LOCAL & GENERAL

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 93, 3 April 1934, Page 6

LOCAL & GENERAL

Over 100 delegates from all parts of the Dominion met at Christchurch yesterday for the annual conference of the New Zealand Labour Party. The president, Mr. F. Langstone, M.P., presided. The proceedings were not open to the Press. —Press Association.

An exceptionally large number of holiday-makers returned home from Hastings by the mail train this morning. The twelve carriages were crowded, many passengers being unable to obtain seats. The Wellington cricketers and those who had been attending the Bible Class camps were accorded rousing cheers as the train pulled out.

Completely blocking the roadway between Upper Hutt and Waikanae, a slip, estimated to contain 2000 cubic yards of metal, came down on Sunday night. The slip is about seven miles north of the Brown Owl corner, and the Wellington Automobile Club expects that it will be Wednesday before even a track can be cut through it,

On Sunday afternoon about 130 firemen who have been attending the annual firemen’s demonstration at Waipukurau journeyed to Hastings, where they were the guests of the local firemen at afternoon tea. Thanks are due to the wives of the firemen, who provided a dainty spread. After a pleasant time the party returned to Waipukurau. They were most -appreciative of the hospitality extended to them.

It is unusual at cricket to see botli umpires struck with the ball in one afternoon, but this happened yesterday during the cricket match Wellington Women representatives v. a Naval Squadron XI. at the Wellington College grounds. Both incidents happened while the Navy team was batting, the batsmen being a little awkward at the wicket, as they had to bat with the opposite hand to that which they normally use. When a full toss from a Navy bowler struck e, woman “batsman,’’ quite unintended, the spectators made humorous references to Larwoodian tactics.

Building permits to the value of £92,349, the highest monthly total since August, 1930, were issued by the Auckland City Council during March. The new block at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital accounted for about £60,000 of the total, but several othe. works of considerable magnitude were inaugurated during the month. The figures indicate a gradual improvement in the building trade, which has been “in the doldrums” for the past four years. Probably no other trade was so severely affected by the depression, and the revival now evident is regarded as indicative of an improvement in general trade.

One of the largest cargoes of produce to be sent from New Zealand was despatched for London by the Blue Star Line steamer Dorie Star, which sailed from Auckland on Saturday evening. The vessel loaded at Gisborne, Napier, Wanganui and Auckland and the cargo included large quantities of refrigerated meat, butter and cheese, as well as wool and general cargo. She also has about 1500 quarters of chilled beef, the fourth shipment from Auckland. The vessel’s six holds, with a capacity of 700,000 cubic feet, are all fully loaded and she was well down to her loading marks when she left.

An arrangement has been completed for the vesting of the control and management of the Civic Theatre, Auckland, as from June 1, in Amalgamated Theatres. Limited, of which company Mr. M. J. Moodabe is the governing director. The Civic Theatre, which is admitted to he the most lavishly designed and equipped Theatre in New Zealand, will be the largest of the Amalgamated Theatres' chain of 42 theatres throughout the Dominion. The Strand Theatre, which lias lately been associated with the Civic Theatre’s management, will also come under the control of Amalgamated Theatres, whose first release houses in Auckland will be the Civie, Plaza, Strand. Roxy and Tivoli theatres. Mr. Moodabe preferred to make no statement concerning the policy to he followed in his new theatres, but said he hoped to announce very shortly plans which would open up “a new era of cinema entertainment in Auckland.”

Harry Capewell, station cook, aged 63, who has been charged with the murder of John Williams, at Porangahau, on March 11, was again remanded in the Napier Police Court this morning. He will appear at Waipukurau on April 18.

One of the most important sales of its kind to be held in Napier for many years, will take place shortly, when McGlashan’s Ltd. will hold a sale of 100 genuine eiderdown quilts, double and single. These quilts are of the latest and best designs, and every quilt will be sold to the highest bidder, so that the sale will offer an exceptional opportunity to buyers.

