LOCAL ANO GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 12 October 1928, Page 8

LOCAL ANO GENERAL

Through touching a live wire a boy named Hartley, whose parents reside in Westown, suffered shock and slight burns on the hand. He is in the New Plymouth Hospital, and is recovering rapidly. The secretary of the New Plymouth Aero Club has received a- reply from Mr, Mill, the Auckland aviator, to the effect that ho will be pleased, to accept the club’s invitation to visit New Plymouth and will do so about the end of October.

A high wind in the early hours of Wednesday morning caused considerable damage at the Napier Woollen Mills, Onepoto Gully, by lifting portion of a glass roof and depositing it in a paddock some ten yards distant from the building. The roof consisted of an iron framework enclosing 20 panes of glass, and covered an engine room. The damage is estimated at about £5O.

Goods to the value of £lOO were stolen from the house of Mrs. A. Williams, Cranford Street, Christchurch, on Tuesday afternoon. Mrs. Williams left at 2.45 p.m. for Riccarton, and locked the house up carefully before she went. On her return she found the place had been thoroughly ransacked. Jewell.ry, including watches and rings, was the chief thing taken by the thief, who also took a small amount of money and a good deal of men’s clothing. As the result of the lights failing as the vehicle was ascending the steep hill at Razorback, near Bombay, on Tuesday evening, a motor-lorry, owned and driven by Mr. L. Abel, of Cambridge, plunged over a bank at the side of the road and caught fire. The driver escaped unhurt except for bruises, cuts and a severe shaking. The lorry, which was loaded with hams and bacon and pipes and earthenware, was completely destroyed, the fire burning fiercely until late at night. The goods on the lorry were insured.

In these modern times modes of transport take a variety of forms, but for originality a method observed in the neighbourhood of Frankleigh Park recently will take a lot of beating. Proceeding along the road was a motorcyclist well known in Taranaki football circles, and, indeed, in many other brandies of sport. Seated behind him on his machine, but facing the opposite direction, was another man firmly grasping the handles of a wheelbarrow. And resting demurely in the wheelbarrow as it trundled merrily along the highway behind the motor-cycle was one sheep. Truly a strange procession. The heavy rain experiened at Hnntly on Wednesday afternoon caused a slight dislocation of the railway services on the branch line between Huntly and Glenafton. Several short stretches of line near Glenafton were washed out by storm water, holding up goods traffic throughout the afternoon. There was no interruption of work at the mine, although the miners were forced to a point past the wash-outs to meet the train which takes them to their homes in Huntly. Repair gangs were sent out to repair the line, and as soon as the watei' had receded the track was restored to order again. By the evening the service was running to normal timetable.

A novel suggestion to increase the membership was made at a meeting of the Wadestown and Highland Park Progressive Association, Wellington. “If they formed a ‘Sit at Home and Grouch Society’ it would be the best thing in Wadestown. They don’t seem to turn up to any meetings we eall.” Later, when the question of poor attendances at meetings, more especially annual meetings, was under discussion, the same member asked cynically, “Sure it wouldn’t be better to send out a leaflet with ‘Ratepayers being fooled year after year. Com© along and hear about it?’ I am sure that would bring them along,” continued the speaker. “They would come for a row any time.”

A claim by the Criterion Motors, Ltd. against B. A. Fama for £32 8s lOd on account of repairs effected to defendant’s motor-cM occupied the Magistrate’s Court at New Plymouth for the greater part of yesterday. A substantial proportion of th© claim was admitted, but objection was taken to an amount of £3 18s 2d for grinding in valves, and £4 Is 6d for attention to the pistons. Mr. R. W. Tate, S.M., found that there was no evidence of any objection to the accounts on the part of defendant until a considerable time after the ear had been attended to. Judgment was given for plaintiff for the full amount claimed, with costs and expenses amounting to £9. A counterclaim by defendant was non-suited with costs amounting to £1 Ils 6d.

The fact that there was no track between Dawson Falls and Kahui hut was referred to by Mr. M. Hughson at the meeting of th© Egmont National Park Board yesterday. With the exception of this gap of about eight miles, he said there was a track round the mountain. The country was very rough, he admitted, but he would very much like to see the path round Egmont completed. lie suggested they had been badly served in the west, while other sides of the mountain had been developed. The work he mentioned was particularly necessary, and it would facilitate the W’ork of those engaged in the extermination of goats. At a later stage in the meeting Mr. R. Syme, of th© Alpine Club, said he did not think it would be practicable to complete the track from Dawson Falls. It would have to cross the Puniho and Okahu gorges, which were extremely rough. Members of the Alpine Club went over Bob's Bluff. He mentioned that the club was considering making a track to Lake Dive.

