LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 2 June 1928, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Otira tunnel traffic figures for the present week constitute a record, being in the neighbourhood l of 13,000 tons (states a Greymouth message). The four-year-old sou of Mr J. D. McKay, of Eltham, while playing on the footpath in front, of the Central Hotel yesterday, tripped and fell down the hotel cellar, the trapdoor of which was open. Severe scalp wounds and concussion necessitated his removal to hospital, where, at latest reports, he was progressing favourably.

A locomotive roundhouse at Elmer Lane, an up-to-date structure, is being formally opened on Monday, states a Greymouth message. The local committee recommends as a name for the new railway’ station to replace Elmer Lane and Kararo stations, that of “Rouayne,” in memory of the late Mr Thomas Ronuyne, pioneer railway manager here, and later General Manager for New Zealand Railways. The Feilding Collie Club dog trials have been concluded. Results were: Short head, drive and yard, 300 yards ; time limit, 15min. —W. V. Mclntyre's Heather (Inglewood), 58J points, 1; C. Thom’s Miss Gloaming (Dannevirke), 58 points. 2; H. H. Harris’ Brigadier Bill (Mataroa), 571 points, 3. Huntaway and slew, 400 yards; time limit, 12min.—L. Lang’s Don (Dannevirke), 42 points, 1 ; A. Bis sett’s Las® (Pahiatua), 36 points, 2; A. McNae’s Tip (Feilding), 29 points, 3. . The pa:st .week has been a busy one for the Railway Department, the public generally .takimg full advantage of the cheap excursion fares now obtainable. Evidence of the increasing popularity of the railway for passenger traffic was shown by the fact that on three occasions this week an extra carriage had to bo put on the south express train at Hawera.

Some excitement was caused on Waikanae beach at Gisborne last evening. While a. lighter with a crew of eight men aboard was being towed in, alter loading the liner Alatakana, the towline failed and despite the efforts of the tug to rig another line the lighter quickly drifted into the breakers. The night was very stormy and a very heavy sea was running. Seeing the position appeared .serious, two members of the harbour board staff, R. Morse and Rj. Patty, and a third man named R. Mortimer, went into, the breakers and after numerous attempts got a line aboard the lighter, by which means the crew were eventually brought ashore.

•‘When is the next move to be made in the changing of the name of the town?” asked Mr. R. A. Noedl at the last, meeting of .the council oi the Palmerston North Chamber of merce. The president (Mr. W. A. Elliott) stated that it was proposed to take action at the same time as the Borough Council moved to have the town proclaimed a city 7. A populationof 20,00{) was needed for that, and the time when Palmerston North would reach that figure was very near. In onneetion with the changing of the name of the town, Mr. James Cowan, a well-known authority on early New Zealand history, has written in a recent publication as follows: ‘‘The only fault one has to find with the wide-spreading place of fine buildings and shady parks and bright flower gardens is its inappropriate and meaningless name. ‘ Manawatu’ lias often been suggested as the fitting name for the town, and it would become it exceeding! v well. As the metropolis of the wealthy farming district of the Manawatu "Plains, it could bear no more convenient and euphonious name.”

The Rangitikei County Council has for some time past taken a lively interst in good roads movement, and at its last meeting adopted a scheme, for submission to its ratepayers, put forward by its engineer, Mr. S. A. R. Mair, for the improvement of 164 miles of roads in the county area. If carried out the scheme will be one of llie biggest rogding projects in the Dominion, what is proposed is a seven-year programme for bituminous surfacing on the highways in the Rangitikei-Wangamui" area to bo financed by means of a local motor tax similar to the old Hutt road tax; The extra .revenue available for rural roads in consequence of the petrol tax imposed later in the year has made the proposed local tax unnecessary, and Mr. Mair now proposes, a seven-year programme for bringing the highways in Rangitikei County up to modern standards. The total cost of the work is estimated at £240,000. Of this sum £98,630 will be .spent in widening and preparing the roads for bituminous treatment, and £141,370 will be expended in the bituminous surface treatments. Under the present subsidy basis of the Main Highways Board a contribution of .approximately £141,119 will be due from the Highways- Fund, and the county will have to find £98.921.