TOWN EDITION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume L, Issue 16320, 2 January 1924, Page 6

TOWN EDITION

Immigrants totalling 515 arrived at Wellington last week by the Athenic. A cyclist, Tod Dolman, reported to the Orrnond Sports Committee to-day that his clothes had been rifled in the dressing tent, and that £8 in money and an order for £8 8s had been stolen.

The East Coast Freezing Company li;>.; received advices that it has been allotted shipping space on the steamer Kent, loading at YVhakatane on January 21st, next.

Mr. J. Vigor Brown, Mho is in Melbourne, and who sprained both ankles severely some weeks ago, in a cable' to a Napier resident stated that lie is now able to get about on sticks, lie expects to go to Sydney in two weeks' time.

The manager of the liawera Star bad the unusual experience last week of receiving £2, forwarded as "conscience money" in payment of Stars supplied 15 years, ago. The 'unknown winter concludes "Wishing you a- Merry Christmas."

There was a' narrow escape from drowning in Denne Pool, in the Maitai river, .Nelson, a few days ago. A boy of 11 years of age, Walter Burns, was carried by tha current into deep water, where* * he sank twice before being rescued by Mr. N. Hasse, who plunged into the liver fully dressed. There is an optimistic feeling prevalent iu mining circles on the West Coast, duci to the fact that at the Westport conference, which some thought was quite resultless, many points of difference) between the parties wei'e amicably settled, and the prospects of a complete settlement are now considered bright. Dr. Frederick G. Clapp, of New York, one of the leading petroleum oil experts in the United States, arrived in New Zealand by the Niagara. Dr. Clapp, who has acted in a consultative capacity to companies and prospectors on all the principal oil fields of the world, is to investigate the possibilities of the laranaki oil fields.

It. was a well-behaved crowd that congregated at EilcTslie on Boxing Day (says the Auckland Herald). Forty thousand people were on the course, but there was only one arrest for drunkenness. Unknown to the public, they were well looked after by the police, whose representatives, apart from detectives, numbered over 40.

A farm laborer named Laurence Adams, aged 22, employed by a farmer named Bluett at Rotoma, Waikato,,.was driving some pigs from one paddock to another, when a large boar came up behind and savagely attacked him, ripping a large piece out of one of his legs above the knee, causing his removal to the hospital, whore he is progressing favorably.'

A visitor to Auckland, who in recent veal's has. travelled extensively in the Old World and the United States and Canada, asserts that he has seen nothing anywhere to compare with the glowworm grotto at Waitomo Caves. He makes a, suggestion that a model should he made, of it, and displayed prominently at the Empire Exhibition. He cannot understand the native modesty about a world's wonder.

Thefts are fairly common at Christmas timo, but tho most impudent perpetrated, on Christmas Eve happened in an Auckland boardinghouse. In tlu6 instance three lodgers shared one' room, but one of them was fortunate* not to be home that night. During the early hours of the morning a thief entered the room; and not only took a watch and chain, but also removed from the- finger of onev of the sleeping lodgers a diamond ring.

Chafing at the delay in berthing the Niagara in Auckland on Thursday, owing to medical and Customs formalities,, an English tourist suggested that tune could be saved if officials met passenger steamers before they anchored in the stream. Canadian officials, lie said, boarded Transatlantic liners five' or six hours before reaching Quebec, so that formalities were complete and passengers couid disembark as soon as the boat reached port.

The management of Muir's Reefs has decided to cease crushing operations fur about six months (says the Auckland To Puke correspondent). This> will mean reducing the number uf workmen from 120 to 20. Development work will be continued. A depth of 340 ft. has been attained in sinking a shaft. It is proposed to go down a few more feet when an attempt will bo made to intersect several reefs. Gold to tho value* of £150,000 lias been produced by tho mine during the past two years.

At; the Eketahuna, Chamber of Commerce, meeting held recently Mr. Roberts is reported to have stated : "The land speculator is no good to anyone. Speculation curses the man who follows it, and doubly curses the man who is left with a big monkey on his back." He also quoted the instance of a man who had been on 21 farms in 20 years, and said further that New Zealand could do with another million settlers. Every farmer who settles down and knows his business is worth a £IOOO investment to the State, and every man should he encouraged to remain on his farm. During his remarks at the Wanganui Collegiate School, Sir Thomas Mackenzie stated that on one occasion at Home, lie was chatting with a group at a gathering when the King came along and asked: "What are you. fellow* talking about?" Sir Thomas told His Majesty that they were discussing six agitat.ars whom it was intended to deport from South Africa to tho Old Country. Just at that time tho suffragettes were engaged in a vigorous campaign. Sir Thomas suggested to the King that he could see a solution of tho difficulty. Hi 3 Majesty was all attention. Sir Thoma-i then suggested that he would transfer tho six South African males and (.lio ladj suffragettes to the Kermadcc Islands,"and what a vigorous race they would breed.