LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 30 April 1928, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A narrow escape from a serious accident occurred on the combined traffic bridge on the upper Waitaki last week. A train of 14 trucks, loaded with stock, was crossing from Hakataramea to Kurow when one of the piles gave way under the engine, with the result that part of the bridge sank two feet*on the upstream .side, but the beams held am! the train got over. Messrs Jones and Sandford, of New Plymouth, Avere the successful tenderers for the work of erecting a dairy factory at Pungarehu to replace the one recently destroyed by fire. The contract price is £7013. Mr J. TX Healy, - Stratford, is the architect. — “Taranaki Herald.”

The working party organised by the Mt. Egmont Alpine Club for the purpose of cutting a ski-ing track on the Stratford side of the mountain abandoned its plans yesterday on account of the, unfavourable weather. The trip will .be made next Sunday, providing the weather is suitable.

When the Canterbury Steamship Company’s Gale was placed on the Patent Slip at Wellington on Monday of last week it Avas discovered that the damage she had sustained AA’hen crossing the bar at Wanganui was far more serious than at first thought. On examination of, her hull it was found that three plates and five frames on the port bow had been badly buckled and the propeller damaged beyond repair, Avhile the ship’s stem Avas also bent. A neAV propeller, three new plates, and ■five heAV frames Avill have to be fitted, while the stem avull have to be straightened and several bow plates “faired.” This AA’ork xvill probabjy take about a fortnight.

The HaAiera Municipal Band was in attendance at the Public Hospital yesterday afternoon, and played on the verandahs of the Avomen’s and men’s wards. The programme consisted of the * inarch. “The Elephant” (Ord Hume); selection, “Recollection of Verdi” (Rimmer); variations' on an old hymn tune, “Maidstone” (Ord Hume); a reverie, “Bells at Sunset” (Gordon McKenzie); waltz, “Fascination” (Rimmer); fantasia, ‘.‘O’er Hill and Dale” (Le Due); and the march “Ivanhoe” (Colin Fraser). Thanks to the band members were voiced by the matron, Avho remarked that the appreciation of the patients had been very evident. “The greatest benefactor of to-day is not the men Avho can make tAVo blades oi grass grow where one grow before, but Avho can make one lfou. serve Avhere hitherto two were occupied (writes “G.8.D.” in the Birmingham “Post.”). One influence lias cieated, and stimulates, the incentive to move faster —the unceasing process of the clock, Avhich continually reminds us that the human span is but a dot oil the loug-draAvn line of eternity, a speck in the boundless area of possibility. It has. .set the pace for alhour activities, and has sent ns delving into lature’s storehouse for any help she can render us in our race against time. ,ur task is meeting Avith increasing success. We are realising that all around us there is much to interest, to jnjoy, to learn, or to acquire. Our Handicap is the scarcity of time.’’

The erection of the new Regent Theatre in the Avenue, Wanganui, will commenced at an early date. The successful tenderer for the building was Mr J. CL Gopperth, £20,959. The theatre Avill be completed in ten moflths. The main entrance, will- be from the Avenue, the company haying purchased a frontage of 25 feet from tlib Alexander Buildings', Ltd., for the purpose. The main building has a depth of 120 feet and a width of 72 feet. The stalls will accommodate 8.00, and the dress circle 50Q. The theatre will he a. modern reinforced concrete fire-proof structure. Apart from a Avell designed frontage the building Avill nob lay claim to any external outside beauty. The internal arrangements, idvever, Avill surpass anything on this coast. It is estimated that the plaster work on the building will cost £3OOO. — “Herald.”

During his three days of freedom, Thomas George, Flanagan, the Borstal escapee, who broke away from cixstody at 4 p.in. on Tuesday and disappeared into the bush at Otatara, did not succeed in getting clear of the vigilantly guaided area encircling Invercargill and wits recaptured near Mill Road railway station ax, about 9 o’clock on Saturday morning. On 'Friday evening the authorities were practically at a dead end, having followed up several clues without effecting a capture though all means of egress from the- restricted area were strictly watched. Nothing of value was found in his clothing, bin before returning to the institution, Flanagan made a statement that ne had secreted some stolen property at Clifton. On proceeding to this spot the offieerjs found .a single-barrelled shotgun with the stock damaged. It was evident however that while he was at large Flanagan had entered several houses, for he had obtained both food and clothes.

