NEWS OF THE DAY

Taranaki Daily News, 8 January 1934, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

A man arrested at New Plymouth on Saturday night by Constable Mills will appear before the Magistrate’s Court this morning on a charge of fraud. Swimmers at New Plymouth showed themselves little daunted by yesterday’s uncertain, almost unpleasant, weather. In spite of a strong southerly wind there was a good crowd at Fitzroy, Strandon and Ngamotu beaches, and although little sun-bathing was possible, many tried the water.

A misunderstanding regarding the lighting of the rotunda at Pukekura Park last night delayed the commencement of the Taranaki Regimental-Municipal Band’s concert for some minutes. Several globes had to be borrowed from a nearby residence. The programme comprised items selected from recent recitals. As the evening was beautifully fine and the wind had fallen a large number of people assembled. The theft of hydrangeas from the entrance to Pukekura Park at the foot of Victoria Road has nullified the work of the beautifying committee of the New Plymouth Borough Council in that locality. Some time ago the committee planted hydrangeas of different varieties presented by residents in the neighbourhood and a nursery firm. The planting promised to make a fine display. A party of five young women, all members of the Y.W.C.A., left New Plymouth yesterday morning on a cycling trip. It is their intention to proceed up the coast as far as Kawhia, where they will stay for two days, returning to New Plymouth via the Waitomo Caves and the Awakino Valley. They will camp during the trip, which they expect will take about ten days. A narrow escape from drowning was experienced by Ronald Brooking, aged 4, at East End, New Plymouth, on Saturday. About 5.30 p.m. he was walking with two other boys beside the Henui Stream when his foot slipped and he fell into water well over his head in depth. One of his companions immediately rushed for help, with the result that the lad was quickly rescued by Mr. E. P. Coleman, of the East End Surf Club. Resuscitation was applied, and within an hour the lad was none the worse for his adventure. The relief workers’ fortnight’s holiday on pay ended on Saturday, and work will start again to-day. The men do not have to register afresh and those who were ineligible for the fortnight’s benefit at Christmas, because of not having qualified for relief work by the due date, will now start with the others. Actually the number of men who will start on relief works for the new year will be approximately the same as were engaged before Christmas, The article in the Daily News on Friday last of the finding of the rudder of the mutiny ship Bounty recalled to Mrs. C. Godfrey, a Hawera resident, that she also was the possessor of a piece of the famous ship. It is in the form of the frame of a hand-mirror, cut into shape by a pen-knife by a descendant of one of the original mutineers, Mr. George Quintie. Over 40 years ago Mrs. Godfrey stayed at the island of Vavau in the Friendly Group with her husband, who was engaged in the island trade, and during an extended visit to a smaller island in the vicinity Mrs. Godfrey had a birthday. There were only 13 white people on the island, and each of them honoured Mrs. Godfrey with a birthday present, the mirror being Mr. Quintie's contribution.

The Faith in Australia was re-equipped at Christchurch with locally-made individual lounge seats so that the 14 passengers she can carry now face forwards with an easy view instead of sitting with their backs to the windows, as formerly. Visitors to Mount Egmont during the week-end were fairly numerous, although conditions were not favourable for climbing. Yesterday there were about 20 cars at the North Egmont hostel, but strong winds limited the climbers’ range to Humphries Castle. At about 4.30 p.m. heavy rain began to fall, accompanied by a heavy gale. Similar conditions prevailed at Dawson Falls, where about a dozen cars arrived. Showery weather prevented climbing. Two trampers made a return trip to the North Egmont hostel, leaving Dawson Falls at 9.30 a.m. and returning about 6 p.m. As a token of appreciation, the New Plymouth harrier team, which won the Marton to Wanganui road race last October, has presented Mrs. W. L. Young, wife of the patron of the Wanganui Harrier Club, with a photograph of the team, when it was in possession of the cup and miniatures presented by her for the event. The New Plymouth club was the first to win the cup Mrs. Young donated, and that success was achieved on the first occasion that New Plymouth entered a team in the race.

