LOCAL & GENERAL

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 36, 26 January 1932, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL

A Press Association message yesterday gave R. Watkins, who was third in the Intermediate 440 yards swimming championship, as being from Wanganui, instead of which he was representing Hastings, H.B.

The secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department, Mr G. McNamara, received the following warning broadcast by Suva radio at 8.50 last night: “A hurricane south-west of Cape Washington is apparently moving south-east.

Stoats have greatly increased in numbers in Taranaki in recent years. Where properties were immune from them a year ago they have since made then appearance and their presence is felt in the destruction of young poultry and the eating of eggs.

“Although we are going to shear this lamb, we want to temper the wind. It is the only way to keep him up to his obligations,’’ said counsel during the hearing of a maintenance case in the Magistrate’s Court at Wellington yesterday. Mr W. H. Woodward, S.M.: “Is it a lamb or a black sheep?’’

At tho carnival to be held undei the auspices of the Mahora Swimming Club On Thursday night, one of the interesting items will be a committeemen's race. There is also a challenge issued to any polo team which cares to compete.

The Marine Department announced that Captain G. Wilkinson and Mr F. W. Grainger had been appointed assessors for the magisterial inquiry to be held shortly at Wellington into the loss of the small motor ship Kotiti. No date has been fixed for the inquiry.

A Mangorei (Taranaki) settler heard an unusual noise in his orchard a few nights ago, and, on investigating, found an opossum calmly eating the young shoots of a lemon tree. The marsupials often eat the young shoots of roses and deciduous trees, but a case of their tackling the leaves of the somewhat prickly lemon tree has not previously been reported.

The Mt. Roskill Road Board, which has been one of the largest employers of relief labour in Auckland, has decided that it cannot carry on at the same scale, and that after this mouth it will not give relief work to any but residents and ratepayers. On the average it has been employing 900 men. In future, there will be work for 200 men only.—Press Association.

Heavy loss through fire was sustained by Mrs Lindsay Johnstone, of Whatawhata, Waikato, at an early hour on Saturday morning, when the wool shed, a well-known landmark on the Hanulton-Ilaglan road at Whatawhata, was totally destroyed, togethei with over 100 bales of wool. The wool, which represented the season’s clip, was ready for shipment and was not insured. Shearing machinery stored in the shed was also destroyed. The shed and machinery were insured. The loss in wool alone is estimated at between £5OO and £6OO. No light can be thrown on the origin of the outbreak.

It is being told about town (says the Hokitika “Guardian’’) that a joyrider who was charged 12/6 for a few minutes’ jaunt in the aeroplane the other afternoon, on coming down told the airman that it was robbery to charge such a sum for such a short ride. The airman asked him if he would like another free ride and he willingly accepted the offer. Up in the air they went again, and those on the ground were entranced by seeing a great stunting exhibition that lasted nearly half tin hour- looping the loop, side slipping, swerving, and nthei hairraisin. stunts, following in quick succession. When the plane came down the passenger had hud apparently more than value for his money, ns lie was a sick man indeed, and had to he helped out of the machine, the stunting having proved too much for his “innards.”

A cable from Geneva states that owing to economies, work on the new League of Nations’ Palace has been suspended. Sybil Thorndike and her husband, Lewis Casson, are leaving in March, playing in Egypt, Palestine, Australia, New Zealand, the Argentine and Canada, states a London cable. J. W. Simpson, of Uray’s road, Hastings, a pupil of the Wanganui Technical College, was successful at the recent B. Com. examinations m the following subjects:—Book-keeping 1., Economics, Mercantile Law 1., Bankruptcy Law, Company Law. The Hawke’s Buy Rehabilitation Committee is to meet in Napier to-mor-row, when a further large batch of ap plications for financial assistance under the provisions of the Hawke’s Bay Earthquake Act will be considered. It is considered probable that this session will last at least until the end of this week. The Dunedin Chamber of Commerce has decided that if the Government is unable to proceed with the erection of the new i'ost Cilice, no other public buildings of any magnitude should be undertaken throughout the Dominion, and that the Dunedin Post Office shouhi have preference over all such buildings.—Press Association. A letter advising her that she has won a sum amounting to £660 in the Irish sweepstake was received early in the week by Miss Grace Brown, of Culverden, states the Christchurch ■‘Pressl” Miss Brown knew nothing of her good fortune when news of the bigger prize-winners was cabled, and had abandoned any hope of being the holder of a winning ticket. A gift of four acres of land for recreation purposes has been made to the borotigh of Otahuhu by Mr James Murphy, of Great South road, Otahuhu. Air Murphy, who is 88 years of age, is the oldest resident of the town and is one of the original settlers. He arrived in New Zealand on the ship Ann in 1848 and his association with the Otahuhu district dates from that year.

Air F. C. Wilkinson, of Hastings, has kindly offered to receive entries for the Dannevirke Show, to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, 9th and 10th February. Mr Wilkinson has all particulars and any inquiries made to him will be attended to immediately. Those who are desirous of making entries for the show should do so before the catalogue goes to print on Monday.

The Hawke’s Bay County Council notifies ratepayers that a rebate of 121 per cent, will be made on the current year’s county rates (that is to say, rates for the period commenced on April 1, 1931, and ending on March 31, 1932), if such rates are paid before March 31 1932. Those who have already paid the current year’s rates, will receive a refund of 12} per cent, on making application for same (supported by the council’s official receipt) at the county office, Napier.

Nine hundred lessees of sheep holdings in Queensland have been granted a reduction of 25 per cent, in their annual rents, and their leases extended under the Government’s scheme for the relief of the wool industry, and trading banks and wool firms have agreed to grant an average reduction of 1 per cent, on clients’ overdrafts. The reduction granted so far to graziers represent an annual concession in rent of about £26,000. Concessions have also been granted to cattle graziers in the matter of extension of leases in some cases, and re-assess-ment of rentals in others.