LOCAL AND GENERAL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XVIII, Issue 1856, 1 September 1923, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

While waiting for a train at Frankton a man fell asleep. Later, when he woke up, he found that his watch and chain had been stolen.

The building newly erected by the Railway Department near the intersection of Rora and King Streets will be used as a tool house for the department's linesmen and signal adjuster.

After consideration of a petition from R. Firth and others, the Works Committee of the Borough Council has decided to recommend to the council on Monday that a street light be installed in Gray Street.

A customer in a local tobacconist's shop the other day tendered a sovereign in payment of his purchase. The shop assistant (a youth) did not recognise the gold coin, and the customer had to tell him what it was. It is now nine years since sovereigns have been in general circulation, and many young men are unfamiliar with the sight of gold coinage.

“It is not generally known that it is an offence to make a bet on a sports ground, and this will serve as a warning to others,” said Mr Poynton, S.M., in dealing with Albert Morley, who admitted having, on June 16, made a bet at Carlaw Park on a football match. Morley was fined £lO, with costs 275.

While speaking on the performances in the operatic tenor solo at the Competitions in Wellington recently, Mr Roland Foster said a very old friend of his, who was very well known, Sir Charles Santley, when proposing the toast of young singers, said: “May the Lord strengthen your voice and brighten your intelligence.” (Laughter.) It was a most admirable maxim.

At the anniversary meeting of the Sailors’ Friend Society in Wellington, Mr J. Moore, missioner, in illustrating how sailors waste their money said that in Bristol years ago a party of sailors bought up all the watches in the port, took them on board ship and fried them in butter. To-day he was glad to see numbers of sailors were making full use of the Post Office Savings Bank.

Mas? terton, mortgages raised on the land in New Zealand totalled £100,000,000. The sum of £146,000,000 has to met under the moratorium.

Mr Vivian Donald (Masterton) has placed in the hands of the Government heads of the two first Wapiti shot in New Zealand. They are extremely fine specimens, and the larger head has been insured for £SOO,

Messrs Dalgety and Co., Ltd., advise having received from their Lon« don office on 30th ult. a cable stating that butter is very firm, N.Z. salted being quoted at 186 s, and that cheese is also very firm, white realising 1225, and coloured 120 s.

The Chief Justice expressed much surprise recently at hearing the expression “Gussy,” applied to a young man. “I have never heard of it before,” declared Sir Robert Stout. “It is quite new to me.” His Honor at the same time expressed regret that the English language appeared to be insufficient for some people when they had to resort to slang.

The Finance and Legal Committee of the Te Kuiti Borough Council has decided to recommend that the town clerk should' pay all outstanding accounts in connection with the visit to Te Kuiti of Lord and Lady Jellicoe, and that the balance, after allowing for £3O to be contributed by the Borough Council and Waitomo County Council, be equally divided between the Beautifying Society and the Plunket Society.

Concessions of an important nature have been decided upon by the Public Trust Office. Many classes of fees charged in addition to mission for the administration of estates, have been abolished. In future, the charges by way of commission may be said to practically cover the services of the office for the administration of an estate, with the addition, of course, of any actual out-of-pocket expenses incurred. Apart from the abolition of the special fees, the commission charged for the administration of estates, particularly those of substantial value, have been considerably reduced.

The Te Kuiti branch of the Bank of New Zealand has taken delivery'; of a handsomely framed photograph ’ of a memorial tablet containing the names of all bank officials -killed in action during the war. The tablet was unveiled by Sir George Elliot in May last, and a photograph has been sent to every branch of the bank in the Dominion, and also to the next of kin of every man whose name appears on the tablet. Out of a total - staff-of 1006, 561 saw active service, and of that number 136 were wounded and 71 killed in action. The monument is about 3ft 6in in height, and the names are worked on a central bronze tablet, enshrined in beautifully marked Nelson marble and flanked by two three-quarter lonic pillars. There is also a panel of marble below the tablet.

Some time ago a German ship arrived at Fremantle, West Australia, and some of the officers and crew ] took a stroll up the town. Like most of the new arrivals from the Old World, their eyes feasted on the generous displays of West Australian . fruit in the shop windows. “Ach! vot vunderful abbles, vot bears, vot oranges! Never sudch fvuit before haf we seen.” That was the general sentiment they expressed as longingly they looked at the luscious products of the State. That morning German marks were quoted at 17,« 000,000 to the pound sterling. One of the officers could not resist temptation—he went in and parted with a fortune for a pound of apples and a dozen oranges. One of the little deck hands recklessly followed, but could not afford fruit; he had to appease his longing by giving 100,000 marks for a peanut.