CARS COLLIDE AT ELTHAM

Taranaki Daily News, 15 February 1933, Page 8

CARS COLLIDE AT ELTHAM

BOTH DRIVERS PENALISED. That he drove a car on Mounntain Road, Eltham, on January 26 at a dangerous speed Was the charge against Herbert G. Hall, Bird Road, Stratford, at the Eltham Police Court yesterday. He was fined £1 (12s costs). Hall’s car was involved in a collision with one he was overtaking. Myra M. Valintine, who was driving the other car, said that at about 6.30 p.m. she was driving northwards along Mountain Road but on nearing the borough boundary she decided to return to Eltham. In order to turn she drove on to the grass at the left and began to make a right-hand turn. She could not say if her action would indicate to a following driver that she intended to turn as she did not signal. She caught only a glimpse of the other car before it struck hers and its driver might have thought she intended to stop on the side of the road.

The position of the cars after the impact was described by Constable Townsend, who said Mrs. Valintine’s car was badly damaged in the region of the right front wheel. Hall’s car was damaged about the left front wheel. The constable read a statement made by Hall who said he was travelling at 30 miles per hour at the time.

Mr. A. Chrystall, who appeared for Hall, said he could not see that there was any case for Hall to answer. Hall was driving along a straight road, Mrs. Valintine’s car was the only other vehicle on the road and as she had said, her action in pulling off to the left was construed by Hall to be a movement preparatory to her stopping on the side of the road. Hall had the right to assume that Mrs. Valintine would signal if she intended to do anything except proceed as she was when Hall overtook her.

Hall explained that he was about three or four chains from Mrs. Valintine’s car when she began to pull off the road and he thought she was going to stop at one of the houses. He continued till he was almost behind. Mrs. Valintine’s car and sounded his horn. Then Mrs. Valintine swung across the road —as he could not stop in time to avoid a collision he accelerated from about 25 miles per hour to about 30 miles per hour and eased to the right in an effort to cross in front of her. A pedestrian on the other side of the road prevented him from swerving further to the right. The magistrate said that if a driver were exceeding the speed limit in a borough he had no right to assume that other traffic would behave reasonably. The circumstances were not serious but the law was broken. Mrs. Valintine, for failing to signal her intention to turn to the right, was fined £1 (10s). GENERAL ITEMS. Swimming Club Night. The Stratford Swimming Club’s club night was held in boisterous weather yesterday. Results are:—Junior boys, 25yds; First heat, C. Cuff 1, N. Turnbull 2. N. Baker 3. Second heat: E. Robinson 1, E. Cuff 2. Final: Robinson 1, Turnbull 2, C. Cuff 3. Intermediate boys, 50yds breaststroke: K. Ross 1, Noel Turnbull 2, R. Eagar 3. Men, 75yds medley: T. J. Haughton 1, G. Vinsen 2, A. Robson 3, Open dive: T. J. Haughton 1, N. Turnbull 2, A. Robson 3. Eltham Bowling Teams. The following bowlers will represent Eltham in a match against Stratford No. 2, to be played at Eltham to-morrow: Franks, McKay, Fake, Harrison (s); Peacock, A. Stewart, Casey, Clemow (s); Mumby, K. Pennington, Rowe, Brown (s); Linn, Marx, Johnson, Tiplady (s); Stanners, Best,\ Adtbury, Jones (s); Barker, W._ Pennington,. Gower, J. Stewart (s). PERSONAL ITEMS. Miss Betty Boyd, who flew to Stratford' from Auckland, piloted by Capt. J. D. Hewett, and made a landing in a paddock off the Opunake Road yesterday afternoon, is paying a brief visit to her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Boyd, after an absence from New Zealand of six years, which has been spent in the United States. Mr. C. C. W. Haselden, Stratford, manager of the Bank of New South Wales, is on a holiday visit to Wellington and Hawke’s Bay. Mr. E. V. .Fox, of the inspector’s staff, Wellington, is in charge of the bank during Mr. Haselden’s absence. Detective-Sergeant T. Kelly, who has been transferred from Auckland to be officer in charge of Stratford police in succession to Senior-Sergeant J. J Power, arrived at Stratford yesterday. ADVERTISERS’ ANNOUNCEMENTS. St. Joseph’s Tennis Club will hold a dance in the Eltham Parish Hall this evening, when there will be Monte Carlos and other novelties. The summer show of the Eltham Horticultural Society will be held in the Town Hall to-day. Good entries have been received and an excellent display of blooms is expected. There will be cut blooms, sweet peas, gladioli, dahlias, asters, decorative work, vegetables, farm produce, and children’s cooking. During the evening session a one-act. dance scena will be presented. This is entitled ‘‘The Glory of the Garden” and will be given by Misses Noreen Fake, Eileen Rankin, Noeline Tilly, Laurie Egarr, Glenyss Fountaine, Marie Coward, Grace Rankin, June Cooper, Bety Carson, Wendy Walsh, Margaret Lawrence, Nola Burrows, Joan Shepherd, Fernie Ricketts, Evelyn Chrystal, Olive Best, Jean Carson, and Patty Cooper. Incidental orchestral music .will be played by Mrs. and Miss Blennerhassett and Miss Saunders and the entertainment should prove an atractive addition to the display of summer blooms. A feature of the Mangaehu sheep dog trials to be held on February 22 and 23 is that all events are open to any competitor, there being no boundary restrictions to limit entries. This year the trials will be held on Mr. L. Bunn s property at Puniwhakau, where a splendid natural course exists within easy reach of the road. The club has reduced nomination fees, and already entries received from various parts of Taranaki ensure the success of the competitions. Entries for all events close with the secretary, Mr. P. Norris, Puniwhakau, to-night.

OHURA DISTRICT NEWS. > CHAMBER OF COMMERCE VISIT. A wet week-end unfortunately put a stop to all sport, of which a big programme had been arranged. Qngarue. Tennis Club was to have met the Ohura players, whilst a cricket match with Matiere had also been arranged. Ohura has been looking forward to the visit of the members of the Taranaki Chambers of Commerce, and in this con-, nection the wet weather has considerably hampered the programme which had been mapped out. However, the wet if it had its disadvantages in the way of recreation brought its compensations by means of a most prolific crop of mushrooms. Not only does the lordly car owner and his family venture far afield, but the small boy and girl with their billies are übiquitous. Plums, which have been, very plentiful this season, are now giving place to nectarines, peaches and pears, of. which the crops are equally heavy.