LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 December 1924, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The librarian’s report to the Borough Council last night staled that during the three weeks ended December 10, twelve new subscribers had joined and nine had left.

The result of the poll on the Harbour Board's proposals at the Makahu booth was nine in favour, none against. This completes the returns, the final figures being: For the proposals 2906, against 138, informal 24.

A club run to Gape Egmont has been arranged by the Taranaki Automobile Association for next Sunday. Permission has been given by the Marine Department for the visitors to inspect the lighthouse. Major-General C. W. Melvill will be unabje to present the Jellicoe trophy at the evening ceremony of the Technical .High School break-up, but will <lo so at the school at .3 o’clock this afternoon. The public are invited to attend.

Devon Street is again to be a gay spectacle at night during the Christmas and New Year holidays. The Borough Council last night acceded to the request of the New Plymouth Retailers’ Association to suspend strings o* coloured lights across the street, as was done last year.

Traffic precautions for Christmas and New Year’s Eve were adopted by the New Plymouth Borough Council last night. Motorists are to be asked to avoid using Devon Street after 7 p.m. on these evenings, and the speed limit in the street if used is to be restricted to six miles an hour. The community electric lighting system for the business section of the borough of Eltham, also the main street system, was turned on on Saturday night and proved most satisfactory. ft was a vast improvement over the old previously gas-lighted streets. It is expected that lighting for the streets other than the business area will be available in the near future.

A ready compliance with the altered motor parking conditions has been met with, the borough inspector (Mr. R. Day) reported to the New Plymouth Borough Council last night. Mr. Day added that he had seveial prosecutions in hand, one of them concerning a ear which, he said, had defective brakes. He thought that drivers should realise that defective brakes constituted a source of danger not only to themselves, but to other users of the road.

A concise explanation of what financial obligations the new motor regulations will impose on motorists has been supplied by the New Plymouth borough inspector (Mr. R. Pay). When a new car is bought, the owner must' pay £1 for a new number (the number, but not the plate, being obtainable at the post office). This number is good until the car is sold or taken permanently out of Taranaki. Every year, including the first year, £2 must be paid for a license (obtainable from the post office) and 5s for a driver's license issued by the local authority. The expenses are therefore £3 5s for the first year and £2 5s for each succeeding year. A batch of 175 assisted immigrants arrived at Wellington from Great Britain by the Ruahine on Saturday morning. The party, which appeared to be a good healthy stamp of British stock, consisted of 72 men, 53 women, and 50 children. Nine of the new arrivals were booked for New Plymouth, comprising three men, one woman and five children. The Pakeha, which is due to arrive at Auckland this morning, was specially chartered by the New Zealand Government to bring out 628 assisted immigrants. Thirteen are booked foi New Plymouth, comprising four men, four women and five children. A collision at Hamilton between <t motor-car and the motor-cycle he was riding cut short a holiday trip in which Mr. J. Austin junior was engaged the week before last. Mr. Austin was turning a corner when the collision occurred and that is practically all he remembers of the occurrence. When he returned to consciousness he was in the Hamilton Hospital, where he was a patient for a- week. Mr. Austin sustained injuries to his head and one of his knees, but had recovered sufficiently to be able to return to New Plymouth on Saturday night. The annual presentation of prizes in connection with the West End School takes place to-morrow, the infants at 11 a.m. at the school and the standards at 2.30 p.m. at the Empire Theatre. Parents are invited: to attend both functions. •

T. Lamason inserts particulars of his sale on behalf of Mt. J. Stevenson, when he will sell a large quantity of furniture and live stock.

Newton King, Ltd.,, advertise a sale of timber, etc., to be held at the hospital grounds, New Plymouth, on Friday, -the 19th inst., at 1.30 p.m. See particulars of same in auction columns.