LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 5 December 1929, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The two-year-okl son of K. .1 Biddick, Tuakau, died in hospital yesterday from scalding caused by falling into a hath of boiling water before his mother had time to add cold water. The parliamentary committee investigating the education system arrived at Camara yesterday and lunched with the l Rotary Club. The party inspected the Waitaki Boys’ and Girls’ High Schools and took evidence”in camera last nigjht. George Gaili Miller was charged at the Oaima.ru Police Court yesterday with a serious offence against a girl undter 12 years of age. He was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Bail wias allowed. The Wellington City Council has accepted a tender for the construction in reinforced concrete of a structure to replace the Keiburn viaduct. The price is £21,439. Charged at Hamilton with being intoxicated while in charge of a car, William Edward Moms, a. benzine pump fitter, was fined £lO and his license was cancelled for six months. Defendant drove a car on an erratic course and went over a bank. Mrs Jessie Partington, aged 53, wife of a gaol warder at Wanganui, was missed from her home early yesterday morning, arid her body was found washed ashore at Castleoliff in the

afternoon. It is believed she. jumped into the river near the town bridge, the tide carrying the body to the sea, a distance of five or .six miles. A'U electric linesman, named Arthur Benton, single, aged 4Q, and residing in Dunedin, was engaged with two other workmen yesterday afternoon at Maungahau, near Mosgiel, putting a transmission line on to the main line from Waipori to. Dunedin, when he was electrocuted. The new line was being hauled across the main line, which _was carrying 35,000 volts. Benton’s hand apparently came in contact with the bare. wire. A public meeting was held in the Norman by Town Hall (states our correspondent) to .make .arrangements for a farewell evening to Mr T. Beaton, who. is leaving the district. Mr H. Crocker presided'. It was decided that the function should take the nature of a social and dance, and Mr C. J. Preston, chairman, of the Town Board, is to be asked to make a presentation, while several other well-known residents are Ao speak. The demonstration of Mr O. Robertson’s Simplicity attachment for mowing machines, given on Mr D. Preece’si .farm at Matapu yesterday, was attended by a. large gathering of interested farmers, to whom a number of sales were made. Though heavy rain land high wind militated against the work of the appliance, a good impression was as the exhibition was subject to the worst possible conditions. The. treatment of overhanging and tangjied crop by the device was considered highly satisfactory. « A new ferro-eoncrete bridge over the Pareora River on the main Ghrist-church-Dunedin highway was officially opened for traffic yesterday in the presence of a large gathering of the public and representatives of local bodies from Ashburton to Oamaru. The estimated cost of the bridge, which was constructed by the Public Works Department, was £15,000, hut the completed cost was £11,400. Of this amount the Highways Board is finding £7600. In the absence of the Minister of Public Works the bridge was opened by Mr J. Bitchener, M.P. for Waitaki.

The rival claims -oi the wife and the unmarried consort to. the estate or itichard Stevens deceased, farmer, or Te lvuiti, were decided! by Mr Justice Hiandman in the Supreme Court at nami»ton yesterday. He granted a declaration that Stevens’ farm, held by the Public Trustee in trust for Amelia Alice Far well, with whom deceased lived as husband sino© 1909, having two daughters by her, should! go to F.arwelh Stevens, while in the Navy, married a Malta girl in 1a92. Slhe and her son still survive. Stevens had not communicated with her since 1909. The money Tilth which the farm was bought was taken from Harwell's savings bank account, representing partly her own money and partly the profit on a home which they bought and sold at Wanganui. The widow at Malta had already received Stevens’ £2OO life insurance, but His Honour decided that FarweCl was ■entitled to the farm property. Stevens died intestate. Members of the operating staff of the Auckland telegraph office are greatly perturbed at an inquiry in progress relating to conversations over their social telephone during the course of the Takapuna Jockey Club’s spring meeting. It is stated that this telephone was “tapped” by means of a duplicate wire, which was switched on to the line, and that an officer or officers “listened-in” to the conversations. As a result two inspectors have come from Wellington to interrogate all members of the staff who used their telephone on Saturday and Monday, particular attention being paid to talks having a bearing on racing and betting. The members interrogated are being confronted with a note of their exact conversation and that- of the persons at the other end of the social wire.