LOCAL & GENERAL

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 10563, 17 April 1928, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL

Very heavy rani in Wellington early yesterday afternoon flooded an area in front of Government Buildings. Many yards of wooden blocking were forced up. A portion of .Lambton Quay also is under water. Foott traffic is interrupted.—P.A.

Flood damage as a result of Friday’s rain in South Westland, includes the washing away of five spans of Stuart and Chapman’s tramway bridge across the Waitahi river. The damage is estimated at £I,OOO. Two piles were washed from under the Waitangi river bridge.—P.A.

Cricketers will wind up the local season with a dance at the Assembly Hall on May 10, according to a re>commendation from a special committee, set up to decide what form such a celebration should take, approved at last evening’s meeting of tlie management- committee of the Poverty Bay Cricket Association. At this function trophies won during the season will also be presented.

On June 30 Messrs. W. Grounds, D. Fulton and W- Bryant, representing respectively Wards 1. 2 and 8, are due to retire from the New Zealand Dairy Produce .Export Board, states a Wellington message. An election will be necessary to fill the vacancies. Nominations close on May 20, and the election will take place at midday on June 15. Those entitled to vote- are suppliers of milk or cream to factories at at May I.—.P.A.

The fourteenth biennial moveable conference of the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows opened at. Hastings yesterday morning, fifty delegates from all parts of the Dominion attending Tlie Mayor (Mr. M. Addison) accorded a hearty welcome to the officers and delegates, and the Grand Master (Bro. Aitken) delivered his address. He stated that the membership at the end or'the year 1927 was 22,290. an increase of 1,178 for the year. The conference lasts until Friday.—P.A.

The chief damage from the fire in the premises of Messrs. Milne and Choyee, Auckland, on Saturday night was to goods already packed for consignment. Merchandise from overseas not unpacked, and goods on the first floor were damaged "by smoke. The actual extent of the damage is not yet ascertained. The chief insurances on the stock and buildings are. held by the South British. New Zealand Insurance, and Atlas offices. Business is not affected bv the outbreak.—iP.A.

The Auckland branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute is in conference with delegates representing nearly all the city and suburban schools, and also provincial subbranches. The conference adopted resolutions favoring the Nelson scheme of religious instruction in schools, opposing any move toward the abolition of education boards, and supporting the principle that each transfer of a teacher from a school of rising grade be considered on its merits. The hope wa've.xpressed that the approaching conference would hasten the abolition of payments on average attendances.—P. A.

Though the number of passengers carried in the Wellington railway district for the year ended March 31 last, shows an increase, the reveiiue derived shows a decrease compared with the preceding year. _ Ordinary passengers increased by 4337,873, season tickets by 20,220. and bearer tickets by 2,373, yet the revenue from passengers showed a decrease ql £6,974 on the previous year. This is admitted to' be the result of motor competition which has taken away many shorter distance passengers. Parcels traffic shows little alteration, but there is a decrease in freights as a whole. The total revenue from all sources was £1,314,247. compared with £1,327,380 for the previous year, a decrease of £13,133. —'Press Assn.

“It would seem that the Solomon Islanders must have had, in the ancient days, some idea of at least one of the Rotary rules,” remarked the Rev. Mr. Debt at the Rotary Club yesterday, ‘ ‘for I observe that Rotarians, like the natives of those islands, always address one another by their Christian names.” (Laughter.) Mr. .Dent went on to explain how' the Solomon Islanders received their names. A mother wishing to select a name for her child would look around, If she saw anybody doing anything, she would select the word given to the action. In illustration he knew of one woman who had given a child a name which was the Native, word meaning that a man was working on some coconuts all alone. Even the children referred to their parents by the name given to them at birth, and not as “father” and “mother”.

