LOCAL AND GENERAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 February 1939, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Owing to the unfavourable weather conditions, the annual State Collieries picnic, which was to have been held at Cass Square, Hokitika, to-day, was cancelled. The Blackball sports were also postponed, until February 18.

The roll of Greymouth Borough ratepayers to be used in connection with the forthcoming poll on the Civic Square, totals 2,504 names. Fifteen months ago, the ratepayers’ roll was 1912, so that the present roll shows an increase of 592 ratepayers in that short period.

By the will of David Latimer, ex-Ser-geant of Police, who died in 1926, the residue of the estate, which was subject to a. life interest for the widow, was distributed recently by the Public Trustee to public hospitals in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. The amount in each case being approximately £l4OO. Mrs. Latimer died in Auckland last December. —Press Assn.

A proposal to form Labour daily newspapers in the four main centres of the Dominion was the main subject dealt with at a special meeting of the Gisborne branch of the Labour Party. Mr. E. Harris, president of the Gisborne branch, was in the chair, and the large number of members present displayed much interest in the programme for the launching of the newspapers. It was stated that until last week £13,000 had been guaranteed by party supporters throughout the country. The Gisborne branch decided to guarantee a. minimum of £lOO towards the project, and local officials expect that the sum actually- subscribed will he much larger.

Speculation as to the function of a man whom a sergeant, of police said he saw standing at the door of an Auckland hotel on frequent occasions caused amusement in the Magistrate’s Court, Auckland, this week. Counsel for the hotel licensee said the man’s duties were perhaps to keep out undesirable people. The sergeant said that, on some occasions the man had seen him coming, and had stepped back and pressed a bell. “His job then, was to give a warning of the approach of the police,” said counsel. “I am surprised counsel should make that admission,” said the Magistrate, Mr. W. R. McKean, with, a smile. “It is not. an admission, but just a suggestion.” replied counsel.

Get after the bargains in quality fashion goods at the big sale, Whit-’s Fashion Corner. The opportunity wBl be short lived. Make White’s your objective to-day.—Advt.

Monday is the last day of C. Smith’s Summer Sale. Make the most of this bargain event, by securing the things you want at greatly reduced prices' — Advt.

Special offer of corsets at 3/11. for final sale days at. C. Smith’s. Only a limited quantity at this ridiculous price, so you’ll need to be early! Advt.

New Year hospitality will certainly call for the best Whisky. Therefore we earnestly recommend Dewar’s Imperial as the New Year Spirit. It can safely be said that each bottle of Dewar’s has seen several New Years before the lever is prised, and it is the ageing process that brings to Dewar’s that unique flavour which appeals so greatly to all men who value good matured whisky. Griffen and Smith, Ltd., Distributors, Greymouth, Hokitika and Westport.—Advt.

The newest addition to the fleet of the H.C. Sleigh Proprietary Ltd., Melbourne, the s.s. Matthew Flinders, is to visit Greymouth towards the end of this month. The new vessel is at present loading hardwood for New Zealand at Australian ports and is due at Greymouth about February 20, when she will load her first cargo of timber for Sydney.

An unusual request for permission to take degree examinations has been granted by the Senate of the Univeisity of New Zealand. The application came from a student who is now undergoing reformative detention, and after discussion in committee Senate agreed to allow him to sit as an externe. In the minutes recording the decision, the dissent of the Chancellor, the Hon. J. A. Hanan, was recorded at his request.

The Johnson quadruplets continue to attract a good deal of public interest. It is understood that an American film company has approached the parents about depicting Dunedin’s four famous children on the screen once again. Another indication of the world wide interest being taken in the Johnson children is that Christmas greetings were received from as far away as England and America, as well as from many Australian and New Zealand towns.

“I have no information, but I have my own opinions,” remarked the Minister of Public Works (Hon. R. Semple) when asked if a preliminary investigation into the Social Security building fire had produced definite conclusion. “I have grave suspicions, added Mr. Semple, who was able to point with satisfaction to the fact that, the bulldozers had already cleared a site for a temporary building and that shovels would be promptly at work digging out the basement, enabling carpenters to start construction on Monday morning.

