LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 10 May 1930, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Of 2000 motor vehicles and 1000 cycle's to be registered in New Plymouth before May 31 only 130 vehicles and 25 cycles had been registered up till last night. This seems to indicate that there will be the usual rush to the chief post office at the end of the month, and the consequent waiting in queues. With reference to the forthcoming visit of the New Zealand cricket team to England the Taranaki Cricket Association has been asked by the New Zealand Cricket Council to see that players likely to be selected for th: New Zealand team keep thoroughly fit during the coming winter. The New Zealand selectors have been instructed that no player is to be selected whose fielding does not reach an average first-class standard. Eels in obeying the instinct that urges them to make periodic migrations to the sea do not stop to consider the manner of their going, and if any obstacle prevents them from continuing their seaward career by the watercourse they have been known to go across land. Occasionally they cause unexpected interruptions, as was instanced in connection with the operations of the Opunake power scheme last month, when on two o. easions eels got into tho turbines, upsetting the balance of the rotors, and greatly reducing the speed and voltage.

“What is the date?” asked the secretary at the meeting of the committee of the New Plymouth Jersey Cattle Club yesterday. “May 9,” said one member promptly. “I remember it because on May 8 I dated all my letters May 9.” “And I remember it because it was my wife’s birthday to-day and I forgot it this morning,” said another member, “I remember it,” said a third member, “because my small boy reminded me this morning that it would be his birthday in three days’ time.” A serious accident befel Mr. William Doud. Duthio Road, a supplier to the Mangatoki dairy factory, yesterday morning. Mr. Doud was. taking whey from the tank when his horses took frin-ht. Mr. Doud was thrown over the tail-board on tc . the concrete and received a severe wound on the head and broken wrists. He was conveyed to Kapongw Mr. J. Townend pluckily jumped in front of the runaway horses and brought them to a standstill before any more harm wa= done;' r

One probable reason why the Government refus I to allow the 'publication of unemployment ngures in New Zealand, said a New Plymouth official yesterday, was because it was extremely difficult to make a correct assessment of the figures. Men tramping the country registered on the unemployment roll of each town they passed. In a week or so a man might register himself as unemployed <y the rolls of two or three large towns. Mr. J. S. Tosland told the Opunake Power Board yesterday that he had arranged with the Returned Soldiers’ Association at New Plymouth that the money collected in Opunake on Poppy Day woul" be expended in providing work for returned soldiers in the district. He had suggested that men should be employed in forming a track around the power board’s lake, thus beautifying the district. The board ag. d that this was an excellent proposal, and it was decided that tho engineer supervise any work done. The chairman said the trees at the lake were making remarkable ’progress.

Owing to the rim of the front righthand wheel coming off, a motor delivery van belonging to Mr. R. L. Scott could not be properly controlled when turning from St. Anbyn Street in Egmont Street, New Plymouth, yesterday afternoon. Though the driver, Mr. Claude Jeffries, did his best to avoid an accident he could not prevent the vehicle crashing into the verandah of the Grosvenor Hotel and snapping two of the iron supports. It is understood that beyond the ripping away of the support to the cover, comparatively little damage was done. Earlier in the day a motor lorry struck the verandah posts of the Grand Central Hotel, the results in this instance being less serious.

Many and varied are the incidents that cause interruptions to electric power services with consequent inconvenience to consumer-. Twice recently in certain areas of the Opunake power district the service has been dislocated for a while—once when a thrush sitting on the high tension wire at Okato, a thing that it had probably done on numerous occasions, suddenly pecked at' an earth guard near by with the Yesult that a short circuit was created, electrocuting the bird, “blowing” a fuse and depriving a large area of power. Again a wire was found down on the Arawheta Road and the only explanation was the discovery of an opossum at the foot of a pole hearing signs of having been electrocuted.

Manchester Week at Moreys, Ltd. This is not a mere “flash in the pan,” but a genuine annual fixture run by this busy store, built on value. Manchester Week is Thrift Week. See advertisement on Page 23 of this issue.

A cake was - competed for at the ingleside on Thursday evening and the winner proved to be Mr. F. Gable with No. 49. '

At a meeting of the committee of the New Plymouth Debating Society last ni°ht it was decided that the subject for the first debate on May 23 should bo changed from ’’.That the age of romance is past” to "That modern civilisation is not progressing towards an ideal form of life.” The debate will be held in the room over Messrs. Duff and Wynyard’s office, Brougham Street, instead of the Victoria League room. The Melbourne Clothing Company are showing some extraordinarily fine values in men’s knitted lumber jackets and cardigans. These goods are entirely New Zealand make, soft elastic wool, good patterns and. a credit to the country which produced Ithem. ’See windows for special displays and prices.