LOCAL & GENERAL

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 10450, 3 December 1927, Page 8

LOCAL & GENERAL

Replying in the House yesterday afternoon to Sir George Hunter, the Prime Minister stud it was not intended to proceed with the Education Amendment Bill this session.— P.A. The. body of Mr. Robert Rodgers, aged 49. a. farmer at Five Forks, near Oamaru. was found in a paddock last evening. Deceased had been driving a tractor, which, was found capsized.. Only meagre details are available, but it is presumed the tractor fell ou Mr. Rodgers in overturning.—P.A. The axle of a coal wagon on a mixed train from Wanganui broke when approaching. Great lord last night, but. fortunately, it was ' observed before anything serious happened on the permanent way. The damaged truck was jacked off the line and traffic resumed after three and a-luilf hours’ delay.-—P.A. In the .House last, night, by Gover-nor-General’s message, the Public Works Amendment Bill and the Imprest Supply Bill vote were introiHced. and read a. first time. The Imprest Supply Bill provided for an appropriation of £1,284.000 in payment of salaries and other charges. The Bill was put through'all stages without debate. —P.A. Says an Auckland P.A. wire: Robert James Brydon, a prisoner from Mf. Eden gaol, undergoing treatment for a crushed foot, escaped from Auckland hospital yesterday morning.. He was recaptured at Oiiehunga last night. PrisoneV is. an habitual criminal undergoing four years’ imprisonment for theft and forgery. "The Australian shipping dead-lock is being reflected in New Zealand by t!i.e cancellation of steamer passages and the hcld-up of commodities lot shipment. A Gisborne agency intended to ship pOO .carcases, of pork by the Waimoa to-day to Auckland to connect with the Aoraugi tor Australia, but the Union Steam Ship Co. has new advised that the consignment will not bo taken. That the question of health is of paramount importance to all classes of the community, .is clearly shown bv the fact that over one million copies of J. P. Muller’s books, “My System” and “The Daily Five Minutes’’ have been purchased by both sexes. “My System,” or fifteen minutes’ work a day for /health’s sake, consists of a- short series of scientific exercises and self-massage, requiring no apparatus and entailing no violent exertion. Special attention, is directed to the care of the skin and to breathing. “My System” contains 120 special photographs; For the fit person to keep fit and for. the best physical training for both sexes, “Tim Daily Five Minutes” is recommended;' Perfect health may be secured and retained through this book. The movements are selected from the most popular games—football, tennis,, golf, swimming, running, pt.ee. No appliances are required. The' book contains 50 illustrations and Four folding charts. The priec'of ea:ch bbok- is 4/6 at Eastwood’s Book Store.—Advfc. - :• : ■ ;

The tender of the engine oi the '4.48 p.w. train from Johnsonw 1 »to •Wellington, one live stock ..nWg' and one car, were derai cd vcstu day Nobody was injured. Inc pas sengrrs were transhipped. The cause of the mishap is ’UJikiuMV.it. -I

-Lnr"'c numbers ofjslock are hoi ng handled by both the Waipaha and Kaiti freezing works, and it is slated that they are in excellent condition for killing, as well as being aWe ; to withstand the cold snap ut the past two days, no deleterious effects being anticipated. A, ,

There is a possibility of oil l being found in New Zealand, said i ■■ * vi Burggftilf, Australasian x 11>« c Lta L *of‘4e firnt of “Elhof” Prospecting Co. (Gannui.V who has returned from New /enlaw . whore a member, of his hrn. ViKrahmaun, joined a pait> jifospectors m Urn T aranaki dis i u.s. The party has been organised h. J Sydney firm. “Oil may be hut the question is whether it; t dl found in quantities big enough . ,commercial exploitation, *he - • Mr' Burggraft- said that aiiotli party win W for Australia in a lew months.

Half the electric power lines supplying the Te Baraka and Biihu. districts were “dead” lor sonic horns on Thursday as a result oi l.ghtnn blowing one of the fuses during one of the most severe thundei stonns exnerienccd in . the district. On the remainder of the service only halt the- normal power was ayada >Jc, lamps in some places giving out only a dull glow. By 7 o clock the mult had been, located., and half an hour la'ter the fuse was replaced and tUJ service restored.

