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Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18335, 1 March 1934, Page 6

One case of ophthalmic neonatorum formed the only notification of infectious disease in the borough during the fortnight ended February 24. Eleven building permits covering work estimated to cost £7821 were issued by the Gisborne Borougfl Council during the fortnight ended February 17. The permits were as follow: —Dwellings, 3, £1885; alterations and additions, 4, £256; reinstatement of fire damage, 2, £250; repairing and strengthening buildings damaged by earthquake, £5430. Camping parties which have stayed at the Waikanae Beach camping grounds since February 11 include those of Messrs Paul, New, Parker and Watt (Palmerston North), Bidwell, Paul and Humphreys (Auckland), Waters (Waihi), Hueghan (Carterton), and Pearce (Hastings).

One of the Hawke’s Bay and East Const Aero Club’s machines, piloted by Flight-Lieutenant A. G. Gerrand, unaccompanied, arrived lroin Hastings shortly after 11 o’clock this morning, and departed 20 minutes later with one passenger for Hastings, Mr. E. White, who had been a visitor to Gisborne.

Mr. Justice Reed reserved his decision in the case concluded in the Supreme Court at Napier on Tuesday afternoon, in which Edwin Charles Batt, of Napier, waterside worker, proceeded against the Napier Waterside Workers’ Union, the plaintiff claimed £3OO damages for the alleged wrongful refusal of the defendant union to admit him to membership, and in addition he requested a mandamus compelling the union to admit him as a member.

An unfortunate collision occurred in the junior cycle race at the amateur athletic sports last evening. Two of the riders were passing on the back straight of the course when their handlebars caught. As a result of the accident, A. Aitlcen received severe bruises on his hand. Members of the St. John Ambulance were quickly on the scene and immediately rendered first aid.

Fairly substantial decreases are shown in the vital statistics for Gisborne for the first two months of the present year, as compared with January and February of last year. Births declined from 86 last year to 75 this year, deaths from 31 to 28, marriage notices from 30 to 20, and marriages by the registrar from 11 to four. Similar decreases are shown in the statistics for February, which are as follow, those for the corresponding month of 1933 being given in parentheses: Births, 32 (40); deaths, 11 (15); marriage notices, 10 (15); marriages by registrar, 2 (8). A prominent Poverty Bay farmer returned from the Royal Show with a very good story, which serves to show the high intelligence of the sheep dog of today. The sheep dogs were waiting) tlieii turn while the two big gun detachments were giving a demonstration in the ring of long-distance firing and bow range was directed by a signaller by flag on a_ hill nearby when suddenly a gun was tired. Glen immediately bolted into the crowd and his owner was unable to locate him high or low. Imagine the owner’s surprise when leaving the ground to see bis dog returning post haste with his tin hat.

Local body representation on hospital boards forms the subject of one of the remits to the Municipal Conference to be held in Wellington on March 14. The Gisborne Borough Council at its meeting, last evening was advised that the follow ing remit would be considered: “That the representation of local bodies on hospital boards be nominated by the local authority, instead of elective as ;u present.” The council discussed the matter at some length, and the delegates were finally instructed to favor each local body contributing to a hospital board being given the power to appoint by nomination one representative to the board, the remaining members of the board to be appointed by election in the ordinary way.

A large fragment of human skull of exceptional thickness, which was found in the Rakanui Caves, a fe\v miles south of Kawhia, at the end of January by a party of Aucklanders, was submitted to scientific and medical experts as being possibly of pre-Maori origin. Tho fragment, which included the back of the head and tho ridge above the eyes, was found in a cave at a depth of 100 ft., the cave being entered with the utmost difficulty. Ail Auckland hone specialist who examined the skull said that there was ample reason for the finder to have thought his discovery was out of the ordinary, for the piece was very thick, and undoubtedly of considerable age, but it had been found that the skull was probably that of a Maori. There was no suggestion of its being a relic of a race preceding the Maoris in New Zealand.