A reassuring view of the country's outlook is taken by the Minister of Lands (Hon. A. D. McLeod). Speaking at Ihuraua, in the Wairavapa, lust week, Mr McLeod declared his belief that there was a better outlook for the country to-day than there r-au 1-cen since the war. There was u degree of stability in the country greater than before the war. He doubted wnether anybody had thought that wool wetdd rise to two shillings, per lb, hut even if it'’kept at Is 0d it would be satisfactory. He believed that the Dominion was in a more sound position than any other, country in the Empire, but. there wits need for steady carefulness on the part of the people, for if they had a careful and far-seeing people they would have a careful and farseeing Government. The Taranaki District Law Society held its annual general meeting at New Plymouth on Thursday evening, when, in the absence of the president (Mr. H. R. Billing), the vice-president (Mr. Alfred Coleman) presided over an attendance of about. 40 members of the Taranaki Bar. The report of the council on the work of the society during the past rear was approved. The chairman, after reviewing the work of the council, made special reference to the Law Conference held in Christchurch during the Easter vacation, when matters' of great importance to the profession and its relationship to the public were dealt with. Officers were elected for the ensuing year- as follows: President, Mr. G. M. Spence; vre-president, Mr. Arthur. Coleman (Hawera); treasurer, Mr. T. P. Anderson; council, Messrs. R. H. Quilliam, A. K. North. Alfred Coleman (Stratford), and .7. H. Sheat; auditor, Mr. W. H. Freeman; delegate to New Zealand 1 Law Society, Mr. G. M. Spence. Pure silk Pu.ll In a wealth of colouring nlcin to a lovely garden.. The forty different shades include scarlet, amber, cyclamen, apple green, jade, saxe, king- j fisher, tangerine, gold, grey, henna, I lemon,'flesh, apricot, sky, mauve, shell, salmon, fawn, etc. Prices: Natural) 1/11 colours 2/41 yard.—Harrops Ltd. | —Advt.

Asked if he considered that the New Zealand Sounds, Milford Sound and others in the south, would ever offer to tourists the same attraction as a fishing ground as those of Norway, the chief inspector of fisheries (Mr. A. E. Hetford) said to an “Evening Post” reporter that bei did not think it likely in the case of quinnat salmon. The majority of quinnat returned to the same river in Avhich they were spawned, and the rivers running into the sounds, or in that vicinity, were not the best for spawning purposes. Salmon Avould spaivn with success in stronger waters than trout, but for both shingle bottoms were necessary. In the Norwegian fiords, though there ivere many falls and strong rapids in the ri\’ers running into them, yet the upper reaches of the rivers there had the necessary shingle beds, .Avhile those in NeAV Zealand sounds had not. The past season had been an excellent one for both quinnat and Atlantic salmon, said Mr. Hefford. So many Atlantic salmon had been caught in and round Lake Te Anau that some people Avere doubtful of the quantity of spawn the remainder Avon Id. produce this season. He did not think there Avas any likelihood of a falling off in the number of eggs secured, however, and looked to the possibility of a record year in stripping both quinnat and Atlantic salmon.

The original messages conA r eying the instructions to cease hostilities Avhich were received at the headquarters of the New Zealand Division in France, on the morning of November 11, 1918. are to be offered to the Auckland War Memorial Museum. The first order to cease fire Avas received at the Divisional Headquarters at 8.25, a.m. from the headquarters of the Fourth Army Corps .and was taken doAvn by Sapper Amos. A second message was taken down by Sapper Cliffe' to the various brigades of the division, and all A\ r ere advised of the. news, by 8.55 a.m. A feAV days after the armistice the signal-masterjseregant in the signal office at the headquarters of the New Zealand Division was instructed to destroy certain files of routine messages. He first, however, _ perused the files to see if they contained any messages of importance, 'iwid found the tAvo rather insignificant- slips of coloured paper bearing the instructions for the division to cease hostilities. These he kept and brought back to Nem Zealand. The sergeant, who wishes to remain anonymous, recently rediscovered the slips and made known their existence to Major W. F. Stilwell. an ex-officer of the Divisional Signal Company, and on the latter’s suggestion agreed that they should lie placed in safe keeping.

The present petrol tax of 4d per gallon .may he increased if it is necessary to find more revenue for reading purposes, stated the Minister of Lands (the Hon. A. D. McLeod), in a speech.at Ihuraua, Wairarapa, on Tuesday night. The Minister said that while he did not believe taxation should' be in excess of requirements, he thought the petrol tax Avas a move in: the right direction. The tax.had been levied to prevent taxation on Tural districts going any higher, as calculations made by the Public Works Department showed that, on the same basis as they existed to-day, the rates in 1930 Avould be double what they were now. Rates on the unimproved value in some deteriorated areas were as high as one shilling in the £, and 1 the Government had realised that unless the petrol tax was introduced, rural districts would be required to carry overwhelming burdens. “I am not going to say that the tax is going to be sufficient,” said the Minister, “but I am sure of this: if the roads cannot be maintained, then there will have to be a higher tax than fourpen.ee—and the motorist will be the first to ask for it, in order to have hotter roads. In this connection I would -say that I believe the result of better roading has, on the whole, been a saving to the man with his motor car, and although it seems a big tax to pay, those who are using tar-sealed roads tell me that the life of some classes of tyres has increased from 4500 miles to as high as 9000 miles. ”