IN TOWN AND OUT

Southland Times, Issue 22042, 15 June 1933, Page 6

IN TOWN AND OUT

NEWS OF THE DAY Death From Burns. The little boy, Alan Officer, aged two years, who was admitted to the Southland Hospital on May 15 suffering from burns, died in the hospital yesterday. The boy resided with his parents, Mr arid Mrs Charles Officer, at Ringway. It is understood an inquest will be held. *,* * * Good Behaviour and Competent Work. Some amusement was occasioned at the monthly meeting of the Mataura Borough Council on Tuesday evening when, in reply to a question from a councillor as to how long a certain contract for grading had been, let, the chairman of the Works Committee replied: “During good behaviour and competent work.” (Loud laughter.) * * * * Street Names in Mataura. Recalling some of the rather strange and unseemly names by which streets in Mataura are known, Councillor Sutherland urged at the monthly meeting of the Borough Council that Denbigh street East be renamed “Derby” street, this being an appropriate name for a street in which councillors, appeared in the municipal “Derby” bienially. * * » « Meat For Unemployed.

The appeal made by his Excellency the Governor-General (Lord Bledisloe) for funds or gifts in kind for the relief of distress in the ranks of the unemployed, has met with a response from the farmers of Southland, 39 carcasses of mutton and two trucks of cattle having been handed to the Southland Frozen Meat Company for dressing. The mutton was donated by Mr W. J. Clark, Tussock Creek, 13 carcasses; W. Lindsay, Wallacetown, six carcasses; A. and R. McDonald, Otapiri, 10 carcasses to the Governor-General’s fund and 10 to the Returned Soldiers’ Association. Mr Donald Macdonald, of Edendale, has donated two trucks of cattle, which were to be delivered to the Mataura freezing works this week.

Relief Pay Allocations. Acting upon the decision of the citizens’ meeting regarding the allocations of relief pay the Mayor of Invercargill yesterday despatched the following telegrams:—To the Acting-Prime Minister: “I am directed by a public meeting to request your co-operation with the Minister for Employment for the immediate provision of a full allocation of relief pay to unemployed in Southland. You realize the severe climatic conditions here.” To the Minister. for Employment: “It was resolved unanimously that the Government and Unemployment Board be requested to make immediate provision for a full allocation of relief pay to the unemployed in Southland. I would appreciate your taking the matter up at once with the Unemployment Board. You realize the severe' climatic conditions here.” Last evening his Worship received the following reply from the Acting-Prime Minister: “I have received your telegram concerning increased provision for the Southland unemployed men and will confer with the Minister for Employment.” «.* * #

Cycle Traffic. “I see by the Southland Times that a number of cyclists have stated their case,” remarked a motorist to a Times reporter yesterday, when referring to statements made at Monday evening’s meeting of the general committee of the Southland Motor Association. “Personally,. I know that the majority of cyclists are law-abiding, but some are not, and the motorist’s complaint is the amount of worry they cause him. Coming in the North Road the other night I counted. 24 cyclists. Of this number 13 had no lights and seven no rear reflectors, and this was in Invercargill. On another occasion I was driving along the bitumen on a wet night, when I was temporarily dazzled by the lights of an oncoming car. There was a cyclist in between and he had the narrowest of escapes. It never occurred to him to pull over. That is a potential danger which never appeals to cyclists. A motorist is compelled to know the by-laws, but no qualification is demanded from a cyclist. By the way, cyclists pale into significance beside the antics of our country cousins on a Friday.”

Railways Busy. Several factors have contributed to the unusually busy period being experienced by the Railway Department at the present time. The record offerings of fat sheep and lambs at the Lorneville sale on Tuesday entailed a good deal of handling by the railways in the first instance, but since the bulk of the stock was purchased by northern buyers special transport was required. Yesterday a special stock train of 68 waggons was commissioned to transport between 4500 and 5009 sheep to the Belfast freezing works, Canterbury. This is reported to be a record consignment for the southern district branch of the railways. In addition to the stock train there was also despatched yesterday from Invercargill a coal special to northern consignees. The Bluff line is sharing in this welcome winter rush, mainly due to shipping activities at the port. At the moment the Northumberland is loading 120 vans of meat, 400 boxes of butter, 1750 crates of cheese, 400 casks of tallow, 250 sacks of seed and 300 bales of wool and hemp, while the Kiwitea is discharging 300 tons of coal and loading 80,000 feet of timber.

A “Musical Calamity.” Patrons of the Royal Scottish concert in the Civic Theatre, last evening were entertained to an unrehearsed item which had both its humorous and serious sides. While Mr W. R Ronald, secretary of the St. Andrew’s Scottish Society and stage manager for the evening, was moving the stage piano one of the castors of the instrument became wedged in the stage flooring, and impeded progress. Unknowingly obstructed, Mr Ronald made a Herculean effort, but his good intentions were thwarted by the castor wrenching from the piano and peril • ously canting the instrument. The weight was too much for Mr Ronald who perforce had to let the piano crash backwards on to the stage. Assistance was forthcoming and the piano righted and moved to the desired position on the stage. The smiles which greeted Mr Ronald’s impromptu item developed into laughter when it was discovered that the fall had disturbed the “works” and the piano refused to “play.” The piano from the orchestral well was then requisitioned and the concert proceeded. Later it was learned that Mr Ronald had suffered injury to his right foot when the piano crashed and required medical attention to the extent of a minor operation being performed on the first toe of the foot. He was immediately removed to his home and later in the evening was reported to be progressing satisfactorily. .