LOCAL AND GENERAL

Taranaki Daily News, 13 March 1933, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Pupil-pilots took advantage of the fine weather yesterday to make many flights from the aerodrome at Bell Block. Mr. A. Salter, ground engineer, returned to New Plymouth yesterday by car from Wanganui, where he had been repairing the longeron damaged when AAX made a heavy landing recently.

The following police transfers affecting the Taranaki district have been announced:—Constable Huntly, of Mokau, to Hamilton; Constable Skinner, of New Plymouth, to Waitotara.. Their places will be filled respectively by Constable Caldwell, of Cook Islands, and Constable Rolland, of Hamilton.

By rubbing the side of his leg after using a sodium chlorate solution, MrW. Anderson, Patoa, caused the chemical on his clothes to ignite and received severe burns before the flames could be extinguished by Mr, Hurley, for whom he was working. Mr. Hurley’s hands were seriously burned and Mr, Anderson was taken to the Patea Hospital with leg and body bums. He is progressing favourably.

Two Kaimata schoolgirls, Doris Chapman and June Parker, sustained slight injuries on Thursday when a sedan car crashed into the rear of the PurangiInglewood school bus. The bus had stopped for the two to descend, which they were about to do' when the car hit th© rear of the vehicle. The impact flung the two girls out of the bus, Doris Chapman sustaining leg bruises and June Parker severely bruised toes.

The tide was low yesterday afternoon for the Wilson Memorial surf competition at Opunake and, although there were two buoys anchored well out to sea the teams swam to one much closer to the shore. “Why don’t you us© the farthest one”—the distance would have been nearer 250 yards than 150 yards—“and make it a stiff test?” a club official was asked. “Those buoys,” he replied, “are attached to a net and yesterday they caught a 10ft shark and the day before a 9ft one.”

He would like to see a little more power given to surf clubs, said Mr, J. Feaver at the Wilson memorial surf competition at Opunake yesterday. People who knew nothing about the conditions went to beaches, and while he was not suggesting that club members should be given power to prevent people from bathing, they should be recognised as the ones most qualified to give an opinion as to the safety of a beach. A definite improvement in the condition of the victims of the collision between a tram and motor-car in South Road, New Plymouth, on Thursday was reported from the hospital last night. The driver of the car, Mrs. Matthews, Rell St., and Delia Matthews, aged 5, are being treated for shock and abrasions. Noel Bertie, aged 12, and Arthur Slade, 10 years, were both said to be in a serious condition when admitted to the hospital. The former is being treated for a fractured jaw and the latter for a fractured skull.

Two five-seater sedans collided at the corner of Gilbert Street and Victoria Road, New Plymouth, about 5.45 p.m. on Saturday. One of the cars was driven by Miss Tbacy Carter, who was accompanied by Miss Elsie Carter, Messrs C. Carter, C. E. Bellringer and T. Horton. Miss Carter was going out of Gilbert Street into Victoria Road when she collided with a car driven by Mr. G. McW. Webster. No-one was hurt. Miss Carter’s car was damaged about the right-hand front wheel and bumper, and the running board of Mr. Webster’s car was smashed.

Subterranean detonations at the corner of Courtenay Street and Carrington Road, New Plymouth, have recently indicated powder blasting to remove rock and sandstone in the sewerage tunnel, 180 ft long, at present being constructed at a depth of 30 feet through very hard sandstone. Only 2ft 6in of stone can be demolished at a time and progress is at the rate of nine feet a day. However, work will shortly be commenced at the other end as well and it is hoped to complete the tunnel within the next fortnight. It is sft high and 2ft 6in wide, no timbering being required. The dislodged stone has to be carried in buckets to the entrance. Tunnelling was necessary, in this locality because of the great depth and the fact that the soil above is so light that it would require extentive timbering if trenched.

The Taranaki Music Students’ Association is to be discontinued and its members are to be invited to become associate members of the Taranaki Music Teachers’ Association, to which the funds are to be transferred. This was decided at a meeting of the formei- body presided over by Mrs. P. C. Davie, after Miss E. Dowling, president of the Music Teachers’ Association, had explained the proposal. The report and balance-sheet of the Students’ Association was adopted, thanks being conveyed to those who had given lecture recitals and those who had arranged programmes. There was a credit balance of £1 19s Id. It was decided to make a donation to Miss Dowling tor the use of her studio for the meetings.

Bees are generally regarded as small but fearsome insects ever ready to sting, particularly if interfered with. The ease and confidence with which they can be handled by school children and the honey taken from the hives came as a surprise to many of the interested spectators who witnessed the demonstration of taking honey given by Mr. H. D. Maxwell and the pupils of the Warea, Puniho and Okatp schools on Saturday. Certainly jt caused many to revise their ideas as to the ferocity of the bee, but not to such an extent as to make them anxious to exchange their safe distance for a close view. An odd sting received by the chief operator, who appeared to take no notice of it, and by one or two of the youthful spectators served as a reminder that the bee was not quite innocuous. Those present were also impressed with the value of the instruction given and the great progress made in so short a time, beekeeping at the schools having been introduced only this season.

Mr. J. M. Monarch, Passadena, California, is a visitor to New Plymouth, and is staying at the Criterion Hotel.