In 1931 the Main Highways Board authorised the construction of a special magnetic truck to remove nails and other metal fragments from road surfaces. Between April 1 last and September 26 the truck collected 27371 b. of metal from 1261 miles of highway. Since the truck commenced operations on October 23, 1931, and up to September 26, 1933, a period of under two years, the total weight of metal removed was 12,8111 b., the length of highway swept being 5670 miles. The average amount collected per mile is therefore 2.261 b. During the year ended March 31 last the truck collected 68661 b. of metal from 2464 miles of highway. In connection with statements which have appeared in the Press recently in regard to matters connected with the affairs of the Plunket Society (says the Otago Daily Times), it is stated by the vice-presidents, in the absence of the president, that the executive of the New Zealand Council of the Plunket Society is justified in its action in this connection, and that a meeting of the executive, at which members of its Advisory Board will be present, will be held in Dunedin on Tuesday next, when its consideration will be given to the matter of the protests by some of the branches. There is still a shortage of potatoes in Masterton, and in several shops supplies are being rationed. In some cases a limit of 141 b. per customer has been imposed. Green peas are also fairly scarce in the town, and consequently shopkeepers are demanding high prices for what supplies are on the market. The reason for the absence of any localgrown peas is accounted for by the fact that those that would by now have been marketable were dried up by the hot weather experienced in the district a week or two ago. Later crops are now just about ready for the market, however, so that it is anticipated that there will be a fairly plentiful supply again early this week. The traditional practice of first-footing, accompanied by a carefree interchange of gates, may no doubt subsequently bring about a number of jocund reminiscences in time to come, but one should heed the caution provided by this narrative (says the Auckland Star): On New Year’s Eve a party of youths were having a riotous time, gaily lifting gates off their hinges and distributing them willynilly around the neighbourhood. One gate they came to had patent fasteners, which refused to yield to the concentrated efforts of three lusty heavers. Someone else came along, halted, and was asked to lend a hand. Instead of leading a hand, he applied a strong kick to one of the bent figures before the gate. It was the owner. He made subsequent strong claims to his property, to the discomfiture of the gate-lifters. With the advent of. holiday-makers to North Beach, Christchurch, sneak thieves have : been utilising their opportunities (remarks the Times). Articles of all descriptions have been missed, and frequently clothes hanging on lines at the rear of holiday premises have disappeared. Last week a party of girls living together in a small house lost their bathing suits after hanging them up to dry, and in addition a fairly large supply of provisions disappeared. Tragedy also stalked into another dwelling inhabited by a party of young men. A quantity of liquid refreshment had been laid in for the New Year’s Eve celebrations, but some thirsty person watched where the key was hidden and was able to decamp with the whole stock when the way was clear.

An elderly resident of Nelson, Mr. Watt, jumped into the Maitai River on Tuesday morning and rescued a boy who had fallen into the water. The lad was playing along the bank when he overbalanced into the river and was in difficulties until Mr. Watt, fully clothed, went to his assistance. Other helpers were soon on the scene and the boy was safely pulled on to the bank. Two days earlier the plucky action of Mr. Walter Lamb, also of Nelson, saved a woman from drowning at Port Nelson. It has been the. custom of two women who cannot swim to lie in the water on a landing slip. On Sunday one of them slipped into deep water. She had gone under a second time when Mr. Lamb dived in and rescued her.

New Zealand appeared to have enormous potential capacity for the extension of its hydro-electric works, said Mr. H. J. Lynch, an English visitor to the Dominion, in an interview at Napier, and it appeared strange to him that New Zealand had not taken advantage of experience gained in other countries, which had investigated and approved the claims of electric traction. Many of the American and Canadian railway system, he said, had ceased to use the steam locomotive. “I have heard elsewhere the opinions of Professor Hornell, who was in New Zealand to investigate the failure of Arapuni about two years ago,” he added, “and in view of what he said about the electrical resources of this country I cannot help think that your railways are losing a valuable chance in seeking to perpetuate a system of traction (steam) which is rapidly becoming obsolete from many points of view.” To use the words of a Napier man who spent his holiday on a motoring trip across to New Plymouth, thence to Auckland, and so back via Taupo, 90 per cent, of the Napier-Taupo road is almost exactly as it was 50 years ago. On the remaining ten per cent, of this highway, he said, improvements had been made in different ways, but for the most part it was sadly neglected. Considering the enormous volume of traffic which annually passed over it, he added, and remembering that in point of importance as a main highway it was greater than the New Plymouth-Te Kuiti stretch, its present condition was a sharp commentary upon the reading system in this country. Whereas the major highway on the other side of the North Island was good, and had been brought up to date within the past ten years, the Napier-Taupo motorway was practically in the same condition as when the soldiers built it half a century ago.

A tomato disease resister, as advertised in the Taranaki Daily News by Messrs. Henry & Howlett, Westown, was demonstrated in our office on Saturday. The resister is in the form of a galvanic battery which is applied to the plant about three inches above the ground. The helpful effects of electricity on plants are well known, and Messrs. Henry & Howlett used 5000 of the batteries on their own plantation last year. The batteries are sold at 6d per dozen.*