Local and General.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10376, 6 April 1927, Page 4

Local and General.

The steamer "Wetere, which grounded at the mouth of the Mokau river, ■Was apparently undamaged and is now lying at the Mokau wharf, says a P.A. message from New Plymouth.

Says a London cable: Herr Licht, in his Madgeburg circular, estimates the five months’ beet sugar production at 3,868,858 tons, and the whole output at 6,898.000 tons.—A. and N.Z.U.A,

London taxi-drivers and owners, after a seven hours’ conference in the House of Commons, have decided to accept a decrease of fares to 9d a mile.—A. and N.Z.O.A.

Members' of the Gisborne Amateur Operatic Society are notified that the annual general meeting, will now take place at 7.30 p.m. on Friday next in the Masonic Hall, Childers Hoad, and not at Redstone’s Hall, as previously advertised.'

The Gisborne tramways revenue during the past two weeks amounted to £205 14s 4d. On..the Gladstone Road route 13,882 passengers paid £135 8s 6d in fares, and on the Ormond Road route £7O 5s lOd -was collected in fares from 7192 passengers.

The “Now or Never” art union, drawn at Auckland, resulted: First prize, H. Munro, Mount Eden, Auckland, £2000; second prize, H. McMinn, The Terrace, --Wellington, £500; third prize, William Lansdowne, G.P.0., Christchurch, £IOO. The winners of the three £25 prizes were: L>. Merchant, Ann Street, Roslyn: R. Bason, Eden Street, Dunedin: Mra. Middleton, Waiholo. — P.A

According to the Government Statistician’s figures it now takes 31/5| on the average to purchase what could he purchased for 20/- in July, 1914. The expenditure on food constitutes somewhat less than twofifths of the expenditure of the average household prices in clothing and the miscellaneous groups have been very steady since November, with a gradual declining tendency, but rent, has risen.— P.A. * 5 • ;

The borough traffic inspector issued 511 licenses to motor-car or lorry drivers and piotor cyclists in the past fortnight.

During the month of March 2062 head of stock were slaughtered in the borough abattoirs, of which 40 head wei’e wholly or partially condemned.

Notifications of infectious disease cases in the borough during the past fortnight comprised one case or pneumonic influenza and two of diphtheria.

Eight permits for the erection of buildings in the .borough were granted during the past fortnight, the aggregate value being £1214, ineluding one shop and dwelling £6OO, four alterations and additions £493, -and three car sheds £l2l-

A shop week is being held at the Masonic Buildings, Lowe Street, in aid of the Pahou memorial public meeting house, and will continue until next Saturday. Produce, meat, etc., is being sold very cheaply, and the public are asked to attend.

“I saw twelve rats all chasing each other,” said a speaker at a meeting of the Devonport Borough Council when proffering a complaint about the Council’s rubbish dump in Lake Road, “and one of them was at least the size of a pup.”

A meeting of creditors instructed the official assignee at. Auckland io oppose the discharge from bankruptcy of Kurt George Blunnenthal, an Indian agent, his schedule showing debts £4BB, assets £36, deficiency £452. “He’s a blunderer, and should not he allowed to go any further,” commented the assignee.—P.A.

Thus a Wellington P.A. wire: The president of the New Zealand Golf Council (Mr. R. O. Kirk) reports favorably on the Hamilton course as fit for the playing of the New Zealand championship tournament, commencing on Friday, September 2 or September 9, the exact date to be determined shortly.

An April Fool’s Day hoax was practised in Wellington by a person who informed a number or wellknown business people that some of their employees bad been arrested for drunkenness. The Mount Cook Police Station was besieged for a while by the victims of tlie “joke” who had come to bail the supposedly erring ones out.

Gisborne's rainfall for March was considerably below the average for the past fifty years, but well above that for the corresponding months of 1925 and 1926. For the first three months of this year, with the average for the last fifty years in parentheses, tlie rainfall has been : January .37 (2.23); February, 4.59 (2.94); March, 2.59 (3.74); totals, 7.55 (8.91).

The Railways Department calls attention to the issue of holiday exeur"sion tickets from April 12 to 18, both dates inclusive, available for return until Thursday, May 19. ..Tickets can be obtained available between any officered, station on the North Island to any station on the South Island main line and branches. Tickets may be obtained at Gisborne station two weeks in advance of date of travel, and passengers are advised to book early.

Tlie Commission opened at Pahiatua yesterday, to inquire into the petition by settlers to have their properties transferred from Eketahuna County to Pahiatua County. The Pahiatua Council supported the petitioners and Eketahuna objected. The Commission comprises Mr. Macintosh, Commissioner of Crown Bands (clia irman), Mr. Fowler, district valuer, Mas ter ton, and Mr. W. J. Armstrong, chairman of Masterton County. Considerable evidence was given.—P.A.

In -a letter to the South Island Motor Union regarding rural hoardings, the acting-Minister of Railways says: “The policy of the Railway Department in this matter is to Lake advantage of the business offered by advertisers and to give, in return, the best possible service in art, style, and display of its advertising media. While so stating the position, however, I hasten to add that no advertising matter will be displayed by the Department where there is reasonable ground to believe that the natural beauty of the surroundings will be interfered with.”—P.A.

Touching on the last general elections in his address at Wanganui, Air Peter Eraser, M.P., condemned what lie termed “tlie moving picture psychology” tlie Government had employed. Hie said: “In Wellington, and probably in AA’anganui also, a number of girls just out of their ’teens voted for Mr. Coates because lie took a good photograph. To use a common and rather vulgar expression, they ‘fell’ for him. To use their own words, he was so ‘lovely,’ and they liked the photograph just as they liked the photograph of Rudolph Valentino.” As the'meeting dispeised, a bystander was heard to remark: “Perhaps Peter is annoyed that his own photograph is not so popular with the girls!”

An unusual hitch occurred at the commencement of a service at St. Peter’s Cathedral, Hamilton, recently (says the Waikato Times). Bishop Cherrington, who was in the pulpit, announced the number of the first hymn, “255.” The organist played the opening bars of the tune to “The Voice That Breathed o’er Eden” and continued to play the whole of the first verse. The* congregation stood in silence, realising that there was something wrong, but not knowing what to do. The Bishop again announced the number of the hymn he wanted and recited the first line, “Just as I am, without one plea.” The organist at last accepted the cue and the service proceeded without further delay.

Judgment by default was entered for plaintiffs by Mr. E. C. Levvey, S.M., in the following civil cases yesterday : Williams and Kettle, Ltd. v. I-lenare Perito £B9 16s 9d, costs £5 13s 6d; Nolan Redstone v. William Ranapia £3l 16s 6d, costs £4 12s 6d; Edmund Dougherty v. Clias. Palm Pitt £ll 7s 6cl, costs £1 13s 6d; Win. Frank lies v. Clias. Clark Huston £2 14s, costs £1 8s 6d; Albert Edwin Clare v. John Churstnin £B/ costs £1 10s- 6d; John Harold Ivane v. Alexander Morran McGechie £122 Bs, costs £7 Is; Joseph Harold Cato v. James B. Findlay- £6 10s, costs £1 10s 6d; Thomas Walter Woods V, Henry Ruru £2, costs £1 8s 6d; Thomas Haisman v. Albert Barrington £8 7s 6d. costs £2 5s 6d; Ruth Johnson .and Co. v. Tommy Amhi £l3 2s, costs £4 4s. - :