Local and General

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 July 1945, Page 4

Local and General

Mrs. A. C. McDowell, who presented Crowther House, Rotorua, to the Rotorua Returned Services’ Association, was on Thursday P ie_ sented with the gold badge of life membeiship of the Returned Services Association. Crowther House.is used as a hostel lor former servicemen visiting Rotorua.

The High Commissioner for the United Kingdom (Sir Harry Batterbee) stated yesterday that now that hostilities m Europe had ended, arrangements were being made for the return to the United Kingdom of girls and boys who were evacuated to New Zealand in 1940. It was expected that the first party would leave shortly, and others as shipping became available.. The High Commissioner expressed appreciation of the kindnesses shown to children in New Zealand, especially by those who took them into their homes.— P.A.

The shop conducted for patriotic funds in Mackay Street, Greymouth yesterday by residents of Greymouth on the town side of Sawyer’s Creek, realised £36/16/-.

A remit requesting the Government to amend the law to provide for the restoration of capital punishment was adopted at the annual conference of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union in Wellington yesterday. Mr T. C. Brash, delegate from the New Zealand Fruitgrowers’ Federation, who is Moderator of the Presbyterian General Assembly, was the only one to record dissent.—P.A.

Opposition to any proposals to relicense bookmakers was expressed by the Taranaki Owners’, Trainers’, and Breeders’ Association last evening. A scheme to put all off-course betting through the totalisator was strongly favoured. “The bookmaker is no good to the racing game generally,” said Mr A. C. Lloyd, “and to owners, trainers, and breeders in particular.” —P.A.

Preparatory to the reconstruction of the half-tide wall in the Grey River the Greymouth Harbour Board has practically completed the construction of a’jetty on the Cobden side ol the river. All that remains to be done on this job is the decking. The jetty will be used for the loading of stone on to the punt which was recently constructed.

The Greymouth Harbour Board's dredge Mawhera, which left Greymouth for Wellington for special overhaul on April 28. has now been taken off the slipway. The work ’on the hull has been completed and a start will be made on the placement of the new boilers during the weekend. The date of her return to Greymouth is uncertain.

A further seven farm units in the Wellington, Canterbury and Southland land will be made available by ballot towards the end of this month to ex-servicemen. The ballots will be open only to those ex-ser-vicemen who have been graded “A” by their Rehabilitation Committees for the type of farming involved and for the particular land district in which the farm is situated.

There was an attendance of ten members at the July meeting of St. Paul’s Young Women’s Guild, held in Wesley Hall on Thursday ’evening. Mr. S” H. Sofield gave an interesting talk on “Astronomy.” Opportunity was taken to farewell Mrs. F. Smith who will shortly leave to reside in Dunedin,- she being-presented with a book by the Vice-President, Mrs. W. Braithwaite. The monthly competition, a covered coat-hanger, resulted: Mrs. S. J. Airey 1, Mrs. E. S. Hoddinott, 2. The conference of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union in Wellington yesterday decided to protest against the Government encouraging the setting up of a factory to make synthetic textile fabrics in New Zealand. The Dominion Executive will be asked to investigate the importation of rayon and synthetic fibre, a? certain classes of those materials, because of cheap manufacture and low duty,, might be a serious menace in competition with woollen goods. The executive was also asked to investigate the price to the consumer of the finished woollen article in relation to the cost of raw material.—P.A.

Sparkling Rugby League FootballCanterbury v. West Coast, at Wingham Park at 2.30 to-morrow. —Advt.

In reply to the protest by the Buller Progress League that a resident magistrate was not stationed on the West Coast, the Minister of Justice (Mr Mason) in a letter read at a meeting of the league this week, mentioned the possibility of the Magistrate (Mr A. A. McLachlan) rusticating on the West Coast because of a lack of work. The Minister added that because of the difficulty of handling Court business at Christchurch, Mr McLachlan’s presence there suited the Justice Department, but if there was a rush of business on the West Coast it could be arranged for him to be present to cope with it. At the present time, the letter concluded, the whole of the West Coast Court proceedings did not amount to the one-day sitting which was held at Rotorua fortnightly.

Cream of Coast League Footballers matched against Canterbury Stars al Wingham Park to-morrow. Bus service arranged.—Advt.

A substantial majority was against a remit put forward at the New Zealand Farmers’ Union’s annual conference yesterday to set up a veterinary school in New Zealand to be financed by the sheep and dairy industries, subsidised by the Government, and established and administered by the University of New Zealand. Mr. A. P. O’Shea, Dominion secretary, giving the views of the Dominion executive, said that such a scheme would be uneconomic. It would cost £5OOO a year to operate, against £lOOO now expended on sending students to Sydney. When the full New Zealand requirements were met, 4 the estimated annual replacement, rate would be eight, making the overhead out of all proportion.—P.A. Just arrived! A small selection of Ladies’ Watches -at Sutherlands. — Advt.

A submission that the total of accommodation in New Zealand hotels was insufficient was submitted to the Royal Commission on Licensing, yesterday when a sitting opened in Christchurch, by Walter Francis Herrick (General Secretary of the United Commercial Travellers’ and Warehousemen’s Association). Better. facilities were also required he said. It was felt, too, that the present hours of trading in the hotels encouraged breaches of the law, and also encouraged sly grog selling. It was the opinion of the Association that thd hotels should dose at six o’clock and should then be allowed to sell for two hours later in the evening. It was the opinion of the Association also that in the public interest, new hotel licenses should be granted.—P.A.

See the ex-New Zealand champion H. Muff hurling through the air at the concert in the Regent Theatre on Wednesday night. Book early.— Advt.

Judgment was given for plaintiff by Mr. A. A. McLachlan, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court at Greymouth yesterday in the civil claim in which Herbert William Beams. R.N.Z.A.F., claimed from Laurence Henry Evans, mechanic, of Hokitika, the sum of £l5O for damage to a car he was driving on June 30 on the Grey-mouth’-Hokitika main highway just south of Camerons, the damage being the result of a collision between cars driven by the parties. Defendant lodged a counter-claim . against Beams for £l2O. After hearing evidence, the Magistrate said he had no doubt as to the cause of the accident and that defendant so drove his vehicle as to collide with plaintiff’s car. Defendant had not kept to his proper side of the road. Judgment, would be for plaintiff, for an amount to be finalised later, if counsel were unable to agree on the cost of the repairs. The question of costs would also be reserved. On a police charge of failing to keep as far as practicable to the left-hand side oi the road, Evans was convicted aim fined £1 with 10/- costs. Mr. W. D. Taylor represented plaintiff, Mr. J. W. Hannan, with him Mr. M. B. James (Hokitika) apneared for defendant, and Senior-Sergeant G. H. L. Holt conducted the police case.

' Buses leave McKedhnie’s corner for League Match at 1.45 p.m., 2 p.m., and 2.15 p.m. to-morrow (Sunday). A great crowd and great football. — Advt.