Local and General News

Hutt News, Volume 20, Issue 44, 30 April 1947, Page 7

Local and General News

Appreciation of Hutt News. A resolution expressing appreciation of the attention given to Chamber of Commerce matters by the Hull News anil the manner in which meetings had been reported during the year was carried by acclamation at the last meeting of tho council of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Com-

merce and Industry, on the motion of Mr. E. A. Tomkies. seconded by the president, Mr. K. K. Watts.

Sfice and Grasshopper Plagues. Mice and grasshopper plagues have caused much havoc in the Mallee district of Australia. Largp areas hav* been stripped.

20,000 Boiiles Collected. A bottle drive, organised by cifbmasters, was held by the Hoy Scouts on Saturday. Over 20,000 bottles were collected, and as a result the Jamboree Fund will benefit by ovr £lon.

Clmrrli AiiAae Crosses, Little white crosses, with red poppies attached, set out on the lawn in front of It. Stephen's Presbyterian Church in Woburn Road, commemorated members of the church who lost their lives in the Great War.

Audience of 125,000. An audience of 125.000 gathered In the Botanic Gardens in Melbourne on a recent Sunday afternoon to hear a performance of Verdi's opera, "Rigoletto." This is just another indication of the present great "boom" in music in Australia.

>.'**,"> Returned to Loser. A roil of notes to the value of £BS, representing winnings at th- -1 trotting meeting at Hutt Park, were lost in Lower Hutt on Saturday night. A few minutes later the roll was picked up. taken to the police station, and returned lo the owner.

Liquor in Masterton District.

Polls will be taken in the former Masterton no-licence district on May 2S so that electors will be able to say whether or not they favour control of the liquor trade by a trust or trusts representative of, and in the interests of, the local inhabitants.

Power Quota Exceeded. The Hutt Valley Electric Power Board exceeded the allocation of power for its area during the week ended midnight on Sunday. The Board's supply engineer, Mr. J. K. Horn, states that no relaxation of the existing schedule of power cuts is possible at present.

Assistance to Boy Scouts. It was reported at a meeting of the council of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce and Industry last week that the Chamber's appeal on behaif of the Scout Jamboree Fund had realised £B6/15/-. and it was hoped to reach the target of £IOO in a few days.

Clothes Drive.

The Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce and Industry has been asked to provide men for the Petone area for the big clothes drive to be held by CORSO on May 17. At a meeting of the council last week Mr. E: A. Tomkies explained the arrangements and received the names of volunteers for the work. Mock Air Attack. A mock air attack by a single R.N.Z A.F. Harvard, co-operating in manoeuvres with regular officers and non-commissioned officers of the New Zealand Artillery, was made on several parts of the Hutt Valley on Monday. There were four crews on tlw ground handling Bofors. Their job was to reconnoitre and establish gun positions and then, theoretically destroy the attacking aircraft.

Extra Pair of Stockings. The Acting-Minister of Supply, Mr. Nordmeyer. announced last week the release ot" hosiery coupon X 302 from May 1, and an increase in the value of the coupon to make it available for the purchase of two pairs of fully-fashioned silk, art silk, or nylon stockings. Mr. Nordmeyer said that there had been a temporary accumulation of stocks of imported hosiery, and i' was desirable that these stocks should go into consumption.

Soap for Britain. The Hutt, Woburn, and Petone You'i.c Now Zealanders* Clubs were represented in a procession of nearly 1000 children, each armed with a piece of soap for the people of Britain, which marched from the Chief Post Office, Wellington, to the Embassy Theatre, on Saturday morning. The idea was sponsored by Miss Jenny Howard, of the "Artists and Models" revue company, who had promised to sing for the children at the theatre it they each brought along a piece of soap.

Pedestrian Crossing Markings. Permanent markings for pedestrian crossings were advocated by Mr. A. Brockelsby at a meeting of the council of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce and Industry last week. Mr. Brockelsby said that the roping off of crossings while lines were being painted caused congestion and inconvenience. Mr. R. H. Webster said that the system of permanent markings adopted in Wellington saved a lot of work to the Council and inconvenience to the public. It was decided to ask the City Council to adopt permanent markings.