The Olympic Council’s appeal for further funds was stressed at the Rotary lunch/ yesterday by Rotarian Forster, chairman of the local branch. He pointed out what a great honor it was to this district that .one of its athletes, Miss Norma- Wilson; should have been one of those selected to make the trip. Although it was certain that she would he going to Amsterdam, the Olympic authorities appealed to the people of Poverty Bay to raise £4OO towards the general expenses of the team which,- it was hoped, would also embrace the rowing “eight” which did so well in Australia and which it was considered, had the best chance of winning world Honors. Already the local fund came to £2OO and he asked Rotarians to give the movement tlieir very best support. Rotarian President F. W. Nolan also commended the appeal strongly to members, pointing out that the stronger the. representation New Zealand had - at the Gaines the greater the chances there would be for this Dominion to achieve high athletic honors. Both appeals met with a very sympathetic hearing.

A daring thief robbed, the safe of the Easing Sun Hotel, iCaraugaliapo road, Auckland, oh Sunday getting: £l3O. The licensee, Mr. J. McGregor, resides ovqr the business portion ot tlie hotel.—P-A■

The boy Tympany, whose disappearance from St/; Heifers Lay ~ ed on Saturday, is safe with his mother away from her home. The stateSt as to % M’A disappearance was made by his father. 1

In some comments at the at Southport on a retired drapu, * man of 63 years, the eoronei. -*■ Bridghouse, who is. fB, remaißed . “It was foolish of linn to retire. Tha is the. mistake he made retiring from business—a young man of bu odd. Don’t retire from business; it keeps your mind occupied, heeps you young, and prevents you from think ing about yourself.”

According to the Rev. J. Hmit, a visitor to Gisborne from the Solomon Islands’, the group is not likely to attract a large white population. He told members of the Rotary Club y ■ terday that- the reason was Dial malaria was somewhat prevalen times and claimed both Natives and Europeans for victims. Lile in croup was like one long summer day and in many respects the Islands were an earthly Paradise;.

Eighty-seven cases of infectious diseases for tlie Wellington district were reported to the distret health authorties for the week ended yes - day. being 42 mere eases than wci - notified for tlie previous seven days. The list shows scarlet leyer to be much more prevalent, as 44 cases o that disease were reported again si an last week. In Wellington Central there were-19 notifications against a previous seven cases. —1 -A.

“With reference to tlie correspondence in ‘The Times’ concerning Indiscrete Diaries’ I would ventuie to quote some lines 1 recently read as suggesting a remedy: Lives or great men oft remind us, as we o er tlie pages turn, not to die and leave behind us letters which we ought to burn.” So wrote the ltev. J. NVilsouSteele, All Saints’ vicarage, Wes-ton-super-Mare. in a letter to lne Times.”

The police are completely baffled, states a Wellington message, over tlie theft of £IOO worth of silver-plated ware and fancy goods which occurred nearly a month on the 10,000-ton cargo steamer Herminius while between Auckland and New 'Plymouth. The vessel has been searched, three times from stern to stem, arid the police believe the goods are still on board. The vessel left Wellington on Saturday for London.—Press Assn.

The recent trouble in the 'Solomon Islands was referred to by the Rev. T. Dent ill the course of a most interesting address to members of tlie Rotarv Club yesterday. Mr. Dent said that the affair had been greatly magnified by the press reports. In due course, everything would be satisfactorily smoothed out. He had noted that an investigation was to be made by the Home Government, but he could safely say that the members of the commission of enquiry who were being sent out would find themselves fortunate in that the trip would amount to a very enjoyable holiday.

Two mushrooms measuring over two feet iu circumference were left at the offices of the A. and P. Association yesterday afternoon. They had been found in a hollow on Young Nick’s Head and the actual circumferences were 2ft. Gin. and 2ft. sfin. It is stated that these are tlie largest picked near Gisborne for a very long time, but they are a good deal smaller than some specimens gathered bv a present Gisborne residenta'bout four years ago, near Palmerston. Otago. In this instance seven mushrooms were picked under a gorse clump and the smallest measured 2ft, lOliii. and the largest 3ft. 4in. ir, circumference.

