LOCAL AND GENERAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 February 1940, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The police are investigating the reported theft of £6O from the Denniston Hotel, which took place at the weekend. The money was the property of the licensee, Mrs. Baghurst.

Shareholders of Quill Morris (1936), Ltd., unanimously decided at the annual meeting yesterday afternoon to send a cheque for £lOOO to the Minister for Finance (Mr Nash) as an interest-free loan to the War Expenses Account for the duration' of the war.

Freight hauled through the Otira tunnel last week from west to east amounted to 11,697 tons, compared with 14,020 tons in the corresponding week of last year, a decrease of 2,323 tons. In 1938, the corresponding total was 13,770 tons. ■

Owing to a severe storm on Monday night causing slips on the Otira Gorge Road, the road was closed to traffic yesterday. This morning, Mr. W. F. Harley, secretary of the. Grey Branch of the Automobile- Association, received a message from Otira stating that the road was still closed, but that it was hoped to have it open tor traffic again either late to-night or. tomorrow morning. Meantime . motorists bound for ■ Canterbury .must, travel by the Lewis Pass route.

The Greymouth Fire Brigade received a call at one o’clock- this morning to the residence of Mrs. R. A. McKay, 37 High Street, where a fire had broken out in a “lean to”'attached to an outhouse. The brigade had nd difficulty in suppressing the outbreak and only slight damage' was done to a wall of the outhouse. It is thought that the fire was due to some wood ashes, which had been put in a box in the “lean to.”

Twenty-eight trucks of sheep and lambs and eight trucks of cattle were railed from the West Coast to Christchurch last evening, some for the Addington market to-morrow, and the remainder for freezing works. Two trucks of lambs were sent on Monday evening, and eight will be sent this evening, while 24 trucks of lambs are booked for Thursday evening, all for the freezing works. Five trucks of pigs will be sent to. Christchurch on Saturday for a bacon factory.

It was realised that in some cases the twopenny centennial stamps were too large for use! on small receipt forms, so the department has decided to <fcake the twopenny pictorial stamps available for stamp duty purposes, stated the Director-General of the Post and Telegraph Department in a letter read at a meeting of the council of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce last evening. The twopenny pictorial stamps would be supplied on request at post offices, but it was not desired that these should be used for postage purposes. —Press Association.

For various reasons an increasing number of recruits for the second New Zealand Expeditionary Force are marking their enlistment papers “not for publication.” Commenting on the point, an official of the Christchurch central depot said yesterday that the reason given by "a number of recruits was that, though addresses were no longer published, the names in the newspapers were often recognised and the recruits found that their jobs were applied for even though they had not been before medical boards and might not be accepted. In other cases, “family reasons” were given for withholding names.

A peculiar position arose in the Whangarei Police Court when the borough traffic inspector . proceeded against seven motorists for parking at night in the streets of the borough without their motor vehicles being lighted. The actions were taken under the 1936 Motor Regulations, which had been superseded by the 1939 regulations, and the borough inspector stated that he had not received a copy of. the last regulations. In dismissing the first two cases, which were defended, the magistrate said that there could be no conviction on a revoked statute or declaration. The other charges were withdrawn.

A large, shipment of 25,000 cases of bananas, which arrived from the Islands during the week-end, was unleaded and distributed in Auckland yesterday. The bulk of the consignment comes from Apia, where 12,000 cases were loaded. Rarotonga contributed 5000 cases and Suva 5500 cases, while 2000 cases came from Nukualofa and Vavau. The fruit appears, to have arrived. in excellent condition, it will be rationed, immediately by the Internal Marketing Department throughout the Dominion. With a heavy demand for the fruit at this period of the year, the large consignment is welcomed by the retail trade. A scarcity of stocks developed in January, when 70,00 cases of bananas had to be jettisoned because of a failure in the refrigerating plant of a steamer travelling from the Islands to New Zealand, and the shortage was not altogether overcome by a further shipment of 25,000 cases which arrived bn January 22. , ■ - .

A sawmill employee, Frank Birchfield, 35, single, of Ruru, received an injury to his left ankle, when a log rolled on to his leg at work yesterday He was admitted to the Grey Hospital, and is improving satisfactorily. ' ,

“I think the . Greymouth Borough Council and its officials are to be congratulated on the fact that in spite of the heavy traffic there was not one serious road accident in the Borough during the Christmas and New Year holidays,” said Mr P. C. Heaphy (chairman) at last evening’s meeting of the Grey branch of the Automobile Association.

One of the best rate collections in New Zealand has been achieved by the Pahiatua Borough Council. Out of a total rate of £4893/8/3, £4760/12/8, or 98.35 per cent., had been paid in before the date of the imposition of the penalty, and the amount outstanding is only £6B/15/7. For a period of years Pahiatua has achieved as high an average of rate collection as any borough in the Dominion.

