GENERAL NEWS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 18761, 27 December 1930, Page 8

GENERAL NEWS.

The holiday season so far has been singularly free from accidents involving personal injury. Up till yesterday there had been no admissions to the Public Hospital as a result of accidents. Shortly after 11.30 last night, the Timaru Fire Brigade reecived a call from the alarm box situated at the corner of King and High Streets. The Brigade turned out promptly, only to discover that the call was the result of a fault in the circuit. At the Duntroon Caledonian Sports yesterday afternoon, Alister Cameron, In the hop, step and jump, registered 46 feet 11 inches, eclipsing the New Zealand record made by W. Kelly, of Greymouth, in 1924, says a Press message from Oamaru. A Press message from Oamaru states that William Lauder, single, aged 52, was found dead yesterday in a hut on a farm at Awamoko, where he was employed. Deceased had been attended for heart trouble, but owing to the absence from the Dominion of his doctor an inquest will be necessary. The actual number of people who were provided with Christmas dinners by the Timaru Rotary Club, in conjunction with the Main School Committee and the combined bands was 645. The quantities of goods supplied was as follows: —Meat, 5001bs; peas, 6451b5; pudding, 5001bs; potatoes, 3501b5. A quantity of sundries was also distributed. The Rev. Clyde Carr, M.P., has received the following letter from the Minister of Public Works (Hon. W. B. Taverner): “In acknowledging your letter of the 17th ultimo, urging the Government to undertake the construction of the road giving access to the property of Mr R. Y. Richards, I have to advise that to provide access to the boundary of this settler’s run, a length of 30 chains would have to be constructed, at an estimated cost of £350. As the formation of this road is suitable for the employing of relief workers, I am of opinion that the Government will be justified in financing the total cost. I have pleasure, therefore, in informing you that arrangements are now being made to have this work put in hand by relief workers ■without delay.”

A young man named Stark, 21 years of age, a resident of Dunedin, collapsed and died on the beach at Warrington yesterday, says a Press Association message. It is understood that Stark, with two friends, had walked to Warrington from Evansdale. The three had gone in for a bathe, and were walking along the beach at about 4.30 p.m., when Stark complained of a violent headache. He collapsed and died almost immediately. It is thought that the cause of death was heart failure. A serious accident occurred yesterday afternoon through a collision on the Whaka road, between a ’bus and a car, says a Press Association message from Rotorua. The three occupants of the car were sent to hospital. Fred Willeston Croft, aged 23, was badly cut and bruised; Francis Willeston Croft, suffered a broken leg and other Injuries; and Agnes Willeston Croft, suffered concussion. Her condition is serious. William Hudson, of the ’bus company, was cut about the head, necessitating surgical treatment.

Two exceptionally busy days have been experienced by the South Canterbury Automobile Association’s patrolman (Mr Owers). Hundreds of questions have been asked and answer ed: Where Is the best fishing? Where is the nearest garage? Where is the best camping place? What is the shortest way to Fairlie?, and a multitude of others. Punctures and break-downs have filled a fair share of the patrolman’s time, and he has included in his duties attention to the motoring camps in the district.

At the conclusion of a sitting of the Timaru Police Court yesterday, the presiding Justices, Messrs D. McLennan and A. L. Gee extended the season s greetings to the members of the Police Force, complimenting them upon the orderly nature of the town on Christmas Eve. The fact that the cells remained empty over the holidays was a great tribute to the orderliness of the large crowds which paraded the streets on Wednesday evening. The tact and consideration shown by police officers on duty that evening was also referred to in complimentary terms by the Bench. A short sitting of the Timaru Police Court was held yesterday, when a young man who arrived on Christmas Eve from Dunedin, pleaded guilty to a charge of drunkenness, and also to one of using obscene language, and to a third count of throwing a bottle ill the street. The presiding Justices, Messrs D. McLennan and A. L. Gee, pointed out to the offender the seriousness of the conduct of which he had been guilty, explaining that he could have been sent to prison for 12 months for using obscene language. The Bench, however, took Into consideration the fact that this being the festive season, they had no desire to impose a severe penalty upon him. On the charge of using obscene language he was fined £l, and on the other two charges he was convicted and discharged. The need for greater vigilance to prevent injurious insects and diseases from entering New Zealand is emphasised strongly by Dr D. Miller, entomologist at the Cawthorn Institute, Nelson, in a report prepared for the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, after returning from an extensive trip abroad. “From my observations abroad,” Dr Miller says, “I am more convinced than ever that the development of a practicable system to restrict Injurious insects and diseases from entering New Zealand should be seriously considered. No doubt, It is our geographic Isolation that is responsible for the prevailing lethargic outlook on the subject, even in the face of past experience, while every year we have evidence of the ways and means by which noxious insects are able to, and do actually, reach our shores. Christmas railway traffic on the Christchurch section has been excellent, and more rolling stock has been required than at Christmas time, 1929 (says a Christchurch paper). A peculiar feature this year is that the trend of travel is distinctly from North Island to South Island. Advices from the north show that many resorts that are usually crowded at this time of the year are by no means over-taxed. On the other, Christchurch accommodation Is well booked up, and the South Island resorts are not complaining about lack of patronage. The Inference seems to be that while more North Island people are coming south, more southerners are spending the holidays in their own island. Traffic on the Lyt-telton-Christchurch line has been very brisk, and the demand for seats on the Southern Main Trunk line has been so great that the Railway Department has been hard put to find enough carriages. As though they had not sufficient to worry them during the busy holiday period, the postal officials at Henderson have been harassed by bees, states the “Auckland Star.” Last week, a swarm of bees took a fancy to a letter box In Burgess Road, and it was not till they had maintained possession of their new home for four days that they were disloged. On Monday afternoon a swarm descended on the post office, and some of the more venturesome of them buzzed around the lobby and generally gave officials and customers an anxious time. The swarm has now settled on the signboard in front of the office, where it is proposed to leave them until after the Christmas Eve rush, when an apiarist will be Invited to remove them. “There is nothing in the regulations to say how one is to deal with bees. I will have to write to Wellington about it,” jocularly remarked the poshmaster at Henderson, in discussing the visitation. “Rangatira” is the name to be given to the Union Company’s new turboelectric ferry steamer now being built by Vickers-Armstrong, Ltd., at Barrow-in-Furness. There was some talk when she was first ordered of the new vessel being called Rotomahana, after the company's famous old steamer which really inaugurated the present express ferry service between Wellington and Lyttelton, Rangatira, however, will add one more to the company’s’ Maori family names for their fast ferry steamers. At present there are the Maori, Wahine, meaning women, Tamahine, daughter, and now Rangatira ing chief o,r nobly born. This name will be especially appropriate for the new vessel, for besides being the chief of the Union Company’s ferry steamers she will be one of the fastest and most luxurious vessels of her type in the world. The Rangatira will be launched early next April, and is duo in New Zealand in November or December. Trout are running well, and big bags have been taken. There’s plenty of real fun and sport before you during the holidays if you take the correct tackle and flies. In England, Mcßae’s freshly landed stocks the angler will find everything he requires at prices that show big savings. For example: New and special varieties of artificial flies; Hexacane split cane fly rods, beautifully made and suitable for wet 01dry fly fishing; “Special” English split cane rods, splendid value at £3/5/-; waterproof lined fish bags 27/6; French pattern baskets 25/-; strong aluminium trout reels 11/6; Farlow’s “Hewitt” easts 3/-, etc