An opportunity seldom afforded the public to secure* the best fiction by modern writers at greatly, reduced prices is now available at Eastvoods Book Store Sale. Mystery, detective, wild west, and love stories may be chosen from hundreds of titles. During the sale period 6/- novels are reduced to 3/6, 3/6 novels to 2/6 and 2/G novels to 2/-i Popular paper-back reprints of such well-known writers as Edgar Wallace, Le Queux. Dell. Oppenheim. etc., are available at t -§u each. Big’ “cuts” are also made m stationery, envelopes, framed and unframed pictures, etc. . Bargains are available at the two shops—-corner of Gladstone road and Derby street, and next to Mrs. Greig’s. dressmaker, near Derby street.

The alertness of three Sydney detectives resulted in the arrest of a fashionably dressed woman in George Street an*d a disclosure which surprised even the detectives. Detec-tive-sergeant Keeble and Detectives Allmond and Alford were in George Street, when they observed that ». woman who passed them acted rather furtively. They watched her closely and displayed some interest iti a coat that sfie was carrying over her arm. It appeared bulky and unduly heavy. 'When they spoke to her she displayed unmistakable signs of nervousness. They found that the bottom of the coat had been sewn into a huge liem, forming a very capacious hag. lu this hag Were three pairs of shoes. The woman was taken to Central Police Station and charged with shoplifting.

They were a happy young married couple last week, but the position is different now. And, like all troubles, marital or otherwise, the beginning was a small one, in fact, merely a mosquito. They live near the river, where the playful little insects abound. The wife was asleep and hubby, by her side, was sitting up reading, with the bedroom window open>. A school of mosquitoes came in and took a fancy to the young man. He struck out savagely, missed the mosquitoes, and hit the young wife a vicious blow on .the head. She woke with a yell—and a terrific kick and hubby almost crumpled up. Explanations were useless, for each was assured, the other was in the wrong. Both spent a miserable night, pondering over lost love dreams. Meantime the merry mosquitoes buzzed in and out as usual, but they are safe, for hubby has given up Swatting the pest —at home.

Whilst admitting that- sufficient funds liad been subscribed to enable the Olympic. Council to send the athletic and swimming nominees of the Dominion to the Olympiad at Amsterdam, Mr. G. Scents, representing the Gisborne branch of the Olympic Council, who waited on the Poverty .Bay RuglW itXnidh management committee, last evening, appealed for a donation towards the council’s fund to renable the sending of a New, Zealand sculling eight to the Games, the team being considered by experts to have an excellent chance of winning world honors. The sum required to send Miss Norma Wilson to the Olympiad was,£4oo, of which about £l5O -had been collected, and efforts were being-made to increase the fund with a view to linanciiig the trip of the rowers. The chairman (Mr. A. S. Parker) stated that. Miss Wilson was assured of going to the, Games, and her passage had been booked and she was to leave the Dominion on April 28. It was a worthy Object to send the rowers to the Olympiad—The union unanimously decided to vote £o 5s to the Olympic Council’s fund. Best for the' Willys-Kn’tglit sleevevalve engine—Duckham’s New Pro, cess Motor Oil. It retains its viscosity and moans pnrtoct lubrication.—

Cook County valuations as revealed by the new roll based on the revaluation carried out last year, show a eubstantial decrease in unimproved values and a small decrease on capital values as compared with the previous valuations made in 191 b. Approximately the reduction in - unimproved values may be placed at an average of 40 per cent. —a very drastic cut to be made in one change. During the period since 1916 the value pi. improvements lias substantially increased and this accounts for the small decrease in capital values, the flats near Gisborne appear to be the area least affected, but, nevertheless, even there are special- instances where the unimproved value hus been reduced j bv between 25 and 40 per cent. In ( the back country, however, There are \ several instances where the-urnmproV- J ed figure Las been lowered by more than half; generally., in this portion of the country, the capital values show a slight reduction, but there are some properties where they have been raised’to a small extent. Look county residents, whether they- continue to be rated, as at present, on the capital value or whether the change.is made to unimproved value rating, A™* be paying ,a . smaller harbor rate than liitherto.- v• - .