GENERAL NEWS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 16 June 1924, Page 8

GENERAL NEWS.

At the Supreme Court at Blenheim, John James Freeguard Cleaverly, foi stealing £4O from an old man who had helped him from time' to time, was sentenced to reformative detention for nine months.

A judgment debtor stated at the Magistrate’s Court in Auckland: “I am a financial agent, your Worship,” to which Mr F. K. Hunt, S.M., replied: “You evidently cannot manage your own finances or you would not be here.” v

Relations were getting- a little strained just before the final rupture in the engineers’ conciliation proceedings, and in reply to a speaker on the opposite side, Mr T. O. Bishop (employers’ agent) broke out with: “That d ed rot! because there is no reason why one shouldn’t discuss the others.” The commissioner (Mr W. Newton): That is most unparliamentary language, Mr Bishop.” Mr Bromley (union representative): I. can’t object: I might be coming out with something of the kind myself before long.”

* The majority of people are probably unaware that the colouring of some birds’ -plumage is not absolutely permanent. After a prolonged bath, or after a heavy deulge of rain, he said, the pink colouring on a parrot’s head often “ran,” and the feathers would look very washed out and bedraggled for some- time afterwards. This washing out of colour often produced some very queen effects, continued the lecturer, who greatly amused his audience by his suggestion as to the awkward results that would ensue if human hair suffered the same disability as that of bird plumage when exposed to overlong immersion, or to a shower of rain. ‘ Evidence that houses are still scarce in Auckland was shown by a ; case that came before Mr F. K. Hunt, S.M., to-day at the Magistrate’s Court. A debtor stated his wages were £4 14s 6d per Week, be had three children, and was paying £3 10s per week for rent for a house in Khyber Pass. He added: “I had to get a roof over our heads.” Mr Hunt said: “People will pay a high rent to live within a stone’s throw of Queen Street.” The wife says: ‘Lets live near Queen Street, and we can let some rooms.’ Then the sub-ten-ants let them down.” The debtor, said they did let two rooms at £1 a week each, but on© tenant let him in for £5. "Exactly,” said Mr Hunt, ■; * “better live further out, and pay less At a meeting of the Canterbury Automobile Association, Mr N. M. Orbell, in the discussion of heavy ~ traffic, said that the South Island county councils had not made a move. They were too slow. The funds wereavailable, and if the South Island local bodies did not stir themselves, the North Island would get all the money. Mr R. Macartney said that he bad heard on good authority that £175,000 had been applied for from the North Island and not one penny had been applied for from the South. So far the South Island bodies were neglecting their duty. Mr Orbell moved and Mr Sargent seconded, a motion that the attention of the county councils of the South Island be drawn to the fact that the North Island bodies were availing themselves of the funds available for road construction, and regretting apathy of the South Island bodies in this matter. Mr Sargent said that the money was properly ear-marked and the North Island could not get the money which had been allotted for the south. At the same time Mr Orbell’s motion was a move in tne right direction. The motion was carried.