LOCAL AND GENERAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 March 1940, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Weather permitting, the Greymouth Pipe Band will play in the Hospital grounds on Sunday afternoon.

A total of £2971 was paid by ratepayers, yesterday, to the Greymouth Borough Council. Brisk business was reported this afternoon, and a lastday rush, in order to avoid the 10 per cent, penalty, is expected on Monday.

•In a circular letter to Wellington hotel licensees, the Wellington Licensed Victuallers, Association conveys an opinion that the regulations prohibiting- the sale of intoxicating liquor to members of the New Zealand forces in uniform, except for consumption on licensed premises, apply’ to members of the Expeditionary Force and Territorials, including officers, but not men of the Navy or Air Force. —Press Association.

A start will be made by the Railways Department, ion Sunday, on the construction of a 60ft-bridge to cover damage done by wash-outs during the recent floods. Pile-driving will be carried on throughout Sunday. At least until Thursday of next week, goods trains will be run over the section between 7 p.m., and 7 a.m., only, so that the only interruptions to the progress of the work will be a few passenger trains. Work is still being carried out between Kaimata and Aratika, where wash-outs and subsidence occurred during the flood. Restricted speeds are still necessary on the Jacksons-Otira section.

In contrast to East Coast districts, this year’s honey crop on the West Coast is most .disappointing. Mr E. Airey, president of the West Coast Beekeepers’ Association, stated to-day, that indications were that the season’s crop would be not more than 25 per cent, of normal. The hives were all in good order for the season and were well looked after, but the continual wet weather during January and February had ruined all chances of a good crop. Those apiarists whose colonies were, well forward were able to save a small surplus of honey during the fine weather about Christmas, but since then, conditions had been adverse. It is understood that similar conditions prevail in Nelson and Marlborough, high winds being the adverse factor in the last mentioned province.

The same areas of land situated just south of the Teremakau River, and wanted for mining purposes by two separate applicants who applied for ordinary prospecting licenses over them, *were the subject of much argument in the Warden’s Court at Hokitika, on Wednesday, before the Warden, Mr. G. G. Chisholm, S.M. The applicants were Christian Cook and John Acker, joint applicants (Mr,. Elcock), and Duncan Angus McVicar (Mr. F. Kitchingham), and the areas under dispute were two sections of 97£ and 69 acres, Block VII in the Waimea Survey District. For Cook and. Acker it was claimed that they were the prior applicants' and tor McVicar that he was the prior applicant by point of law. After hearing lengthy legal argument, the Warden reserved his decision until the next court sitting,

-The drawing ot “My Lucky. Day i art union will take place at Wellington, at 5 p.m. to-day.

“IVe may be forced to train wo ™ for the land, but I know that if I had to take raw material to train to mim cows I would sooner have women than men,” said Mr. W? W. Mulholland, president of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, when speaking in Hamilton on the effect of war on the supply of farm labour.

“Oh, God forbid that,” exclaimed the mayor, Mr. Andrews, at a meeting of the Lower Hutt Borough Council, when Cr. W. A. F. Hall, who had expressed the opinion that the council was not in close enough contact with the public, said he would even advocate the broadcasting of council meetings.

The fact that the Maori Battalion arrived in camp at Palmerston North some 80 to 90 men above its enlisted strength, was mentioned by the Minister of Defence (Mr. Jones) when speaking at the military and air, pageant at Milsom aerodrome. The supposition is that some of those who enlisted brought some of their friends with them.

An announcement in last night’s Gazette by the Minister for Supply (Mr. Sullivan) says that no sales of tough rubber-sheathed cable may be made without the authority of the Minister or an agent appointed by him. The purpose of this notice is to ensure the provision of adequate supplies of these commodities for urgent defence purposes. —Press Association.

