LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 18 November 1930, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Scalded on the left side in an accident at his home in Waitara on Saturday, a little boy named Royce Pennington was admitted to the New Plymouth Hospital and is reported to be progressing satisfactorily.

The use of Essex Board for the inside lining of walls of buildings is not to be permitted in New Plymouth unless the directions for the use of the board as issued by the manufacturers are rigidly complied with. Permission has been granted to the New Plymouth Fire Board to paint white rings round the fire plugs in the central portions of the town subject to the work being carried out to the satisfaction of the borough engineer. It is suggested that as in some other towns the words "Fire Plug No Parking” be stencilled inside the rings. As a result of a petition from users of radio in Fitzroy, New Plymouth, the borough council has instructed the electrical engineer to make a special effort to ascertain the cause of electrical interference not only in Fitzroy but also in other parts of the borough. Appreciation of the policy the New Plymouth Harbour Board is following in its efforts further to improve the port and to cater for the requirements of shipping was voiced by the Stratford Borough Council last night, when a motion was passed supporting the board in the methods it is following.

Three slips occurred during the weekend on the Main North Road between Uruti and Mahoenui. On Sunday the rain caused a slip on the north side of Mt. Messenger and motorists travelling over the road experienced a certain amount of difficulty. Jn the Awakino Valley two more slips occurred. All three were cleared yesterday afternoon.

A local angler, says the Camara Mail, finding all conditions to his liking on a recent morning arose in the early hours, and went to the Waitaki river to try hie luck. For two hours he patiently fished in the dark with never a bite, but when the dawn came the reason was his bait (a Devon) was attached to the 'hook in the opposite way to that usually employed.

The revenue earned by.the New Plymouth tramways during October, amounting to £1496 8s lid, was £ll4 13s 4d less than the amount for October of last year. The passengers carried, however, 186089, were an increase of 10,426. The revenue earned by the buses, £252 3s sd, was only £1 5s Id less than that earned in October the previous yeaf, and the passengers carried by the -buses numbered 30,224, an increase of 4840.

An average of 62 men and 20 drays was kept on unemployed relief works in New Plymouth during October. They were chiefly engaged on Fillis Street between Gover and Liardet Streets, the formation of the roadway in Woolcombe Terrace, opening Calvert Road, completion of Whiteley Street, the formation of a children’s playground on Ngamotu beach, and the temporary completion of work in Smith’s Park at Mangorei Road. Adverse weather again has seriously hampered the earthwork contractor at the new Mangamahoe dam at New Plymouth. The spillway and core wall are completed and a start is shortly to be made with the stone pitching of the upstream face of the dam. With reasonably fine weather there is, in the opinion of the borough engineer (Mr. C. Clarke), every prospect of the contract being completed before the holidays.'

Messrs. Wright, Stephenson and Co., Ltd., have received a letter from Captain J. B. Bolitho, one of Jersey Island’s most important breeders and editor of The Island Cow, stating that he had a visit from Mr. C. G. C. Dermer, president of the New Zealand Jersey Breedens’ Association, and several other New Zealanders. Mr. Dermer, Captain Bolitho stated, was very enthusiastic about the island cattle and, had it not been for the existing importation regulations, he certainly would have effected several purchases.

The New Plymouth Taxi Proprietors’ 'Association is to be informed that the borough council does not consider there is any necessity for taxi stands to- be fixed at Fitzroy, Breakwater, Vogeltown and Westown and therefore cannot see its way to accede to the association’s request in this matter. It was stated at a meeting of the council last night that one taxi driver had applied for a new taxi stand in Devon Street, but had afterwards withdrawn his application. The council deferred for further consideration correspondence relative to the taxi stand in Broughham Street and a suggestion to re-constitute Brougham Street a one-way street.

An extraordinary offering of ladies’ coats and summer frocks bought by the firm’s London agents at tremendous discounts will be put on sale to-morrow morning by the Melbourne, Ltd. for a period of ten days only. Sensational values in present day styles will be available to wide-awake shoppers. Particulars are advertised in to-day’s issue.*

The next Euchre Party fo be held by the Westown Hall Committee in aid of their local hall funds will take place tomorrow night. Substantial prizes, donated by the Westown business people are offered to the winners of this now popular function and should warrant a good attendance.

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

Three cases of infectious disease, one of which was tuberculosis and the other two of pneumonia, were all that were reported in the borough of New Plymouth during October.

It was not worth while shearing lambs this year, remarked Air. Newstroski at the meeting of the Whangamomona County Council yesterday. It. cost more to shear the lambs than was received for the wool.

According to Mr. F. R. Field, an Auckland observer, New Zealand may expect an earthquake, or series of earthquakes, any time between December 27 and January 16 next. The shocks, which will not be severe, will be centred in the southern part of the North Island, more especially at Allasterton.

