GENERAL NEWS

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 40, 22 February 1929, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS

Attempt! Faiin. Mr Charles Harwell who essayed

to cross Cook Strait in a frail canvas

canoe was forced to return after completing half the journey through encountering a fresh south breeze and flood tide. He is thought t'o be camping near Pliminerton.

at the Baths. The weather was ideal for swimming last night and tin*, school hath was rather uncomfortably lull of spectators, many having to stand throughout.. However, it can palely bo said that everybody had an enjoyable time ami that the sport was thoroughly enjoyed. There were no comic items, ns such, on the programme, but those present got plenty of fun nut of proceedings. In tips respect the water polo was very popular, and some of the i to tbe fun when they came in contact with 1 lie pine around the hath and ovnerieucod slight shocks, owing try a leakage of electricty from Lie 1t,.1.f n’,r svefpm. A swlmmot- who 1 ..-I |lk> inisfortnih i-i snlil bis costume added materially (n the even- ,, ing’s aimisemepi.

Suicide. That Benjamin Bain, aged 57, committed suicide by drowning Hansel? in Waibopai Estuary on February lo while in a. state or mental depression, was the verdict returned by the coroner at the adjourned inquest at Invercargill yesterday into the circumstances surrounding the death. Overseas Trade Overseas trade figures for . the month of January showed that tTie value of imports into New Zealand in January of this year totalled 319,09 b, compared with £3,770,020 for January, 1928. The exports for the same period were valued at £2,149,931 this year an£ £7,606,383 last year.

Vi si tors Enl ertained. After the swimming carnival held at the Stratford baths last evening the local Swimming Club entertained the visitors at 1 a dance in the Medina Tea Rooms. There were about i. 20 people present. Music was supplied by Marsh’s Orchestra, and dancing continued till the early hours 'of the morning. During the evening; Mr T. Kirkwood presented the prizes which were won at the carnival by the competitors. A Narrow Escape.

Through falling 40 feet over the cliffe fronting Woolcoinbe Terrace, New Plymouth, a lad named John Clarke, aged 12, received a deep cut on the forehead, and there may bo found to be fracture of the skull. Ho remained unconscious after removal to the hospital. Clarke was playing near the top of the cliff, when the soil gave way and ho was precipitated to the beach below, striking his bead several times on rocks as bo fell. While medical attention was being given on the beach the cliff slipped again, and it was necessary to move the boy nearer the sea to escape further injury.

A T o €anse for Alarm. Slight electric shocks were experienced. by some swimmers at the school baths last night. Usually, such a st'ate of affairs is liable to lead to something of a panic, but there was nothing of this last night, those getting the shocks probably recognising that they were very mild and harmless. The trouble was located in a slight leakage from the temporary lighting lines over the bath. Something Wrong'.' Mr A. E. Moss. Borough Electrical Engineer told a “Post” representative that there must have been misrepodting in connection with a paragraph published in the “Post” in which a gentleman from England was credited with the .statement that electricity was being retailed at Id per unit in England. Mr Moss said that there was a movement in England for the establishment of superstations for the purpose of making electricity at a production cost of Id per unit, but generally the retail cost of elecncity was in the vicinity of sd, and then only where the population is dense and the cost of distribution is small. In Newcastle, for instance, the price is 6d. As regards the price for heating and power, English and New Zealand prices were about 1 on a par at Id or price was kept high because of the sparse populations making the cost of distribution high.