IN TOWN AND OUT

Southland Times, Issue 22510, 19 February 1935, Page 6

IN TOWN AND OUT

NEWS OF THE DAY Motor Van on Fire. At 8.15 last evening the City Fire Brigade received a call to Dee street, where a motor van had caught fire. The outbreak was extinguished without difficulty, the engine receiving only slight damage. It is thought that the fire was caused by a short circuit in the electrical system.

No Shortage of Water. Though northern cities and towns are in some cases in sore straits through the continued drought, the lack of rain greatly affecting the water supply, there is no fear of a shortage locally. This information was conveyed to a Times reporter by Mr F. M. Corkill, the City Engineer, when inquiries were made yesterday. He said that the supply was ample for the city’s requirements. Eels in the Mataura River.

Eels are reported to be numerous in the Mataura river at present, and fishermen are concerned over the havoc they will be making among trout. It is reported that a member of the local Angling Society has during the last week or so ridded the river of nearly 100 eels by means of an eel trap set among the rocks in the river adjacent to the town bridge.—Mataura correspondent.

Tennis District Enlarged. By a decision of the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association the West Otago Association will in future be under the jurisdiction of Southland, instead of Otago as formerly. When West Otago’s application went forward it was supported by Otago and Southland and advice of its success was received yesterday by the president of the Southland Association (Mr L. R. Lopdell). The district of West Otago comprises Waikaka, Waikoikoi, Waipahi, Heriot and Tapanui and the surrounding country.

Lengthy Civil List Though the criminal calendar to be presented to his Honour Mr Justice Kennedy when he presides over the quarterly session of the Supreme Court in Invercargill this morning is a particularly light one (there being only one prisoner for sentence and one accused person for trial), the civil list is a fairly lengthy one. The criminal sitting will probably be concluded this morning, but according to civil fixtures made yesterday afternoon the attention of his Honour will be fully occupied until Saturday morning. ♦ * * * A Poor Attendance.

There were only 14 persons present in Smith’s Hall last night when Mr D. McLaughlin (National Secretary of the Union of Unemployed) gave an address upon the compulsory camp system which has been subjected to considerable criticism in certain quarters recently. The address, it had been advertised, was to have been given “to business men and representatives of the clergy and religious organizations.” Only three of those 14 persons present were business men, while religious organizations were represented by only one person. Mr McLaughlin, who was introduced by his Worship the Mayor (Mr John Miller), prefaced his address by remarking that he had been tempted to abandon the meeting owing to the poor attendance. The French, however, he added, had a saying that if a host invited 50 guests to a feast and only five were present, the feast should not be delayed, but every courtesy should be paid to those five who had observed the courtesies. Accordingly, he intended delivering his address as arranged.