LOCAL AND GENERAL

Grey River Argus, 23 May 1941, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A steam train sent from Christchurch, completed the rail-car service between Greymouth and Christchurch on Wednesday night, when the rail-car broke down, through a mechanical fault, between Arthur’s Pass and Cass, at 8.30 p.m. The steam train arrived back in Christchurch at 21.30 o’clock yesterday morning.

A two penny stamp will save you many shillings if you send your order to H. Hamer, Kumara— Advt.

The moderation of the seas on the Grey bar yesterday allowed the vessels which have been compelled to remain in port for over a week, to leave for their respective pectinations. Owing to the heavy seas there has been considerable shoaling on the bar. Two of the vessels required the assistance pf s.t, ‘‘Kumea” to leave the port. It is expected that the improving tides this week will counter-balance the shoaling on the bar.

Come one, come all, to the Blackball Oddfellows’ Ball on Saturday, June 7. —Advt.

“I believe there were in some quarters .in 1937 more glum faces after the Springbok defeat, of New Zealand than there were last year after the Nazi successes aga'inst the British,” said the Rev. D. M. Cattanach in the course of his address at Hastings recently, when Emergency Precautions units were on parade. Mr. Cattanach said that there had been a tendency in the Dominion to lose all sense of proportion.

A progress report shows that to date over £30,000 has been paid in by people in various parts of the Dominion in response to the radio and telephone appeal on Anzac Night in aid of patriotic funds. There arb still people who have not honoured the promises they made, and Mr. G A. Hayden, secretary of the National Patriotic Fund Board, stated recently that the provincial patriotic councils would appreciate it if the amounts still outstanding were paid

Come along and enjoy yourself as usual at the Blackball Oddfellows’ Ball on Saturday, June 7.—Advt.

A well-known Dunedin school teacher who has been retired for many years, and in his younger days was prominent in Volunteer military circles, was highly amused when he saw his name in a recent ballot of men required for military service. His address was given as a country town where, he stated, he had last taught 26 years ago. His age is now 75. He laughingly added that he had not yet received his “call up” notice.

Showing now at White’s: Furs c.f quality and beauty. Remodelling of coats a specialty,' For a few days only an expert will be in attendance; your coat is worth money; drop l« and obtain a quote at White’s, Your Fashion Corner.—Advt.

The present, war has been a -miccession of surprises, but there will to-day be no end of surprises here in Greymouth, when the public open their “Mystery ‘ Envelopes,” which will all be of definite value. They 1 contain orders for such a wide range I of things as permanent, waves, and for oysters, tickets foi- the forthcomI ing races at Omoto; orders for meat J and coal and coke, as well as for , the free delivery of daily newspapers for three months; tickets for the Opera House and the Regent Theatre, and orders also for footwear to the va’ue of £2 and £1; and for many other most desirable acquisitions. This variety, however, is only one reason why tjie envelopes will sei 1 , most readily, because they are not entirely a mystery. The purchasers have a guarantee that in the whole issue of envelopes there will not be a single “dud.” Each and every one will' contain an order for something I worth at least one shilling. With this solid guarantee, patriotism thus ! becomes, in a double sense, a genuinely payable proposition.

As a result of a fall while running in a paddock near his home at 41 Cowper Street, Greymouth, Norman Payne, aged 13 years, a pupil of the Grey Main School; fractured his right leg He was admitted to the Grey River Hospital, late yesterday afternoon and his condition last evening was reported to be satisfactory.

In response to the appeal by the' Mayor of Auckland*, Sir Ernest Davis, for used postage stamps, a large number of parcels and small packets containing many tens of thousands of stamps have been received at the Town Hall in the last few days. The used stamps disposal committee, a sub-committee of the Auckland Provincial Patriotic Council, assisted by members of the Women’s War Service Auxiliary, is preparing the stamps for sale to assist patriotic funds-. An appeal has been made for regular assistance from business firms and citizens, as millions oi stamps are required by the organisations.

I Before the empanelling of a jury to hear an action between two insurance companies in the Supreme Court at Wellington, Mr. Justice Ostler instructed the body of jurors in the Court to declare themselves when their names were called if they were shareholders or policyholders in either company. A number of the jurors, when their names were drawn, announced • themselves as holding policies in one or other of the companies, and there was general amusement when his Honour in r quired with a smile as one man was going to his seat, “Are you free from the taint?” Counsel for both sides freely exercised their right of challenge of jurors.

Butchers’ shopmen in Sydney feel convinced that the public would suffer no inconvenience if they could not buy the Sunday joint on Saturday. In any case, the shopmen are in the mind for no work on Saturday. Mr. J. Tierney, acting secretary of the union, has pointed out in the Press that “most people have ice chests, and could easily keep their meat fresh on Saturday and Sunday. In cold seasons, there would be no difficulties, and in hot weather we know that 75 per cent of the people eat cold meat on Sundays. Old customs die hard, but our men are determined to have the long weekend.” There are 6000 men employed in retail shops in New South Wales, and about 2000 are engaged in the metropolitan area.

Nearly 1300 miles were covered on his tour of the South Island by Air. William Holmes, immediate past president of the British Trades Union Congress and general secretary of the Agricultural Workers' Union of Great Britain. Mr. Holmes was deeply impressed by the farm lands of Canterbury and North Otago, the scenery of the Otira and Buller Gorges, and the coastal road from Greymouth to Westport. After seeing the Southern Alps, Mr. Holmes, in his quiet way, remarked that if the people of New Zealand had the same backbone as the' South Island they would not go far astray. More than once he said it was difficult for him to realise that he was out of England. Many stretches of the country in the South Island reminded him of places in England and Scotland. Mr. Holmes is now engaged on a tour of the North Island.

The success of game licence holders in 1940 indicates that money spent on the destruction of vermin is a good Investment, says the annual report of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society, because game preserved in the wild, through the destruction of its enemies, is a saving of money spent on rearing game birds for liberation. Two well-known sportsmen finished the 1940 season with a score of 26 pheasants, all of which were shot within 20 miles of Wellington. Waterfowl also had benefited from the destruction of vermin. The society spent £377/18/on vermin destruction, plus £6l/4/11 drawn from the accumulated fund oi the board, making a total payment of £439/2/11 for the year. The amount expended represents bounty paid on 4792 pairs of hawks’ feet. 1925 tails of ferrets, stoats and weasels, 4301 hedgehogs’ snouts and 78 complete skins of ferrets, stoats and weasels.