NEWS OF THE DAY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22868, 11 February 1949, Page 4

NEWS OF THE DAY

Stowaway Imprisoned For stowing away on the Waimana in Sydney on February 4, John Patrick Sheerin, aged 32, ship’s fireman, was sentenced in the Auckland Police, Court yesterday to one month’s imprisonment. —P.A. State Houses Undermined

Cracks in the walls, and doors out of alignment in one house; a slight movement in the foundations of another home; subsidence in the middle of a row of garages; irregularities in the stormwater channels—these are the visible signs of a fault, possibly caused by an underground stream, that is affecting part of the State housing block in Nuffield avenue, Marewa, Napier. Sentenced to Close Confinement * The next 30 days of the sentence he is undergoing in Auckland Prison for breaking and entering and escaping from Hautu Prison will be spent by James Thomas Scott, aged 22, in close confinement. He pleaded guilty in the Auckland Police Court yesterday to attempting to escape while being escorted back to prison after treatment in Auckland Hospital on January 19. The police said a warder recaptured him after running 200yds.—P.A. Devonport Mystery The Devonport police are investigating the puzzling case of Mr. Morley Cavell, aged 33, single, a laundryman, who walked into his home at 9.30 o’clock on Wednesday night suffering from concussion and also with a lump on his head and a slight cut under the jaw. His motor car, in which he travelled from the city to Devonport at 5 o’clock, cannot be found. He is unable to remember anything after that.—P.A.

Reduce the Public Service The Public Service in New Zealand should be reduced and many of the workers switched to truly productive channels, declared the president of the Associated Chambers of Commerce of New Zealand, Mr. J. R. Dench, of Christchurch, when addressing a combined meeting of the Napier and Hastings Chambers of Commerce. He was commenting on a recent indication that increases in Public Service personnel were likely. New £40,000 Wing

The provision of additional staff accommodation at the Hastings Memorial Hospital is one of the board’s major problems, but it will be met by a contract which has been let for the erection of an additional wing to the nurses’ home. This will provide accommodation for 60 more beds. The Local Government Loans Board has approved the expenditure of £40,000 on the new wing, which is part of the board’s loan scheme of £175,000 covering works in Napier and Hastings.

Sequel to Auckland Accident A plea of not guilty was entered by John Thomas Ernest Bennett, aged 22, in the Auckland Police Court yesterday to a charge that he negligenly drove a motor car in Dominion road on November 10, causing bodily injury to Mrs. Jane James, aged 65, widow, after she alighted from a tramcar. A police witness said that shortly after the accident Bennett’s breath smelt of beer, but an hour later a doctor certified him as able to drive a car. Bennett was committed for trial and admitted to bail. —P.A. Federated Farmers’ Membership Membership of Federated Farmers totalled almost 48,000 at the end of January, says a statement issued by the federation. The increase for the last three months was 500 and that for the year 4100. Over the past two years the membership has grown from 37,263 to the present figure of 47,635. Auckland, the largest provincial area, has the biggest membership at 11,787, with Waikato in second place at 5777. Southland. in third place, has 3836. Every province showed an increase for the whole year. Work of Council of Churches The New Zealand delegates to the assembly of the World Council of Churches will tour New Zealand to address 'meetings on the work of the assembly It is hoped that sound films made by the Rank organisation will be available for screening at these meetings. The Rev A A. Brash, the Rev. James Baird, the Rev. Raymond Dudley, and Mrs. Dudley, all of Christchurch, will begin their North Island tour next week and other delegates will attend some of the meetings. The South island meetings will be held early in March.—F.A.