HEAVY MAILS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25086, 27 December 1944, Page 4

HEAVY MAILS

ANOTHER BUSY WEEK OVERSEAS CONSIGNMENTS Large quantities of mail will be distributed when postmen and rural delivery services resume today after the holiday period, and it is expected that deliveries will be as great as on some days last week, when a record volume of mail was handled. Overseas mail will form a largo proportion of the deliveries todav.

Air mail from servicemen in the Middle East, air mail from Australia and a consignment from Canada and the United States are now ready for delivery. In addition there is a considerable quantity of mail from the south and various" parts of the Auckland Province which has arrived since Saturday. This has been sorted for delivery or placed in post office boxes. The balance of incoming Christmas parcels and mail will help to provide the postal staffs with several extremely busy days this week. The volume of mail dealt with in Auckland last week is stated to be easily a record. The special organisation for handling it worked smoothly and efficiently, and the end of the week was as busy as the beginning. Postmen and postwomen worked long hours to cope with the rush and they face another strenuous few days. There have been many late postings in Auckland and since Saturday night large quantities of mail have been sent away by rail.

BATSMAN'S TRIALS UNUSUAL INCIDENTS DISABLED AFTER BOUNDARY | (0.C.) CHRISTCHURCH, Tuesday Varied experiences all in one over befell C. Toomey, the Otago captain, when he was hatting against Canterbury in the representative cricket match at Lancaster Park this morning. One ball from Butterfield kicked np with such a sudden impact that it broke the splice and practically parted the handle from Toomey's bat. Play was stopped while another bat was brought out. On resuming Toomey swept the next delivery away for one of the best boundaries of the morning. Toomey turned to face the wicket and when the ball from this hit was being returned from midfield it struck him full on the head. Dazed by the force of the blow he fell to the ground. Fieldsmen clustered round and a St. John Ambulance man had to come out to give him first aid. It was nearly three minutes before play could be resumed. Toomey, still rubbing his head at times, went on to make 39.

GARAGE FIRE SEQUEL

PETROL THEFT ALLEGED On a charge of stealing three gallons of petrol valued at 8s 3d, the property of Patrick Thomas Curran, on December 24, Wilfred William James Rabbet ts, aged 21, painter, appeared before Mr J. H. Luxford, S.M., yesterdav.

Applying for an adjournment until January 9, Detective-Sergeant Tretbowey stated that there was another man involved in the ease. It was alleged that Rabbetts and a Maori went to a garage and while in the act of stealing petrol from a car unwisely lighted a match with the result that tho Maori received burns. The Maori was admitted to hospital, where he would probably remain for. a fortnight. Tho garage was damaged by fire and the car almost destroyed. Rabbetts was remanded until January 9, bail being fixed at £25.

GAMING HOUSE CASE PENALTY OF £75 IMPOSED Charged that, being the occupier of premises, a shop and rooms at 156 Hobson Street, lie used them'as a common gaming house, James Patrick Broderick, aged 28, labourer (Mr Aekins), appeared before Mr J. H. Lux ford, S.M., yesterday, and pleaded guilty. Detective-Sergeant Trethewey stated that a search warrant was executed on the premises on Saturday and Broderick admitted using them as a gaming house for the past seven or eight months. The premises were visited by a wellknown bookmaker. Broderick was a first offender. Mr Aekins stated that • defendant was discharged from the army because he suffered from sciatica. The premises had previously been • occupied by a bookmaker. People kept coming in for bets and Broderick foolishly succumbed to temptation and took bets. He was not in a big way and he had now decided to finish with betting. The magistrate imposed a fine of £75 and ordered immediate payment, in de- I fault two- months* <