“There is no question that tbe present system is demoralising the men,” commented the Mayor, Mr. John Jackson, at last evening’s meeting of the Borough Council when the eouncij had under consideration a remit for tbe Municipal Conference urging that the Minister of Employment should give serious consideration to the question of exempting all unemployed men eligible for relief work from payment of the quarterly unemployment levy. Mr. Jackson declared that this remit, which emanated from Birkenhead, was only toying with the situation. It was his intention, be said, to advocate at the conference that the administration of unemployment relief should be taken out of the hands of the Unemployment Board and be given to the Public W’orks Department with a view to having the men put back into normal productive work. 110 intimated, however, that ho would support the remit if nothing better could be secured.

A definite assurance, backed up by technical data and the opinions of prominent city engineers, that the Robinson Memorial clock tower was designed cm sound scientific lines, having regard to the possibility of earth movement, was given at last evening's meeting of the Borough Council. The Mayor, Mr. John Jackson, remarked that there was some anxiety on this point amongst townspeople, who considered that the base ot the tower covered such a small area that there was an element of danger in tin slightest earthquake. The engineer, Mr. E. It, Thomas, stated in reply that the design of the tower went further even than the building regulations drawn up by the Government since the recent earthquakes. “The idea of a deep footing,” said Mr. Thomas, “is a thing of tl\e past. The further you go down into the ground the more earth movement. is collected, and that movoment is transmitted up the structure. That is the reason why the flat footings are being adopted.” The engineer added that ■in the design of the tower a considerably greater factor of safety had been provided than was required by the Government regulations. Two prominent engineers had asked him for details of the tower, and on working them out they had been surprised to find that the factor of safety was much greater than was required,.

Manaia will bo the venue on March 8 of the popular Taranaki “mass and pipe band contest

Three petitions in bankruptcy were filed in the'Supreme Court in Gisborne in February of this year, compared with orie petition filed during the corresponding month of 1933.

The following licenses were issued by the Borough Council during the fortnight ended February 24 : —Dog registration, 27; motor drivers, 13; heavy traffic, 3; motor delivery lorry, 1.

Permission was granted at last evening’s meeting of the Borough Council to the Gisborne branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to hold a shop day on March 10 to augment the funds of the society, subject to the payment of the usual fee of £5.

While walking on the road at the intersection of St. John and Wellington streets, Opotiki, a Maori youth, Jack Apanui, was knocked down by a car driven by Mr. G. Thompson. A doctor w'as called and sent the injured youth to hospital. The dust nuisance experienced by business people in Grey street was referred to by Cr. Holmes at last evening’s meeting of the Borough Council, and at his request the engineer was asked to submit a. report on the cost of tar-sealing or bitunienising each side of the present bitumen section in Grey street from Childers road to Palmerston road.

A claim against the Borough Council by a motorist for damages arising out of an accident in which his car collided with a municipal bus was referred to b.y the finance committee in a report to the council at its meeting last evening. The committee, after investigating the claim and considering a statement from the driver of the bus. recommended that the council should repudiate any liability. This recommendation was adopted.

The New Zealand Institute of Town Clerks will hold its annual conference in Wellington on March 13, and at last evening’s meeting of the Borough Council permission was granted to the town clerk, Mr. W. M. Jenkins, to attend the' con ference. This meeting will take place on the day prior to . the opening of the Municipal Conference, at which with the Mayor, Mr. John Jackson, the town clerk will attend ns a delegate from the council.

A motor-car containing four Hamilton residents returning from the Public Works relief camp at Morrison’s road, Pukekawa, near Tuak.au, on Sunday night, left the road at a corner about a chain from the camp and rolled down the bank for 30ft. The hood came off and the four men were thrown out. Mr. Frederick Lee, who was sitting in the front seat with the driver, had three ribs broken. Mr. I Moss received a severe blow on the head but the other two occupants escaped injury. Prompt action on the part of the driver of the engine of the WellingtonNew Plymouth express on Monday saved the life of a young girl, Shirley Learniouth, at the Longburn station. The train does not normally stop at Longburn. When it was nearing the station the child jumped from the platform to the line. It, appeared a tragedy would occur, but the driver brought the tram to a standstill in about half its length, the engine being then only a very short distance from the child.

