LOCAL NEWS

Grey River Argus, 3 May 1949, Page 4

LOCAL NEWS

While th e West Coast basked yesterday in sunshine, the weather elsewhere was so unfavourable as to bring almost to a standstill all shipping between New Plymouth and the Bluff, the port of Wellington also being idle. Farewelled by a crowd of over one hundred people, tho- London Missionary Society’s vessel, “John Williams Vi ’, sailed from Auckland yesterday afternoon for 1 Apia and Suva. —Press Assn. There was an increase in weddings during the month of April, Easter time usually being notable for the number contracted. Eighteen marriage notices were issued, compared with eleven in the corresponding month of the previous year. There was little change in the number of births and deaths. The statistics, with comparisons with 'April. 1948, given in parentheses, were as follows: Births 35 (35); deaths 12 (10); marriage notices issued 18 (11); marriages performed by registrar 4 (1).

Despite the reduction of food subsidies in the recent Budget, every family of five in Britain was subsidised to the extent of 17s 6d weekly for its basic rations, said the Prim e Minister, Mr Attlee, in a May Day rally at Norwich. He added that dissatisfaction with the Budget was partly due to unwarranted suggestions of further benefits and reliefs from taxation put out by the people who knew well the facts of the situation.

Have you seen Jeff’s new bar ? Empire Hotel, Ross. —Advt..

Mr J. B. Kent, M.P., caused some amusement at last evening’s meeting of the Greymouth Technical High School Board of Governors, when he asked as to who was responsible for the “terminological inexactitudes” referring to his absence from meetings of the Board. His intention had been drawn to the report in Wellington, he said. The chairman (Mr D. S. Kennedy) informed him that Mr BiaiiVwaite, who incidentally was absent from last evening’s meeting, had .been the culprit. Mr E. O. Henry said: “I see it has brought you along on this occasion!”

Greymouth had more sunshine in April than in the corresponding month of the previous year, although the sun shone on fewer days. There were 139.5 hours of sunshine on 24 out of the 30 days, compared with 123.3 hours on 29 days last April. So far this year Greymouth has had about the same period of sunshine as at this time last year—6s4 hours. Last month’s rainfall', totalling 5.13 inches (on 15 days) was about a third of an inch less than in April last year (on 14 days). Rainfall this year, 29.85 inches, has been 7.67 inches more than last year, when, however, April had a couple of frosts, with yet a maximum temperature of 72'.8deg. or 10.5 deg above the highest last month recorded.

The Ross Women’s Institute held their monthly meeting on April 20, The President presided over a wellattended meeting. Two new members were welcomed. Hostesses wore Mrs Bigwood and Aylsia Bigwood. Competition results were: Best Mother’s Day gift costing not more than ss. Mrs Ilarpen 1; Mrs Gough 2. Wandering shilling, Mrs Leslie. A demonstration on the maknig of wicker stools was given by Mesdames Jones and Head. The motto was: “willing workers work wonders.” An interesting report on the Federation meeting held at Hokitika was given by the delegate. Mrs Bigwood. Mesdames Jones. Mitchell, the retiring president and secretary respectively were each presented with a gift and a soray, as was Mrs P. Head, a keen and willing worker, who is leaving the district. The. meeting closed with the singing of “Auld Lang Syne,” and the National Anthem.

Reports that he intended visiting Fiordland to hunt for moas were denied last night at Invercargill by Dr G. B. Orbell, of Invercargill, who is the re-discoverer of the notornis. He said, however, that he might look for traces of the moa, which had become extinct. If he did make such a search, it would not be in the notornis area. Dr Orbell added that this story that he would make a private excursion to Fiordland to search for moas was wronglv founded —it was based on an assumption from an article in an overseas magazine, and not on fact. —Press Assn.

The frigate “Pukaki” arrived at Bluff yesterday afternoon. She brought back three members of the staff of the Meteorological Station on Campbell Island, who have been relieved, after completing a period of duty. They are Messrs D. McNabb (Christchurch), O. S. Hames (Auckland), and T. D. Bannister (Wellington-). The men stated that, although glad to be returning home, they were sorry to leave the island, in spite of the fact that the average of yearly sunshine is only 662 hours.—Fress Assn.