GENERAL NEWS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 11 June 1924, Page 8

GENERAL NEWS.

The Westport Borough Council’s ■ n ail o£ £29.500 for uydro-electric devc ormeut and road improvements wiis 1 over subscribed, £38,000 being applied tor, and applications are still mming in-

The Canterbury Rugby Union last night confirmed a Hiscxualiiication o Miree years, imposed by the Ashbuito.i bub Union, on Arthur Brunson, .toi betting on the football grounds and using abusive language to officials.

At Auckland yesterday William Ivon was committed tor trial on a charge of manslaughter, in connection wut the death of Albert Neary, who mod after an altercation with Iven at the latter’s home, where deceased and bis wife occupied rooms.

At the conference of the R.S.A., the matter of an alleged military deiaultei beam included in iho All Black team whs discussed. A sub-committee was set up to investigate, and it reported that there was no evidence available sufficient to justify action being taken in the matter.

“You might get a one-sided report; that is always on the cards, said M‘ Jesse South, at yesterday’s meeting oi the South Canterbury lower Board, when the matter of relying on the press leport of a meeting was undci discussion.

An Oamaru message reports that Mr Henry Alfred Dovey, J.P., treasurer of the North Otago A. and P. Association, died yesterday morning. He was the Waitaki Hospital Board’s delegate on the Waipiata Sanatorium Committee. He was 74 years of age.

A six-inch bore has just been out down at J. R. Bruco and Go. s ‘ Silo mills, and a splendid flow of water has been obtained. The bore was sunk down 84 feet, and after going through 26 feet of rock a stream of very good water was met, and upwards of 5b gallons a minute can now be obtained.

The authorities are to be approached with a view to having the old Westport Gaol removed to Dunedin in sections and rearranged in the 1925 exhibition. It is thought that such an exhibit will provide an interesting iemimler oi the pioneering days of Mio wild West Coast, over GO years ago.

“I don’t know how those farmers distinguish their own earmarks < u their sheep,” remarked counsel dunn ; the hearing of a case at the \\ aitara court. ‘‘But they do though,'' said the magistrate (Mr A. M. .Mowlctu). “The bootmaker to his last, the lawyoi to his bench, and the tanner to l is farm.”

The eighteenth anniversary of the death of the Irion. R. J- Seddon wamarked yesterday by a memorial ceronioiiv at his .statute, m lai liunieiit.u \ Grounds, \\ oliington. Speeches wme made bv Sir Joseph M aid, Sn James Carroll.' and Mr Roderick McKenna, and a wreath from tlie West Coasters’ Association was hud at Lie loot ol th -statute.

In tho AA'aimr.te county there mo 925 registered motor ears, as compared with 82 on January Ist, 1912; and 344 motor cycles, as compared with 75.

There arc sixteen State land sottlo nients in the AYaimato county, cloven being under the l.i.p. tenure, and five under renewable lease. The total mini ber of holdings is 413, with a population of about 2000 on them.

The Chief Postmaster, Mr H. P. Donald, has left for Wellington, where he will represent the Department on the Post and Telegraph Appeal Board. The Board will sit in most of the main centres and is expected to be occupied in hearing appeals for the next six weeks.

At the Police Court at Hamilton yesterdav, William Shaw, formerly secretary "of the Labour Representation Committee, pleaded guilty to converting to his own use nearly £IOO received on behalf of tho Carpenters’ . lid Joiners' Union and the Painters Union. Shaw disappeared last Decern ber and could not be traced until last week, when he was seen hawking round Nelson. He was committed foi sentence.

“To New Zealanders, the most interesting tiling about the Riviera is that the principal trees in its nnuiy beautiful gardens are natives ot.Nevs Zealand,” said Mr H. E Vaile, in an address ho gave at Auckland.' Hoio one sees growing luxuriantly the familiar cabbage-tree, New Zealand flax and pohutukawa, which, by tho way, they have labelled ‘from Australia.’ lliovo are also a number of trees from Australia, but it is the New Zealand trees that stand out conspicuously. ’

After prospecting operations have been going in the district for some time there are reported to bo indications of paying coakseams near A\ oqclvilie. One seam, said to bo a mile wide, lias been located at the base or AVhari'i-i, the mouutaia which overlooks the Manawatu Gorge, and along the flats at tho foot or the ranges coal indications are numerous, while the company which has initiated the investigations is obtaining prospecting options over properties to the west or the town.

