LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 29 December 1925, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A Ha we r a resident was arrested last evening by the police on a charge of being drunk while in charge of a motor car. He was later admitted to bail.

A fire in the office of the Co-opera-tive Dairy Producers’ Freezing Company, at its works at Pipitea Point, Wellington, damaged the contents before the brigade was able to suppress the flames; but spread to the rest of the premises (which are four storeys high in wood, iron and concrete) was prevented.

Returns of butter received during the last two weeks at the Auckland grading stores show that there is little change in the general position in the province as far as production is concerned. Butter receipts were still keeping below those for last season.

W. Robinson, rider of Vice Grand in the Milburn Hurdle Handicap at Wingatui yesterday, was injured through his mount falling at the first hurdle. Robinson fractured his foot, but his injuries arc not serious. He resides at Riverton.

The postmaster at Patetonga, H. Robertson, sustained injuries through a ’bus skidding and going over a fifteen feet bank while ho was returning from tlio Auckland races. The driver and another passenger were tnrown clear, Robertson being pinned beneath the vehicle. He received first aid treatment and was sent to hospital (says a Thames message). A reminder is given of the kitchen tea and dance to be tendered, to Miss Bowman in the Okarawa Town Hall tonight (Tuesday). BOYS’ COLLEGE OR SCHOOL OUTFITS. H.B. Hawera are experts at fitting out boys with their School or College Outfits." They can fit your son for any school or college in the DominionSuits, Shirts, Caps, Singlets, Pyjama, Hose, Belts, Ties, Shorts, Boots, Bags, Rugs, Overcoats. Bring us your son, wo will do the rest at the N.Z. Clothing, Factory, Hawera.

Two large 'sunspot groups, 1)0,000 miles in length, :ire visibc, one near the eastern edge and the other south-west from the centre of the sun, according to Mr G. V'. Hudson, of Karori, Wellington. Both are visible to the naked eye’ through a smoked glass. Three smaller groups appear in the western hemisphere. The Christchurch tramwaymen have taken a ballot during the last few days on the proposal to strike. It is said the motormen and conductors are strongly in favour of a strike owing to dissatisfaction with their treatment by the management. The ballot taken, however, embraces all members of the union, and all the employees are not so dissatisfied as the traffic men (says a Press Association message). The result of the ballot has not been declared vet. If the declaration is in favour "of a strike, the proposal is that work shall cease on New Year’s Day. Christmas in Patea was the quietest experienced for many years, although business was fairly brisk up to closing time on ‘Christmas Eve (says the Patea Press). On ‘Christmas afternoon the hospital, which was beautifully decorated) by the staff and 1 presented a particularly bright and cheerful appearance, was visited by Mrs P. W. Hamel and) Miss Hamerton, who very kindly sang to the patients. The-Mo-hawk Minstrel Troupe also paid a visit to the hospital and) entertained the patients with a number of songs and chrouses, which were greatly appreciated.

An interesting discovery was made a few days ago by Mr Anderson .while engaged in the construction of the railway bridge over the. Turanganui river. * Among the silt brought to the surface was a Royal Humane Society’s bronze meda'lion, which, on being cleaned, was found to have been awarded to G. Hawkins in 1922. Mr Hawkins was a popular member of the Gisborne Swimming Club and Life Saving Society prior to his removal from Gisborne some two or three years ago. The medallion has been handed to Mis A. M. Beer, secretary of the (Gisborne Swimming Club, who, on ascertaining the address of Mr Hawkins, will forward the trophy on to him. As exemplifying the barrenness of the Ashburton County a good many years ago, an incident was related by Mr. T Hyde, a well-known resident of Hawke’s Bay. He said that in 1876 he was in Ashburton on a. holiday, and wishing to pay a visit to some friends in the Seafield district, he pro. cured a horse to make the trip. As the horse did not move freely he took a stick to “persuade” it along. He arrived at Seafield in due course, and at the conclusion of his visit, on going to remount his horse, he found that the stick had disappeared. On making in. quiries he was told that it was for measuring the distance between rows of potatoes, and. was almost worth its weight in gold, as there was no timber for many miles around, the land growing little but tussocks.

When in Geneva Dr. Charles F. Moricc, of Wellington, who has just returned from a trip to Britain and Europe, was invited to visit Dr. Spahlinger’s laboratory, and was much interested in the work he found being done there. He said he considered there were great possibilities in this method of treatment, but as his visit only extended over two hours in the afternoon lie would not presume to give a definite opinion upon so large and important a subject. In July last a committee of medical men from the British House of Commons spent a

week in Geneva investigating Dr. Spahlinger’s methods and as a result of the very favourable report issued by that committee lie hoped that liberal financial aid f would be forthcoming to enable this very earnest investigator to continue to produce his sera and vaccines in large quantities.

An apparent failure in the safety valve in an air compressor used for the supply of free air for motor tyres caused a startling explosion in Lambton Quay, Wellington, yesterday morning. An explosion occurred so terrific that it wrecked two offices and a storeroom. Two men in one of the offices were cut about the arms by flying glass, but the room in which the explosion occurred wag fortunately unoccupied. The compressor was located in rooms used by Firestone Tyres, Ltd. It was capable of withstanding a pressure of 250 pounds to the square inch, hut there is a safety valve which comes into play at 200 pounds. Apparently this must have jammed. The explosion wrecked the timbers of the room, as well as electric meters and gas pipes, and cracked the concrete walls. It also wrecked a big glass partition between two offices.