LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 8 March 1929, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Of 117 third-class passengers on the Mataroa, which arrived at Auckland from London late on Wednesday night, only 88 were assisted immigrants. Owing to the unfavourable weather the Auroa Bible Class picnic, which i was to have been held on Wednesday at the mountain reserve, lias been indefinitely postponed. John Bell, miner, single, employed at the Westport Coal Company’s Mii-le-rton mine, was killed on Wednesday through an inrush of boiling water from a fire section m the mine. The stopping broke away and boilng water flowed into the place where Bell was working.—Press Association. On the motion of Mr L. A. Taylor presented in the Supreme Court at New Plymouth yesterday a decree absolute was pronounced in the divorce petition of Emily Wasley, of Hawera, against her husband William David Wasley. The petitioner was by the decree nisi granted custody of the children, and as she has an order of the Magistrate’s Court in her favour for the custody of the children no application was made yesterday to the Supreme Court to make any additional order. During the recent band contest in Wanganui a meeting of band secretaries was convened by Mr W. Hawkins, of Hawera, the object being to form an association for the betterment of band affairs. The meeting was well attended, there being 26 secretaries present. The project was given unanimous support, and headquarters were fixed at Wanganui, Mr J. Nicholls being appointed secretary. The new organisation will be known as the Band Secretaries’ Association, and all bands not represented at the meeting are to be circularised with a view to further action.

The Patea Queen Carnival was brought to a successful conclusion on Tuesday by an exceptionally fine concert organised by Miss Marion Hamer-t-pn. While the concert was in progress the votes for the respective candidates were counted, Miss Betty Gibbs with 13,508 being the winner, while Miss Margaret Naismith polled 0576 votes. His Worship the Mayor, in announcing the results, congratulated the winner and runner-up and their committees on the excellent contest. He then called for three cheers for the Misses Gibbs and Naismith, which were heartily given by the large 'audience. As a result of the carnival a sum of close on £3OO will he available for beach improvements.

For the southern ward of the Taranaki Education Board three nominations have been received, those of John Cocker, Rawhitiroa; Fred Gawith, F.R.A.S., Turuturu; William Malcolm Thomson, M.D.. Hawera. The election will lie held on March 27. In the meantime parcels of voting papers will be forwarded to the chairman of each committee in the two wards for distribution among committeemen. After being filled in the papers will lie posted to Mr H. W. 'nsnll. secretary of the Education Board, the postmark to be a date not later than March 27. Fourteen days after the papers will he opened and counted.

Three coins possessed by Mr. L. A. Jennings, of Fraser Road, were shown to a “Hawera Star” reported this morning. They were a half farthing, dated 1827, a quarter farthing of 1839 and a coin of the Isle of Guernsey termed a “Double”. The “double” is of bronze and on tbs face the value and date are marked. On the reverse it bears a shield displaying three lions much ant. The coin is the size of a

s’vp'oic'n The half farthing is a George TV with Brittania on the reverse side. The quarter farthing is about two thirds the size of a threepenny piece ami hears the head of Queen Victoria • ••i ■ n» side with a crown and the lettered value of the coin on the other.