HEWS OF THE BAY

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11702, 14 December 1923, Page 4

HEWS OF THE BAY

Some people apparently are unable to take a hint (says the Christchurch “Sun ’). Twelve months ago, a man travelling on a Christchurch tramcar paid twopence for his fare, hut had sixpennyworth of tram-rides out of it. It seemed a deliberate breach, and steps were taken to prosecute the man. He pleaded poverty, however, and the case was not gone on with .when he paid the expenses which had already been incurred. Apparently that was not sufficient. Recently, on two separate occa sions, the same man boarded cars and then said he was not able to pay the fare. He said he would pay into the Tramway Board’s office, but his memory was apparently defective. So legal action has been taken and, poverty or no poverty, he will bo called upon to explain in a court of law.

The Tourist Department Office at Dunedin is working at top speed in answering inquiries from prospective holi-day-makers and in issuing tickets (says the “Star”). The officer in charge (Mr J. F. Robieson) says there is no doubt that the season will he a record one, and he advises those who desire to make use of the facilities of the office to call immediately. All the tourist resorts, particularly Mount Cook, Pembroke, Queenstown, Stewart Island, and the Milford track, are being patronised more than ever before. The. bookings so far for tho Milford track constitute a record. Ofte party from Wellington comprises twenty j versons, and other large parties from various parts have also been arranged. The increased popularity of tho tracks is no doubt due to many improvements made during the past year, and to the reduction in the tariff on the track.

When a visitor from outside invades tho King Oountry territory, it is a usual thing for the tales of sly-grog selling to be told (says tho Rotorua “Chronicle”) A Wanganui-ite who was there leoently heard tho latest. A Maori cortceived tho brilliant idea of getting his grog over the border in a barrel labelled “Motor oil, A.” Unfortunately for tho would-be reveller, his barrel became confused at the railway siding with a genuine barrel of oil. When tho native discovered the mistake, ho adopted “Sherlock Holmes’s” method to retrieve his loss, and was successful in tracing his grog to the garage of a well-to-do farmer. On inquiry from ono of the womenfolk he learned that the owner was away. “Well, where te car?” he asked. “The car? It’s at Ohakune being repaired. Mr - ran it over the hank last night.’’ “Py golly! No wonder. Te damn thing must ha’ bin etunned!”

Shareholders of t.lu, Bank of New Zealand are reminded that the halfyearly general meeting will ho held this morning, at II o’clock.

A painful accident befel Air Benjamin oylic, the chief engineer ot the Auckland Harbour Board dredge 121. Mr Wylie had his right hand crushed in the windlass while the vessel was proceeding to her moorings from the Western wharf. The injured man was conveyed to the hospital and was operated on.

A large number of tourists were included in the Alarama’s passengers, which vessel arrived at Auckland. As well as the usual seasonal influx from Australia, theso included visitors from Britain and Europe, who transhipped from the P. and 0. liner Narkunda, which arrived at Sydney on Thursday, last week.

An accident occurred to a Hamilton borough workman, Air Alfred Alurray, aged 29. He was working in a sewerage drain at Claudelands, when one side of the drain fell away, pinning him to the opposite wall. He was somewhat crushed, but no bones were broken. He suffered from shock, and was admitted to tho Waikato Hospital.

Air T. C. Gill is putting forward a scheme for the erection of an abattoir bacon factory in tho Dargaville district. The scheme proposes that power from two works should he used to supply electric light to the town and district. Air Gill intends to bring the matter before the Borough Council and the Electric Power Board shortly.

A painful experience befel a boy named Morris Dent, aged 13, in the Whitiora schoolgrounds, Hamilton. He was playing with a young companion, who happened to have an open pocket knife in his hand, when the blade was plunged into the fleshy part of young Dent’s arm, inflicting a deep, severe cut about 4in long.

If New Zealand cannot heat Australia at cricket here or on the playing fields of the Commonwealth, she has demonstrated that the feat can he performed elsewhere (states an exchange). News comes that a team chosen from New Zealand residents in Samoa defeated an Australian team by an innings and 119 runs. New Zealand, batting first* scored 255. Australia scored 53 and S 3.

