LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 13 February 1933, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The annual picnic of the Tikorangi and the Otoroa schools was held on the Waitara West Beach on Saturday. Charged with the theft of coal from the railway yards at Morley Street, two men were arrested at New Plymouth early yesterday morning. ‘They will be brought before the court this morning. The heavy westerly weather on Saturday necessitated the cessation of work by the dredge Paritutu in the New Plymouth harbour, but it is expected work will be continued to-day. Wet weather over the week-end again affected the number of visitors to North Egmont and, apart from the English public school boy?’ party yesterday afternoon, there were comparatively few people at either the hostel or the old house. Westerly winds and rough seas made the Hauraki’s trip from Wellington to New Plymouth on Friday a long voyage of 17 hours. The Gabriella, from Sydney, had a good passage with southeasterly winds all the way.

Mr. George Spriggens, Wanganui, who operated the totalisator machine that was installed at the New Plymouth meeting for the straight-out win investments, has had a long connection with the totalisator. Forty-two years ago he operated the same machine at the New Plymouth course when the totalisator was run by private concerns. Miserable weather characterised hy rain squalls kept people away from Ngamotu beach yesterday. Of 150 passengers arriving at New Plymouth by the excursion train from Hawera only about 10 went to the beach, the remainder preferring to stay in the town. "It was just like a winter’s day on the beach,” said one man. "And there were no more than six or seven cars.”

The damp and rather slippery track at the Pukekura Park sportsground on Saturday night was responsible for several spills during fhe cycle races. A. Stratford rider, W. Ludlam, was unable to avoid the machine of a fallen competitor and turned a complete somersault, landing on his head. He suffered concussion and after attention by .Dr. P. C. Davie was sent to the New Plymouth hospital. He was discharged yesterday after he had been X-rayed.

“Any accidents during the week-end?” asked a man who telephoned a New Plymouth garage last night. “Accidents!” exclaimed the man in charge. “There are no accidents these days. Petrol is sufficiently expensive without them adding to the burden by repair costs for their From another source it was learned there had been a noticeable diminution of petrol sales. “It simply means we will have to use our car less for pleasure,” said a woman motorist The moth aeroplane ZK-ABP, which was damaged at Wanganui a few weeks ago, has had the broken wings and engine cowlings repaired and a new propeller fitted by-Mr. A. Salter, ground engineer to the Western Federated Aero Club. The machine was tested at the Bell Block aerodrome yesterday by Flying-Officer lan Keith, the result being entirely satisfactory.'’ No other, flying was done at the aerodrome'■yesterday. . ' r ' ;r "■

Scattered and heavy' showers fell in North 'J'aranaki yesterday and low' clouds obscured Mount Egmont... Members of the party of English public school boys at present touring .the Dominion . were disappointed that the mountain should have been hidden and the hope that they would obtain a view of it. this morning was freely expressed. Colonel N. Charteris, director of .the party, described yesterday’s, weather as "father Scottish.”

Saturday was the heaviest day for arrivals and departures that the port of New Plymouth has experienced for. some time. One coastal vessel arrived early in the morning and sailed at night, and four overseas vessels, the Otira, the Vardaas, the Hauraki and the Gabriella departed for Wellington and ports further south in the early afternoon and evening. Last night the Port Napier arrived from Auckland. The arrival of the coastal vessel Opihi, en route from Wellington, was indefinite, the ship Toeing delayed by the weather. : Probably very few people knew that there was an outbreak of fire on the course on the first day of the New Plymouth races on Thursday. During the fourth race someone called out “Fire!” -Smoke was seen issuing from the stand on the outside. Acting with promptitude Mr. F. Doughty, of the New Plymouth Fire Brigade, rushed to the seats on the stand, pulled up a board, stamped out the flames, and soused the embers with a bucketful of water brought by a young man. Apparently some pieces of paper had been ignited by a cigarette butt. No damage was done.