Mr T. D. Burnett, M.P., for Teuiuka, is in receipt of a letter from the Minister of Public Works (Hon. J. G. Coates) in reference to the Tychr school road, Mr Burnett having asked that the steep grades on this road be reduced. The Minister says he understands Horn the Department's en gineer that a deviation is really necessary to obviate the steep grades. This is estimated to cost £bOQ, and he promises to give the question of a Government subsidy further consideration when the estimates are being framed.

In a speech in Dunedin last Monday evening the Prime . ..mister, in acknowledging a cordial reception, remarked he had been so often there that he wa, beginning to feel something of a citizen of Dunedin himself. The chairman oi the meeting, Mr Massey went on to bay, had given him a hint about public works and other matters, and in that connection he would like to men lion that some of his colleagues had asked him if he intended to go on rebuilding the whole of Dunedin before iio took up other works. This, he added. was an awkward question, and liehad not yet found an answer to it.

Yesterday afternoon the funeral ot the little boy, firancis George Green, who died as the result of an accident at Claremont, took place, and was very largely attended by the people oi the Clarenxint district, wlter the deceased lived. All the Claremont school children were present, and four of the biggest boys acted as pall bearers, 'the servico at the grave was conducted by the Rev. G. V. Gerard, and man, beautiful floral tributes. were sent. ATidespread sympathy is felt for Mr ami Mrs Green m the loss of then only child.

Speaking at a complimentary banquet lo iuo lion.• C. J. Burr at Aueki,.i.u on Mutuiav n.gm, Mr Massey sans uiat tiie Jiiui atoruun tvoukl end on Detxonber di. lie was g.aug to ask luri.ainont to amend tiio law so taut tUo bemnt'vr m*gnc go to tiie Supiuino Court,' state - ins case, and ask tRu Judge to took into it. H the ouugo uiongat Lae mortgagor had a chance to recover, he uoukl make arrangement..! lor carrying on the mortgage tor two years, Out not for longer. iio could not oeiieva it was gouig to be the trouble some peopie talked about, di.o security oi broad acres was just as good as ever it as. lie knew that mistake! were made during-the “boom” period, hut as the Id 14 legislation enabled tuo mortgagee to apply for exemption, so the proposed leg. .station simu.u oo just turned ilie other way.

At the Magistrate's Court, Temuka, yesterday, i.award Nowaii, ol liuuo din, was charged witli driving a v.u across the intersection of King and .High Streets, Temuka, at a speed greater than six miles per hour. Mr J. O'. Stephens, of Dunedin, appeared to: defendant, and stated that lie intended to argue that the by-law restricting the speed to six miles per hour was unreasonable. The Magistrate (Mr E. IX Mosley, S.M.), expressed his opinion as a private citizen, that ili-s by-law was quite unreasonable, and that a car travelling at from four t > six miles per hour was far more difficult to control than a car doing te-i miles per hour. He suggested that Hi: case should -'be adjourned till July if in order to allow of a conference be tween tlio Borough Council and Hie Automobile Association. The case was adjourned accordingly.

In his report to the Power Board yesterday, the engineer (Mr T»rapiin) asked the Board to decide whether they would erect dressed poles in the various boroughs instead of the usual undressed poles, contemplated for the general reticulation. He stated that in the North Island he had received considerable abuse from Beautifying Associations owing to the erection of that class of post in the towns, and iie would prefer the Board to take that responsibility. It was agreed that no distinction be made in the material used. Mr Wallace suggested that the engineer con’d pick out nice straight, poles for the boroughs, and send the crooked ones <>ut into In jocularly agreeing with the Mayor’s suggestion, Mr South remarked that tiie Beautifying Associations in the country districts, would not raise any serious objections.

