LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 1 September 1926, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

An old b*dy from 85 to 90 years of age. was found yesterday by the police wandering *,n tlie beach: at the foot of St. Mary’s Road, Ponsoitby, Auckland. She appeared to have lost her memory, and oou.ld give no account of what her name was or where she belonged. At the inquest on Mrs Jurgens, who died from injuries received at the collision of a motor-car with a train at Greatford level crossing last Friday night, regarding which Mr W. S. Glenn, M.P., asked the Minister of Railways for an inquiry as to possible negligence, the coroner, . after lengthy evidence had been given, found that no blame was attachable to anyone, states a Press 1 Association, message from Marton. The sixth death within a week under somewhat -sudden circumstances occurred at Hamilton yesterday, when neighbours found Mrs Johanna Buckley, aged 75, dead in her bed-. Deceased had been i'i for, about a fortnight. All the six sudden deaths have beeu from natural causes. Referring to an .interview with Sir James Allen and Mr Purley regarding the Pacific Cable, the Australian Press Association at London is authorised to state- that the Cable Board is not considering any reduction of rates tiVl the duplication of the cable lias -been completed, which it is -antic,ipat-ed will be at the end of November. Until New Zealand employers learn to develop the technical side of their industries, eliminate waste, and pay liberally for honest and - first-class work,” said Mr. C. M. Ollivier, retiring president of the Canterbury Employers’ Association, at the* annual meeting, “progress and maintenance of a high standard of living will be impossible. Above, all, everybody engaged in any form of productive industry will have to work harder for higher wages and a pleasant standard of hving.” •' It is estimated that from 400 to 500 tops of coal are wasted by the coalmines: of New Zealand every day. In every ton of coal raised from any mine there is a certain percentage of “slack,” which is practically useless and has to be cast -aside. This problem is a- very serious one for the mines of the Dominion. Attempts have been made to solve it in various ways, hut so far the Government- and the mineowners have not been successful. There lias now been formed a new Canterbury •company, which is at present building works at Sockburn. It hopes to produce from this waste product a new “smokeless coal,” which will be on the market by the end of the year. The Chamber of Commerce at Wellington last night discussed the s flat rate of shipping freight which is charged per ton to New Zealand main ports, as well a-'s- to the minor ports. The chamber expressed- the opinion that the present system was wrong in principle, and recommended 1 that representations be made to oversea shipping companies that the rates of shipping freights to and from the different shipping ports of the Dominion should be in accordance with the facilities given and the cost of handling goods at each port. It is contended that lower freights, both inward' and outward, should' apply where large expenditures have been incurred l that enable ships to be cleared expeditiously and at a minimum cost to -shipping companies. . “I agree- with the magistrate that it is impossible to- attribute any merit to the game of ‘rail-down’ or to find- any solid reason why it .should be played except the indulgence of the propensity to gamble, . . . It is clear that the appellants were deliberately exploiting for their own profit the gambling instincts of thoughtless -people and of many women, children and young people. . . ‘The conviction is thert?fore affirmed.” The above statements were -made by the Chief Justice (Hon. C. P. Skerrett) in the Supreme Court at Wellington, when delivering judgment in the ca.se in- whii-dh. Alfred Dawson and Harold Percivail Bishop, showmen, both of Welling ton, appealed against their conviction in the Lower Court on a charge, under the- Gaming Act, of using premises in Manners Street as a common gaming house. A sensational accident was reported to Wanganui last night. A car skidded in loose sand in; the Karew-arewa Gorge, near Mangaweka, and fell over a precipice with' a sheer drop -of 200 feet. The broken railings on the side of the road wore noticed an hour later by a lorpy driver, and- rescue parties arrived soon after from Mangaweka. They had to cut a track 200 yards long to reach- the victims, when: they found the, three occupants pinned under the car in shallow water. The car had, to lie smashed in order to release the injured. The rescue party had 1 a most awkward job, and it took four hours before- the passengers were brought- to the top of the road. The passengers were Constable Grant, of Mangaweka, seriously injured!; his wife, also- injured. but to what extent is unknrwon; and George McDonald, sem\, seriously injured. All three were from Mangaweka. and they were taken to the Taihape Hospital. IT NEVER FAILS. Chamberlain’s Colic and Diarrhoea; Remedy is all its name implies. It relieves diarrhoea and dysentry in either children or adults, and the most violent cases of cramp, colic or pain in the stomach give wav to a few doses of this medicine. It never fails. Sold everywhere.—Advt.

The month of August, just closed, was very wet in; south Taranaki, the I total rainfall being considerably above the average recorded. At- the Hawera Post Office, 5.31 inches was recorded in 21 days, the maximum fall being; .60 inches on the 2.9t1i. The total fall for August. 1925, was 3.59. Two bankruptcies were recorded in the district covered by the Deputy Off icial Assignee at Hawera, Mr. 11. S. Bage during the month of August. The 'number for the corresponding month of last year was three. For the convenience of motorists proceeding from Hawera ami New Plymouth, the Wanganui Automobile Association propose to erect a. sign on the Main North road 1 near Westmere, showing the routes to the Sea-field and BelmoVit golf links through Tayforth. A party of Auckland motorists have motored to Rotorua; and back over the Mamaku Hills. Tlieir car, a light' machine with a high differential, was the first car to get through unaided' under its own power since the'- road became impassable last autumn. A successful! trial shipment of passion fruit from Auckland, which was sent to England, has resulted! in numerous inquiries, and it is quite possible that it may ibe the forerunner of further shipments and the commencement of an export trade that may be of considerable, value. There has been a, generous and widespread response to the appeal made on behalf of the poor families on the northern gumlands, with the result that the steamer, which left Auckland for the north on Sunday carried six tons measurement of clothing and' about £IOO worth of groceries. The. first godwits; to arrive in. New Zealand this season % were .seen in the Far North -last- week.’. They are fully a month before, their accustomed time, this being considered an indication of an early spring. The godwits, commonly called snipe or curlew, usually arrive .at tlie North Cape, in October, some of them in September. _ They come all the wihy from Siberia, a ‘distance of 7000 or 8000 miles. This seemingly incredible feat is one of the most interesting phenomena in the whole range, of bird life .and has given rise to some interesting deductions 1 . The multiplication of local bodies in New Zealand was alluded to by the Hon. JV A. Hianan in the Legislative Council on Thursday (the Post reports). Decentralisation, he .said, had been carried to excess, and to-day there were far too. many local bodies in the Dominion. To.some extent the sense of .responsibility of local government had been lost.. There was too great a tendency to look to. the Government to do things that should be done by local’ authorities themselves. It was because of these excessive demands upon the public purse that expenditure in recent- years had been going up iby leaps .and bounds. There wais no reason why Aan enlarged form of local government should not be established—something in the nature of district councils, which, would make for greater economy iij administration -and result in decentralisation. A tightening up process was needed, to put an end. to rash borrowing. Mr. Hainan said his criticism was directed against not only the amount of public expenditure but also the standard of efficiency. The Local Government Loans Board Bill should indicate to the people the need for curtailing expenditure. The spirit of the times might be summed, up in the words, “On with the dance,” and it walsi time, this wild era of borrowing came to an end.