Life-saving practice by members of Old Boys, East End and Fitzroy surf clubs in preparation for the Tabor Shield surf championships was continued on the eastern beaches of New Plymouth throughout the week-end, a high, wind and intermittent showers interfering to some extent. Heavy seas and a boiling surf' made it impossible for any beltmen to penetrate the breakers anywhere along the seafront from East End to Fitzroy when the tide was high yesterday morning. Waves were washing right to the foot of the sandhills and some of the breakers were twelve feet high. An order-in-council has been gazetted consenting to the New Plymouth Borough Council’s raising £553,000 on the instalment repayment system. The money is to be used to repay loans maturing on April 1. The rate of interest is to be not more than 5i per cent, and the loan is to be repaid in 26 years by equal half-yearly instalments calculated at a rate of not more than £3 Ils per cent, on the amount of the loan. • It is stipulated that the council shall not contract to pay any' instalment outside New Zealand, or to pay brokerage at more than one-half per cent, on any sum borrowed.

Introduced for the first time at the Christmas meeting of the Taranaki Jockey Club on the initiative of Mr. James McLeod, the win and place system of investment on the totalisator immediately “caught on” with the racing public. That has been shown by the fact that it has been adopted by metropolitan as well as many other clubs. Its popularity was again in evidence at the Taranaki meeting on Thursday and Saturday, when £17,351 was put through the totalisator on 14 races, an increase of £2971 as compared with the corresponding meeting of last year, when £14,380 was invested on 16 races—an average of £1239 per race this year as compared with £B9B last year. The two machines were opened on thirteen races and of the £16,261 that was invested 56.3 per cent, was invested on the place machine and 44.7 on the straight-out win.

Two water-spouts provided campers and residents at Ohope Beach, Whakatane with a spectacular sight on Tuesday. One of the spouts, which remained in perfect formation for nearly ten minutes, could be seen approaching the coastline from the direction of. Opotiki, but the formation broke before it reached the shore.

There was a collision last night between a car driven by Mr. E. C. A. Gaw, Stratford, and a motor-cycle ridden by Mr. Bocock, Stratford, at the intersection of Pembroke and Mountain Roads. Mr. Bocock was thrown from his machine, receiving head injuries which necessitated his removal to the Stratford hospital. Both vehicles suffered small damage.

On their way to the annual training camp at Waverley pine officers and 40 men left by the mail train from New Plymouth on Saturday morning. Four carriages were reserved for them and it was expected all the accommodation would be filled by the time the train reached Patea. The entraining ' officer was Captain P. W. Wright. Other officers who went south on Saturday were Lieu-tenant-Colonel G. F. Bertrand, officer commanding the regiment, and the Ven. Archdeacon G. H. Gavin, C.F.

During the past year or two hiking as a pleasant form of exercise has enjoyea increasing popularity, and although this sport has been confined largely to young people, a case has come under notice in which an elderly man undertook a tramp that would have discouraged many of those who follow this recreation. A Dunedin resident, aged 72 years, recently set off from the city at 6 a.m. and, travelling southwards, reached his destination, Lovell’s Flat, at 6.45 p.m., having covered about 45 miles in tnat time. At the end of his long walk he declared that he was none the worse for his experience.

The 24th anniversary of the wreck of the Union Company’s steamer Penguin in Cook Strait, with the loss of 75 lives, fell yesterday. 'At the time of the disaster, which occurred shortly after ten o’clock on the night of February 12, 1909, the Penguin, a vessel of 824 tons, bound from Picton to Wellington, with about 60 passengers, was struck on the starboard side by an unknown obstruction which tore a large hole in the hull. Several boats were launched, but were smashed in the heavy seas. Some of the passengers and crew were washed ashore clinging to wreckage. Mr. A. R. Thomson, manager of the Union Steam- Ship Company at New Plymouth, was on board the Penguin at the time of the disaster, and was one of those who were saved.'

