LOCAL AND GENERAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 March 1939, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The postponed annual picnic of the Greymouth Waterside Workers’ Union is being held at Hokitika to-day, in ideal weather. There were 350 passengers on the excursion train, which is to return to Greymouth at 7.15 o'clock Ihis evening.

Nine men. made available by the Employment Division of (ho Department of Labour, are at present engaged in ground improvement work at the Ngahere Domain. The football field is being levelled and re-graded and is expected to be greatly improved for the approaching season.

Hanging on the wall of a house in Mount Eden is a piece of strangelyshaped leather harness. The ravages of time have left it stiff and a little mildewed, but behind it lies a story. For that harness once helped save the life of Sir Ernest Shackleton, the famous Polar explorer. It was worn by Oscar, the lead dog- in a team harnessed to a sledge on which Shackleton was once travelling. Suddenly the sledge slipped down a crevasse, and Shackleton was left, hanging to it helplessly. The other dogs at first refused to budge, but Oscar took the strain, and forced his tea inmates to pull their master out of the cleft. Then, with his master safe. Oscar turned and leapt on two of the dogs who had not pulled and killed them, meting out to them the grim punishment earned by all huskies who did not. pull their weight.

.Tam pot covers in parchment or cellophane, made to fit lib and 21b jars, 3d and 6d a. packet. Obtainable at. B. Dixons Ltd., Tainui Street. — Advt.

Men of the world, men with education who have travelled widely and men with a natural good taste, all say “Dewar’s Please!” For many years Dewar’s Imperial Whisky has held a record for absolute purity and quality that has never been exceeded, and today this famous brand is undoubtedly the most popular spirit on the market. “Don’t saj’ a drop of whisky please—say a drop of Dewar’s please.” Griffen and Smith, Ltd., Distributors, Greymouth, Hokitika, and Westport.— Advt.

The Janies mine will be idle 1 on Monday, and 'will probably not work until Wednesday. The. mine has not worked since last Tuesday. The cause of this loss of working time is an accumulation of coal in the depots. The Liverpool mine will be- working on Monday.

While engaged in shift work at O’Brien and Party’s mine at Rewanui, this morning, Leo Robinson, aged 19, single, of Runanga, suffered lacerations of the face. The injured man was engaged in running a jig when the empty box became uncoupled, the chain coming round the jig wheel and catching him on the face. He was attended by Dr. W. J. Dickel, at Dunollie, and admitted to the Grey Hospital. The full extent of his injuries was not known when the “Star” went to press.

After the eight-year-old son of Mr. J. McNatty, of Makarewa, near Invercargill, had finishing cleaning a piece of machinery with petrol his sister, Noeline, aged 10 years, threw the petrol on the fire, not realising what it was. Flames immediately shot out and enveloped her. Her brother promptly caught hold of her end wrapped her in a rug, thus smothering the flames. His action saved her from extensive injuries and (says the “Southland News”) probably her life. She- was admitted to the Southland Hospital and her condition was later reported as quite satisfactory.

Part of the moneys granted by Parliament to the Taranaki Maori Trust Board in compensation for lands confiscated from the west coast tribes is being used to assist young Taranaki Maoris to receive education on approved lines, through tht establishment of the Kuna Wakarua Memorial Fund in honour of one of the original members of the board. Scholarship grants were made yesterday to three Maori boys who propose to study medicine, motor engineering, and railway engineering. The grants will enable them to attend an approved secondary school or university college.—Press Association.

It is, perhaps, not known that, under the provisions of the Social Security Act, any person holding life insurance in any companuy and deriving from it more than £5OO in’any one year will have to pay 1/- in the £ security tax on the excess over £5OO. “This,” says the Dunedin “Star,” “is a direct tax on thrift, and it may be held comparable to the former Government’s policy, so roundly condemned, of making the unemployed spend their .savings before they were eligible for relief. The answer, of course, will be that the .Social Security Act removes the necessity to insure, but that is cold comfort to those already insured.”

The Dominion Vice-president of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, Mr. H. E. Blyde, of Lepperton, Taranaki, is on a visit, to the West Coast. He is accompanied bj’ Mrs. Blyde. Last evening, Mr. Blyde spoke at a meeting of the Wataroa Branch of the Union. He will spend the week-end at the Glaciers. On Monday, he will address members of the Kokatahi, Koiterangi and Arahura Branches, at Kokatahi, and Mrs. Blyde will be entertained by the women’s division. Mr. Blyde will not speak at Greymouth, but on Tuesday evening, he will address the Westport and Mohikinui Branches, and on Wednesday he will address the Inangahua and Cronadun Branches of the Union, leaving that, evening, for Murchison.

Advice has been received in Auckland that the new quadruple-screw motor-liner Dominion Monarch will now reach Auckland from Wellington on her maiden voyage on April 3, two days later than her original schedule. The liner, which is en route from London and Southampton, via South Africa and Australia, will reach Wellington from Sydney on March 25, her scheduled date. The postponement in the arrival of the Dominion Monarch at. Auckland from Saturday. April 1, to the following Monday is to enable all available working lime to be used at. Wellington in handling cargo. One of the largest personally-con-ducted parties of tourists ever to visit New Zealand will be brought by the new liner. The members of the party, which was assembled in England and Smith. Africa, will make a complete tour of both islands by private motorcars.

Owing to the shortage of bulk supplies of sugar in Greymouth, it will not be possible to provide sugar at the Physical Fitness picnic at Kotuku to-morrow, and excursionists are requested to provide their own sugar and. tea. Hot water and milk will be available on the grounds.—Aclvt.

Although the effects of the Government’s import regulations have not yet been felt to any considerable extent in the shops, the tendency for stocks to decline in some directions has been noticed by Auckland retailers in the past few weeks (states the Auckland “Star”). Sardines from countries other than Britain have been severely restricted, and stocks are stated to be disappearing fairly rapidly. Tinned fruits, herrings, salmon and asparagus, imported jams and sauces. Scandinavian matches and various lines of manufactured foodstuffs are also becoming scarce. Drapery stocks are being closely watched by both wholesalers and retailers, and some of the larger stores have curtailed the periods of the sales. Generally, the tendency is apparent for the business community to exercise vigilance in preparing for any contraction in turnover which may be experienced later in the year.

End of season bargains at C. Smith’s. 36-inch plain and floral Silk Linens, usually 1/11 to 3/6, now 1/6 yard. Printed Silk Crepes, were 2/3, for 1/3. 36-inch Tweeds, 5/6, reduced to 4/6. 51-inch green and grey Novelty Tweed, 11/6, for 4/11. Check uncrushable Silk Crepe, 2/11, for 1/-, etc., etc. C. Smith, Ltd. —Advt

New shipment of knitting silks arrives at C. Smith’s! Four-ounce skeins! Here’s the shades: Salmon, gold, sky blue, pink, old gold, saxe. lemon, fawn, white, black, rose, orange, vieux rose, parchment, pale green, tomato,.apple, resida green, and apricot. Price, Hid. skein. —Advt.