A humorous definition of the word “shunt” was supplied by Mr. Justice Callan in the Supreme Court at Gisborne during the hearing of a case which concerned the operation of a train on the Gisborne wharf. His Hon or regarded the etymological meaning as having, reference to pushing backwards. “When you are going ahead in your argument,” His Honor said to counsel, “and I stop you, you say not in court, but in the robing room afterwards —‘I was making a good point and the blighter shunted me off,’ meaning that you were going full steam ahead when I pushed your argument backwards.”

The Congregational Union Assembly, at its annual meeting yesterday, resolved: “That the Assembly, learning that discussions on church union have been commenced between the Methodist and Presbyterian Churches, considers that the time is ripe for tripartite discussions to be initiated; that the Congregational Union Committee on church union be reconstituted to continue discussions with the Methodist Church and to approach the Presbyterian Church with a view to preparing the way for the early union of the three churches; that; in the meantime, the scheme of union between the Methodist and Congregational churches as presented to the Assembly be sent to churches and that they be asked to forward their comments. —Press Association.

Smoked mutton hams, delicious . at the Mawhera Meat Coy.—Advt.

“This almost amounts to driving with too much attention,” said Mr Luxford, iS'.M., in the Magistrates’ Court, Wellington, when a traffic inspector was describing the actions of a motorist charged with driving without due care and attention. Defendant travelled along the new coastal high; way between Pukerua Bay and Plimnierton at a checked speed of 62 miles an hour, said the inspector. He was sitting sideways on the wheel with his left arm round a young woman who was almost on his lap, and his right elbow was resting on the window ledge. Defendant told the inspector he had often done it, and that he did not think there was anything wrong in driving this way. “There is. an old saying that you can do only one thing at a time, and that is very applicable to driving a motor-car,” said the magistrate, imposing a fine of 30/-, with costs 10/-.

Monday next the 18th instant, at 4 p.m. is the last day to pay the Greymouth Borough current year’s rates before imposition of the ten per cent, penalty.—Adv!.

“I can only repeat what I said before, that internment is only a precautionary measure, and does not. imply any misconduct on the part of the person - interned,” said the AttorneyGeneral (Mr. Mason), when asked last evening to make a statement on the taking into custody of a Christchurch man. Mr. C. J. Berger. Mr. Berger was taken into custody by the police on Wednesday,. and handed over to the military authorities. He was taken to Wellington under an armed guard. The Minister strongly emphasised the view that such internments were precautionary, and that they should not be made the subject of any sensation. He solid that he had become acquainted with a case where a man had been interned in the last war and in this, and that his wife had relations who had done their* part for their country. He was concerned about the distress that might be caused to relations in such circumstances. Mr. Berger, who is a German by birth, became a naturalised British subject some years ago.

Reserve next Monday night for the National Recruiting Meeting at the Town Hall at 8 o’clock. Address by Hon. Adam Hamilton, M.P., and other prominent speakers. His Worship the Mayor, Mr F. A. Kitchingham, will preside.—Advt.

“In so far as research is concerned, I want my views on one aspect clearly, understood, particularly by the farmers of this district. After the promising interest initially shown by the Government in the problem, I want to say how bitterly disappointed I have been since my return to New Zealand to find that the very pressing questions of a sane organisation for the control and direction of agricultural research has been mishandled and apparently abandoned. Instead, the wasteful, inefficient ■ methods of diversified and competitive control through various State departments have been permitted to persist and the position generally has been allowed to become aggravated of recent years.” ■ The statement was made by Professor C. P. McMeekan, professor of animal husbandry at Canterbury Agricultural College, during an address to the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association’s annual meeting last evening. He was speaking on the work and aims of the college.

Ratepayers who fail to pay the current year’s Greymouth Borough rates by 4 p.m. on. Monday next will be compelled to pay an additional charge of ten per cent. —Advt. C. Smiths have just opened »a comprehensive range of -new Autumn Woollens. The quality and value of these fabrics is outstanding. Call in and inspect them to-day.—Advt,