NEWS OF THE DAY

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 97, 29 April 1929, Page 10

NEWS OF THE DAY

A Coincidence. I A remarkable coincidence has been pointed 1 out by a reader'of tho "Lyttclton Times," who finds the "Fifty Years Ago" extracts very interesting. In the issue of Tuesday last there was published an account of the railway mishap at Pareora, in which thirteen wagons were wrecked. In the "Fifty; Years Ago" column of the same day there appeared a short account of a | railway accident which had occurred a few miles south of Timaru on 15th April, 1879. In this case alao thirteen, trucks were wrecked. The date, j number of trucks, and to some extent the locality wore the same in each case, with a fifty years' gap between. | Town-planning. . , | Onehunga, pleasantly situated on the shores of Manukau Harbour, was not laid out' by tha Romans, and yet Mr. B. V. Blake, A.M.T.P.I. (London),. states that ho has a plan of "the street system of an ancient Roman town which compares almost street for street with cortain parts of Onehunga." This statement will be found in the "New Zealand Surveyor," the journal of the New Zealand Institute of Surveyors. Mr. Blake remarks (as most people have found out for themselves) that "it is inconceivable how a town's development is tinkered with piecemeal by amateurs," and he-might have added by professional persons too. He shows how modern traffic conditions have proved the rectangular system of street plannng to bo inconvenient, and not only that, but inconvenience in transport affects the cost of living. Tho rectangular system might have suited surveyors, but it is now costing a lot of money to obviato its faults. Dairymen's Insurance Scheme. A proposal that dairymen should found an insurance scheme to recoup themselves for the loss of co%vs condemned because of tuberculosis was made by Mr. J. Parlane at Friday night's meeting of the Christchureh Dairymen's Association (states tlie "Lyttolton Times"). Mr. Parlane said it was in the interests of dairymen to see that their hords were clean and free from tuberculosis. The Agricultural Department had done a great deal in this direction, and there were quite a number of herds round Christchurch that had a "clean" certificate. It was a costly business to replace cows that had been condemned, and for that reason ho suggested an insurance scheme similar to the one the butchers had for stock condemned at the abattoirs. The Government paid half value of a dairy cow that had been condemned, and under an insurance scheme the dairyman would probably get another third of the value. Mr. Parlane said he hoped members would think over the matter, and probably a scheme would be formulated later. ' i ■ ' ■

Avenue of Trees. A proposal to plant trees along the full length of tho Hamilton-Cambridge highway has been submitted to tho Hamilton Beautifying Society by the president, Mr. W. H. Paul (states tho "New Zealand Herald"). Mr. Paul suggests that Hamilton should plant trees for half the distance and Cambridge should plant the other half. A suggestion that a committee be set up to approach the Hamilton and Cambridge Borough Councils on the matter has been referred by the society to the incoming committee. Prosecutions for Speeding. A ruling to tho effect that it was not possible to bring prosecutions for dangerous driving under section 15 of tho Motor Traffic Bogulations, 1028, was given by Mr. Wyvern Wilson. S.M., in the Hamilton Magistrate's Court on Friday (states tho "Now Zealand Herald"). Mr. W. J. King, for RC. Sp.ence, who was charged with driving at forty miles an hour, said he would like to draw attention to tho fact that the section under which tho informaion was laid did not provido for a conviction. It merely gave a table of speeds to be applied when a person, was charged under section 28 of the Motor VchieloH Act. The. Magistrate said that where a local bylaw /ixed a maximum speed for certain localities that constituted an absolute prohibition against exceeding that speed. Where a"man was charged with exceeding the regulation spoorf the matter was different. A. regulation which prescribed fur a Bp'iod limit of 35 miles on a country road was not an absolute prohibition, but was only prima facio eviddiico of danger to the public, and might bo repudiated byahowhlg that there was no actual danger to the public. Tlio present charge, said the Magislnitc, should bo amended to one of causing a breach of tho-borough bylaws. This was do7ie, and a fins of £.2 was imposed.