LOCAL AND GENERAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 January 1934, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Liverpool mine wifi resume work on Monday, but the James mine will still be idle.

The Secretary of the Ikamatua Aero Club has received advice that Mr Ulm will arrive with his plane at Ikamatua on January 15.

The Gisborne Borough building statistics show that permits issued last year numbered 226, against 235 in the previous year. The value was £66,141, against £45,040. —Press Assn.

A first offender who appeared at the Magistrate’s Court, Greymouth, today, pleaded guilty to a charge of drunkenness, and was fined 5/-, the amount of his bail, by Mr. A. Naylor, J.F.

It is officially stated that the placing of men over fifty years of age ■'•n sustenance is in the nature of an experiment, and will be tried in two centres only, Auckland and Wellington. —Press Assn.

During recent expeditions, the scientific staff of the Auckland Museum, discovered a new and rare species of the petrel, which has been named pterodrome pycrofti, and also a. giant -weta, said to be the largest ever found.' The petrel /was found at Hen and Chickens Islands, and the weta at Poor Knight’s Island. —Press Assn.

An up-river farmer has reported, at Wanganui, the loss of a foal which was eaten by wild pigs. He stated that he saw the foal alive one day, but on going back the next, found it had disappeared. All that remained were two hooves. Later a big hunt was organised under the direction of Mr. S. Harper, farm manager, and the undigested hide of the young foal was found in one of the pigs destroyed.

The much-talked about “Chinese luck” does not always manifest itself on the racecourse. A case in point is reported to have occurred at, Victoria Park, yesterday. Noticing that a horse was not backed at all on the win machine, a Chinese made a rush for the tote, with the intention of taking a ticket on the rank outsider. In his excitement, however, he mistook the totalisators, and ended up with a ticket on the place machine. In any case, the outsider w r as among the also starteds.

The roads in and around the Grey district have carried a considerable volume of motor traffic during the Christmas and New Year holidays, and generally, have come in for little adverse comment. However, that portion of the Coast road from Greymouth to the Thirteen Mile, is in bad order, and has been described by one motorist who recently traversed the route, and who is a regular traveller over all West Coast roads, as the worst piece of road in the district.

“The figures available to date in the shipping statistics of the Wellington Harbour Board for 1933, show a slight increase in the net tonnage of arrivals, as compared with the previous year, but trade generally has not improved, the tonnage handled over wharves being less than for 1932,” said the Board Chairman, Mr M. T; Turrell, to-day. He said the position was principally due to the falling off in imports, which were more than 40,000 tons below the previous twelve months. Exports of wool, butter, and cheese increased, but not in sufficient quantity to compensate for the drop in imports. The coal trade had fallen off and transhipments were below normal. Timber imports increased., There was also an increase in the bulk oil trade. He mentioned that coal bunkering was being replaced’ to some extent by 'tie! oil. —Press Assn.

Jam Making Time is Here! Use Parchment Paper Tops for your Jars. Made in two sizes for lib and 21b jars. They are easily fixed and very effective. Price 4d a packet, postage Id, at B. Dixon, Tainui Street.— Advt.

Furnishings will cost you less at C. Smith’s Stocktaking Sale. Look at these. British Armstroleum, a new floor covering 6ft wide, lovely designs 3/11 yard: Best Samarang Kapoc 1/- lb; 36in Biscuit Curtain Net lOSd; Heavy All Wool White Blankets, single 17/6, three-quarters 21/-, double 25/6; Cotton Bath Mats 24x48, 1/9, 2/3; Cretonne sd, 6£d, 9id. Now is the time to buy and be sure to go to 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.

While fishing in an open boat off Moeraki lighthouse, Mr. W? Kemp and his two nephews (Messrs J. Kemp, of Wellington, arid\ C. Thompson, of Timaru) were surprised to see a huge shark entangled in the meshes of their net. They found it necessary, to obtain assistance from a passing latinch, which towed the shark to a crane used for lowering the boat. The crane however, proved inadequate to the task of lifting the shark and they had to disembowel it. It was found to be 12 feet six inches long, and in its struggles, it, had bitten through the ropes and swallowed a portion of the net, completely ruining the remainder. Sharks are not frequently sighted in this locality, but this one was considered by the lighthouse .keepers .to be the largest they had seen.

An encouraging indication of reviving confidence is given by the building statistics of Auckland City, and adjacent districts. For 1933 the aggregate value of permits issued showed an increase of almost 13 per cent, on the figures for 1932. The comparative totals for 17 districts were: £455,577 in 1933 and £403,737 in 1932. The building trade has been in the doldrums for several years. There weie sharp declines in the figures in 1930 and in 1931, while the 1932 returns approximated very closely to those of the previous year. As 1933, particularly the first half, was' generally accounted a difficult year, the margin of increase is surprising. The Unemployment Board’s building subsidy doubtless contributed to the revival of the trade, which had felt the effect of the depression to a greater extent than most others.

Diaries for 1934. New Zealand Diaries, Collins’ Diai;ies, Letts’ Diaries, in all seizes, bindings, rulings, and papers, suitable for Pocket or Desk use. Prices from 1/- to 8/6 each at B. Dixon, Tainui Street. —Advt.

New Books and Reprints,at B. Dixon Ltd., “The Cross of Peace,” by Phillip Gibbs, “The Crooked Samaritan,” by Trent, “The Hold Up,” by Morris, “The Proselyte,” by Susan Ertz 7/- each, postage 4d. “Handbook of Westland and Peninsula,” for use by trampers, 6d, postage Id at B. Dixon’s, Tainui Street. —Advt.

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.

Thousands of yards of Dress Fabrics are being sacrificed during C. Smith, Ltd. Stocktaking Sale. Whatever your frock get the material nows and save money. Shantung Silks 1/9 yard, 36in Washing Silks 1/-: 36in Crepe Marocain 2/8; 29in Natural Fugi Silk 1/-; 36in Rayon in floral designs, from 1/- and hosts of others at bargain prices. C. Smith, Ltd. — Advt.