LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 8 December 1925, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Ail audacious theft was committed during the week-end at the Wellington warehouse of Messrs AV. D. and EL 0. Wills, isitwaitedi on Lamlbton Quay. It was broken, into between Saturday afternoon and this morning and cigarettes' to the value of £326 were stolen. The matter is under police investigation.—-Press Association. Consequent on the London market decline, a .reduction of one penny a pound will be made in the prices of a ill brands of butter in Auckland from Wednesday, making the retail rates a<9 follow:- —Super-fine, Is 9d a pound; first grade, Is 8d; second grade, Is 7d. Robert. McKinley, on a charge of having been drunk while in charge of a motor Horry, was sentenced at Wellington. to 21 days’ hard labour, and his driver’s license was suspended for two months. —Press Association. It is reported that a roadman on the Wairoa road. Hawke’s Bay, has received cable advice from the Old Country notifying him that in consequence of the death of a. relative he has become possessed oi a fortune sufficiently large to keep him in comfort for the remaining years of his life. The fortunate man will leave by an early boat for the Old Country. It is considered likely that 4000 cases of apples will be exported from Poverty Bay during the coming season, reports the Herald, but the quantity will, of course, depend to a certain extent on the season. The necessary cases have now been landed in Gisborne, and' the growers have inade arrangements for expoiting a portion of their crop. There are many varieties produced in the district which are suitable for export, and provided the necessary care is taken with the export fruit, growers should have a satisfactory season. A distressing motor fatality occurred late yesterday afternoon on the Waikaremoana .Road, when, a car 'containing Mr. Donaldison (assistant engineer at the Tuai power house), Mrs. Donaldson and their infant and Mrs Gibbs, mother of Mrs. Donaldson, struck a telegraph pole and capsized into the river below. Mrs. Gibbs was drowned, but the other occupants escaped with severe shock and bruises. They were removed to the Wairoa hospital, says a. Wairoa message. The body of an) elderly man, a swagger, was found in the river bed of the Manawatu at Ngawaparura; by two anglers. The body, which had evidently been in the water for .some time, was decomposed, says a Pahiatua message. It has been identified as the body of -a man who said he crossed the river on November 9 when lie went to the Oete station, and it is assumed that he met his death while re-cross-ing the .river later in the day. The name at present is unknown. More daylight thefts are reported from Wellington.. It is evident that: several cracksmen or burglars .are busy throughout the city. A resident in Thompson Street had his house entered, in bra ad daylight while everyone was at home. The thief entered the back door, stole a gold watch and some • money, and made good his escape. Several other houses in the same street were entered, and articles of value were taken. Strange to say, the victims were not anxious to have thjp facts made k.nojwn. 1 instead of giving immediate notice to the police to enable the localities to be watched, other residents were warned. Some preferred to remain silent —to the obvious advantage of the criminals. The Christmas season! always brings a gang of undesirables to the city, says a Press Association message. There was a time in the history of Westport when) -the community boasted of its loyalty and patriotism to the British Empire, and certainly during the war period it nobly played its part (says the News). For some unaccountable reason the loyal and patriotic sentiment has died out, as was evidenced by the fact that Armistice Day was allowed to pass without any atteirmt to observe even the two minutes’ silence in honour of the brave dead, and the other day no notice was taken publicly of the fact that, the good Queen Mother was being universally mourned. Westport is certainly moving in a .strange direction, and it can truly bo said, the scene has changed. Patriots were the other day heard to ask whether Westport was under British or Russian 1 rule.

’Tis great fun •watching “No-Rub-bing Laundry Help” ejecting dirt.from soiled linen.—Adivt.

A novelty in a Masterton street the other morning was a cyclist mounted on one of the old-time high-wheeled tricycles which were popular forty years ago.

John Austin, aged 28, a labourer, a single man, was found drowned in a waiter hole near iSiiiverdale yesiterday, says an Auckland Press Association message. He had been missing since Sunday afternoon.

On two informations of driving a motor vehicle at « speed which, having regard to the circumstances of the case, might have been dangerous to .the public, L. W. Field, who pleaded guilty, was fined £2 aifc Nelson on each charge and his license was suspended for five years. A further charge of driving a. motor vehicle recklessly was withdrawn.—Press Association.

It would appear that people returning- home from, a dance in the early hours (says the* Stratford Post) were entertained to a somewhat unusual display of motor driving, it being alleged that a young man drove a motor car along the footpath in Broadway from the Fenton street corner to the Regan street corner.

A complimentary social is to be tendered to' ‘Mr and Mrs Robert Masters at the Stratford Town Hall on Wednesday night. Mr George Forbes, leader of the National Party, has signified his intention of being present, and it has been arranged that lie will make a presentation to* Mr Masters in recognition of the services rendered by him duxing the time he represented Stratford electorate in Parliament. Other members of the National Party will also be there.