The m-jsl olli'e. the railway social hall and two live-roomed houses at Mercer were burned to the ground last night. The lire broke out in post office and spread to the adjoining premises. Two safes containing important documents and cash weie .saved from the post office, and it is 'understood veiy little mail was lost. The furniture from the houses was removed in time. There is no fire (Wilting apparatus at Mercer, and the bucket brigade’s efforts, v.erc futile. The fact that the wind drop ; pud at G. 30 saved the fire from spreading still further.—P-A.:

'Particulars of issue of holiday excursion tickets throughout tho mild'av svstein during Christinas ana New Year holidays, are advertised in this issue. Attention is drawn to the fact that tickets can be obtained at Gisborne station for travel , from any’ stations throughout the Dominion. Heats and sleeping berths may also he reserved. Commencing Monel a v next the morning passengei train from Gisborne and the afternoon passenger train, front Mctuliora will run on Mondays. A ednesdays, and Saturdays. Man’s last excuse for being late for breakfast js destroyed by the appearance cf a clockwork safety-razor, which, it is claimed, will reduce the time spent in shaving to three minutes, however stubborn the crop. When a button is pressed tlie blade oscillates sideways, $o that a §2. the user draws- the - razor down his chin there is a double . .motion, ■gwhich quickly "dips away any growth, and is said to leave the chin clean and smooth. This new "temper-saving razor, which takes an ordinary safetyrazor blade, has a companion m a* electrical razor worked y>n similar jirinciples—-excejit that electricity- is used. Writing to a friend in Auckland. Captain J. R. Dixon, master of .the steamer Zinal, which made two visits to Auckland at. the end of last year, tells of an exciting voyage across the Indian Ocean. The Zinal was hound from Port Pirie with a cargo of concentrates’ for Durban but started to leak in No. 3 Hold, tiie water coining in through a crack o feet below the water line. For the first week the water was kept in check by pumping ' every twelve hours, but, when the vessel encountered heavy weather, the fracture opened up and an attempt was made to eifec-t temporary repairs. The pumps were kept going day anci night for five days and eventually the Zinal arrived at Beira. An examination showed the crack io be 3, inches long by -jin. wide. A new plate was ordered from Durban. Tins was fastened right-over the fracture, and after a delay oi' six weeks the vessel was able to resume he;- voyage.—Special..

The “loneliest man in the world” died oil or about New Year’s -Day, 1927. but his passing was not known to the outer world until the second week in August, llis name was Hector Pitchforth, age unknown, repre- • seating the Sabellmn . Trading -Com- • pany of London at an isolated ana ; unnamed spot of tile east coast of ‘ Baffin Island. The brief fact oi 5 Pitchforth’s death (says a Router's ’ messagSh fijoni Ottawa), was wire- "- les.sed from Pond’s Inlet by the s.s. Boethic, which’• this year took the Canadian Government"-Artie expedition into the far north. For seven ! years Pitchforth had lived in this desolate spot, far into the Arctic ’ circle, and* within a •lew degrees of the pole itself. His nearest neighbours were several hundred miles distant; his only companions were a [ few half savage husky dogs. All last summer Pitchforth waited in vain for that relief steamer to leave him food and coal, but . she never appeared. The natives deserted the post, and it is surmised that lie died of cold and starvation... Few knew anything of Pitchforth except that he was a graduate of a famous British university, and an authority on astronomy, geology, and topography. During the war he was an officer on a British mine-sweeper, which Was ■ torpedoed, costing him his hearing. “This is not a case of the eternal triangle but of the vicious, circle—ca story of polyandry,” remarked counsel'for the defence, amidst; laughter in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, when Mr. K. C. Leyvey, S.M., was asked to adjudicate in a suit- by a wife against her husband for maintenance and separation orders. .'Counsel, for the complainant (Mr. E. T. Biosuahan) frankly admitted that the ’ woman had lived with two men other than " her husband, but contended that she, was driven to ii by his conduct through bis drinking bouts. There bad been u dispute some twelve mouths' ago as a result of which the husband, left her, lmt the quarrel was patched up and lie returned. Since then there haul been frequent rows between the husband, ami .wife, who was keeping a boardinghouse, and new the boarders had threatened to leave if the disturbances did not cease. The defendant had been ordered to leave the house, but lie refused to go. For the- defence, Mr. Waueliop denied that the husband refused to go. stating he would be delighted to accommodate her wishes, but the lasttime lie had left her she had hauled him back. When .the Magistrate suggested an adjournment’ to allow •life parties to .confer on the advisability of entering*, intq ,'a deed of separation, Mr. Wa.uclipp pointed imt that in view of "the life's. conduct his returning to live with her might prejudice him in proceeding for divorce. “tf . the,- case does not • go on,” lie added, .“the Court- will ! miss some entertainment-', for there is a most' extraordinary set of circumstances.” -“The Court is not averse to being -enlextainedß” ; remarked the-H.M., “but. not this' ■ morning.” The adjournment was taken, and the case was settled out, 1 of (l.mrl>. I