A meeting of the Timaru High School Old Girls’ Association was held in the Y.M.C.A. rooms on Monday night. There was a large attendance of members, and the president (.Mrs Raymond) was in the chair. It, was decided to hold the annual ball in the Bay Hall on August sth, and that all members who wish invitations sent to frio ids. must send in their names and addresses to Miss Rickman, Church Street. West, by the end of June. The question of having a stall at the Girls’ High School bazaar, was discussed, and it was decided to have a cake stall, arrangements for which were left in tile hands of Miss i’alliser, Miss Eluudic and Miss Hart. Tiie secretary reported tiiat the date of the next general meeting, at which arrangements will be made for two final meeting of tiie year, would be advertised in

Supper was then handed round, and Tie meeting concluded.

At the inquest at Whangarci yesterday into the death of Ruki Pene, oi AA'aimea, who killed his wife by battering her head with a stone, and on being pursued by the police committed suicide, by leaping from a tree into a creek bed, medical evidence was given to the eifect that the Maori had been suffering from pneumonia, and the doctor expressed the view that on the night of the tragedy he had been in a demented state, due to the attack.

The question of the transfer of as much as possible of the New Zealand court at the Britisli Empire Exhibition to the exhibition to be held in Dunedin next year, was brought leldre the Prime Minister this week ty the chairman of the Dunedin Manufacturers’ Association. Mr Massey replied that the Government had already moved in that direction, and that anything he could do to further ’he proposal would be done.

In the course of a discussion regarding afforestation at the Farmers’ Union Conference at AA'angunui last week, a delegate stated that in most cases dairy farmers were not well provided with shelter for their stock, and many ot them did not seem to realise the value oi shelter trees. Another fanner mentioned that scores of farmers some years ago adopted a short-sighted policy in destroying all their native bush. The speaker, for instance, bad felled all his bush 30 years ago, and now ko was buying coal and fencing posts. A third delegate said he would pin his faith on macrocarpa as the most useful tree a fanner could-grow. Postsof this variety had been in the ground for over 20. years and were still perfectly sound.

Owing to the danger of an adjacent lcsidencc, towards which it had a decided lean, a resident of New Plymouth lias just felled ou his property a pinus insignis trees. Planted 39 years ago, the tree had grown to a height of 90 feet, and at tho base the diameter is a little over 2 feet 6 inches it tapered very little over the first •10 feet, which lias been cut into three i. i ono of which is 10 feet long and squares 21in. by 21in. ; anothoi is 14 feet long, and squares 19iu. bv 18in.; and the third log is 16 feet long, and squares loin., by 15in. 'lho tree will cut approximately 1100 superficial feet of timber, and in addition, the upper portion of the tree and the limbs have provided about two and a half cords of firewood.

A visit was paid recently to tho Thames A'alley Power Board’s district by tho Manawatu Power Board , mainly to inquire into rumours circulating in the Manawatu district that many of the Thames A'alley fanners were taking out their motors on account of excessive charges. Mr F. H. Claxton, chairman of Me 4 homes A’alley Board, however, nas able to report that these rumo irs were absolutely without foundation. The Manawatu engineer went thoroughly into the conditions exist ing in the Thames A'alley area, <*nd before departing said that the Power Boards of Now Zealand owed a deep debt of gratitude to the Thames Valley Board, and if this Board failed it would have been a bad thing for the Power Boaids of the Dominion.

The northern oyster season das opened and from present indications the supply available will be greater at the outset than was the ease last season (states the “New Zealand Herald”). On Thursday a total of .-71 sacks of oysters had been received, ;77 of these, coming from the Wkuheke beds, 45 from the Kaipura, and 49 from the Great Barrier. Another shipment of approximately 200 sacks , was ex pectcu to arrive from the gulf beds during the night, and with these the depot will have a total of about - 70 sacks with which to open the season, compared with 053 sacks available cm the opening day last season. The demand for the particularly succulent rock oyster, peculiar to the rock-bound coasts of the Auckland district has always been heavy, and generally greater than the supply, but according to a statement recently made bv Mr L. F. Ayson, clncl inspector of fisheries, the Marine Department expects to pick more oysters from the northern beds this year than was done last year. Mr Ayson attributed this to the fact that the beds generally were in a much better condition than, thev had been for a number of years, while there was a corresponding improvement in the inality.