LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 17 February 1931, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Subject > to validation by the Government, th* New Plymouth Borough Council decided last evening to donate £2OO to the Earthquake Relief Fund. What had severely affected the returns of the New Plymouth Borough buses, stated the tramways engineer in reporting to the borough council last night a decrease of £lO4 in revenue for last January as compared with the previous January, was the falling off in observation buses and special picnics this year. The observation bus returns fell £5O and the picnic bus re turns £36.

Provision for the safety of its staff in case of earthquake or fire is to be made by the New Plymouth Borough Council. Authority has been given by the council for the construction of an additional exit from the upstairs portion of the municipal offices. The matter has been left .in the hands of the Mayor and Councillor F. Amoore, with power to act.

Arrangements are well in 'hand for the annual Easter Camp of the Taranaki-Wan-ganui Young Men’s Bible Class movement of the Methodist Church. The Wanganui Union is going into camp at Marton, and the Taranaki Union at the showgrounds, New Plymouth. A strong executive has matters Well advanced at the north end of the district, and the Rev. R. B. Gosnell has been appointed camp captain.

One Moturoa resident had counted 46 school children standing in the rain waiting for a tram at the corner of Calvert and South Roads, stated the secretary of the Moturoa Ratepayers’ Association to the New Plymouth Borough Council in requesting the erection at the corner of a shelter shed. Sixty per cent, of the children from-the school in the vicinity were said to use the tram service. The application was referred to the tramways committee.

“If the weathe rkeeps dry and a cigarette or match is thrown into the bracken near the Mangamahoe dam, then all the afforestation will be lost,” said Councillor J. Brown at. a meeting ■of the New Plymouth Borough Council last evening. He suggested that all rubbijh on the side of the hills should be cleared and burned and that the bracken in between the rows of trees should be cut away. The council decided to erect notices at the dam warning people against lighting fires. The swimming club whose members gain most points in the Taranaki swimming championships to be 'held at New Plymouth to-morrow night will become the holder of a championship banner. This welcome innovation is due to. the action of the New Plymouth combined cltibs, which have donated it to the swimming centre. The banner has been worked in. the Taranaki colours, black with a gold fringe, and a golden square at the centre upon which there is a figure symbolic of swimming. The banner will be on view in a New Plymouth shop to-morrow. Increased activity at the port of New Plymouth this week, occasioned by the visit of the two overseas vessels Ruapehu and Catabridge, will, it is anticipated, make the week a very busy one for the Railway Department Fqr' the large frozen meat loadings, .375 trucks will be required, while there will also be 12 waggon loads of butter and 90 waggon loads of cheese. The arrival of the trans-Pacific vessels Hauraki and Mirrabooka and the coasters Opihi, Progress, Kaimanawa and Hautura Will also add to the Railway Department’s port railage. Work on the Mangamahoe dam at Mangorei is expected to be completed iff a day or two, all that remains now being the task of cleaning up. Following the spell of dry weather the streams have been very low and the level of th? water has scarcely risen at all. It is now a foot lower than its ultimate level. Seepage below the dam is still in evidence though it is slightly less than before, while that at the south-western embankment has greatly decreased.

A request a prisoner charged with attempted carnal knowledge might be allowed to git down in the dock was made in the Supreme Court after the luncheon adjournment yesterday. It was rather close, said counsel, and the man was feeling warm and tired. “Is he an invalid ?’• asked Mr. Justice Adams. “No, he is not,” said the lawyer. “Well, the prisoner is standing at his Majesty’s bar and the court has a certain dignity to keep up,” said his Honour. “Unless you can assure me that he is physically' infirm I cannot grant -the request.” Counsel said he could not say that. The prisoner had asked him to make the request because he wag tired. bwoutu9n montar h’aoapp wramsc

All of eight applications for exemption from common jury service were granted by Mr. Justice Adams in the Supreme Court at New Plymouth yesterday. “It means closing up,” said a milkman. He was exempted. A watersider, who had been ill for five months recently, pleaded successfully that he needed work badly and that a week’s work was now available at the port. “I ain on a Public Works subcontract that has a time limit set_ for March 14,” said one man. “There, is a penalty of £)0 for each week the job is not finished after that.” The manager of a boot store was exempted for a day. “I am in charge of an electric lift and there is no one else to operate it,” was another excuse. A man who was hard of hearing was not asked for any other reason. Two more applicants were excused on the grounds that they were conducting oneman businesses.

More sensational bargains at the Melbourne Ltd’s great surrimer sale now booming. Children’s white hemtsitched handkerchiefs, 8 for 1/-; wooden coat and costume hangers, 8 for 1/-; towelling, face cloths, 3 for 1/-; bias binding, 6 yards for 4ld; lovely new rayon scarves, half-price now’ 2/6; 'safety pins. 4d card; oval hair clips, 2d; card D.M.C. stranded cotton, 2 for 3d*