LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 6 November 1930, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

A New Plymouth listener heard an announcement oyer the air from Sydney last evening that the owner of Phar Lap has offered a challenge to race Phar Lap over three distances- for £lO,OOO aside against any horse in the world at the next spring carnival at Sydney. A striking searchlight display given by two (searchlights on H.M.S. Dunedin interested the large number of spectators at the gates of Ptikekura Park last night. The fireworks display was postponed, owing to the damp weather, until this evening.

Fire destroyed an old wooden house, built just after the Maori War, at the corner of Veale and Frankley roads in New Plymouth at 3 o’clock yesterday morning. The building was occupied by Mr. E. Carrington and owned by Mr. P. Barry. The furniture, which was owned by Mr. Carrington wds insured for £l5O in the Eagle, Star and British Dominions Office.

A big iron beam is shortly to be affixed along the ceiling above the main counter of the New Plymouth post office. On account of the increased number of telephone connections to the post office, some heavy machinery is to be installed in the room above. The iron beam is being affixed to prevent the slightest possible suspicion of danger to tfle publie.

A young motor-cyclist named Bennett collided with a motor-car driven by Mr. M. B. Sefton at the junction of Devon aud Sackville streets and Cleinow Road, Fitzroy, last evening. Both vehicles were coming from different directions to go into Clemow Road and struck at right angles. The motor-cycle struck the right front mudguard of the car and the cyclist was thrown. His injuries were superficial. After receiving treatment he was taken to his home. A fine concert arranged by Mrs. A. Murray was held in the Westown Presbyterian Sunday school hall on Tuesday. The items, both musical and elocutionary, were splendid. Proceeds were in aid of Sunday school prizes. Those who contributed items were Mesdames Martini, Harrison, Kircher, McQueen and Brown, Misses Cocker, McNeill, Turnbull and Aylward, Messrs. A. B. McDonald, Gilmore-Smith, McQueen, Cocker and Howlett. Mr. 11. Morey was pianist. Thrown from his speed boat at New Plymouth yesterday, Air. H. J. McKain, Moturoa. was struck on the head by the boat but forestalled a rescue attempt bv Mr. Wally Brown and swam ashore. Mr. McKain’s outboard motor-boat Miss Rotokare was racing behind Miss Marquette, a new motor-boat from Auckland. Mr. McKain attempted to turn in the wash and his boat overturned sideways. He was not seriously injured. Mr. Brown dived to his rescue from Miss Marquette. The men from H.M.'S. Dunedin will march through the streets of New Plymouth on Friday morning. They will pass the cenotaph at 10.15 and go by way of Devon and Liardet streets to Pukekura Park, returning past the post office to Dawson Street. ’The saluting base will be at the post office steps and the Mayor (Mr. H. V. S. Griffiths) will accompany Commodore Blake, who will take the salute al 11 o’clock. The men will continue their march down Devon Street West.

Oscar Garden, who flew from England to Australia, yesterday telegraphed the Vacuum . Oil Company: “Plume spirit and Mobiloil gave remarkably good results and the Vacuum service has been excellent throughout and very much appreciated.”

While a. service car was on the road between Opotiki and Motu it frightened a hare. The hare jumped up against the windscreen with such force that it was killed.

The first drafts of fat lambs for export reached the Longbtirn freezing works on Monday, says the Manawatu Standard. These are being consigned privately to England with the view to testing the prospects for the Christmas trade. Regular slaughtering has not yet been commenced and no announcement has been made regarding prices.

During the hearing of a case in the Supreme Court at Auckland on Tuesday, a young man entered the witness . box with a half-smile on his face. It was a re-trial, and he knew what was coming. “You full name, Mr. —?” asked counsel. "Louis Frederick Thomas George Ronald Rudolph —witness replied, lapsing into a broad grin. General laughter in the Court was silenced sternly.

The latest figures of the World's Sunday School Association show that it has now within its organisation a total of 33,751,632 scholars, 3,323,030 officers and teachers, an'd 320,620 Sunday schools. By far the largest number is in ; North America, where the scholars total nearly •22,000,000, and the officers and teachers 2,189,000. Since 1924 there has been an increase of more than 4,500,000 scholars throughout the world.

