LOCAL AND GENERAL

Northern Advocate, 27 December 1934, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wellington Residents Wanted. A message was broadcast last night asking for Mr and Mrs C. H. Taylor, of 93. William Street, Haitaitai. Wellington, believed to be touring in Northland, and requesting them to communicate with a Wellington telephone number.

Empire Broadcast. The re-broadcast of the Christmas Day message to the Empire was not heard very clearly in Whangarei last night, owing to a certain amount of distortion. The actual recording of the King’s speech could be heard quite clearly, however, and many people heard for the first time His Majesty’s excellent'“radio” voice. Various parts of the Empire contributed items to the programme.

Christchurch Collision. As the result of a collision in Tuam Street, Christchurch, on Christmas Eve between a taxi and a private car, four men were injured, the most serious case being that of J. Lowe, of Riccarton, who is in hospital with head injuries. He is recovering. The three others were treated as out-patients. Mr. Lowe was .in the taxi on the side where the impact occurred. The car was pushed across the road and the door smashed.

Kensington Bowling Club. Every endeavour is being made by the Tournament Committee of the Kensington Bowling Club to make the annual tourney on January 1 and 2 a success. Ten teams have entered up to date and, as the entries do not close until Friday next, several more are expected. including teams from Kaitaia, Kaikohe and Russell. The trophies are displayed in Mr. Ken. Kelly’s shop in Cameron Street, and are well worth inspecting.

Busy Post Office Post Office officials experienced an exceptionally busy time just prior to Christmas, when large quantities of mail had to be dealt with and many telegrams despatched. The fact that several overseas mails arrived in the Dominion a few days before added to the number of letters and packages that wore delivered. On Christmas Eve, when there was a counter delivery of mail matter, there was a large number of people waiting to be served from the moment the doors were opened.

In spite of the trying weather, the real Christmas spirit is abroad at Henry Wilson’s. The feeling of goodwill towards one’s fellows is manifest in customers, and usually takes the form of some useful gift. It is nice to be thus remembered by one’s friends. Henry Wilson, 100, is grateful for the privilege of being the medium through which these happy courtesies are extended and in turn wishes one and all a Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year.

Death From Petrol Bums, Mr. Norman Scrimgeour. aged 21, r.ingle, who was badly burned about the body on December 21. died in the Ashburton Hospital on Tuesday. Mr. Scrimgeour, who was a mechanic employed by Mr. Hardy, carter contractor, was burned while cleaning the magneto of a lorry, the petrol in a tin which he was using bursting into flame.

Jumping Records

A notable achievement was recorded by T. J. Crowe, the Wellington athlete, yesterday, when competing in a sports meeting conducted by the Lower Hutt Amateur Athletic Club. From the scratch mark in the high jump event he succeeded in attaining 6ft 1 in, the best performance by a New Zealander. He also won the long jump, with 22ft 3in.

Holiday Exodus,

Official transport reports show that about one-fourth of Wellington’s population went out of town for holidays and picnic trips during Christmas. Altogether 20,000 people travelled by train, nearly 4000 by steamer and over 10,000 by motor vehicles. These numbers do not include the exceptionally heavy suburban railway traffic since Saturday.

A Safi Picnic.

When picnicking at Momorangi Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound, on Tuesday, Marion Janet Mclntyre, aged 7, daughter of Mr George Lowe Mclntyre, orchardist, of Spring Creek, near Blenheim, went in paddling with other children. After some time had elapsed she was missed, and her body was seen floating on the water. It was recovered, but life was extinct. The child could not swim. First Air Mail, Containing a special bag for the Duke of Gloucester, nearly 7000 letters were delivered in Auckland yesterday when the first Empire air mails to arrive in New Zealand were delivered. The Orient liner Oronsay was the final medium. The consignment, which weighed 168 lbs., was despatched from Croydon on December 8 with the good wishes of the Minister of Air and the Postmaster-General of England.

Tasman Yacht Race. The first intimation for some days with regard to the progress of the Tasman yacht race came to hand yesterday, when it was intimated that the Ngataki was sighted by the steamer Kalingo at 4 o’clock yesterday morning in latitude 38 deg. 44 min. South, long. 148 deg. 43 min. East. This position is at the entrance to Bass Strait, a distance of 240 miles from the finishing line, which is Williamstown. Port Melbourne. The Ngataki reported all well.

Attack on Woman

• Mrs M. Foster, of Armagh Street, Christchurch, is in hospital suffering from a severe cut on the right temple, which is stated to have been inflicted by an unknown assailant, who entered her bedroom at 4 a.m. on Tuesday. Her condition is not serious. Mrs Foster states that she has no idea of the reason for the attack. She had just returned home from a Christmas Eve party at Spreydon, and had gone to bed when she was struck. She did not see the intruder enter or leave her room. Her cries attracted attention and the police were called, after which she was taken to hospital: Detectives are investigating.

Serious Grass Fires,

Grass fires during the holidays have been prevalent in the Feilding district. The railway reserve on the western side of the line was found to be burning in three places. The flames were subdued, but later another outbreak occurred which presented danger to power poles. This, however, was also extinguished. Further outbreaks occurred in three places along Aurangi Street. A large area adjacent to the Kakiriki bridge was also swept and considerable damage was done to fences. Near Bunnythorpe the house of Mr. W. J. Clevely was threatened and it was only by strenuous work on the part of neighbours the house was saved. The very fine plantation adjoining the residence suffered severely.

