LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 5 July 1927, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Apparently there is no limit to joyriders’ operations in Auckland. On Wednesdav night the police “Black Maria” was taken to the Mount Eden railway station to await the arrival of a mental patient. When the police had taken over their charge they found that the conveyance had vanished. A strenuous search was made throughout the night for the missing van, and it was found a few days after adjacent to the Mount Eden Gaol, and olosei to die Police Station.

The Wellington Licensing Committee yesterday renewed all the wholesale wine and spirit licenses. New applications were refused on the ground that no licenses were available without taking them from the present holders. It was contended that some of them were not exorcising them properly, or not at all, but the committee held that there was nothing in the Act to force the holder to sell a maximum or minimum of liquor; nor could it take away property that had been paid for, and give it gratis to somebody else, who might then sell at a profit. In explaining an English system for encouraging the “Safety First” principle in motor drivers, Mr. F. W. Johnston stated at the meeting of the South Island Motor Union, held at Blenheim, that a Traffic Safety League was formed and every member who drove for a year without an accident was awarded a badge. His own idea was that a badge should be awarded to drivers who went two years without an .accident and a bar to the badge could be awarded at. the end of the third year. At the end of the fourth year the motorist could be awarded . “A halo!” interjected Mr. E. T. Furness, amid laughter.

- A move to erect large buildings on the racecourse, so that the development of the Wanganui Winter Show may be facilitated, is taking definite shape under the guidance of the Chamber of Commerce. At a meeting of that body, Mr J. Patterson, who is the prime mover in the matter, urged co-operative effort in the promotion of the scheme, stated that it was up to Wanganui to make arrangements for the necessary finance. He had a definite scheme drawn up and plana for buildings costing about £IO.OOO. —-** Chronicle. ’ ’ Two fine days have allowed the flood water around Napier and Hastings to rapidly subside and, in a short time, it should all be gone. Two roads between Napier and Hastings are now open for traffic, but the two main roads are still not negotiable on account of low stretches being under water. The position at the Boys’ High School is viewed optimistically, and it is, hoped to reopen next Tuesday. Northwards from Napier the slips have been cleared, and the road to Wairoa is again open. A temporary bridge at Eissington, 120 feet long, was washed away by the river, and the crossing is being effected by a cable and cage. Slips on the side roads in the Waihori riding are numerous.

A shepherd from Central Otago, who has had experience in that part of the Dominion for over 40 years, informed an ‘'Otago Daily Times” reporter; that the steady destruction of rabbits is having a' marked effect on the regrassing of the land. Speaking with special reference, to the work of the Rabbit Boards of Benge r and Roxburgh East, lie said that the strychnine poisoning on methodical lines, as practised by the boards, had i-omoved the pest to such an extent that the pastoral potentialities of the country have returned in a manner that must be yerv satisfactory to the holders of the land. On all hands that fact was evident, and there is five times the amount of grass on. the mountainous country to-day that there was only two or three years ago. The irrigation scheme on the east was also having a beneficial effect. The Railway Department advertises in this issue particulars of issue of cheap excursion tickets ta Stratford in connection with the Stratford Winter .Show from July 7 to 9, and football match, Star v. Stratford, on July 9. Delighted and thoroughly satisfied shoppers thronged the Melbourne, Ltd., yesterday, the first day of the firm’s Great Winter Sale. Money saving opportunities are store wide, the goods new of every day utility and of the Melbourne’s well-known standard quality. —Advt. Eor corns, hard or soft, old or new, apply Progandra; 1/6. —Advt. Woods’ Great Peppermint Cure, For roughs and" colds, never fails. —Advt.

Dannevirbe iis at present undergoing an epidemic of mumps. This infectious complaint appears to be confining its attentions to juveniles, no fewer titan 100 children being absent from school last Monday.

