LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20519, 21 March 1930, Page 12

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

As a result of catching- his right, hand in a mincing machine in his father's butchery at Waiuku yesterday morning, Roy Barnaby, aged 20, had four fingers severed, while his hand was severely lacerated. He was. taken to the Auckland, Hospital. Miss Margaret Goodwin, of 45, Khyber Pass Road, who was injured in a motor collision on Wednesday evening, was able to leave the hospital yesterday.

"This is one of those cases which bring all motor-cyclists into disrepute," said the magistrate, Mr. C, R. On* Walker, S.M., in the Ashburton Magistrate's Court this week, when dealing with a motor-cyclist who had broken three by-laws. "Not all motor-cyclists are a nuisance," added the magistrate. "Some are, and the remainder have to suffer."

Coromandel had its first visit by an aeroplane yesterday. At 1 p.m. Mr. H. D. Mills, in a Moth aeroplane, landed comfortably in one of Mr. W. Reddy's paddocks fronting the Tiki Road and bordering the harbour. He took a passenger, Mr. Cartw right, ' a settler of Kikowhakarere. The trip from Mangere took a little over an hour, and an altitude of 7000 ft. was reached on the way. Mr. Mills proceeded on to Whangapoua after a brief stay.

In a Court of justice, as elsewhere, there is "a time to laugh and a time to refrain from laughing." A husband whose wife was seeking to divorce him was made sharply aware in the Supreme Court yesterday that his laughter earlier in the case had been ill-timed. In delivering his decision in the wife's favour, Mr. Justice Ostler said that during the hearing of a case he could not help watching the parties, as a Judge did, to note anything that might help him to ascertain the truth. "I did not fail to notice," he continued, "that when the wife fainted in the box the respondent seemed to see in ifc an occasion for laughter; and that fact helps me to ascertain the class of pan he is and helps me in deciding which evidence I ought to accept."

Much-needed improvements to the West Coast road have been effected during the long spell of fine weather. Portions of the road beyond Nihotupu which were formerly rough corduroy track or fearsome quagmires have now been metalled, and the grader has been at work on all unmetalled portions of the road, which •now has a good surface. The Karekare and Piha cuttings have also been greatly improved, and large parties of holidaymakers have visited these beautiful Reaches during recent week-ends. So long as the present fine weather continues, no motorist need fear to make the West Coast trip.

Twelve years ago to-day, the Germans launched their great offensive in France with the object of dividing the British and French forces and forcing a conclusion of the war before the Americans were able to throw their full man-power into the conflict. The New Zealand Division was in reserve undergoing training and refitting, after having spent the winter in the Ypres salient. The transfer of the division to the general headquarters reserve and thence to the Ancre sector, although involving some arduous marching and subsequent fighting, was hailed as a welcome relief from the prospects of duty across the Cheluvelt Road, Ypres, to which considerable attention was devoted, in the daily summaries of enemy artillery and trench mortar activity.

Claiming that ''mechanical noises"'from Weilesley/Street and large classes had had an effect upon his health, an instructor at the Seddon Memorial Technical College sought leave of absence from teaching in a letter received by the board of managers yesterday. "All rooms in front of the building are affected by the noise and it is a question whether this would entitle a teacher to claim leave under the'provision dealing with loss of health owing to working conditions," said the principal, Mr. G. J. Pai-k. It was decided to ask for a ruling from the supervisor of technical education.

The workmen have now settled down to work at the Kotemaori tunnel on the Napier-Wairoa railway line, and three shifts are engaged. The first heading in the Mohaka tunnel was completed some time ago; that is, the hill has been pierced, and the men are now engaged in enlarging the tunnel, after which the concreting will be' put- in hand. The deviation of the road to the north of the Mohaka 1 bridge is progressing slowly. The idea is to cut out another level crossing. This, with other deviations in. hand, will make the Napier-Wairoa-Gis-borne railway one of the safest in the Dominion from-a level crossing point of view.

The erection of new traffic bridges at the Waitangi and the Washout, on the Napier-Hastings Koad, was discussed .in Napier between the Minister of Public Works, Hon. E. A. Ransom, and the Hawke's Bay County Council, On the question of the new bridge at the Waitangi, it was stated that the Hawke's Bay Rivers Board had stated its requirements as to the waterway at Waitangi, and proposals for the new bridge would be formulated. It was stated that the council would like a conference to be held between the Public Works Department, the Railways Department and itself to go into the matter. The chairman, Mr. F. B. Logan, added that the council desired to confer on the matter of the Washout bridge, where, he suggested, the Railway Department and the county might co operate in building a combined road and railway bridge, which would lessen the cost, straighten the road line, and eliminate two railway crossings. The Minister promised to consider the suggestion.

"Even in distant Ceylon I had heard of New Zealand's famous wapiti herd, and it is with the desire of not only seeing the Dominion again, but also of trying my luck at stalking in these parts, that I have made a second visit here," said Mr. G. M. Crabbe, a prominent tea planter of Ceylon, in the course of a visit to Dunedin. Mr. Crabbe comes to New Zealand with the reputation of being a noted big-game hunter, who has shot in all parts of the world, but more particu-, larly in Northern Rhodesia, the Himalayas, and in the jungle of South America. For the past 10 years he has acted as chairman of the Game Preservation Committee of Ceylon, while he was chosen by the Imperial Government to select the best heads of wild game in Ceylon as trophies for forwarding to the Wembley Exhibition. "It certainly speaks volumes for your moose'and wapiti when they can attract stalkers .from such a distance abroad," Mr. Crabbe.