LOCAL AND GENERAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 January 1934, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Two visitors to the Greymouth Trotting Club’s meeting were discussing the sport. “This trotting game is tough,” said one. “Not as tough as the beef and mutton we had at Otira yesterday,” replied the second man.

Spectacles are in future to be supplied to Auckland relief workers or members of the families with defective eyesight. They will be provided by the Relief Committee of the Auckland Hospital Board, and in return the relief workers will be asked to do a day’s work at either the hospital or the infirmary.

The train traffic for the Christmas and New Year periods has been heavier than that of last year, all of the trains in and out of Wellington being crowded. The Lyttelton ferry steamer traffic figures, however, have been about the same for both periods as last' year.—Press Assn.

In preparation for the holidays, good business was done at Wellington in the second-hand car trade. For low priced cars the demand in some cases exceeded the supply. One firm stated that there was a definite shortage of cheap cars, while new car sales were also picking up.

An experimental adjustment to the unemployment relief scheme is to be made by the Unemployment Board in Wellington, under which men over a certain age are 'to be stood down from ( work and paid a permanent sustenance allowance, amounting, it is stated, to approximately 60 per cent of the current relief rates of wage, Mr C. F. Saunders, a member of the New Zealand executive of the National Union of Unemployed, who has received advice of the change from the national secretary of the union in Wellington, said that men of 55 years and over were to be stood down on sustenance.

Writing by last mail to a friend in New Plymouth an ex-New Zealander, exiled in London, says: “The task of helping young New Zealanders is becoming enormous. Many of them have come over here without any means looking for jobs they cannot get and couldn’t fill if they equid get, because of lack of qualifications. London is no Eldorado, especially these days, and a chap lias to be particularly smart and capable if he is to get in anywhere and hold his position. Far better for the New Zealander to stay in his own country, where, generally speaking, he has a better chance of achieving something than he has in overcrowded England.”

In these days of concentration in industry when by-products of various processes which were formerly thrown away are utilised for various purposes, it is realised that there is not a great deal of anything wasted; but the action of an enterprising firm of manufacturers in England must surely hold the reebrd in this respect. When a gathering of Dunedin business men visited the Sultan Star at Port Chalmers recently, and were conducted through the engineroom, they were provided with sweat rags to remove the grease from their hands after ascending and descending the various companion-ways connecting the engine-room with, the deck. These rags are provided free in thousands at the beginning of each voyage to all the vessels of tlie Blue Star Line, not, as might be supposed, for advertisement purposes, but for the oil which is extracted from them when they are returned to the manufacturers at the end of the voyage.

Cheap reading for your holidays:— Paper Novels lOd and 1/2 each. Cloth Bound Novels 1/6, 2/-, 2/6, 3/-, 4/6, 7/6 each. Thousands to choose 3/6, 4/6, 7/- each. Thousands to choose from. Best authors at B. Dixon Ltd,, Tainui Street. —Advt.

New Year Stationery, Chinese Lanterns. Bon Bons, Raper Decorations Squealers, and Squeakers of all kinds. Masks and Hats. Fancy Spectacles. Large stocks at 13. Dixon, Ltd., Tainui Street. —Advt.

The new English worsteds in smart brown and grey patterns, and quality Navy Serge Suits are distinctive in cut and finish. These suits are made by craftsmen and represent unequalled value to-day. Make a point of inspecting the New Year range at C. Smith, Ltd. Also specially selected Ties, Shirts, Pyjamas and Hose, the ideal men’s gifts.—Advt.

Gift suggestions that never fail to please. Towel and Face Cloth Sets 3/11, 5/6; Fancy White Towels from 2/11 pair; Duchess Sets, new style, embroidered linen 5/11; Tray Cloths from 1/11; Linen Guest Towels 3/6, 4/11, 5/6; Art Silk Supper Sets 10/6; Check Breakfast Sets 4/11. C. Smith, Ltd. —Advt.

High Carnival of cheery greetings. The age-old custom of goodwill toasts, and so Dewar’s Imperial, cheery, as Santa himself —festive as the happiest revels of the year—Dewar’s Imperial Whisky will assuredly heighten the joy of this Yuletide Season. It is thoroughly aged and correctly blended, achieving an exquisite balance, and a flavour goodness that is the foundation of a perfect Whisky. For Scotland’s best, say Dewar’s at all hotels. Messrs Griffen and Smith, Ltd., Agents, Greymouth, Hokitika and Westport.—Advt.

