NEWS OF THE DAY

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 44, 22 February 1938, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Funds being; available for further tarsealing, the Palmerston Nor:h City Council has decided that the following streets should be done: Fltzroy street (Main street to Church street), Vivian street, Mere Mere avenue, Bryant street (Cuba street t;o Main street). A juryman whose name was called in the Suprem e Court at Wanganui the other day complained that he was deaf in one ear, and asked to be allowed to stand down. “As it is a time-honoured practice for jurymen to hoar both sides of a case, you will be excused,” said Mr. Justice Reed. Over 50,000 passengers were carried by the Palmerston North municipal bus service during; December, while in January the number was 46,746. The revenue for the two montlis was £6lB and £574 respectively, both representing increases (£6i and £6O respectively; over the corresponding months of a year ago. The New 2iealand Institute for the Blind at Auckland will benefit to the extent of £2OO by the will of Mr. Frank Xavier Kaufmann, who died at Stratford in December. Payment of the nett residue of tho estate, which it is expected will amount to over £2OOO, will be made equally between St. Joseph’s Orphanage at Lower Hutt and the Home of Compassion, Island Bay, Wellington. Kcacfiiug the side of the liner Mariposa shortly after her gangway was lowered before sailing on Friday night for Sydney, a young woman passenger had a few exciting moments before she was able to board the ship. A block and tackle was hanging down the ship’s side, and, by standing ou the block, the passenger was hoisted to tho entrance after some precarious and unsuccessful attempts. A burst of cheering marked her arrival sal'ely in the entrance. An additional Dus was placed on the early run from Napier to Hastings yesterday morning, relieving the congestion of traffic on the 7.15 o’clock service. Last week complaint was made of the unnecessary overcrowding of the bus at this hour, and that many passengers were obliged to stand throughout the journey. Inquiries elicited that the additional bus will continue tu be included in the service so long as the traffic warrants such a provision. Misfortune overtook a large taxi returning to Palmerston North from VVoodville at 11.30 ou Bunday evening. When it was about opposite the Gorge railway station flames began to issue from the back of the dashboard and under the floor at about the same time. The driver pulled up and endeavoured to suppress the blaze by means of an extinguisher but without success. Tho inside of the car was practically burned right out. It is thougfit that the cause of the outbreak was a fault in the electrical system. An aeroplane was engaged in Auckland last week to fly to Rotorua to bring back a hospital patient, but the weather was very bad over the Mamaku hills, where the pilot found that he could not go on owing to the mist and he. returned to Auckland. A Bt. John ambulance from Hamilton undertook the j ouruey, and although delayed by slips on tho road over the Mamaku hills, the vehicle was able to roach its destination and return to Hamilton with the patient, who continued his journey in an ambulance sent from Auckland. The monarch butterfly, a species comparatively rare in New Zealand, with a wing spread of four or five inches, may shortly be seeu in this district. Yesterday a Palmerston North resident found in his garden, ou a swan (or duck; plant, a caterpillar of the monarch butterfly. About three inches in length and with a diameter of about a-quarter of an inch, it presented a striking picture, encircled in narrow bands of yellow, black and white, and giving some idea of the beauty to come. The caterpillar was presmted to the entomological section of the Plant Research Station. Brief reference to tho unsatisfactory nature of Palmerston North’s water supply over the’ Christmas and New Year holiday period was made at last night’s meeting of the City Council, which had before it a report from the Health Department concerning an analysis of samples sent. No danger, stated the report, existed from the use of the water. The unpleasant taste and odour were probably due to decomposition of vegetable matter, but as the trouble had proved only temporary, remedial measures were not necessary. The council formally received the report. Forty tons of potatoes, 17 tons of cabbages, 13 tons of cauliflowers and six tons of carrots—these are but some of the vegetable requirements of the Palmerston North Hospital Board for the next financial year. Altogether the board will require about £ISOO worth of vegetables. Last year the cost was £979, and. this year it is anticipated that the bill will be about £I4OO. Concerned at this mounting cost, the board is investigating the possibility of reverting to the growing of its own vegetables, and yesterday instructed its farm committee to report on suggestions made by the managingsecretary. The fishing launch Old Faithful, which broke her moorings in tho Tukituki, near Napier, and drifted out to sea during the heavier flooding earlier this month, was brought up ou the beach at Napier about mid-day on Sunday, near the municipal baths. The hull was so badly smashed that only parts will be of any ise, and the motor was missing, apparently having been torn out of the launch while she was submerged. Evidently the anchor cable had parted, and she had drifted and eventually sank. The particularly heavy seas at Napier during the week-end sufficed to bring the wreck well up on the beach. Tho launch was the property of Mr. A. Hay, Hastings.