The Hastings Assembly Hall was the scene of a very happy function last evening, when the New Relief Workers’ Association held a plain and fancy dress ball. The bright music supplied by Les Henry’s orchestra contributed largely to the enjoyment of the evening. Mr. Lorrigan’s catering left nothing to be desired in this importdepartment. The prizes for fancy costume were won by Mrs. H. Wall, Queen Anne period, and Mr. Carter, Pierrot. Mrs. R. Lorrigan was the judge. Messrs Smith and Minogue as M.C.’s kept the ball moving, and as a happy wind-up to the Easter festivities it was most successful.

Racing 1b full ot interesting incidents, and the victory of Lady Kyra in the Onslow Stakes at Ellerslie on Saturday recalled a lucky investment made by her owner, Mr H. E. Cleland. When present at the Wellington Cup meeting twelve months ago last January, Mr Cleland had £1 on a winner paying £22, and there and then he decided that if there were any cheap lots offering at the yearling sales at Trentham next day he would be a buyer. When a filly by Lord Warden —Blonde was paraded she attracted so little attention that Mr Cleland’s bid of a “tenner” secured her for him. She has proved a good investment, as she has won twice in her three starts.

The erection of su archway at ttie entrance to the bridge over the Paarenga stream at Whakarewarewa was finished last week. The structure consists of two posts of carved totara, which were specially selected, being 17ft. by 24in. by Bin. There are two cross pieces of totara carved in a. tracery design, while the carving on the posts consists of figures and Maori designs, which are a reproduction of the carvings of tha olden times. The work was executed at the Rotorua Maori Arts and Crafts School, and is a splendid example of the Maori carvers’ art. The word “Haeremai” is carved on ohe side of the cross pieces and “Haerera” on the other side. The reading at the other end of the bridge leads to the native village and the Government reserve.

Concern at the amount of unemployment among returned soldiers was expressed at a meeting of the executive of the Auckland Returned Soldiers' Association. It was reported that the problem was extremely vital at present, and the association was alarmed at the position of married returned men with families. The executive decided to refer all data relating to the position in the Auckland district to the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association, requesting that the subject should receive the urgent consideration of that organisation, and that action should be taken to bring about an improvement in the situation. The cooperation of returned soldiers’ associations throughout the Dominion is being sought.

The number of calls received by the Wellington Fire Brigade between April 1, 1933, and March 30, 1934, wan 754 as compared with 737 for the preceding year. A detailed comparison in as folows:—Property fires 1932-33 1(15, 1933 34 171; gorse, grass, rubbish, 1932-33 203, 1933-34 276; chimneys, 1932-33 95, 1933-34 72; justifiable false alarms, 1932-33 146, 1933-34 86; malarious false alarms, 1932-33 128, 1933-34 149. Perhaps the most unsatisfactory feature of the returns is the number of false alarms. While the number of false calls has, on the aggregrate, been reduced this year, the number of malarious false alarms is 21 greater than for the preceding year. At the same time the number of justifiable false alarms has decreased by nearly half.

An excellent piece of tunnelling, worthy of the best skill of the goldfields, is being carried out near the summit of Mount Hobson. It is necessary for the valves on the service pipes from the new reservoir now being built on the mountain to be kept below the level of the floor of the reservoir and, in order that they may be easily reached, they are to be placed in this tunnel. A feature of this work is the strong timbering necessary to support the loosely-knit scoria deposit at this point and pinus insignus poles and slabs are being used throughout. The tunnel has a height of nine feet, but the concrete lining to be inserted will have an inside width of seven feet and a height of seven feet. As the work proceeds the space between the concrete lining and the lop of tho tunnel wifi be packed frith spoil.

A copy of the Gloucester Journal of February 10, 1746, published by Mr. R. Raikes, father of Mr. Robert Raikes, pioneer of the Sunday school movement, was on view at the last meeting of the Auckland Sunday School Union. The paper is still being published and is one of the oldest county papers in England. The copy now in the possession of the union is somewhat mutilated, but the whole of the two-page issue can be read quite distinctly. Among the strange and interesting paragraphs is an item concerning a sea-creature which can vie with the modern Loch Ness monster. The paragraph states: “We hear from the north that some days ago a sen-creature, known by the name of mermaid, which has the shape of a human body from the trunk but below is wholly fish was carried some miles up th« watar of Denon.”