Canterbury and the West Coast have had very few cases of infectious diseases' during the holiday period, there being a total of only five notifications in the past ten days. There was one case of diphtheria on the West Coast, two of tuberculosis and one each of scarlet fever and pneumonic influenza in Canterbury. One death from tuberculosis in Canterbury was reported to the Medical Officer of Health in the'period.

Anxiety has been felt for the safety of four young men aboard a 36 foot yacht, Daisy, which was dismasted when about four miles off Little Barrier Island, last Sunday morning. She had not been reported since Sunday afternoon, and at the request of relatives, the police made inquiries. However, this morning, information was received from Port Fitzroy, Great Barrier, that the yacht had been towed in by a ketch from the direction of Mokohinau and the crew were reported all well. — Press Assn.

At the beginning of the. New Year the Vincentian Fathers take charge of Holy Cross College, Mosgiel, which has been the New Zealand Provincial Seminary for the training of Roman Catholic priests for the past 33 years. Five Vincentian priests will come from Australia in January to replace five of the Holy Cross professorial staff. When the college closed for the summer vacation reference' was made to the signal service given by the rector (Dr. C. J. Morkane) and other professors, and addresses were read and ‘ presentations made by the students and staff. Dr. Morkane briefly replied, thanking the students for their kind thoughts and generous gift. Dr. Klimeck replied on behalf of the retiring professors, recalling the happy associations between staff and students, and the splendid spirit of comradeship that had endured at the college in the past. i

An emphatic liking for the days when Canterbury was in tussocks was expressed in an interview by Mr Edward Williams, of Islington, for many years a resident in Timaru, who celebrated his ninety-fifth birthday on Saturday. Apart from deafness and the need for using a stick to get about, he is in excellent bodily health. Born in Wales, Mr Williams has never married, and his only relative in New Zealand is a niece. He caine to New Zealand in 1871 and went to the West Coast gold diggings, working with Richard John Seddon at Kumara. Shearing and other farm work later claimed his attention. He acquired a bluestone quarry in Timaru about thirty years ago, and controlled it until his retirement seventeen years ago. He then went to live at Templeton, and for the past twelve years has been in Islington. Mr Williams is not a teetotaller, and has smoked ' strong tobacco for the past eighty years. without any ill results, and still enjoys his pipe. He reads his daily, paper, can shoot birds, and can talk very well-about the old days.

The Cook County Council is tremendously, pleased about wool prices, but not nearly so well pleased about the effect of heavy haulage of wool between Gisborne and Napier over its roads, reaching, according to one member, over 1000 bales in one week. “We want our wool to go by water in order to save our roads,” said one councillor, and added that the only way to combat the tendency to send wool by road was to reduce charges by sea. At present wool could be lorried from Gisborne to Napier for 12/6 a bale, while me cost by water was only slightly less, 11/tV They should- make a united attempt to secure reductions in charges from the harbour boards and shipping companies at Gisborne and Napier, so that the lorries could not compete wi.u the boats. “We simply cannot maintain the standard of our roads while 1000 bales of wool are being carried over them every week,” he said. Another councillor: “We want the railway.” It was agreed to write to the Napier Harboui’ Board, shipping companies and woolbrokers, asking them to do what they could to reduce charges in order to encourage more wool to go by ship to save damage to the roads.

If you are planning to make your home more attractive and comfortable for the New Year you could not do better than inspect the complete new stocks of modern furniture and accessories for the home at S. Burnett White’s. High Grade Furnishers, Mackay Street. —Advt.

Use Paper Goods for your picnics. Save breaking your china. Paper goods may be used for a full season. May be easily cleaned and washed. They are inexpensive. Paper plates 9d, 1/-, 1/3 a packet. Serviettes 1/and 1/3 per 100. Paper Cups 1/6 to 1/9 per dozen. Paper Spoons 6d and 9d a packet. Lunch Papers 3d a packet. Picnic Sets containing plates, serviettes etc., for four and six people .1/3 and 1/9 a set at B. Dixon Ltd., Tainui Street.—Advt.