IN TOWN AND OUT

Southland Times, Issue 21660, 23 March 1932, Page 6

IN TOWN AND OUT

NEWS OF THE DAY. Anniversary Day. To-day Is the anniversary' of the founding of the province of Otago. The banks and certain offices are observing a holiday. » * « ♦ Taken For Granted. ‘What was the condition of the swamp?” asked counsel of a witness during the hearing of a civil claim in the Magistrate’s Court, yesterday. “Wet,” was the reply made amidst laughter;. “We'll take your word for that,” remarked the opposing counsel. ♦ # * ♦ Woman’s Sudden Death. On Monday evening the death occurred suddenly of Mrs Margaret Kenneally, a widow aged 66 years, who resided with her daughter at 66 Liddel street. At ten o’clock when Mrs Kenneally retired to bed she was in her usual health, but about an hour later she was seized with a fit of coughing which terminated fatally almost immediately afterwards. Death had occurred before the arrival of Dr R. 11. Hogg. The Coroner has been informed and an inquest will be held this morning. Monday's Heat. According to information obtained yesterday from Mr J. L. Lennie, local weather recorder to the Government, Monday was the second hottest day’ this summer, the thermometer in the shade reaching 80 degrees. The highest reading in the shade was on December 14 when 82 degrees were registered. During January readings of 75 and 79 degrees were frequent. * * * « Fire in Washhouse. Believed Io have been caused by a spark from underneath the copper, an outbreak of fire occurred early yesterday morning in a washhouse at the rear of a house owned and occupied by’ Mr Ralph Swan, 34 Bowmont street. The brigade received the call at IS minutes past seven and on arrival found that the fire had secured a strong hold. It was extinguished only after the building and contents were severely damaged. Good work by the brigade prevented the blaze from spreading to the dwelling. This was insured in the Standard Office for £460, there being a cover of £2OO on the contents in the same office. * * * * Eclipse of the Moon. As the moon rose last evening, big and yellow, it appeared as if conditions would be ideal for witnessing its partial eclipse. This proved to bo the case only during the early stages, for as the evening wore on the sky clouded over to hide the moon from view. Round about 9.30 p.m. the moon entered the penumbra and an hour later the umbra or real shadow ,of the earth made its appearance. This was noticed quite clearly, but then to the disa;>pointment of observers a heavy' bank of cloud drifted across the moon. The middle of the eclipse was to have occurred shortlv after midnight and the moon was to have left the umbra at 1.35 this morning. The final stage of the eclipse, when the moon finally' leaves the penumbra, was timed for 2.36 a.m. * ♦ « * Motor Taxation. A brief discussion arose at the meeting of the City Council last evening following the reading of a letter from the Southland Motor Association asking the council to appoint delegates to attend a meeting convened by the association to discuss motor taxation. His Worship the Mayor (Mr John Miller) said that the motor associations in New Zealand held the view that the money raised in motor taxation should be paid not into the Consolidated Fund, but into the Highways Fund. “Docs the council wish its delegates to support this view?” asked his Worship, who added that he had recently read in a report of Sir Otto Niemeyer's a statement to the effect that the beer drinkers of Britain had no say in the allocation of the revenue derived from beer duty. Did not this argument apply to the motorists as well as to the beer drinkers? Councillors Reed and Tattersfield submitted that the money should be earmarked for specific purposes. A motion that delegates be sent was defeated, the letter being merely’ received.