There is no occasion for raising an early war loan in New Zealand, said the Minister of Finance (Mr. Nash) when he was asked yesterday whether the Government would take advantage of the large accumulation of deposit money in the banks to raise funds for the Dominion's war effort. Mr. Nash made it clear that while the matter is not regarded as of immediate importance, it has been under the Government’s consideration.

Wishing to express his appreciation of the men who have enlisted, a Pukekohe produce grower has donated 10 tons ofTiis new season’s crop of onions to the Papakura military camp (says the Auckland “Herald”). The donor is a returned soldier who held the rank of sergeant-major in the last war. He was married in Britain while on active service overseas, and at present has a sen in the forces at the camp at Papakura. Several tons of the onions have already been delivered to the camp.

The winner of the £2OOO first priae in the “Too Good to Miss” Art Union is Mr William Casson, of Te Awanga, Hastings. Mr Casson, who bought the ticket numbered; 17,698[ isi 4 well-known resident of the district, having worked on several properties round the beach resort. Mr Casson, a farm hand, is single, aged 40. “That’s £2OOO that won’t be squandered,” declared a Hastings resident, commenting on the good fortune of Mr Casson, whom he knew quite well. “Bill Casson will look after the money, all right, and put it to good purpose.”

“I understand that, following an experience of the Minister of Public Works, a road traffic bridge over the Teremakau is to be placed on the estimates as one of the most important public works in the district, and that the work will be started as soon as labour and steel are available,” said Mr P. C. Heaphy (chairman), at last evening’s meeting of the Grey branch of the Automobile Association. The patrol officer (Mr J. Chapman) said he understood that in the meantime they were going to plank the combined bridge between the rails.

Some inconvenience has been caused to motorists by an announcement (not published in the “Star”) that the Westport-Greymouth coastal road was closed to all classes of traffic until further notice, owing to a dangerous silp at Costello’s Hill, about 14 miles south of Westport. Mr. W. F. Harley, secretary of. the Grey Branch of the Automobile Association stated to-day that he had communicated with Westport and had learnt definitely that the announcement was incorrect, and that the road is open to traffic throughout its entire length.

The fact that Mr J. Chapman, A.A. patrol officer, has volunteered for active service and is to go into camp in a fortnights time was referred to by Mr P. C. Heaphy (chairman at last evening’s meeting of the Grey branch of the Automobile Association. In congratulating him on the step he had taken and in wishing him the best of luck, Mr Heaphy said that Mr Chapman had given .great satisfaction by the way he had looked after the interests of members of the association and had carried out his duties as patrol officer. Thanks to Mr Chapman, the Grey district was now as well sign-posted as any in New Zealand, and local traffic inspectors had often remarked on the satisfactory way he did his work. He was sure that, when he wore the King’s uniform, he would do his duty with equal fidelity. Mr Chapman briefly returned thanks.

The amount of sales tax collected during December totalled £307,486, as compared with £291,844 in November, £329,356 in December, 1938, and £311,047 in December, 1937. December generally records the highest monthly total of the year, but the figure for that month of 1939 was exceeded on six occasions during the year. During the 12 months ended December 31, 1939, sales tax receipts amounted to £3,628,779, as compared with £3,498-,-438 in 1938. Receipts during each of the first six months of 1939 showed an increase over those for the corresponding months of 1938, the total for the half-year being 1,857,614, as compared with .£1,676,919 for that period of 1938, an increase of £180,695. In the' second half of the year, however, only one month (October) recorded an increase over the figure for the corresponding month of 1938, the total for the period (£1,771,165) being £50,354 less than the July-December period of 1938. •

An annoying experience that befel him at Caroline Bay, Timaru, during the holidays was related by Mr B. W. Caulton at last evening’s meeting of the Grey branch of the Automobile Association. He said that before going in for a bathe he left the key of his car, Avhich he had locked, and some valuables in the custody of the carer taker’ of the bathing shed. However, when he returned and asked for his property he Avas told that he .would have to Avhit until the caretaker Avas less busy, which would be about 6 p.m. As it v/as only 3.30 p.m. at the time and as he Avished to travel to Christchurch, Mr Caulton said, he did not feel like Avaiting so long. After half an hour, seeing that the caretaker was doing nothing, - he again approached him and was met with the same ans Aver, but a threat of a report to the authorities led to the property being handed over. Dr. W. (McKay: Did- you not try the silver solution? Mr Caulton: I would probably have given the man something if he had adopted a different attitude. Mr W. F. Harley suggested that Mr Caulton should take up the matter Avith the Timaru branch of the association. The Grey branch could do nothing about it.