TOWN EDITION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume L, Issue 16497, 1 August 1924, Page 9

TOWN EDITION

Delegates attending the Farmers’ Union Conference presented Mr. W. J. Poison with a travelling rug as a recognition. of what, he had done for them dnrincr the conference. Amongst the passengers by the Remuera, for London this week were the following from Gisborne: Mr. W. H. Rangi, Mrs. M. E. Lindiield, Mr. A. W. Lindfieid, Miss M. Lindfield, Master A. F. Lindfield. A number of live stock iii a consignment being sent from Christchurch to Holm, Westland, recently perished on the overland journey (reports the; Grey River Argus), on account of the very intense cold prevailing in the higher altitudes where the line crosses the Alps. A settler in (lie Oamaru district recently destroyed six of his neighbor s pigs that wore trespassing on his properly. It was .stated at a., meeting of the Waitaki County Council that- a. settler lias full authority under the Impounding Act to destroy pigs, poultry, or other animals trespassing on his property.

A -section on the corner of Hall and Clifford streets, containing 1 rood 18 perches, was sold by auction by Mr. Fred Gray this afternoon. There was a fair attendance, and bidding was more spirited than lias been the case for some time past, the property ultimately changing hands at £1335. . » Over 120 men are at present- engaged in pushing, forward title big work of duplicating the Lake Coleridge hydroelectric power generating plant in order to meet the ever-increasing demand for electricity in Canterbury. The duplication, which is estimated to cost £360,000, was started early this year and it is hoped to- have it- completed in time to supply additional power in the winter of 1926/

The proposal to protect the town ol Opotiki against- Hooding was referred to in a, letter received by the Opotiki Borough Council from the district engineer at Gisborne. The engineer said' he had discussed the matter with the assistant engineer, Mr. Cowing, and had requested the head office of the Public Works Department to take action. It is understood that the method of protection is the creation of a stop-bank on the town side of the Otara. river in the vicinity of Mr. W. Thompson’s property. The spread of blackberry and gorse on the borough streets was referred to by the foreman at the last meeting of the Opotiki Borough Council, dr. Young said that gorse should be cut out by the roots. Cr. Shalfoon pointed out that there were fifteen miles of streets in the borough, and expressed the opinion that many* of the streets should be closed and used for grazing. The Mayor (Mr. Moody) stated that gorse should be declared a, noxious weed in the- borough, and Or. Hawkins said blackberry should bpS cleared^out. The Council resolved to co-operate with, the noxious-weeds inspector in suppressing blackberry and gorse.

The accuracy of a minute, recording the Opotiki Borough Council's decision to pay for the telephones used by the Mayor and town clerk, was questioned by Cr. Shalfoon at a. meeting of the Council. A heated- discussion ensued. This was terminated by the Mayor intimating that he did not want charity/ lie would rather pay for his telephone himself if the Council was not unanimous. The Mayor then moved, and Cr. Hawkins seconded, that the minute in question be rescinded. The motion was put and carried, an amendment hv Or. Tabb, in, favor of adopting the minute, being defeated. The Council, on a division, decided to pay for the clerk’s telephone.

‘An inquest was held at Hamilton on the body of Arthur Campbell Pride, aged 43, commercial traveller, of Dunedin, who expired suddenly in a Frankton hotel a few nights ago. Medical evidence showed that death was due to impactation of food in the larynx, and a verdict was returned accordingly. Deceased was insured against accident for £IOOO in the Queensland Office, and Mr. MacDiarmid, for the company, endeavored to ascertain whether death was not due to heart failure. Dr. Davies said that, with a weak heart, impactntion of food might cause death quicker. With a heart in the condition of Pride’s, he was liable to go off at any time.

It is suspected that Mawera may be on air oilfield, according to this paragraph from the Starßecently the Star office received a communication from Mr. A. J. Bruif, who had discovered, as he thought, signs of oil on his property, which takes in the gully lying between the JTawera cemetery, and Nolantown. A representative of the paper visited the property, and: was shown many little pools of water on the surface of which there was an oily substance not dissimilar to what, may often be seen in many parts of Taranaki, with the exception perhaps that the coating was a little thicker, and the signs of oil more marked than is generally observed. That there is oil worth exploitation in the locality may come within the region of possibilities, and what has been observed may warrant some investigation.

It- seems to he fashionable with Chinese who wish to dispense hospi tality in the: way of beverages for a consideration not to give clients overdoses (remarks the Wanganui Chronicle) They have evidently gleaned this idea from some of the hotels, where the glasses for spirits are tapered to a fine point in the interior and provided with a substantial thick glass bottom. Having adopted the idea, the Chinaman does not. go to the expense of buying thick bottom glasses, for he merely uses an egg-cup land not. one made for holding duck eggs. In two cases against. Chinese in Wanganui for selling liquor the eggcup has figured and for the contents of this iiinepence is charged. If gin is boing served, it. is also possible while washing the egg-cup to leave a '.small quantity of water in the bottom, and this makes the profit more handsome to the vendor and less harmful to the purchaser.

The Legislature Amendment Bill, which it is generally supposed endorses the principles of proportional representation in urban electorates, and “first-past-the-post” in the country districts, was condemned by Mr. A. L. Monteitli (Wellington Fast) in, the House of 'Representatives. “In other words,” said Mr. Monteitli, after describing the presumed contents of the Bill, “wo have in this measure a. three-pea trick, a shuffling of the cards* political thimble rigging. We have hero the position of a politician playing two-up with a double-headed pennyT The Reform party expect that every time they toss with a general election it. is going to come down head for them. They propose to have proportional representation for the cities, and no representation at all in (lie country. That is to say, they want all the representation in. the country. It is a political two-up trick with a double-headed penny player noon the electors ol flip country.” Mr. F. Langs tone (Waimarino) described the Bill as a “ginger-bread shandy-gaff.” H reminded him, he said, of the bone thrown to the dog by the man who was leaving home. “Our Prime Minister,” lie said, “when lie brought the Bill down last year, was about to go to England, and lie thought, the electors might quarrel over little things in his absence, so he threw the Legislature amendment bono cut for them to worry over till ho returned.”