LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Star, Issue 20010, 30 October 1928, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL

■'The Gisborne Harbour Board passed a resolution objecting to the 'Wellington Harbour Hoard’s attempt to interfere with the present flat rate of freight charged upon produce and rubber at Now Zealand ports, and expressed the opinion that the proposal was not in- the interests of the producers and the dominion generally. The motion was earried_ unanimously, one .member characterising the "Wellington proposal as impudent. The hotel at Lake Kanieri, occupied by Charles Tullocli, was totally destroyed by lire on Saturday at (J p.m. The outbreak was apparently caused by a defective chimney in the sitting room. Practically nothing was saved. The insurances on the stock _in trade totalled £75, and on the furniture and effects, £250, in the South British office. The building was insured tor £750 in the lloyal Exchange office.— Hokitika message.

“ Not guilty,” pleaded a motor cyclist in the Magistrate’s Court, Palmerston North, when charged with having no tail light on his motor cycle. “ I had a red reflector ami thought it as good as a tail light,” lie added. Tho Magistrate; “Von might, but others think it rotten. A rod reflector is no excuse (or not having 11. tail light.” Defendant; “ 1 thought it was.” The Magistrate: “Why should it? It seems that wo axe going f o get this excuse a lot, but I must insist on motorists having tail These red reflectors are only additional expense to motorists. 1 don’t know how I would look upon a charge of having no red reflector, but so ‘long as the tail light was going I would probably throw it out.” Though admitting ,a charge of drunkenness, Arthur Ernest "Vogel Mason, aged twenty-nine, who appeared in the Magistrate’s Court, Wellington, denied a charge of attempting to convert to his own use a motor car valued at £IOO. Mason’s counsel stated that his'client became‘dniiik on Saturday afternoon. " Later ii) the evening ho was found half asleep and “ dead drunk ” in a motor car, after which he was arrested and charged with attempting to convert the car to Ids own use. According to a constable, the car was parked. "The defendant was at the wheel, and was doing his best to start the car. The magistrate remarked that the case did net seem to be one of a drunken man_ blundering into a motor car with the intention of “sleeping it olf,” but seemed rather to be that of a. man who had entered the car with a hazy idea of_starting it.- The accused was fined £5, in default one mouth’s imprisonment on the charge of attempted conversion of the car. For being drunk, ho was convicted and discharged. .The Ex-pupils’ Association of the Union Street School held a very successful social evening in the Vedic Cafe last night, when there was a largo attendance of _ members of the association. Proceedings were opened

with tho singing of tlio National Anthem, and during the evening, the following programme was rendered :—• Violin solo, Mr Larkins; school reminiscences, Mr Strong; recitation, Mr L Mollcr; songs, Mr Oliver, Miss Fcnby, and Mrs Scott. The fortnightly meeting of the Optimists’ Chib was held at 1 o’clock in the Y.M.C.A. Rooms, thirty-two members being gprcsenl. Tho speaker was the well-known actor, Air P. Hutchison, who spoke on ‘Empire Optimism and the English stage.’ _ Ho told of the history of a few of tho stage celebrities, and gave some humorous anecdotes connected with their lives. Air Hutchison brought his address to a conclusion by giving some of his experiences as a traveller throughout the vast British Empire. The singing of the National Anthem closed the meeting.