LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 12 May 1930, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

“What about furniture?” asked counsel in the Supreme Court at Wellington of a Greek witness, who was detailing the contents of a room in his house. “Oh, no furniture,” was the reply. “Wc don’t waste money to buy furniture.”

A party of Taranaki, Alpine Club climbers will make the ascent of Mount Egmont on May 25 and continue to Fantham’s Peak to meet members of the Mount Egmont Alpine Club. It is the intention of the Rr.apehu Ski Club to visit Mount Egmont early in June as the guests of the Mount Egmont Alpine Club for the purpose of ski-ing on the Fanthara’s Peak side of the mountain. Two English visitors who are seeing the Dominion in a novel and delightful way just now are Dr. and Mrs. Ward, of Southampton, whose caravan was recently drawn up by the shores of Lake Taupo, says a Wanganui paper. Dr. Ward’s caravan s a model affair with telescopic walls and cane couches which turn into beds when night falls. For several weeks the caravan “rested” at Tongariro. Dr. and Mrs. Ward are greatly enjoying the fishing in the Whakapapa stream. The caravaners are leaving this month for Java and Singapore, ami propose to return to the Dominion for the next fishing season.

At the Magistrate’s Court at Wanganui the other day evidence by witnesses disclosed the fact that certain differences existed in a family as to who should drive the car. The owner of the car, the husband who was- ill, related one wit-, ness, had told him to remove the car battery. “Did he ever give you and indication as to why he wanted the battery taken out?” asked a solicitor. “So that there would not bi? any rows in the house,” replied the witness. Indiscriminate shooting is going on in parts of the Wanganui district. A sportsman who returned from a deer stalking trip a day or two ago stated that a fanner had discovered the carcase of a run bullock with three bullet holes in it and a sheep with a broken shoulder, which had been caused by the impact of a bullet. “There is a flat surrounded by hills in this particular locality,” the sportsman said, “and the farmer is afraid to cross it because of the amount of wild shooting which is going on.” Centra] Otago growers have reaped a rich harvest from their tomato crops this season. Market conditions were quite unusual owing to repeated severe frosts almost completely destroying the Canterbury crops, and that market has afforded a large and profitable outlet (states an exchange). In consequence there has never been a glut and, whereas in prolific seasons unpayable prices have, to be accepted in the flush of the season, highly remunerative rates have this year prevailed. Some fruit-growers in Central Otago whose peaches and apricots suffered severely from frosts early in the season planted heavily in tomatoes as a stand-by crop and-have ben handsomely rewarded.

Shirts and collars valued at between £3 and £4 were stolen on Monday evening from show-cases on the Christchurch railway station, exhibited by Messrs. Hutchison and Co., Ltd., The theft was an audacious one, as it .was discovered at 8.30 p.m., when the station was comparatively busy. The company has an exhibit of four cases, all containing shirts. The cases are made of steel frames and heavy glass panels. The thief forced’ two cases open with a blunt in-: strument, probably a jemmy, and removed the contents. Several railway officers were ®n duty at the time, including a watchman, but no one noticed anyone tampering with the eases. An incipient fire arising from an unusual source resulted in minor damage to a car owned by Mr. W. O. Burgess, of Hamilton, which was left standing in Ulster Street. On his return -Mr. Burgess found the upholstery of the seat smoking, and investigation revealed that the sun shining on the windscreen was so focussed as to cause combustion. A hole had been burnt in the seat. The seat of another car, parked in front of the Magistrate’s Court, was found smouldering at about the same time, but the outbreak was attributed to the burning stump of a cigarette. It is now thought that this fire may also have been caiised by the sun.