The final social gathering of the St. Mary's Young People’s Club drew a large number to th© St. Mary’s Hall, New Plymouth, last night. McNeill’s orchestra was in fin© form and those present spent a most enjoyable evening.

In the Trinity College, London, examinations held in New Plymouth recently, Miss Clarice Moverley was successful in passing and gaining honours in the higher, local elocution examination.

The first and so far the only shipment of Angora and Chinchilla rabbits to reach New Zealand arrived by the s.s. Turakina. The importers are Messrs. J. K. Mooney and Co., Dunedin, who intend breeding these animals on an extensive scale. The Angora rabbit is, of course, bred for its wool or fur, which is shorn about four times a year, whilst the Chinchilla is bred for its pelt, like the ordinary wild rabbit. Messrs. Thornton and Scaife, of Wellington, who are acting as Messrs. J. K. Mooney and Co.’s agents for the distribution of these rabbits in the North Island, are already booking orders for forward delivery, and full particulars jnay be obtained from them.

With reference to the formal challenge for the Hawk© Cup entered by Taranaki, the New Zealand Cricket Council has advised the Taranaki Cricket Association that an eliminating match must be played between Taranaki and Wanganui. Th© match is to be played at Wanganui before December 13.

Prior to the opening ceremony at the Midhirst casein factory yesterday, little Irene Vickers, daughter of the chairman of the company, presented Mrs. O. J. Hawken with a bouquet of spring blooms, while Collett Schumacher presented another bouquet to Mrs. E. Walter. Crunch, crunch! Slip and slide! Then crunch, crunch again! It is an uncomfortable journey of wholesale murder that residents of Vogeltown who happen to return home in the early hours of th© morning have made several times recently when th© weather has been at all mild. In the jungle of shrubs and grass around which th© footpath near th© Workers’ Social Hall circles live hundreds and hundreds of snails and slugs. Apparently attracted from the grass by the warmth which the asphalt on th© footpath retains long after the rest of the world is cold, they crowd on to the footpath to take their early morning constitutional, and however wary the pedestrian he cannot escape treading dozens of them to death. The early bird is well rewarded for his pains, and grim little splotches at intervals along the footpath, with here and there a broken pile of shell, are all that is left to remind the daylight pedestrian that yet another consignment of slugs and snails have reached their Valhallah.

Practically every one of the ten opossum areas on the mountain reserve had been extensively poached, said the ranger (Mr. A. R. Larsen) at yesterday’s meeting of th© Egmont National Park Board. It appeared to be the custom for a poacher to have a friend in another district to whom the skins were sent to be stored until the selling season. This made it unlikely that the stored skins would be found. The poachers started about January, and went on till the opening of The season and, said Mr. Larsen, he understood the January skins were practically as good as those obtained at other times of the year. The Manaia to Pembroke Road district, in which there had been no poaching last year, produced 643 skins, while in the much-poached area alongside six trappers could obtain only 340 skins. Quite a number of farmers were trapping, he alleged, many of them having “orchard permits.” The only blocks that had not been extensively poached were the Manaia and Stony River to Oaonui. Yes! The town and country are talking as they are good judges of value. The fact must be true, but one should judge for oneself. So call when next in town and see the exceptional values McGruer’s are offering in new season’s goodsThe best of values are to be found *t The Hustlers. Low prices convey nothing, but when quality is specified the Real Value is conveyed in low price. Al] the newest dress fabrics in smartly distinctive colours and designs are now being shown at prices that will command a speedy clearance. The Hustlers, Devon Street. In yesterday’s issue it was erroneously stated that the concert held at Fitzroy on Wednesday evening was in aid of th© Presbyterian Sunday School. The concert was a benefit for the Methodist Sunday School, Fitzroy, and it is understood that sufficient funds were raised to almost completely obliterate the debt on the Sunday school. When next in town, no doubt you will miss Messrs. C. C. Ward, Ltd., old premises in Devon Street. This very old shopping centre has been demobilised to allow the contractors to complete our new building. Our busines is still being carried on in the rear of the old shop, v ith an entrance in Devon Street, through the Arcade, or in Currie Street. There is something about a well-dressed man that instantly commands respect and attention. Have you consider :d this aspect of your social and business career? Now then is your opportunity to secure one of Besley’s smart Made-to-your-meas-ure Suits at a special discount of £1 off each suit.