her master, Captain W. D. Cameron, with the assistance of the Union Company’s tug Terawhiti. The dock will be partly submerged again this morning, when the work of cleaning and painting the Bangatira will be commenced, and will be gradually raised as the marine growth is scraped off the ship’s bottom and the paint applied. The Bangatira will come out of dock again this afternoon, and will leave at the usual time for Lyttelton.

Fractured Jaw. — Haymond Benge, aged 27, who lives at Akntarawa, was admitted to the hospital yesterday afternoon with a fractured jaw and abrasions.

Death From Injuries. Bobert Boole, aged 33, sharemilker, of Walton, who was admitted to the Waikato Hospital in a serious condition with a wound in the chest as the result of the accidental discharge of a shotgun, which was being examined by his twelve-year-old son, succumbed to his injuries on Friday evening.

New Traffic Signal. The traffic signal that was on Belcher’s Building, at the corner of Taranaki and Dixon Streets, has for the sake of clearer vision been replaced with one on the Ixwy Building, at the corner of Courtenay Place and Lower Taranaki Street. It will operate as from to-day.

Mediocre Essays. The undue influence of teachers, generally bad composition, a universal lack of a gift of synthetical thinking, and an inability to assimilate facts and draw from them clear-cut conclusions, are some of the major faults criticised by the examiner in his report on the essays received from schools throughout the Empire in the 1931 competition of the Boyal Empire Society.

Mr. Forbes Out Walking. Among the promenaders in the brilliant sunshine on the Oriental Bay Parade on Saturday afternoon were the Prime Minister, Bt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, and the Minister of Education, Hon. B. Masters. Some people failed to recognise Mr. Forbes, although many curious eyes were turned on his sturdy figure and that of Mr. Masters as they passed along.

Charges of Stealing Cocktail. Charged with stealing some bottles of cocktail, the property of George H. Bassant, two labourers, Michael Florence O'Donoghue, aged 47, and Thomas James Stimson, aged 49, appeared before Mr. T. B. McNeil, S.M.. in the Police Court on Saturday morning, and were remanded to appear on Wednesday next. Bail was allowed in the sum of £25, with two sureties of £25 each. Sunday School Union.

About 30 members attended a meeting of the Sunday School Union last week. Mr. Alexander Johnston presiding. It was resolved to ask the recently formed Primary Teachers’ Association and the Bible class youth councils in the Wellington and Hutt districts to appoint delegates to the union’s committee. A delegation was appointed to wait on the Presbyterian Sunday School Association to arrange a scheme for combined teacher training classes.

Child Killed by Cow. A verdict of death due to injuries caused by a kick on the head from a cow was returned by the coroner, Mr. Wyvern Wilson. S.M.. at an inquest tit Hamilton concerning the death of Beverly Gwen Greig, aged two years. The child, who was the daughter of Mr. Frederick Greig, farmer, of Taupirl, was playing in the yard at her father’s farm on March 24. when she was injured, her death occurring in lhe Waikato Hospital on the same day.

The Wisdom of Experience. As a rule the Arbitration Court does not sit on a Saturday. An exception to that rule was made on Saturday morning on account of some of the medical witnesses being unavailable on Friday afternoon, and the court’s time being fully booked up for the remainder of the session. At the conclusion of the case at 1.35 pan., counsel, who had previously told the court its ease would last, an hour and a half, apologised to the court for having detained it so long. “I usually double counsel’s estimates of the time a case will take,” said his Honour, Air. Justice Frazer.

Restricted Use of Motors. "The restricted use of motor-vehicle owners and not the decline in the number of owners is the principal cause of the reduced business being done by the motor trade.” states the official organ of the New Zealand Motor Trade Association. In support of this it is pointed out that whereas there were 170.936 cars, trucks, vans and buses, with “live” licences at the end of February. 1931. the number of current licenses at Hie end of February was 169,785., a decline of only 1151, one car or commercial vehicle in service for every 8.96 head of population. Oath Taken at Meeting.

Au unusual incident occurred lasi week at. a meeting in Dunedin of the Otago Yacht and Motor-Boat Association. when a yachtsman appealed against tin unfavourable decision in a recent, race. While giving his evidence before the meeting he took a Bible from his pocket, announced that he was prepared to swear to his statements on oath and challenged lhe witnesses for lhe opposition to do the same. Tin? chairman. Mr. W. O. Martin, explained that: it was not the practice of the association to use such strict measures, but that did not prevent the witness from declaring that he had sworn to his evidence on oath. Motor-cycle Fatality.

No blame whatever was attachable to fhe driver of the tranictiv. said Mr, T. B. McNeil, S.M.. coroner, at an inquest held on Friday into the eirctitiislanees surrounding I Ito death of Samuel Hill, who died in hospital tts the result of a collision Itctwcen a motorcycle and ;t tramear on January 22 at flto Horse Shoe Bend. Glenmore Street. In returning a verdict that Mr. Hill died as a result of shock and injuries to the brain, received by the collision, the coroner said that although the locality was a dangerous one. os

daily as repairs to the road were being effected, there wore danger signs below the scene of (he accident, and anyone driving up the road should have been able to see those signs and take the requisite precaution.