TOWN EDITION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10860, 2 January 1907, Page 3

TOWN EDITION

The Hon. Jas. Carroll returns to Wellington by the Victoria this evening.

On Saturday next the Cricket Association's fixtures* will be resumed, Te Rau concluding, their unfinished match against Taruheru, and United playing Wanderers

The steamer Victoria left Auckland at 8 o'clock last evening, but up till 3.30 had not been reported from East Cape. The lighthouse-keeper, however, reports that a northerly gale, accompanied by thick weather, prevails, and the vessel may have passed some distance off the land.

The Watpukurau Cricket Club leave on February Ist on a visit to Hastings, Napier, and Gisborne. They have asked that two matches be arranged against Gisborne Club teams. A reply has been sent by the local Cricket Association, assuming them of a hearty welcome to Poverty Bay, and that an endeavor will be made to meet their wishes. The Waipukurau team will include in its ranks Messrs J. Wolstenholme, D. Canning, Absolum, and other players well-known in Hawke's Bay. . ■ . .

The following have booked passages for southern ports per s.s. Victoria this evening : —For Napier : Misses Sef ton, Warren, Booth, Brosnahan, Bulst, Walls, Mesdames Sef ton, East and infant, Parris, Palairet and child, D. Fraser, Hogan, Messrs P. J. Sefton, East, Nevins, J. Thomson, W 7 . Lee, N. Beetham, Fraser, Bartlctt, F. Cooper, J. Ryan, Earnshaw, Solvander, Gibbs, G. White. J. Reilly, J. Jones, Te Ran Bowling Club (4). For Wellington :. Miss and Mrs Beatson, Messrs A. Lind and A. Dodson. For Lyttelton : Miss- Tuohy, Mrs Ranger and infant, Mr Cambridge. For Dunedin : Miss Sievwright, Mesdames I. Sinison and child, A. Howard.

The doleful prophecy that had been made was utterly falsified on Monday (remarks the Christchurch Press). It had been said that shopkeepers this Christmas would do little business ; all the kindly tokens, the messages from friend to friend, would be purchased in the exhibition. The crowded shops on Monday night told another tale, and so did their proprietors, when a busy and profitable evening reached its close. We- have had a record Christmas, said the representative of a large jewellery firm to a reporter. I don't believe there have ever been so many people in tpwn before, and business has been beyond our expectations. Saturday also was a most satisfactory day for us. The Exhibition has made no difference that we can see, except, of course, that business was quiet ifor a few weeks prior to Christmas. But now there is a large crowd here, who have not spent all their money, ahd.w.e hope to do much better. Tlie faintest tribute offered was "average Christmas."

At the inquest on the body of Henry G. Crontbie, who was killed while exchanging tablets on the railway line . at Hamilton, the engine-driver said he was going. at not more than the usual speed. Mr Orombie was standing perfectly still, with the tablet held above his head. When taking the tablet he felt a jerk on his arm, and at the same time heard a woman scream. He never felt such a jerk before. The train was travelling twelve miles an hour. The tablet was afterwards found in the cab of the engine.. He could not say how it got there. He did not consider it dangerous to exchange tablets while going at twelve miles an hour, but it woulcf be safer to enter- tablet stations at six miles an hour. It was not absolutely compulsory, though it was' usual to exchange tablets while the trains Avere in motion. It was an unwritten law. There was. no necessity to exchange tablets at Hamilton while the trains were in motion. Tlie stationmaster thought it possible that deceased put his arm through both tablets. A youth gave evidence that he saw with his arm through both tablets. • He overbalanced, and in trying to 'steady himself put his hand against the moving train. The jury found that no blame was attachable to anybody. They added a rider: "That the attention of the Minister for Railways be drawn to the exceedingly dangerous way in which the tablet system is worked on the Auckland railways, and that be be requested to cause immediate inquiry to be made, so that steps may be taken to minimise the risk to life and limb."