Local and General.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIV, Issue 80, 12 March 1924, Page 4

Local and General.

Owing to Air. R. W. Dyer, S.AI., being unable to get through from Napier, there way no sitting of the Hastings Magistrate’s Court to-day.

The meeting of citizens in connection with the Hastings Hospital which was called for yesterday afternoon, has been postponed until to-morrow in the Council Chambers at 3-30 pm.

In reply to a question by Mr B. B Creagh at yesterday’s meeting of the Napier Harbour Board, the engineer (Mr Huntley) said that th© depth at low water at West Quay .would be 20 feet, this giving berthage for vessels drawing 19 feet.

At a public meeting of ratepayers of Dunedin city last night, it was decided to heartily approve of the proposal to raise a loan of £200,000 for street works, to be borrowed at the rate of £40,000 per year. A poll will bo taken on Friday.

“If we want to give the shipping companys a chance, we should get better trucks.” said Mr B. B- Creagh at yesterday’s meeting of the Napier Harbour Board- “Our present trucks are both obsolete and dangerous. It is a shame the way that the work of the port is hampered by out of date trucks.’’ Mr A. E. Jull explained that the outrageous price asked by the Railway Department prevented the Board, purchasing trucks- The secretary was instructed to report to tho next meeting on the supply of trucks.

The danger of a person handling the telescopic rails between carriages when the speed of the train is being changed was emphasised by a particularly painful accident which occurred on a Lower Hutt train as it was slowing up at Lambton station on Thursday (says the New Zealand “Times.”) A boy, passing from, one carriage to the other, grasped the side-rail to steady himself , and as tho train eased up the rail telescoped and cut the tops off two of his fingers.

Judicial ignorance of the common 'places in life is a feature of courts of justice in the Old Country, but NewZealand judges do not always follow English practice in this respect. However, the rule was carried out in tho Auckland Supreme Court last Monday by Mr Justice Herdman, who combined with his assured ignorance a touch of that quiet humour which will ultimately entitle His Honour to recognitoin as ono of our wittiest judges (states the “Star”). A shopkeeper was giving evidence about business being poor. It was so bad, she said, that she decided to hold a sale!” exclaimed His Honour. “What is a sale?” “You mark down the goods,” explained witness. “Do the customers got the goods cheaper or denier when you have a sale?” asked the judge. “Oh! cheaper!” was the reply. “I have often wondered!” said His Honour, half to himself.

I A remarkable phenomenon was witnessed near Blockhouse Bay. Manakau harbour, yesterday afternoon, when a waterspout of considerable size, ac- ( companied by at least half a dozen smaller ones, appeared travelling to the westward between two and three < miles during the five minutes they • were visible. While the large one re- • mained at the same height, the smaller ones appeared to rise and fall. They were blotted out by rain accompanied by hail, thunder and lightning. The rain is said to be the heaviest ever experienced in the district. It lasted twenty minutes and Hooded the Avondale South.school to a depth of half an inch. I Th© licensing question was before the annual conference of commercial travellers at Wellington, yesterday. A I resolution was proposed that the Prime ; Minister bring down legislation with I reference to the representations of the special Parliamentary committee on the Licensing Act. Mr. Al. A. Carr (Wellington), who moved the resoluItibn, said the country was suffering i from want of accommodation. Many people who would visit New Zealand to view its scenic beauties were pre- ! vented by inadequacy of accommoda*tion, which was worse than it was '2O years ago. The trouble was the (triennial licensing poll. He believed a i longer tenure would do good. Relf or ill, not abolition, was what was I urgently needed. The resolution was f generally approved bf and carried unanimously.