A truck belong to the Premier Transport Motor Company ran over a bank on the Mangorei Road just past the factory shortly after 5 last evening. After several hours’ work the truck was hauled back on the road by a breakdown truck scut out from New Plymouth by Criterion Motors, and was driven home. Although warning signals were placed on the road during the work several other lorries and cars on the road skidded at the same place and almost went over. “That in the case of persons admitted t 0 the casualty wards of hospitals owing to motor accidents endeavours be made to arrange that the respective hospital boards should have the legal right to the benefit ot any claims .of such persons under any accident insurance policies for payment of hospital fees.” This recommendation was submitted- by the Marlborough branch to the executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union last, week, and it was referred to the Hospital Boards’ Association for the opinion of that body. With the production of an auricula stalk bearing a head of no fewer than 80 blooms, it appeared as if it would remain a record for this season at least, says the Southland Times. Mr. T. Sim, who grew this auricula has, however, produced a still better one and has beaten his own record,; the latest stalk bearing the remarkable number of 93 blooms. Is it asking too much for anyone to bring the number up to a century? Mr. Sim also produced a stalk of polyanthus with no fewer than 72 well-grown blossoms. v A Christchurch City Council traffic inspector was keeping an eye on a motorist travelling along the Riccarton road recently when one' driver - came along, ran througli a muddy puddle, and splash-, cd him. As a result, John K. McAlpine,* a station owner, was fined 20s and costs by Mr. E. D. Mosley, S.M., for failing to exercise sufficient care and splashing pedestrians. “It is a wonder to me,” said the magistate, “there have not been more prosecutions under this section. ■Some people are very careless and inconsiderate.”

Discreet inquiries reveal, says the Marlborough Express, that, in spite of the financial depression there is no necessity for public uneasiness regarding one of the banks operating in Blenheim. The Sag which it flew on Saturday, though recognised in the international code as a signal of distress, was not intended as such, the mishap being due to the carelessness of the office boy, who has, it is understood, been suitably reprimanded. The distress signal floated dismally in the breeze throughout the week-end, but was hauled down on Monday morning. A Wellington rotarian who recently visited the United States amused the members of the Wellington Rotary Club when he told them how he informed his American friends what his classification was. “You haven’t a single one of my classification in the whole of the United States,”' he told them, and they were very much mystified, for they believed that American Rotary had every classification under the sun. “What is it?” they all asked eagerly. “Wholesale wine and” spirit merchant,” was the reply, and the joke was enjoyed tremendously.

In the collection box at the Southland Museum a visitor left last week a note containing the following advice: “If you had the museum in a better place and better displayed it would draw more people and you would soon get funds for extension.” Unfortunately, says the Southland Times,’ the critic did not leave any coin to show his practical sympathy with the museum authorities who have been striving for years to obtain more suitable buildings in which to house the many valuable exhibits in the museum. The collection box yields the tremendous sum of lbs a quarter, the commonest coin being a half-penny.

Unemployment registrations at the New Plymouth post office were coming in very well, said the chief postmaster (Mr. F. E. Beamish) to a News reporter yesterday. Up to yesterday about 2400 registrations had been received. The total number of registrations anticipated at New Plymouth was between 4500 and 5000. The department based its calculations on about one and a-quarter registrations from each household. The business firms aud offices with big staffs had all been very helpful. There was still another week to go for receiving registrations.

You will be requiring a smart summer coat and smart hat this summer. A word to the wise: Buy now at The Greater McGruer’s, New smart coats, 1 19/6, 27/6, 32/6, 39/6, 59/6. See our window to-day.

Hard times are indeed upon us—but the hard time specials The Hustlers Drapers are offering for fourteen days only, will make your purse much longer, and will allow you more money to spend on other needful necessities you are requiring. Your inspection of these. Hard Times’ Specials will well repay’ you at The Hustlers, Drapers.* . .

These.are cheap at the Melbourne: “Ivy” mending wool in balls 3d, “Mendose ’ containing 18 assorted spools 1/- box, Fancy Garter Elastic 1/- length, “Gold Star” hose reduced to 5/11 pair. Fancy embroidered handkerchiefs 6d, midget ‘Tangee'’ lip stick and face powders 1/- each.*

Eltham, which is getting quite a name among the horticultural public as being a town of . good gardens is to have a special display of flowering shrubs by the wellknown nurserymen, Messrs. Duncan and Davies, Ltd., New Plymouth. This display which is being held in the shop recently occupied by Farmers’ Trading Company, Eltham, opens at 10 a.m. Friday, 7th inst., 'nd closes on Saturday, November 8, 9 p.m. An expert will be in charge to advise intending planters the most suitable varieties for this district. All those interested are invited to inspect this display.*

The Public Trustee has been appointed Administrator of 'the estates of Elijah Whiton (also known as George Whitton), late of Stratford, settler, and John Henry Sharrock, late of Stratford, labourer.