Avon By-election

The by-election for the Avon seat, rendered necessan by the death of Gin late Hon. I). 0. Sullivan, will take place on May

Colour in Riddiford Park

Btonze and yellow chrysanthemums and flaming salvia are making a very colourful display in Riddiford

Park just now

Congratulations to .Major

Tne Hutt River Board, at its last meeting, congratulated the Mayor of Lower Hutt. Mr. J. W. Andrews, upon hi.', appointment to the Local Government Commission.

Use of Theatre Five. In returning thanks to all those who had helped to make the Anzac conevrt a success Mr. F. M. Ryan stated that the Kerrldge management had given the use of the King George Theatre free of charge. Accidents with Stoves. As a result of accidents with petrol stoves, two Lower Hutt residents were admitted to the Hutt Hospital last week suffering from burns. They were Mr. Sydney C. Smith, Marsden Street, burns to chest and arms, and Mr. T. N. McKelvle. Boulcott Street, burns on legs.

Baptist Self-denial Week.

A self-denial week was commenced by the Baptist Union of New Zealand 011 Sunday. During the week it is hoped to raise £7OOO, of which one-third will be used by the Union in New Zealand and two-thirds for foreign mission work.

Farmer Fined. In the Magistrate's Court at Lower Hutt. before Mr. H. S. Thompson. 3.M., George Patrick' Costigan, farmer. Wainui-o-Mata, was fined £.'> for feeding pigs on unboiled garbage in contravention/of the Stock Diseases Regulations.

Cost p r Hospital Bed. The Wellington Hospital Board's financial statement for 194 G-47 states that the cost per bed was £fi9.2S at the Wellington Hospital, compared with £70.2 the previous year; Hutt Hospital. £71.7 (£75.8 last year); Sllverstreara Hospital. £57.2 (£53.1 last year).

Official End of War.

As convenor of the legislation committee of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mr. N. T. Gillespie reported to the last meeting of the council that in the matter of tenancy agreements the end of war date had been fixed at May 1, 1947. This was a very important matter, as in some agreements the tenancy was defined as "until the end of the war." Delay in Mails. The opinion that letters posted in Wellington should arrive in Lower Hutt by the first mail the following day was expressed at a meeting of; the council of the Lower Hutt Chamber of Commerce and Industry last week. The matter was brought forward by Mr. H. O. Guthrie, who said that important letters sometimes did not arrive until the lunch-time mail. Mr. N...T. Gillespie stated that many people addressed letters "So-and-So. Box —. Lower Hutt, Wellington." and that was sometimes the cause of the delay.

Fun Evening for Scouts. ,A novel means of raising funds for two Scouts, Bryce Harland and Russell Mitchell, was a "fun" evening held last week. In the capable hands of Mr. Frank Skeet and his two assistants, Messrs. Beckford and Dormer, the evening proved most successful and enjoyable, a sequence of happy and lively games keeping the 70 guests interested and amused throughout. A "blind auction" conducted by the firm of "Crab-ya, Oonz. and Shoot" proved the highlight of the .-vening. As a result of this function an appreciable amount was contributed towards the Jamboree expenses of the two boys. ,

Clocks in Lower Hutt. At ihr last meeting of the council or the Hii!» Valley Chamber of Commerce and industry Mr. A. Brockelsby referred to the inadequacy of the public clock system in Lower Hutt. Mr. N. T. Gillespie said the matter was under consideration by the authorities. There was a proposal to provide a clock on tho Post Office building, and there war also a suggestion to erect a clock on a tower on the island at the junction of High "Street and Andrews Avenue. Meantime a small clock had been placed in a window at the City Council Chambers.

Angry Octopus in Aquarium.

On Sunday afternoon an octopus which measures six feet across with tentacles spread caused some excitement at Mr. R. Williams's aquarium at Seatoun. Wellington. It suddenly burst the front out of its tank, the gush of water drenching Mr. Williams, who had been watching the performance of the octopus. It was only after a struggle that it waa placed in a can before being transferred to another tank. The octopus, said Mr. Williams, was in a bad temper from the beginning. When fir3t being handled at Island Bay it wrapped its tentacles round Mr. Williams and had to be. choked off.