LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 24 January 1929, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Under the Child Welfare branch of the Hawera Magistrate’s Court a Maori boy, aged 15 years, was this morning dealt with for the theft of a gold wristlet watcli from the clothing of a bather at Ohawe beach. On the recommendation of the Child Welfare i Officer the bov was placed under supervision for a period of two years. A condition imposed is that he is to attend school regularly. No suggestion was made that the offender, who admitted the theft and returned the stolen property, had been guilty of * other offences.

Miss S. Patterson, of the Lower Winks Road, Manaia, had a very fortunate escape from injury yesterday afternoon when a sedan car- she was driving along the South Roadi near the Ivearin Road l skidded and capsized, landing on its bonnet against the boxthorn hedge with the wheels facing the road. It is understood that Miss Patterson escaped with only minor bruises, while the ear was damaged to a comparatively light extent considering the nature of the mishap, a broken front wheel and windscreen, together'with damage to the hood, being ths- only evidence.

Tt is understood that steps will lie taken shortly by supporters of the nolicense movement in Ashburton to test the legality of the action o.f the 1 Ashburton Club in opening its bar under the charter granted to the club before the district carried no-license in 1903 (says a southern exchange). The grounds of the action are’ said to be that the club failed to pay its charter fees, regularly during the period in which tlj.e district was under no--1 u'C.nso, and that, therefore, the charter lapsed. It is alleged that, at times the fees were considerably in arrears, and that the club, therefore, automatically lost its charter. After Ashburton became “wet” as a result of inclusion in the Mid-Canterbury electorate, lqg&l advice was obtained by the club to the effect that it was entitled to open its bar. This advice tns been acted upon, hut the no-li'-ense advocates are not satisfied with the position, and do not intend, to let the matter rest where it is at present. It is considered likely that the matter will be discussed by Cabinet.

j T-hta picture entertainmont atfc the ) Grand Theatre last night was- interrupt- ’ ed owing to- a. small outbreak of fire in the operating box. During the screening of the principal picture the film ignited. The automatic shutters' sealing the operator's box aided immediately, precluding any possibility of the flames spreading to the theatre. Only some twenty feet of film was destroyed, though the. odour it gave off may have given the impression that a much greater quantity was burned. The quick usta of a chemical fire extinguisher put out the flames within a few seconds and the pro-gramme was resumed after some fifteen minutes’ in-' terruption. Their© wais no suggestion of 1 alarm on the part of the audience, who) waited patiently till the screening of the picture Was reeommenloed.; The announcement that triplets were born last week at Tokomaru, seven miles from Palmerston North, revives the question of maternity bonuses. It is not generally known that the New Zealand Government provides every mother of triplets with a Karitane nurse. The services of the nurse are free of ,charge for the first 12 months, and the nurse has a. fulltime job with, the triplets. An official of the Health Department told an “Auckland Star” representative that no mother of triplets has yet declined the help of the nurse. The efficiency of Karitane nurses in tire care of babies is iso well known that it goes without saying that New Zealand’s gift to the mother of triplets is much more valuable than the King’s present of £lO, which is paid' in England. A sensational incident, whack, carried a second further, would have resulted in the certain injury and 1 probable death of an office boy, 'aged about 14, occurred in a city warehouse last week. Tire lad had dispatched tire goods lift from the first floor, intending ito- send, it to the floor be’ow. Instead, however', the lift began to ascend. The boys, who was leaning forward, on noticing that the lift was rising, drew backwards, but was. -struck on -th-e- back by the- ga-tes 1 . He Shouted for help. His call attracted prompt attention, but before the lift, controlled by the ropes, could be stopped, the youth had been lifted off Ms feet, Ills neck being caught between the rising lift floor and the gates. Luckily, two emp’oyees, one on the ground floor, the other on the- floor above, acted quickly and stopped the lift before the boy was dragged- to the ceiling. He was released from the stranglehold suffering only from minor bruises to the neck. In another instant bis fate would almost certainly have been sealed.

At the grand ball in the Mokoia Hall on Tuesday the winners of the novelty dances were Miss Holden and Mr A. Forbes in the first (Monte Carlo) and Mr W. Kirk and partner in the second.