Summer weather without wind made conditions ideal for bathing in North. Taranaki yesterday. There were large crowds at th© Moturaa, East End and Fitzroy beaches. Fish was in exceptional supply at Ngamotu yesterday afternoon. All the launches brought remarkable catches from the Mokau fishing grounds, where they made remarkable hauls on Saturday night. One launch had over half a ton of fish, all schnapper. Of the total of 224,674 motor-vehicles registered in New Zealand at January 31, 1933, 43,792 were under dormant registration. Dormant motor-car registrations totalled 23,954 and motor-cycles 11,031. Of the total of 43,792 dormant registrations 15,949 were so affected in 1930-31, and 27,843 in 1931-33. “Primarily inflation is like a balky and unruly hors©.” writes a contemporary. “It simply refuses to be guided by the rider. At first it balks. Th© rider applies whip and spur and still it will not budge. Then of a sudden it bolts and there is no controlling it. When it finally stops, it throws its rider and he is left flat OU the ground.” That the Dehorning of Cattle Bill, which has recently been the subject of controversy, “will not now be proceeded any further with, at any rate as far as this session is concerned,” is the information conveyed ip a letter to Mr. H. B. Wylde, Hawera, from Mr. H. G. Dickie, M.P., in reporting from the House as to the leception given to his recent letter to the News which he submitted as his formal protest to the Bill.

A fine chamois and a good specimen of thar fell recently to the gun of Mr. A. D. Vickers, an English sportsman, and son of Mr. D. Vickers, a former chairman of Vickers, Ltd., the armaments firm, who has been stalking in the high alps at the Hermitage, Mt. Cook (state’s the Press). Mr. Vickers, who is now in Christchurch, described the sport he had had as enjoyable. But it was very hard work, he said, The Featherston Borough Council has been advised that under the will of th© late Mr. W. E. Bidwill, 0.8. E., of Rototowai, £5OO has been bequeathed to the Municipal Council of Featherston and £5OO to the Featherston Literary Institute. The council placed on record its appreciation of the generous gifts of the late Mr. Bidwill, and will consider the expenditure in a manner commensurate with th© kindly thought of the donor.

A woman Who found herself out of her depth while bathing at Fitzroy beach yesterday was the cause of a surf club member entering the water in his clothes to effect th© apparently necessary rescue. Th© woman, however, managed to touch bottom again and the rescuer’s sacrificed in his trousers had been offered in vain. Although the surf was not unusually high this was not the only case during the day where swimmers were in possibly dangerous situations,

The necessity for a telephone at the Manawatu Gorge for th© control of stock passing through the gorge was stressed at the last meeting of the Oroua County Council, when advic© was received from the Public Works Department that the telephone had been cut off. Councillor R. MacDonald said that the absence of a telephone would create serious difficulties, for there would now be no means of preventing mobs of stock from meeting in the gorge. It was in the interests of the travelling public that the tele-, phone should be retained. The council decided to place the position in regard to stock before the Public Works Department and the Main Highways Board.

Gold of an estimated value of between £20,000 and £30,000 was taken to Rockhampton, Queensland, from Mount Coolon by air recently. Owing to the wet weather Mount Coolon had been isolated for some weeks, and for one week it was completely cut off by road. The bullion on hand had to be sent away, so the manager of the mine asked Rockhampton Aerial Services to transport the gold. The aeroplane Western Star was sent up to Mount Coolon, and made the journey there and back without difficulty. The 300 miles were covered in three hours. Although the gold was contained in a small box, it required four men to lift it out of the aeroplane.

The fact that many of the beautiful willow and oak trees in and around Christchurch were badly affected by disease was stressed by Mr. R. B. Owen during the course of the Beautifying Association’s tour of inspection this week. Mr. Owen said that the trees could be cured by spraying, but’ although the City Council estimates for the past three years had made provision to the extent of £4OO for the purchase of a spraying plant, nothing had been done. If some action were not taken, many fine trees would be killed.

Plans have been made by a Maori committee to hold a celebration at Orakei to-morrow afternoon, March 14, the anniversary of the official landing of Captain Hobson at Auckland in 1841 for the purpose of taking up his residence in the newly-created capital. A letter was received by the Auckland City Council on Thursday evening from Timi Paora and others, asking for a donation toward the expenses of the function. The Mayor,who said that he would like to inquire further into the proposal, was given power to act.

The largest schooner yacht built in Auckland for many years is nearing completion at the yards of Mr. C. Wild at Stanley Bay. This is the 80 tons vessel order by Mr. J. W, S. McArthur, of Auckland, for the purpose of making trips to Australia and the South Sea Islands. The yacht has been under construction for the greater part of a year and on Friday it was moved out of the builder’s shed to have 12 tons of lead cast into the keel. It is expected that the vessel will be ready for launching next month.

North Taranaki is well supplied with suitable and diverse routes for hiking parties, but it is questionable whether a more interesting one could be found than the track between the Momona bridge, at the top of the Carrington Road, and the top end of Pitone Road, over which the Chamber of Commerce party travelled by foot on Saturday afternoon. For a considerable part the track is through virgin bush, and where the heavy bush has been felled closeup peeps of the forest-clad ranges and mountain may be obtained. When the four or five miles has been properly graded and metalled —a work that should be put in hand without delay—it will provide a motor round trip to and from Okato that cannot be excelled anywhere in the Dominion, and will also give the settlers a quicker means of reaching town.

Considerable interest has been shown in the pi’oposal to issue New Zealand silver and copper currency, and the Minister of Finance, Mr. Coates, has received a suggestion that a competition should beheld for typical designs for the coins in the way designs were secured for a new stamp issue. Commenting on the position, Mr. Coates said that be believed New Zealanders generally would desire designs typical of the Dominion, but, unfortunately, the question of issuing the coinage was an urgent one and there would not be sufficient time to send selected designs to the Royal Mint. The suggestion had been made that the coins should bear the head of the Sovereign, as on the British coinage at present in circulation, with the New Zealand coat of arms on the obverse side. As instructions to the mint would piobably have to be cabled, this suggestion was likely to be adopted.