The hope that a statue to New Zealand’s first Governor, Captain William Hobson, R.N., will find a place in Auckland’s centenary memorials is expressed by Archbishop Averill in a letter to the Auckland Provincial Centennial Council. This letter has been written in response to an invitation extended by the Mayor (Sir Ernest Davis) to citizens to offer suggestions for memorials suitable for commemorating the first centenary of New Zealand’s existence as an integral part of the British Empire: The letter has been referred to the Metropolitan Executive of the Centennial Council for consideration. —Pres Association.

“Jury service is a duty of every able-bodied and adult man in the comt munity. No doubt many others who have not applied for exemption have also been put to considerable inconvenience,” commented Mr. Justice Ostler in the Supreme Court at Palmerston North, when 10 jurors who had been called sought exemption. His Honour said that exemption was justifiable where a man engaged solely in business on his own account would suffer irreparable hardship by serving. Among the applicants before him were two from the same department of one city store, and his Honour ruled that one of them must serve. A wool-buyer, a furniture machinist, a one-man grocery business proprietor, and a watchmaker were excused.

“You will, of course, realise that intoxication is a relative term,” said Mr. Justice Callan, when discussing with a grand jury at Auckland on Wednesday a charge of causing bodily injury while in a state of intoxication in charge of a motor vehicle. “A degree of intoxication which would not lead to the arrest of a person on the street, which probably would not cause any remark at all, nor any warning from a. constable, a slight degree of intoxication, might yet be quite sufficient to constitute an offence when a person attempts to drive a motor-car,” added his Honour. “The common sense of the matter was that any substantial degree of intoxication when such quick decisions were required was very seri-

Here we are again! Brunner Sports, Saturday, March 4. Bigger, better, brighter. See ad'dvertisemcnt front page. —Advt. The refusal of the Customs Department to allow the importation of text books for use at the Christchurch Technical College was reported to the board of governors of the college last evening, by the registrar (Mr W. H. Joyce). The restriction applies to 100 geography text-books ordered from Australia.. Mr Joyce said that considerable trouble had been experienced, and he had received a rather peremptory refusal from the Customs Department to his application for an import license. Such books should not be covered by the regulations, and it would be to the benefit of the college and of all other educational institutions if exemption from the regulations could be obtained. The board referred the matter to its- finance committee for investigation with power to act.

School Text Books for Primary Schools are all sold at published prices at B. Dixon’s, Tainui Street. All school stationery at standard prices. All goods sold are manufactured in New Zealand or England, and are the best of qualities and of unsurpassed value.—Advt.

School Bags in leather in all sizes 5/-, 6/6, 7/6, 8/6, to 16/6 each. Best quality- N.Z. leathers. Fiberkane Book and Lunch Boxes in all sizes, 1/3, 1/6, 2/-, 2/6, 3/6, 4/6, to 6/6 each. Mathematical Sets, best British make byThorntons, 7/6, 12/6, 15/-, 17/6, 21/-, 25/-, 30/-, 32/6, 40/-, 45/-. 50/- to £S each. Fountain Pens, ])est British makes, 2/6, 3/6, 4/6, 5/6, 6/6, 7/6 to 80/- each. Best values are at B. Dixon’s, Ltd., Tainui Street. —Advt.

If North Auckland possessed a panoramic camera it could produce a photograph of Whangaroa’s proudest father. Unfortunately, the line-up of his 21 children, plus his wife and himself, would not fit into the comparatively limited focussing powers of local cameras. Rather than leave some of the members out, the family’s portrait was not recorded. Standing in a row. from the youngest to the eldest, the 26 made an imposing study, in the late fifties, this Maori father has a 21-year-old wife. l-.y his former wife, now deceased, he had 20 children, while his present wife has presented him with another four.