NEWS OF THE DAY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20186, 2 March 1940, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Processions of Witness Anglican churches intend holding Processions of Witness again this year on Good Friday in all the chief towns of the Waiapu diocese. Link With Tram Explosions? “I am curious to know whether there is any connection between the disappearance of the materials from the laboratory and the explosions on the tram rails a week or two ago,” stated a report by the principal of Rongotai College, Mr. F. M. Renner, which advised the board of governors that four burglaries had taken place at the college during the vacation. In one of the burglaries the laboratory was broken into and a fair amount of explosive chemicals was taken. Harbour Rate Collections

The penalty of 10 per cent applied from yesterday on all Gisborne Harbour Board rates outstanding, and during the past few days the board’s clerical staff has been inundated with payments by ratepayers anxious to avoid the penalty. By last evening 94.7 per cent of the current financial year’s levies had been paid, representing £34,050 of a total rate _ of £35,945. The proportion of collections was slightly better than last year’s, which was £36,420 out of a total of £39,690, collections to the penalty date for 1938-39 being eqivalent to 94.13 per cent.

Injured Women Motorists Reports on the condition of the two women motorists who were admitted to Cook Hospital on Thursday, following an accident at Matawhero, indicated that both were making good progress to-day. The more extensively injured was Mrs. E. M. Kirkwood, Seton street, Stratford, who was reported this morning to have had a fairly comfortable night. Her companion, Miss E. Scott, of the same address, who suffered less from the effects of flying glass, had a comfortable night. A Judge’s Mathematics “My mathematics are far from strong,” Mr. Justice Northcroft admitted when submitting some calculations to the jury in the Supreme Court, Christchurch. According to his figures, it would take, at the speeds given by the witness, 34ft. for a motor car to pass a cyclist going the same way. “I do not claim that this figure Is accurate,” said His Honour. “It is probably wrong, but no doubt you have among the jurymen someone with more mathematical skill than I pretend to have, who will correct it. The important point is that when vehicles were going in the same direction, the slower is not overtaken at any definite spot, but over a distance.” Petrol for Easter Unanimous approval was given to a recommendation by the advancement committee at a meeting of the Rotorua Borough Council that representation should be made to the Government that the petrol restrictions should be raised over Easter for seven or 10 days by an additional allowance of 15 gallons. In moving the adoption of the report and the recommendation, Mr, E. T. Johnson stated that it was consider'd the additional allowance would be definitely advantageous to Rotorua, although it was realised that any concession would have to apply to the whole of New Zealand. Police Auction Sale Articles ranging from false teeth to bicycles were offered for sale in the annual police auction-in Christchurch recently of goods unclaimed by owners —forfeited, stolen, lost, or forgotten. At the height of the sale, about 350 persons were present as spectators or bidders, and among this number were a university professor, a lawyer, and one or two members of other professions. Bicycles in various conditions sold at prices from 10s to £4, beer sold at 11s a dozen bottles, a set of false teeth and an overcoat at 4s, a pair of snowboots at 32s Gd, lingerie and night attire, made up in lots, at 265, and a child’s pedal car at £2 10s. Other articles, which sold from Is to £l, included purses, wallets, jewellery, clothing, car and bicycle parts, a barrow, rope, and garden hose.