LOCAL & GENERAL

Grey River Argus, 12 August 1946, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL

The two patients who escaped from the Hokitika Mental Hospital last Tuesday evening at 9 o’clock, were yesterday sighted in the vicinity of South Beach. The Greymouth police would be glad of any assistance that residents could give as to their whereabouts.

Mr Cyril O’Flaherty, aged 25 years, single, a miner, was' admitted to the Greymouth Hospital yesterday afternoon, suffering from concussion received in the Marist-Blackball match played at Blackball. His condition last evening was reported as satisfactory.

For the second week in succession, due to the heavy state of the playing fields most sport was againt cancelled in Greymouth. The only games played were junior grade Rugby, representative soccer knci representative basketball. The League code were, however, treated to fine, but overcast weather, . yesterday, but most of their matches were played on sodden grounds-

Applications by H. N. Ellery ot Greymouth to sell two hill sections at Karorc to J. K. Shepherd ana rt. Dunwoodie, were considered at a sitting of the Westland Land k-CulS Committee on Friday last. After considerable discussion, in which the matter of slips, access, and the amount of excavation work which would be necessary were discussed, the committee adjourned, and inspected the sections. Following the inspection, consent to sale was granted subject to price reductions In the case of Shepherd, the price was reduced from the vendor's valuation of £l9O to £l6O and in the case of Dunwoodie, a reduction from £2OO to £l7O was effected. The Crown valuation being £l5O.

Mr. R. J. Kerridge, the Managing Director announces the Kerridge'Rank theatre interests in New Zealand have acquired the J. C. Williamson Picture Corporation, Ltd.’s chain of cinemas throughout the Dominion. He said: “The transaction gives us control of the Williamson picture theartres. We have acquired sixteen A grade theatres and some others. The administration of the former Williamson theatres will be transferred from Wellington to Auckland.

We wish to notify • our customers that we have sold out of supplies of whitebait netting. H. Hamer, Kumara. —Advt.

After sunrise the Southern Alps presented yesterday a glistening spectacle in a cloudless setting, being all clad in snow for their full length. Cloud, however, invaded the vista from southward before noon and gradually blotted out the main divide, but Turiwhate . and other heights remained visible in an unusually snowy mantle during the afternoon.

General damages amounting to £B5O, and special damages totalling £4l Is 9d were' awarded to a 15-year-old boy, Barry Raymond Scott, in the Supreme Court at Christchurch on Friday as compensation for injuries received when he collided with a motor car at Riccarton while riding a bicycle. He received severe head injuries. The defendant was Leslie Robert William Stepenson, a butcher. For the defence, Mr. C. S. Thomas and Mr. R. A. Young admitted liability and the only amount in uispute was the amount of damages. Plaintiff had claimed' £2,500' in general damages. The hearing took the greater part of two days and * the jury gave its verdict after a retirement of 45 minutes.

All out-going trains from Greymouth on Wednesday afternoon next have been delayed to suit patrons from the country districts desirous of attending the musical comedy, “Our Miss Gibbs” and trains will now “leave Greymouth at the following delayed times: Reef ton 5.15 p.m.; Otira 5 p.m.; Rewanui 5.13 p.m. (normal departure time); Hokitika line 5.8 p.m. —Advt.

Mrs.- Batey presidid over a good attendance at the August meeting of Dobson Women’s Institute held recently. The motto was “Let Us be One Great Fellowship of Love Throughout the Whole Wide World.” A new member was proposed and accepted. The delegate, Mrs. Batey, gave an interesting report on the Dominion Conference. A competition (something from one yard of material) was won by Mrs. Mellett, Mrs. E. Peters being second. The wandering 2s was won by Mrs. T. Smith. The social half-hour was devoted to songs of Robbie Burns and Harry Lauder, given by Mesdames ’Myers, Dobbin, McCullum, A. McPhie. The narrator was Mrs. W. McPhie. Pianist: Mrs. Mellett. Supper was served by the hostesses and the meeting closed with “Auld Lang Syne.”

M. J. Fogarty & Co, sharebrokers, are receiving applications for shares in Dunlop New Zealand Rubber Company.—Advt.

New Zealand is experiencing difficulty in obtaining adequate supplies of textiles, pig iron, steel, tin plate, sheet iron, cement, gypsum, leather, sugar, chemicals, coke and. wood for furniture from overseas markets, and woollen and rayon materials will be more difficult to obtain in the next .18 months. While there is an unfulfilled demand for labour in many industries, these shortages of raw materials threaten to idle some workers, as already some manufacturers have reduced staffs. “It is not a question of licences being refused by the customs,” said one importer. “Licences are available, but goods are not”. Mr ,T. R. Don (secretary of the Auckland Manufacturers’ Association) stated recently that the shortage of basic raw materials must result in a reduction of staffs, but the Government was giving its full co-operation to the manufacturers in endeavouring to obtain adequate supplies, and in arranging shipping.