IN TOWN AND OUT

Southland Times, Issue 22157, 27 October 1933, Page 6

IN TOWN AND OUT

NEWS OF THE DAY Boatmen for Tug. No fewer than 57 applications were received by the Bluff Harbour Board for two positions of boatmen on the tug Awarua. Messrs W. Phillips and R. Lovatt, of Bluff, were appointed. ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Work on New Hospital Begun. Yesterday the contractors commenced work on the main block of the new general hospital at Kew. No official ceremony such as the turning of the first sod marked the occasion. For some little time the men will be busy with preliminaries, including the erection of temporary sheds. * » * * Deep Sea Treasure.

Hie dredge Murihiku, which has been operating for some weeks off the east end of No. 1 berth at Bluff, has drawn from the sea bed an amazing quantity of rubbish which now lies on the tankage area. Bar iron, crockery, buckets and 60 fathoms of old wire rope are included in the debris, practically all of which must have been thrown overboard from ships. The only articles for which a use has been found were a hundred “dead marines.” These will no doubt hold something more palatable than sea water, for Bluff boasts its home brewers.

Courtesy Appreciated. The chairman of the Bluff Harbour Board (Mr W. A. Ott) has received the following letter from Rear-Admiral Burges Watson: “On conclusion of the Dunedin’s visit to Bluff I desire to express to you, the Flarbour Board and the harbourmaster my sincere thanks for the many facilities which have been granted to us during our stay. I particularly wish to express my appreciation and that of my officers for your extreme kindness in taking us for the delightful drive into your beautiful province. We enjoyed every moment of it.”

* * * ♦ Bluff Granite for Dunedin. Two thousand tons of Bluff granite will be used in the construction of the Dunedin Post Office. This will give employment to approximately 30 men for three years the majority of whom will be engaged from Bluff. Despite efforts by the Bluff Harbour Board to have the stone conveyed by sea it is now practically certain that the granite will be railed. The wharfage at Bluff is only 1/- a ton on stone whereas in Dunedin it is 5/- a ton. The Bluff Board made earnest representations to the Otago Board to reduce its wharfage so that the stone would be carried by boat, but the Otago Boaid declined to make any concession. * * * * An Optimistic Note.

“So far as this Dominion is concerned, the prospects for the coming season are inore encouraging than they have been at any time during the past three years,” remarked Mr C. J. Broad, chairman of directors of the Permanent Investment and Loan Association of Southland in the course of his remarks at the annual meeting last night. “Recent sales of wool in different centres record a considerable advance or. last year’s prices, and it is confidently expected that the advanced prices will be maintained throughout the season, and possibly reach higher figures, while it is also confidently anticipated that prices for _ lamb and dairy produce will rise higher than they have for some time past, and more commensurate with the present day cost of production, giving hope that the Dominion will again soon be on the road to prosperity.” » ♦ * * House Gutted at Gore.

During the temporary absence of the occupants yesterday morning an outbreak of fire in the kitchen of a Canning street residence at Gore gained a hold and swept through the dwelling and almost completely gutted it. The outbreak occurred in a four-roomed house owned by Mr J. Ritchie, of George street, and occupied by Mr and Mrs J. Woods. Mrs Woods was away for a short time visiting her mother who lived nearby and one of the children had been sent to town. The flames and smoke were noticed by the neighbours who immediately gave the alarm. The blaze had a good hold when the brigade arrived, but a good pressure of water enabled it to suppress the fire within a quarter of an hour. Mrs Woods was unable to account for the outbreak as the kitchen fire, which was burning, had seemed to be safe when she left. The house was insured for £l7O with the United Company and the furniture for £209 with the Alliance Office. * * * ♦ “Just A Wreck.”

With a claim possessing quite unusual features a civil case was called before Mr E. C. Levvey, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, the plaintiff being John Davie, of Gore, an agent (Mr R. B. Bannerman), who sought to recover from the defendant, Tappers, Limited, of Invercargill, cycle agents (Mr B. W. Hewat), the sum of £27 10/- received by the defendant from the plaintiff, or, in the alternative, the return of the plaintiff’s motor cycle. Mr Bannerman said that the matter, in another case, had occupied the attention of the Court on a previous occasion. Then the plaintiff had been sued by the present defendant, against whom judgment had been given for £27 10/-, and Tappers, Limited, were instructed to return the machine to Davie. It was later found that Tappers, Limited, had sold the motor cycle to someone else, yet the judgment had been enforced. His Worship: “It is a pity the Court did not know of it.” Mr Bannerman, said that the machine had been returned the previous night to Davie, who said it was not his, but “just a wreck.” Counsel contended that the bicycle having been sold to someone else in the meantime could not later be returned to Davie. The case was stood down for a week in order that evidence might be tendered. • * * • Magistrate’s Strictures.

The action of certain judgment creditors in endeavouring to obtain payment of the amount owing by communicating with the employer of the debtor was strongly condemned by Mr E. C. Levvey, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. In the course of his examination by Mr I. D. Jack, solicitor to the Public Trustee, who was acting on behalf of the judgment creditors, the debtor, a railway employee, said that the parties interested had communicated direct with the General Manager in the matter, “They had no right at all to do that,” said his Wor-> ship with indignation. “It is a most disgraceful thing, a most contemptible! thing and really amounts to bringing undue and unfair influence to bear. I shall not suffer that for one moment.” Mr Jack made it clear that the beneficiaries had acted on their own initiative and that the Public Trustee in Invercargill was quite ignorant of their action. The debtor later alleged that repeated summonses had been issued against him and costs and expenses consequently were being piled up. “The Public Trustee has, of course, his instructions, but if any other summons is issued I shall give costs against him —that is a direct intimation,” added his Worship. Mr Jack emphasized that the Public Trustee was but carrying out his instructions from the beneficiaries. His Worship: “I, of course, understand that you must carry out their instructions like any other trustee, but I can speak to them only through you.”