NEWS OF THE DAY

Taranaki Daily News, 27 January 1934, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY

Harry McCabe, single man, : aged 55, and Reginald Interman Hill, aged 16, reported missing from New Plymouth and Puniho respectively, were located yesterday, McCabe at Patea and Hill at Hillsborough. When the ditcher used for the sewerage construction to Vogeltown was working in Gilbert Street, New Plymouth, yesterday, a 20-feet trench excavation caved in at two places. A considerable quantity of earth fell into the trench, though the use of the ditcher soon repaired matters. The roadway in Gilbert Street is “made-up” ground, and is softer than usual.

Desperate deeds need desperate measures—certainly no petty trifles. So apparently though a well known bowler playing third at a critical stage in an important match at the Taranaki bowling tournament yesterday. With the head against him he set out to “burn” it with such vim that after he had delivered the bowl the impetus of the drive caused him to measure his length on the lawn. The bowl struck the head with such pace that the jack jumped about six feet into the air. Evidently the player is practising that particular stance as he did it more gracefully than he did on the last occasion, a few weeks ago.

The night express between Taranaki and Auckland is proving very popular and continues to be well patronised. Passengers in particular appreciate the saving of time by night travelling. There is apparently one drawback, however. A passenger for Auckland remarked that with the type of seating now used there was considerable difficulty and a great deal of clatter when it was necessary at Taumarunui to change the seats over to face the engine, which was then attached to the other end of the train. Further all the second class seats were double, so that a passenger travelling alone had no opportunity of reserving a single seat.

An interesting fact about Pondo, in the Solomon Island group, 100 miles from civilisation, was mentioned by Mr. W. H. Reeve, navigating officer on the m.v. MacDhui, who visited New Plymouth on leave from Sydney. He told a reporter yesterday that there was a desiccated coconut factory at Pondo. Shifts of native labour were employed day and night, and 600 boxes of the product a month were produced ready for the market. Neither there nor at Lae or Solomaua, other ports on the ship’s run, were there any wharves and the cargo was moved in surf-boats. “We took an 18-ton boiler to Pondo once, and dumped it in the water,” said Mr. Reeve. “How they got it ashore and fitted it up I do not know, but there is any amount of native labour available.”

Heavy mist, varying in density from minute to minute, enveloped New Plymouth and other parts of North Taranaki yesterday. At times visibility was restricted to very short distances. The vicinity of Egmont Village was apparently affected more than other parts and a motorist reported that very careful driving was needed on Egmont Road. The mist, which came from over the sea, extended to Waitara where, as at New Plymouth, it lifted slightly last night in favour of a wetting rain. North Egmont Hostel reported misty rain in the evening. Humphries Castle was the limit of visibility towards the mountain, the higher regions being hidden in cloud. The mist proper seemed to be confined to levels below the mile peg on the track. The lowlands were completely lost to view in the grey vapour.

During the twelve months ended on December 31 the Wellington District Frea Ambulance attended 7858 cases, and travelled 74,525 miles. In the city and suburbs alone 6303 cases were attended.

A novel four-wheeled vehicle drawn by three horses is now used to convey motors across the notorious Waimakariri River at Bealey, on the Christ-church-West Coast Road. Formerly motor-cars were simply pulled across the river by the horses. When a car is being “ferried” across it is strapped down to the unusual vehicle, the driver of which straddles the bonnet of the car.

According to Mr. David McFarlane, Wanganui, who has been instrumental in placing hundreds of unemployed boys in positions during the past few years, the situation has entirely changed. During the whole of November and December and the latter part of October dozens of applications came to him for boys, and it was impossible to supply the demand. Even during the school holidays none applied for jobs, “and I could have placed 50,” said Mr. McFarlane to a reporter.

Considerable time was spent by the Wellington Harbour Board on Wednesday night discussing the question of the restoration or otherwise of the 10 per cent, cut in the wages of all casual workers employed by the board. It was the subject of a motion, moved by Mr. R. Semple, M.P., and seconded by Mr. P. Fraser, M.P. Eventually, after a long and at times lively discussion, the motion was defeated by five votes to seven, the Labour members of the board being ffie only ones to vote for the proposal.

The unusual experience of meeting representatives of three local bodies who informed him that they did not want any State assistance and that they, had credit balances befel the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, on Tuesday when he was travelling from Alexandra, in Central Otago, to Invercargill. At one place a deputation of residents waited on Mr. Forbes to tell him that they had no requests to make, but that they merely wished to meet him and wish him good luck.

The use of the English language by both German and Japanese radio announcers as the most convenient tongue intelligible to both parties was an unusual feature of an experimental transmission between Berlin and Tokio which was picked up by a short-wave set on Thursday evening. The conversation by radio-telephone could be heard clearly, while music from Berlin was received without distortion.

With the closing of nominations for the Canterbury Jockey Club on Tuesday 42 proposals had been received for the consideration of a general meeting of members. There were 104 nominations for the October general meeting, making a total of 146 since the club decided to reduce its subscription from £5 5s to £3 3s. The large nomination of members since the subscription was reduced is stated to be a record.

The opinion that New Zealand was growing too much wheat at present and could do with a little less being planted was expressed by the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes when discussing the price of wheat with the growers at Lauder, Central Otago. They had asked him the reason why higher prices were paid for wheat in the North Island than in the South and it was explained by the Prime Minister that North Island growers got the benefit of the amount which would be paid in the cost of shipping from the South Island wheat areas to North Island consumers.

When the scheme for the employment of relieving teachers was received toy the Wanganui Education Board from the Education Department it was stated by the chairman, Mr. E. F. Hemingway, that the board hoped, through the scheme, to employ another 121 teachers. Members expressed their approval of the advantages gained by the teachers and the children. It was stated that the teachers would be employed all the year round, and the children would not find that their teachers were being continually changed. “Briefly, the scheme means that there will be no unemployment among certificated teachers in the coming year,” said Mr. W. H. Swanger.

A new use for old motor tyres and waste rubbish has been found by Mr. Lincoln C. Neale, Moonee Ponds, Australia, who has been granted patent rights for a process for making printing ink of commercial quality from these materials. Behind this invention is a story of the courage of Mr. Neale and the faith of those who supported him. Mr. Neaie made his discovery in .1929. His plant then was a “cooker” improvised from a 44-gallon petrol drum. Now the ink. is being produced in a large plant whicn was specially designed and manufactured under the direction of Australian engineers. The Australian patent rights have been secured by a syndicate.

“I had thought of referring to the Christchurch Drainage Board as a sister local body, but I decided that would not do, as I feel sure we will one day be united in the bonds of holy matrimony,” said the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr. D. G. Sullivan, M.P.), responding to the toast of local bodies at the annual dinner of the Christchurch Drainage Board. “The chairman tells me not to touch on those matters,” continued Mr. Sullivan, after an aside from Mr. J. W. Beanland, chairman of the Drainage Board. “I think perhaps he is a little shy, as the feminine partner, but that will wear off in time.” “It depends on the courtship,” said a voice.