"This debt is ten yeais old, and the judgment seven years old, and now the debtor has gone to America,’’ said counsel at the Magistrate’s Coutt, Auckland. Mr F. K. Hunt, S.M.. commented: “Well, you ought to be used to it by this time.” An adjournment for three months was granted, tho solicitor stating that if the debtor sold a patent he had taken to America lie would not only pay his debts, but seven years’ interest on them.

Speaking at a farewell function tendered by the Wailii Bowling Club, Mi S. Beah, of the Grand Junction Mine, who is proceeding to Great Britain, said that mining m Waihi would prosper for many a long year to cotne, and speaking of his own mine he said the Grand Junction was far from being done, and his visit Homo, he hoped, would result in something good being achieved on its behalf, and also to the benefit of the town itself.

“Except in the United States, there are more laws and more law-breakers in New Zealand than anywhere else in the world,” said Mr H. E. Yaile at Auckland, when speaking of his impressions while abroad. The reason lay in the fact, he added, that there was far too much official regulation in the Dominion. It would be a sorry day for New Zealand if contempt for law were carried here to the degree it had reached in the United States.

Altogether 140 applications have been received from members of the Workers’ Educational Association who desire to attend the summer school, which will commence at on December 26th. An advance party will leave Christchurch earlier in the month to erect tents and make all preliminary' arrangements. The school will be opened by Air H. D. Acland. Dr. E. Alarsden, assistant-Director of Education, will join the school later.

With the approval of Air J. W. Boynton, S.AI., Auckland, it has been arranged that in future on Wednesday of each week there will be associated with the presiding magistrate at the Police Court two justices of the peace. This arrangement has been made because it is thought that in the past sufficient opportunity has not been afforded justices to secure experience in court matters. A list of available justices has been compiled, and they will take turns in sitting on the bench each week.

Reminiscences were the order as much as business at a meeting of the Conciliation Council. One of the members told a story illustrating the delinquencies of the suburban railways in Auckland. At one station, which shall he nameless, a group of commercial travellers were astonished to find their train arrive on time, instead of about two hours late. So overcome with joy were they that they decided to make a small presentation to the driver and fireman of the train. 'A hurried! collection was taken up, and the presentation made with due solemnity. The presentation “pocketed,” the driver replied on behalf of himself and his colleague. He Baid that they were deeply grateful to receive the token of appreciation, but in one respect the travellers were rather in error—“this was yesterday’s train.”

What impressed Dr. Kahlenberg, of Gisborne, very considerably during his visits to various hospitals in Britain during his recent trip was the extraordinary amount of attention paid to the condition of a patient’s, teeth. It had been found beyond dispute that many cases previously treated for rheumatism were due simply to inflammation of the roofa of the teeth. No matter in what department of an up-to-date hospital a patient were an inmate, if symptoms of the class to which he had referred were present, the patient wa® at once sent off to one of the radiologists, and his teeth were X-rayed. There could be no question, Dr. Kahlenberg informed a Gisborne “Times” reporter, that various aches and pains which bad in the past been associated with, rheumatism had been sailing under false colours.

A German banknote representing a pre-war value of £500,000,000 is in the possession of an Auckland merchant, Air G. Jackson, to whom it was sent recently by a friend who is touring Germany. It does not raise the recipient to the rank of an effective millionaire, even though it does represent twice the sum of the indemnity imposed on France by Germany in 1870. The Reichsbanknote, a zehn milliarden mark (10,000 million marks) is merely a financial curio, practically worthless now on the foreign exchange market. Circulation of such notes abroad as odd souvenirs shows the chaotic condition of German finance. In a letter accompanying the collection of paper money to Air Jackson it is mentioned that thing® in Germany are in a had way, the poorer class being in great want, a 2lb loaf of bread costing 2,000,000,000 marks. The postage on the letter represented a face value of 30 million marks..