LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Star, Issue 17792, 14 October 1921, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ono of the most remarkable episodes of the sea in waters where, many extraordinary things occur happened reoently off the Islands of Bega, in the Fijian group. A Fiji fisherman got his anchor fouled on tho edge of a coral reef, and. a a is usual in such circumstances, dived overboard to free the stone and to save bis rope. He had. just reached bottom and was starting to pull clear his stone anchor when his head was seized in a vice. Although in groat pain tiro native plnckily punched nt the monster which had seized him, mid, as his feet rose snrfacewards, fcbo fish released him, and he reached the air in a state of collapse. Blood trickled from some throe or tour dozen gashes on each side of hie head over the ears. His wounds are now halfhealed.

There is evidently some person in Grcymouth with a grudge against tho members of the Grey tV-atersiders’ Union (says tho Oroymouth 'livening Star’). On a recent Sunday all tho gas mantles and globes in Hie shelter shed, also the first-aid chest, wore smashed. During last night the bicycle shed was entered and a member s bicycle battered into n useless condition. The spouting round the outhouses was also deliberately ripped down. The matter has been placed, in the bands of the police.

The Green Island War Memorial Committee, which has decided to erect a cenotaph in memory of tho district's fallen soldiers, met last evening, whon_ it was stated that tho total sum now in hand was £.174 15s. It was decided to hold three concerts in about three weeks’ tune, when collections will be taken up to initkb* the funds. A small committee was appointed to choose a sit for the erection oi tho memorial.

One day last week a Coal Creek farmer heard a .squealing noise in the vicinity oi tho lagoon, which he thought was caused >’,V oho of his young pigs, lie investigated, ami instead of a pig lie found a hare in the water, swimming from an island towards the shore. Clinging to its back was ;i weasel, which evidently had attacked the hare. The latter must have taken to tho water in an effort to save itself; but the weasel, not to bn denied, clung to its victim's back, and traveled as a passenger. The fanner aimed a stone at it. whereupon the weasel jumped ashore and made a. clean get-away. The hare was dead.

Pigeons ami gulls have had a ba<l time with the coming of thi- seaplane. according to the Wellington ‘ Post.’ The pigeons do not enjoy the eight and sound of the seaplane and aeroplanes busy over the barter and city, and at first sight of the machines career about in panic. Three of them came to grief in Jcrvois quay on a recent afternoon, for they collided with overhead lighting wires, one of them being hilled. Apparently this bird had heard the call of the open streets some time ago. for upon one of its legs was a fancier’s ring much the worse for long wear. To the seagulls, too, the last week has teen one of frighlfulness, for a seaplane is more than they can hope to cope, with, except by getting as far away as possible and raising more noiso than enough. A man who can s’,vim and does not go to assist when ho sees somebody in danger of drowning is not only a coward, but is subject to arrest and imprisonment in Franco. This was decided recently ■ by the Court of Chartres, which sent a man named Willanme to prison to stand his trial on the charge of manslaughter. The magistrate said a man who could swim must endeavor to give help when his services were needed. Eugene Yvou, agd twenty-one, was bathing in the. River ; Eure. Ho was accompanied by Willanme. I who is a strong swimmer. Yvon. unable to swim, got out of his depth. He shouted ■to his friend for help. Willanme heard ;the cry and left Tv on to drown. •t In the case in which a young soldier .settler was charged with cruelly ill-treat--1 in.g a bnll at Stirling, heard at .the Dal- : rlutha Court, recently, it transpired that I 30ft of plough chain, weighing 201 h, had teen coupled to a ring in the bull's nose, 1 and I.oft of chain were attached to rath ‘of the animal’s horns, and a? if that were not enough two pieces of 4ft x 211 batten had teen lashed with wire round, the bull’s neck. ft 'was pleaded on defendant's behalf that ho was new in farming, and : that the chains, etc., had hcen affixed tn ; tho bull to prevent it jumping fences. A ; firm of £1 and costa was imposed. 1 A meeting of the loading citizens was I held in Nelson a few clays ago to discuss 'a proposition for the installation of electric light and power plant for the city, 'lt was explained that the proposition had .been placed before tho City Con noil, and ■that tho council felt it was unable to jundertake the work, but that it was willing to allow private enterprise to do so under certain conditions. Mr If. It. Duncan, who presided, said that Nelson's backwardness in regard to electric light was a big disadvantage, and, failing action by the City Council, it behoved private enterprise to do what it could in the matter. After a general discussion a syndicate was formed to subscribe the capital necessary for the purchase of a certain power plant at the Talisman mine at Karangahako, over which an option / ’■was held by a Nelson resident.

Authority hue boon given to the following local bodies to raise loans at an increased rate of interest i— Christchurch City Council, £22.854, at 6$ per cent.; Daimevirko Borough Council. £25,000, nt 6 per cent. ; Timavn Borough Council. £65,000, at 6 per cent.; Napier Harbor Board, £40.000, at 7 per cent. Consent has been obtained by the following local bodies to raise loans for various improvement works: —Christchurch City Council, £55,000; Invercargill Borough Council, £20,000; Newmarket Borough Council, £8,000; Geraldine Borough Council, £5,800; Kaikoura County Council, £5,500; Feilding Borough Council, £5,000; I'oxton Borough Council, £5.000; Maaterton Borough Council, £2,700; Paieroa Borough Council, £1,000; Brunner Borough Council, £I,OOO.

At yesterday’s meeting of the Otago District Expatriation Board seven applications for business loans wore received, of which two were approved, one was held over, and four were declined. Twelve applications for furniture loans were received, of which five were approved, one was held over, and six were declined. Subsidised workers; Payment of withheld subsidy on completion of year’s training and an extension of training was approved in two cases, and payment of withheld subsidy on completion of final year’s training was approved in eleven cases. Educational; Four cases were dealt with and approved. Transportation: Two cases were dealt with and approved.

i A Judgment of considerable interest to lacing mbs was given by Mr E. Page. S.M., yesterday at • Wellington. Mrs Symons sued the Wellington Racing Club j for the value of a fur coat handed in at I the ladies’ cloak room at Trentham racei course. A numbered check was given for | it, but the coat was not forthcoming when '■demanded. The defence was that reasonable care was taken, and the public were notified that the club would not bo responsible for any loss. The magistrate, however, held that it was the duty of the club to safeguard the plaintiff’s property, and as this had not been done he awarded her £4O damages.

At the Baptist Conference in Wanganui yesterday the Rev. J. North spoke strongly against the gambling spirit prevalent in New Zealand, and the conference passed the following resolution“ That this 'conference protests emphatically against the waste of public time and money at such a time of crisis and stringency oyer the proposed extension of gambling facilities. The conference believes that the alarming volume of public gambling, which has increased 400 per cent, in the last few year’s, is an. evil .omen, and a menace to national stability and national character. The conference also believes that the extension of permits and the creation of now clubs, as proposed by the Racing Commission, is directly opposed to the interests of the Dominion, and calls upon the Government to give a lead to Pariiamnt and people in the direction of | a decided rstriction.”