Authority Questioned. The I’eccnt telegram from Christchurch to the effect that a party of shearers and musterers was organising an expedition to the Campbell Islands for the purpose of shearing sheep that were left there three years ago when the holding was evacuated under instructions from the mortgagees has caused considerable surprise in Dunedin, where the authority of the party to shear the wool, which is now of three seasons’ growth, is emphatically questioned. A telegram was forwarded to Christchurch on behalf of the mortgagees stating that the senders could not understand the reference to the shearing of the Campbell Islands sheep, as no authority had been given by the mortgagees to anyone to interfere in any way with this stock.

Waipu Caledonian Sports. The people of Whangarei and district are reminded of the splendid day’s outing at Waipu on Tuesday next, January Ist, when the Caledonian Society will be conducting its annual Highland Gathering and Games. The programme is of a decidedly attractive nature, providing for a number of high-class track and field events, many dancing contests for adults and young folk of both sexes and several piping competitions. Everything is now in readiness for the occasion and given fine weather there should be a huge crowd in attendance. 288

Proficiency Passes. The four proficiency candidates from the Marua school, who were presented at Hikurangi centre, were successful in gaining proficiency certificates. The pupils were: Gordon Fergusson. Enid Claris,. June Claris and Ivy Hutching,

Head Injuries Fatal. The death has occurred in hospital at Dunedin of Mr George William Brown, aged 38 years, who was admitted on Saturday night suffering from severe head injuries received as a result of an accident in the city.

Unemployed Wages. Mr J. W. Munro, M.P., has forwarded the following telegram, which speaks for itself, to Mr J. A. Young, Acting Minister of Employment: —“Emphatically protest against the new rates of pay proposed under the No. 5 scheme as published in the Dunedin papers. Men with two or three children are to get less than under the present scale, after allowing for the two hours they have been losing under the old scale.” Rescues From Surf. Smart rescues were made by members of the Milford Surf Club at Milford Beach yesterday. During the morning a man fell out of a canoe beyond the breakers. A surfboat was launched, but it capsized in the surf, three men eventually swimming out and bringing the man ashore little the worse for his immersion. Later in the day another canoe capsized and a team was sent out with a lifeline to bring the sole occupant, a man, ashore.-

Brilliant Lighting. A brilliant lighting scheme outlining the Orient liner Oronsay last night as she lay at Princes Wharf, Auckland, drew admiration from thousands of people. Instead of the more usual flood lighting, the great ship’s outline was spangled with thousands of electric lights and could be seen from many parts of Auckland city and suburbs. The tall funnels and the foremast were draped in lights and another line was strung from the stem to the peak of the foremast, along to the mainmast and down to the stern.

Bathing For Juveniles. A suggestion that children in the suburbs distant from bathing places should be carried at half fares or free of cost on the trams to the sea or swimming pools during the hot weather has been made to the Wellington City Council by one of its members. Numbers of children, he said, would enjoy a swim in the summer if they could get to the water, but the expense of travel precluded them from swimming facilities. He suggested a period of two months. The Mayor said the suggestion would receive immediate consideration.

“Repairs to Referee.” An unusual item in the statement of receipts and expenditure at, a meeting of the Otago Wrestling Association recently brought forth roars of laughter. When the accounts were being passed for payment, that which caused the merriment was for an amount that included “repairs to referee.” For the unknowing, states a Dunedin exchange, it may be explained that in one of the professional encounters this season the referee, Mr Will Goughian, emerged from a mix-up with the contestants in mid-ring with his dental plate broken. Hence the item on the balance-sheet.

Tiny Coins,

People who nowadays complain that the diminutive size of threepenny pieces makes them too easy to lose should be thankful that they did not live in the days when pennyhalfpenny pieces were in general circulation. Two of these tiny silver coins, measuring barely 7-16th of an inch across, were displayed in Invercargill recently. One was dug up in an Invercargill garden, and the other fouiM in the country. The older of the two is the better preserved, and is in an almost perfect state. It was minted in 1835, and bears on the obverse the head of King William IV.; on the reverse is a wreath surmounted by a crown, the denomination lid, and the date. The other coin is dated 1887, and bears the crowned head of Queen Victoria on one side and the figure of St. George and the dragon, similar tc that seen on a sovereign, on the other.

Relief for Bank Tellers

The advent of the Reserve Bank in New Zealand has been the means of affording considerable relief to bank tellers throughout the country. Formerly a somewhat arduous daily duty was the sorting out of the notes of the various bank issues, which was done during the day when circumstances permitted; if not after closing time. This was no light task in the case of a busy city bank, when there were many thousands of notes to sort. There are still some of the old private bank notes in circulation, which have to be sorted out and returned when they come in, but they are becoming fewer each month. Sooner or later such notes are paid into a bank. That means their end as a cun-ency token. The Reserve Bank notes when hard, stiff and' clean are difficult to count, but after being in circulation for a few weeks they become more amenable to the dampened finger-tips of the tellers.

Mr. Lester Sinclair returned from Auckland by car this morning bringing with him the final selection of artistes for the forthcoming vaudeville revue. “Samples.” at the Town Hall next Monday and Wednesday, twice daily at 2.30 and 8 p.m. A special advertisement containing the names of the full cast appears on Page 7. 678