CHILD IN A DRAINPIPE

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 5 August 1919, Page 8

CHILD IN A DRAINPIPE

A SPLENDID RESCUE

While playing in Rcsebery street, Balmaine, recently (reports the Sydney Morning Herald), Martha Pittslock, aged 2i years, crawled under a stone slab bridging a drain in the gutter and fell down a! hole a distance of about 20ft into the mud and water of a 15-inch drain-pipe. She had presumably been in pursuit of a lost play toy. Passersby were attracted by her cries, and a rope was lowered, but this method t.t rescue was palpably unsu.> il.te to n helpless child.

Two of those assisting, a man named James George, who lives in Rumey street, Balmain, and a boy, Leslie Knock, aged 15, living at Rozelle, then discovered a manhole leading to the sewer in a paddock seme distance away. They descended, and gallantly worked their way aloncr the sewer to where the child was imprisoned, a distance of £25 feet. They reached the little <«;il, ml returned with her the way they" had ! tome. ■ ' I

The Civil Ambulance conveyed the child to the Balmain Hospital, and «he was admitted, suffering from bruises and severe shock.

A Sydney cable records the death of Gregory, the international cricketer.

At a well-attended meeting of the Wanganui Chapiber of Commerce last night, a deputation attended, when by motion it was proposed that the Chamber should launch the proposed Progressive League, which has been inaugurated for the purpose of developing the district (reports the Chronicle). After a long discussion a motion was passed setting up a special committee to confer with the deputation and report back was carried. -

To make any kind of return worth having on money invested in houses for renting," said an Auckland authority in discussing the housing problem, "it must bring in at least 10 per cent gross, or 6 per cent net. With rents as they are at present—and I think it would be useless to try to raise them—this simply cannot be done. The only solution possible to my mind would be for the Government or local governing body to institute some such scheme for civilians as is now in operation for soldiers, that is, the advancement of money for the Eurchase of blocks of land and the uilding on long terms-of-purchase clause. There would have to be a certain measure of standardising," the agent continued, "but the fronts of the houses could be varied sufficiently to do away with the monotony of design."