LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 103, 16 April 1912, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr. T. Cotter, formerly 7 of the Masonic Hotel, Dannevirke, entered into possession of the Grand Hotel, Hastings, yesterday 7 . The final general meeting of the delegates appointed to the Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union in 1911 will be held on Thursday evening in the Caledonian Hotel at 8 o’clock.

The usual monthly 7 meeting of the Mahora Sqhool Committee which should have been held last evening lapsed for want of a quorum. Thos. Shute, alias Simms, was arrested at Gisborne this morning on a warrant issued on June 2, 1910, charging him with using obscene language at Mercer. He was remanded for a week.

Messrs. Gardiner and Douglas have been appointed brokers to the Taranaki (N.Z.) Oil Wells, Ltd., and have full particulars at their office, “Tribune” Buildings, Karamu road, Hastings, where any intending investor can obtain prospectus, analysis of oil, map of district, etc.

In reply 7 to a question from Mr. Clark at the Harbour Board meeting this morning, the chairman, Mr. Jull, stated that a few more pounds than £7OOO had been spent on the experiment with the Whakarire. It was decided that a detailed statement should be made out showing the work done at the shoal and at the breakwater and the cost involved.

Nearly 7 100 prisoners at Lyttelton gaol refused to go to work yesterday, objecting to the system of searching when they 7 returned to gaol from outside. The visiting justices were summoned, but could do no good. A large posse of police was obtained trom Christchurch, together with a detachment of Permanent Artillerymen. The sight of this force induced the prisoners to submit to being locked up for the night. The Inspector of Prisons arrived this morning to make enquiry.

A horse attached to one of Mr. G. Findlay’s bread carts bolted whilst the driver was calling on a customer in Heretaunga street, Hastings, yesterday. After touring a number of streets, the runaway made for home, but in negotiating the corner of Avenue road and Warren i tre< I, the trap overbalanced and a few yards further on both horse and cart turned turtle. Willing bands extricated the horse and righted the vehicle and neither suffered any serious damage.

Notwithstanding the warnings which have appeared from time/ to time in the press, the wholesale mutilation of newspapers, both daily and weekly, continues at the Hastings Public Library. The attention of ,n reporter was this morning drawn to a copy of the “Australasian,” from which the illustrated pages had been removed. Also several newspapers from which long clippings had been cut. It has been suggested that the Library authorities should employ a private detective in order to watch for offenders,’ and in the event of a conviction a salutary fine might prove a deterrent to further pillaging.

A start has been made to fill in the swainpv portion oi Nelson Park.

’lhe quartcih meeting of the Napii i ( i , mb< i of Commerce will be held on Thursday.

It is understood that all is quiet and normal at 1 vttclton Gaol to-day. 3h( Inspectoi of Pr sons is holding an inquiry into veterday’s strike. The 1 aboui Depntnient at Napu i intends putting on 50 extra men to cuv n the <<n tiuct'on f the fii t cct on f tic picposed Fast Coast railway. C ij tmi I ist of le ( o c nmnt nu i Ti tin 1 u and (. q tain lick il i dot Ivin appointed assessors on the* magisterial inenurv to be hetd on j-ridav into the stranding ot the Steamer Himitai’gi at tne (_ hatnanis.

Tlie following are the Hospital returns for tne week ended Saturday i h I In at 1 aa e IJ males, as females : admitted during week, 15 mil J 1 in les di chuged 6 tmur s. ■/ rcmales : died, -t males. Remaining at date. o 4 males. 40 female"

As the result of an interview which the- Mayor of Hascmss had v h Mr J Old tun ch c f clc t c a] engineer to the New Zealand Post and Telegraph Department, yestern.av. t-'.cv Hastings Borough Council h:t:i been granted the use of the Denartment telegraph pole's for attaching wires for the electric scheme and otlier concessions which will save the eoiiiieil an expenditure of about £290.

.anomer ourgiary was uuueu co Auckland’s already long list on Sunday night, when a house in St. George’s Bay road was. entered. The house: had been used as an office'by a drainage contractor, and this morning a small safe, which had been placed in one of the rooms, was found in the adjoining paddock. The lock was broken ami a sum of .about £G stolen. The books' and papers wore scattered over the paddock.

A man named Robert Purcell, who now lies in the Auckland Hospital with a broken leg, made a statement to the police in which he alleged that another man was wilfully responsible for his injuries. His assailant, he stated, suspected that he possessed money, and threw him heavily on the pavement in Queen street on Saturday evening, then making oft’. Purcell at the time was only’ able to walk with the assistance of crutches, because of a similar injury received by him some months ago.

Michael James McDermott, who was fined for drunkenness at the Hastings Police Court yesterday morning, repeated the offence later in the day, and made his re-appear-ance before Messrs. Gascoyne and C. Hughes, J.’sP., this morning, when he was fined £l, or in default 24 hours in the lock-up. Thomas Tracy, alias Gardiner, alias Collins, for a second offence within a month, was similarly dealt with. Two first offenders had their bail, £1 each, estreated. A prohibition order vva< issued against a local resident on his own application. Our Wellington correspondent telegraphs to-day that nearly 1500 appeals against the proposed classification of the public service have been received. They will be returned to the heads of the various departments for a report on each case, which will probably’ take till the end of the month, and then they 7 will be considered by the Minister of Internal Affairs and finally dealt with by the Government. It is understood that a large number of the appeals deal with questions of principle and are not based on a claim that the appellant has not been fairly treated.

A young foreigner named Paul Haller was charged at the Auckland Police Court yesterday with having caused Arthur Thomas, a carter, actual bodily harm. The men occupied a hut in Epsom. One evening an altercation occurred, and Haller, using an offensive expression, had his nose pulled by Thomas. Haller retaliated by picking up a pocket knife off the bed and stabbing Thomas three or four times. Both men were sober, and Haller had subsequently expressed regret for his action. The accused, who pleaded “not guilty” and reserved his defence, wks committed for trial at the Supreme Court.

The quarterly meeting of the Railways Superanrfuation Board was held to-day. Mr. Puttick, the newlyelected representative of the second division, who replaces Mr. W. A. Veitch, M.P., took his seat for the first time. Ordinary retiring allowance. amounting to an annual charge of £2247'7/7 were granted in respect of 28 persons. Included in the amount were some small additions to allowances already granted. Allowanccs totalling £lBl a year -were granted to five widows and seven children. Refunds of contributions amounting to £2376,'6-7 were granted to contributors who had retired from tlie service before coming on the fund. It was reported that there is £230,000 standing to the credit of the fund.

When passing through Hastings vesterday morning by the mail tramthe Postmaster-General, the Hon. H G. EIL informed the Mayor (Mr. James Garnett) that in addition to the slot telephone to be placed in the box lobby of the Hastings Posi Office, it was intended to instal another near the Heretaunga street railway crossing. So far from being a disfigurement, the Mayor states tlrnt the slot will be an ornament if anything. A person wishing to use the telephone places a penny in rim slot, followed by another penny which causes a connection with tlie exchange. In the event of the <t-te:i(ia-:t being unable to obtain a ic spouse from the subscriber wai;t>'’ 1 he presses a lever at the exchange and this sets the mechanism of the slot in motion and the pennies an returned to their owner. The machine to be placed at the Post Offi.v will arrive about a week hence and the second one will be iiisia'ied : n about a month’s time.