Keen interest in all phases of New Zealand life is being exhibited by the party of English public school boys that visited New Plymouth over the weekend. With ages that range from 17 to 19 years, the boys are similar to the youth of New Zealand. Grey flannel suits and cameras appeared to be favoured by most members of .the party and heavy rain did not deter many of them from ascending to the edge of the bush on the track from the North Egmont houses to the summit when they were there yesterday. They are a happy and highspirited party, but it must have been obvious to those who met the boys that the trip is more than a pleasure one—they are out to leam what they can of the Dominion and its people. The estimated cost of the Tawa Flat railway tunnel and deviation and related works is £1,375,000, according to a return tabled in the House of Representatives at the request of Mr. A. J. Stallorthy (Independent—Eden). The estimated cost of completing the work already done is £195,000 and the estimated cost of electrification is £277,525. No immediate substantial increase in railway business is expected from the use of the deviation, but the shortening of the route’ from Tawa Flat, Paekakariki and intermediate stations to Wellington should have the effect of increasing settlement, with a consequent increase in railway business, adds the statement. The estimated reduction in the operating cost is £20,480 yearly. The question of hotel removals again occupied the attention of the Gisborne advisory committee of the Auckland Automobile Association at its meeting last week, when it was decided to write to Messrs. D. W. Coleman and K. S. Williams, M.P.’s, asking them to support any measure enabling country hotels to be moved, a greater distance than at present permitted by the Act in order to meet changing demands. It was pointed cut that there were several hotels in the Gisborne district that would serve the public interests better if they were moved to places where they could cater for a greater amount of traffic than at present possible. • A witness in divorce proceedings in the Supreme Court in Wellington last week said that she remembered two oi the parties in the case, a married man and another man’s wife, going to the pictures one night. The picture had something to do with Reno. This reference to' the famous American divorce centre amused the Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers) and the jury. “And what happend at Reno —I mean in the picture?” his Honour inquired, smiling. The witness, however, was not helpful. ‘She did not know, she said. A striking illustration of the effect of the raising of the exchange rate was provided in a transaction which took place the other day in a Dunedin hotel. An English tourist, who appeared at the office to pay a bill for £1 4s, presented a Bank of England £5 note, says the Otago Daily Times. The assistance of a bank employee was sought by the office staff, and after the necessary calculations had been made, it was agreed- that the tourist should hand over an additional 3d. Then in return for his English £5 note he was given a New Zealand £5 note and a receipt for £1 4s.

The first shipment of Russian petrol is now on its way to New Zealand. The tank being erected on the foreshore at Dunedin for Associated Motorists Petrol, Ltd., will have a capacity of close on 500,000 gallons, and the bulk installations throughout the Dominion are capable of holding 3,000,000 gallons. The company, which has commenced business in Dunedin, is employing a small number of men, but additional hands will probably be employed when the cargo now on the water comes to hand. This consignment is being brought by the tanker Oil Reliance, which left Istambul (Black Sea) on January 23. She is due at Auckland about February 26, and should reach Dunedin about March 7. The first shipment was purchased in London before the exchange rate was increased.

Mr. D. M. Hill, of New Brighton, Christchurch, is congratulating himself that he did not throw away some gladiolus seed which was given to him by a grower who intended to throw it away. That seed has enabled Mr. Hill to grow what is undoubtedly the finest and largest spike of gladiolus ever seen in Christchurch. Like many great achievements, the growing of this wonder seedling was pure chance. Last year Mr. C. Rides, who has grown many novel varieties of gladioli, gave Mr. Hill some seed which he intended throwing away. The plant flowered - for the first time in 1932, giving off a small bulb the size of a threepenny bit. This year Mr. Hill has planted only 20 bulblets. From these he got flowers of great size. A spike shown to members of the Canterbury Gladiolus Society has flowers of salmon apricot with four distinct white lines on each petal. The throat of each flower Is lit up by a dash of fiery chestnut. There are eleven flowers on the spike, which measures 31in from the bottom flower to the tip. Before being cut, the spike was sft 3in in height. , '