Reporting on the state of the New Plymouth baths at a meeting of the Borough Council last, night Mr. P. E. Stainton, chairman of the baths committee, said the committee had discussed the question of improvements but regretted it could pot recommend embarking upon any substantial capital expenditure owing to the present financial position. Mr. G. M. Spence added that the committee fully realised the need for improvements but realised that at the present juncture the expenditure simply could not be faced.

The strict care in keeping' the jury free from outside influences in the hearing of murder charges was illustrated at the Supreme Court session at New Plymouth yesterday. Two constables were sworn in to see that the jurymen remained together and spoke to none others. The Chief Justice explained at luncheon that the jurymen would be unable to go to their homes but would have to lunch at a hotel. A similar procedure was adopted at the adjournment in the evening, the jurymen being assembled after the court rose and taken to the hotel by the constables to spend the night. The reason that 23 men are selected for a grand jury was explained at the Supreme Court at New Plymouth yesterday. “We have returned for a direction from your Honour,” said the foreman of the grand jury returning with two others to the court-room. “Is it necessary that we should be unanimous to find. a true bill against a prisoner?” The Chief Justice explained that a majority only was necessary in the case of the grand jury. For that reason the number of the grand jury was fixed at twenty-three.

The fashion for tall wireless .poles has now extended all over the district at Napier. Among keen radio men there is a healthy sort of rivalry as to the height of their aerials. A Napier enthusiast has lately had erected on the Marine Parade a pole 73ft high, which is considered the tallest in the district. It is reported, however, that this is shortly to be eclipsed by an pole. Though the erection. of such tall poles requires great skill and care, aerials 50ft. and 60ft. above the ground are now common.

The Ashburton High School is about to take its place among those secondary schools of the Dominion that have been in existence for half a century. Jubilee celebrations are being planned to be held next Easter, and will last from Easter Saturday until the following Tuesday. The functions proposed include a football match and a social reunion, a church service, an official opening and roll call, a garden party, and a jubilee ball and motor drives. The ex-pupils propose to present a suitable jubilee memorial to the school.

“For the making of the railways, the stations, workshops, goods-sheds, engines, carriages, and wagons, the people of New Zealand have spent fifty-six million pounds,” states a publication, “Your Own Railway,” just issued by the Railways Department. “If you counted t’....t huge sum at the rate of a pound every second, going on for eight hours a day, except Sundays,' the task would take over six years. When you had finished the counting you would understand well why the people should help their railways to earn interest on this money, every pound of which has been borrowed by New Zealand.” That the railways’ losses were due not so much to the administration as to the motor competition was the opinion stressed by Mr. Law at the meeting of the W'hangamomopa County Council yesterday. While some people considered railways were obsolete he did not think the time had yet arrived they could be scrapped. Though they did not return interest on the capital cost they still assisted greatly in the development of the country. He was opposed to the expense that would be incurred in placing the railways under the control of a board.. If the Government, which 'was elected to manage the country, was not capable of managing tjie railways they should scrap the Government. Referring briefly to the unemployment, position at a meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council last night the chairman of the works committee (Mr. J. Brown) said there was enouglh money in hand or in sight to keep working at the present rate for about another month. Applicants for work were “still appearing in shoals,” however, and he did not know what was going to be done at the expiry of the month. With the coming of summer there was certainly no diminution in the numbers of unemployed. On the other hand they were increasing. Mr. P. E. jStainton said that the Minister of Labour (the Hon. S. G. Smith) would be in New Plymouth to-night, and he suggested that the council confer with him on the matter. His suggestion was adopted.

Four aeroplanes are to visit the Bell Block aerodrome on one of the cross-coun-try flights of the Auckland Aero Club tomorrow, according to advice received by Flying-Officer lan Keith, New .Plymouth, from, Mr. E. R. Boucher, captain of the Auckland club. The fight, which is under the leadership of Flying-Officer D. M. Allen, will leave Mangere between 9 and 9.30 a.m. and arrive at New Plymouth about midday. This visit is distinct from the visit of the squadron of. bombing planes which will arrive at Bell Block on Friday. In his letter Mr. Boucher said the club had hoped to make the visit on Saturday to create interest in New Plymouth. on the holiday but it would have interfered too much 'with the training of pupils who reserved . Saturday for tuition and practice.

"Usually I leave home each morning at 6 o’clock, but to-day I started at 3 a.m.” said a milkman who asked to be excused from jury service in the Supreme Court yesterday. “Well, you don’t look any the worse for it,” observed the Chief Justice. As there was no-one to take his place he was allowed io return to his work. Five other applicants were exempted similarly. One was the foreman over four men engaged in building operations. “I was away for an hour the other morning,” he said, “and when I got back mistakes had been made and the work had to be done over again.” A member of a stock firm, who was very busy with sheep, a freezing works employee, a carrier in business on his own account and a wood and coal merchant were the others excused. The last-named said there was no-one else who knew where to deliver the goods. “Well, I suppose we can’t leave the people of New Plymouth without coal and wood,” commented his Honour.