A neat honours board has been given to the Matapu school by Mr. P. M. Pratt, ft is in the form of a picture frame, designed to hold four photographs of the duxes of the school. At the top are the words: -‘Matapu Honours Board for Dux.” the first photograph to be enclosed in the board is that of Vera Beech, dux for 1924. and this year’s dux will be Irene O’Sullivan. The gift is much appreciated by the committee and headmaster.

With tht laudable object of raising fundsi for providing Christmas cheer for those in unfortunate circumstances, the Hawera Savage Club is holding a concert in Opera House on Tuesday, December 15. No trouble* is being spared to make tlie programme one of merit and to fit the claim that the concert will be “the concert of the year.” Box plans will open to-mor-row, and intending patrons ar e advised to reserve their seats early..

James Kelly, .aged 35, a Turman on the lonic, died on the ship last night as a> sequel to a brawl, say»s an Auckland Press Association, message. It is stated that a number of firemen were lighting on the deck shortly after six o’clock when the fourth officer intervened. f’llhe men then went ibelow. Shortly afterwards Kelly collapsed and was lifted into his bunk. Ais Kelly appeared to be badly injured the police were sent for. Just as they ■arrived he died. No .arrest has been made. It is thought .possible that Kelly may have died from heart failure. He had only one small cut on the head, although he was bleeding freely from the nose.

Decorations of red and black oil the table before the Prime Minister (Hon. J. G. Coates) at the annual dinner of the Canterbury Industrial Association pleased him immensely. “I thank you for the compliment done me,” he said 1 , in having the colours of my old battalion, the Ist (Auckland) Regiment. It is the first time that the regiment has been recognised as the real guards riner) interposed .in a whisper that the colours were the Canterbury colours, and were intended as such. At this intimation, Mr Coates looked slightly dashed for a moment. “Wed, they are the colours of the Auckland Regiment,” lie said, “and you can’t get away from that.”

In the Magistrate’s Court at Hamilton Mr. Wyvcrn Wilson, S.M., dismissed the ease in which a commercial traveller was charged with refusing to vacate a scat on a train reserved between Frankton and Auckland for Mr. Justice Herdman. The magistrate held that, according to the Railway Department’s regulations, floats could only be reserved for .100 miles or over. The distance between Auckland and Frankton is only 8(5 miles. It was contended for the prosecution that seats could be reserved for any distances desired. In tins case they had been reserved from Wellington. The magistrate pointed out that they had not been ticketed ‘ ‘ reserved. ’ ’ There did not appear to be a statutory regulation governing the issue of tickets and enabling the department to reserve seats for less than 100 miles, and lie did not think the had power to turn the defendant out.—P.A.

At the: Stratford Court yesterday (says the Post), P. O’Dea, of Hawera, was charged with having crossed the railway at Tariki crossing when, the line was not clear, with failing to keep a vigil'ant look-out, and' with failing to atop when approaching such crossing. Defendant pleaded guiltjq and the Magistrate pointed out that the information. should have been placed in the one charge. , Sergeant Reid pointed out that on> the day in question a collision was very narrowly averted. Mr O ’Dea said the crossing was a very difficult one; the Tariki Hotel blocking the view of the line to the north. He heard a whistle which he thought was from the south, but could not see any train, lie then saw a train approaching from the north. He was then only a short distance from the crossing, and, realising that if he were to pull up he might stop on! the line, he went right on. He pointed out that he was vigilant in regard to crossings, but had pleaded guilty because the law said on© must stop when approaching a crossing, although hardly any motorists did so. His Worship inflicted a fine of £3 and, costs (7s) on one charge, and dismissed the others.

Mr. R. Dunn, of Auroa, has just returned after a month’s visit to the Stiutli Island, spent mostly in Otago and Southland. Mr. Dunn was also at the Royal Show at. Christchurch, and expressed admiration of the quality and class of the stock exhibits there. It was, lie said, a wonderful display. He ’ attended several local shows' in Otago, and said that in his opinion the Dunedin Show was not so good as it had been some years ago. He was much impressed with the farms and homesteads generally throughout Southland, where lie had the pleasure of seeing a large number of the farms. The exhibition he considered urns very good, but thought that as several of the courts were not yet completed it might have been wise to have opened it later, giving' time for all exhibits to arrive. Some of these, he understood, .were still on the water and would not reach Dunedin for some time. But he was impressed and delighted with all the courts he saw. The Cantei’bury, Canadian, and Australian exhibits he considered were excellent. Altogether he had a most interesting and instructive time v r hile away in the south.