It was resolved by the’ W-ajapu County Council to have a load survey made, hy the l oyerty Bay Io Mcr Board In connection with the suggestion to have the county, or a portion of it made ail > outer area lor ' electricity' suppljN. Tho cost to he approximately tlw. The true meaning of the word “kimono” was explained hy Mr. Ivcmasa Tokugawa, Consul-General of pipan at m lecture in Auckland. Kimono, said Mr. Tokugawa. does not mean the garment Occidentals associate with the word, but simply “what you wear.-' A number of cyclists offered various excuses to the magistrate, Mr. J. S. Barton, at Wanganui i,or riding without lights at night. One stated that when lie got outside tin, busy area as far as the cemetery fie thought he was sate. The magistrate quickly retorted: -You won't bo safe in these days of fast-moving traffic until you are in it.” He then fined him 30s. As the result of the recent conference between the Auckland City Council representatives and the Government, the Prime Minister ha? a "reed to recommend Cabinet to accede to the request of the council that a commission of inquiry shonlu be set up to make-a complete surr.-y of the transport problem in the metropolitan area in relation to passenger traffic, as affected by the tramways, railways,, and motor omnibuses. When the Legislative Council met at 8 o’clock last night the Elect" Power Boards Amendment Bill wav received from the House, read a first time, and a second time pro forma, and referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. After a brief adjournment the Council resumed and received, the imprest Supply •' Bill No'. 6 from the House and pin it through all stages-, and passed it. and adjourned uiitil 11 a.in. to-day. —P.A. A record number of boxes oi butter were graded for export in Gos borne during tlie past month, me previous highest figures attained in 1925 being easily eclipsed, hi November this year 7,711 boxes pasted through the stores, compared with 5,751 for the'corresponding period lost vear, and 6-515 in November. 19*25.' The.increase over the October figures when 6,487, boxes were graded is® an indication that favorable conditions are being maintained. “Judgment summons proceedings are only meant for a man who has the money and has not paid and not to put the*, screw on, find so place a man in further difficulties.” said Mr. J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., in dismissing a claim, for judgment in the Magistrate’s Court at Dunedin. The evidence showed that the defendant was earning £4 a week out of which he paid 25s rent leaving £2 15s to keep himself. Ids wife, and two children. A car driven hy MBs Dorothy Burrell. of Cheltenham, was struck hy the down New Plymouth express at 3 p.m. at the Kimbolton road crossing. states a Feilding message. A Departmental gang is constructing a wiggle-waggle warning signal at tlio crossing, but it is not yet electrified. . and the motorist watching the motionless sign, did not see the train. The ear was thrown against the wiggle-waggle ’ standard, which was smashed off at the base. Miss Burrell was unhurt.—P.A. it is said that a good example is worth following. At the opening oi the. new. Children's Playground at Avondale, presented by Mr. 4Y. -J - - s Tail, the Mayor of Auckland (Mr. "j George Baildoir, mounted the steps of the chute and gave the proceed- ~ ings an official send-off by starting Mr. Tait’s little, daughter on the slide. Probably with memories of and fix enjoyments in his young day?, the Mayor followed' suit, but half way down lie' stuck fast, much to the joy of the children, who considered it was an exhibition specially staged for their benefit. After a few convulsive. wriggles. Auckland’s Mayor, with becoming dignity, gracefully slid the rest of the way.—Special.

The. remission of arrears of maintenance due bv him in respect of his two children wlio are in c-harge of the State, was sought by Wilfred Jas. \\*bod. who proceeded against the Director of Education oil this application before Mr E. C. Levrejj.S.M. in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Mr. J. R. Kirk, who Represented tho applicant, pointed out- that Wood’s financial position was hopeless, and counsel had recommended that he should file. Giving evidence. Wood declared that he was unable to undertake any laboring work. The Magistrate pointedly commented that the applicant bad paid nothing for years, and now be wanted the arrears remitted. Questioned by Senr.-Sergt-. Mac Lean, witness admitted .that the Education Department had treated him well in remitting'portion of the arrears on two occasions. He asserted that lie did not gambleThe police oific-er pointed out that it the applicant made a reasonable offer no pressure would be placed on him. The arrears were suspended for six months conditionally on defendant paying 10s a week.’