An unusual performance in connection with poultry-raising is repotted at Opotiki. 51 chickens having been hatched from 50 hen eggs in an incubator. It is stated there was; one double-yolk egg. All ,the chickens, the property of Mrs Megan, of Opotiki, are living.

Mr. Tlieo. Tresize, the producer appoint eel for “The Arcadians” for the Hawera Operatic Society, will come to Hawera on Saturday for the official “try out,” in view of the final selection of the cast for the opera . Messrs G. Hessell and A. Gray are the selection committee.

It will be very gratifying to the president (Mrs. W'. E. Carter) and the committee of the women’s branch of the Farmers’ Union fo know that their appeal for books for farmers has met a ready and immediate response. This morning, before nine o’clock, five large parcels of books had been received by Mr. Dalgettv, and others came during the day. It is expected that altogether a large number will he received.

At a meeting held in Stratford last night to consider the unemployment question, it was decided to recommend the County Council to raise a loan for relief works under conditions which would ensure a Government subsidy of £1 for £l. A eommitteo was elected to deal with the question of raising subscriptions for extremely needj cases It was reported that there were 44 men out of work. In dismissing, without prejudice, a charge of driving a car in a dangerous manner against .James Heed, fanner, of Bird Hoad, Stratford, at the Court in that town, the Magistrate, Mr 11. W. Tate, said that the consensus of evidence was that the speed was slow. It appeared that Reed, in attempting, to pass a car already in the act of passing a cyclist, collided with the other vehicle and ran into a bank. It was stated that his steering gear was damaged. Where there’s a will l , there’s a way. Taniwba. a little soldier .settlement 60 miles south of Auckland, and to the east of Te Kauwhata, liais (says am exchange) been without a church. It was decided to erect a building, of undemoninational character. A site was donated by one resident,. and the necessary timber was cut in the . bush by voluntary labour. The timber was carted and milled free of cost, and then delivered on the site by voluntary labour. The building is to be ereseted largely by free labour, as only a couple of carpenters 1 will be employed. In addition the Taniwba residents have collected over £SOO. Because of various difficulties that have arisen, the original estimate of the cost of extending the .sewerage system of Christchurch has been exceeded, and in order to complete the present .scheme, further loan .money will have to be raised. The Christchurch Drainage Board intends .to promote a bill authorising the raising of am additional sum up to £250,000, but all of this money would not bo required probably to complete the present programme. That New Zeaalnd’s butter is the world’s best in the opinion of Mr A. M. Du Croze, London ®uib-mana|ger for Dalgcty and Co., Ltd., who is? at present in' Auckland. “It is because of its quality that dt suffers by comparison with that of some other countrie« in restaurant sales,” lie said. This paradoxical comment he explained by 'Saying that it did not spread so readily and thinly on bread as, say, Danish, and for 'that reason thinner makes were more suited to this aspect of table usage gained favour.

A correspondent writes: “A source of danger to motorists has on several occasions come before the notice of the public of late owing to the practice of young children in Hawera pushing small trollies along the main thoroughfares. Yesterday two small boys in charge of one of these came around the corner of High and Princes streets at a quick pace, and a motor car approaching from the opposite direction narrowly avoided running over the boys. Parents would be well advised to warn their children of the danger that exists of this practice before a serious accident happens.”

A speed of So mines an hour was attained with a. record load bv the Lord Nelson, Britain’s most powerful express passenger engine, during its final test on the Southern Railway recently. The Lord Nelson was set the task of hauling 16 corridor coaches of the latest Southern Railway type, with one dining car, from Waterloo to Exeter and back —a load of 521 .tons. This is far in excess of anything ever attempted on this steeply-graded route, and the heaviest corridor train that has ever left Waterloo Station. The: normal Atlantic Coa.st Express _ consists of about 11 coaches, and weighs 360 tons. The Lord Nelson, with 160 tons extra, was given the normal schedule, demonstrated its ability to perform the task. Ten more engines of the Lord Nelson type are being built.