Deep regret was expressed at last evening's meeting of the Borough Council at the recent death of Mr. George Witters, an old resident ol the district and one who had taken long and active interest in local politics. “Air. Witters,” said the Mayor. Mr. John Jackson, “was known !o all of you as a man of sterling qualities, who took a great interest in the district, and in the. Cook County Council, of which he was a member for about 24 years. vVe sincerely regret bis passing.” Councillors stood in silence while a vote of condolence was passed. Over BCO trans-Tasman air-mail letters, for distribution in this district arrived inGisborne this- week.;■ A'pprpxjiuately 40,000 letters were bonveyeYL-franiiNew Zealand to Sydney by Mr. O. T. P. film in the Faith ill"’Australia on Febniary 17,. and . about. 39,000 of, these arrived back in the •Dbminibh.-by. tbeMast ordinary mail, the remainder having gbno on from Sydney to"'addresses in Australia and elsewhere. The majority -of iithe letters bear the Auckland and Sydney postmarks dated February 17, and provide splendid souvenirs of the first transTasman air mail.

An increase of over £260 in beer duty is the outstanding feature of the returns of the Customs Department in Gisborne for February of this year, as compared witli the corresponding month last year. Customs duty for the month totalled £2780 6s 4d, as against £2834 16s lOd in February, 1933, while beer duty totalled £BB7 5s 3d, as compared with £625 11s 6d. Sales tax revenue amounted to £1097 18s 9d, as against £262 19s 8d for February of last year, but this is not a true comparison, as the sales tax did not come into full operation until March of last year. The unsettled weather recently experienced reduced the ordinary revenue of the borough bus department, although the average was maintained by reason of the holding of race meetings during the period, according to a statement by the department’s manager, Mr. K. G. Ball, to the Borough Council at its meeting last evening. Revenue from fares and other sources during the fortnight ended February 18 totalled £3i"> 9s 4d. Mileage totalled 7030, and 27,645 passengers were carried, the fares aver* aging 11.07 d per mile. Some novel events were introduced by sailors during the impromptu sports meeting held at Te Ivaraka yesterday for the benefit mainly of the children. The sailors set out to entertain the youngsters, and succeeded. One of the races new to Te Karaka, and also to people of the Gisborne district, was a four-legged race. Three men were required to make up the four legs, which, as in a threelegged race, were tied to connect each of the. three men, but, instead of all facing the same way, one had to run backwards. This caused more amusement than anything else. Further representations for the acquisition of a humane killer for the destruction by the poundkeeper of unclaimed dogs were made to the Borough Council at its meeting last evening in a letter from the Gisborne branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The secretary of the branch stated that complaints had been received (hat poison had not taken immediate effect in some cases, and the dogs had been subjected to acute suffering. The Mayor, Mr, John Jackson, remarked that there was no information available regarding a suitable humane killer, and after the council had disi ussed various poisons and methods of destroying dogis, it was decided to notify Ihe society that steps would be taken to eliminate suffering. j

The fright of his life was experienced by Dr. D. A. Bathgate, of Hastings, I during his recent eight-day tramp through virgin country from Taihape to | Taupo. Away at tho headwaters of the Tauranga-’inupo River the party of hampers shuck trouble. Tho doctor saw what he thought to be an old white j cow. He crept up to the animal, thuik-1 ing to have some fun by giving it a, fright. When he got near to the bacn of it he uttered a yell. To his dismay the old “cow” turned out to be a bull, which lowered its head and rushed at him. The doctor said he managed to elude the beast, but the incident served to remind them that they were in a part of the country where animals ran wild. Dr. Bathgate went on to say that on another occasion some wild bulls kept the hampers up a tree, out of harm’s way.