CHRISTCHURCH NEWS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19940, 26 October 1934, Page 4

CHRISTCHURCH NEWS

ITEMS FROM THE CITY

By Telegraph—Press Association CHRISTCHURCH, October 25. Personal Squadron-Leader Findlay returned from the north this morning. Dr. W. G. Fern arrived from the north this morning. Sir William Hunt arrived from Wellington this morning. Mr Malcolm Fraser arrived from the north by the Rangatira to-day. Dr. James Hight, rector of Canterbury College, returned from Hanmer Springs to-day, and left for Wellington to-night. Mr J. W. Beanland, chairman of the Works Committee of the Christchurch City Council, who has been on a visit to Great Britain and the Continent, arrived at Auckland yesterday by the Rangitiki. He will return to Christchurch to-morrow morning. Bishop West-Watson will leave for Nelson on Saturday for the consecration of the new bishop. He will not return to Christchurch immediately, but will leave for Melbourne, where he will be the New Zealand representative of the Anglican Church at the Centenary celebrations. Mr F. O. Lane, who is at present a student at College House, has been appointed, subject to the approval of Bishop West-Watson, assistant-curate at St. John’s Anglican Church, Rangiora, in succession to the Rev. H. I. Hopkins, who has been appointed to the parish at the Chatham Islands. Mr Lane, whose parents live in Nelson, will be ordained priest in December and will probably take over his duties at Rangiora in the New Year. Mr Hopkins will leave for the Chathams in December. Whitebait Season After a late start the whitebait season is now in full swing in Christchurch, and with the warm weather this week supplies have come forward in large quantities. Though early last week prices were the same, as they are to-day, unfavourable weather at the end of the week caused the supply to fall and the price to double itself. Today best local whitebait were quoted at 1/- a half-pound, and West Coast was 9d a half-pound. Sea-fish is also plentiful at present. Pilot’s License Mr j. Neave, of Christchurch, a pupil of the Canterbury Aero Club, today secured his license as a pilot, the tests being conducted by Squadron Leader J. L. Findlay, O.C. Wigram Aerodrome. He was trained by Mr R. A. Kirkup, and is the 13th pupil to qualify since Mr Kirkup took over the instructional side of the activities of the Aero Club. Lake Coleridge The level of Lake Coleridge to-day was 1671.95 ft, compared with 1672.15 ft at this time last week. There has been a fair amount of rain in the back country, but the fall this week has not been nearly so heavy as it was in the early part of last week.

Air Force Training The No. 1 Squadron of the New Zealand Territorial Air Force, at present undergoing a refresher course at Wigram Aerodrome under the supervision of officers of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, engaged in musketry training to-day at the Redcliffs Rifle Range. The squadron will finish its course to-morrow.

Main South Highway Preliminary work in connection with the paving of the Main South Highway ,has begun. The work, which is being earned out by British Pavements (Canterbury), Ltd., has been started at the Rolleston end, but it will be about a fortnight before the grading has been finished and a start with the paving made possible. The section to be paved is from Rolleston to Rakaia.

Attempted Safe-Blowing: An unsuccessful attempt was made last night to open with an explosive the heavy safe in the office of H. J. Otley, timber merchant, 96 Tuam Street.

Entrance was gained to the office by removing some boards of a wall of a. small room.

Some explosive was placed in the keyhole of the safe-door, but the force of the explosion was only sufficient to damage the lock mechanism. There was no money in the safe.

No Quorum: The special meeting of the Christchurch City Council called for last evening to discuss the Unemployment Board’s action in ordering New Brighton unemployed to the Ashley Camp lapsed for want of a quorum. Crs. J. K. Archer, G. T. Thurston, J. Mathison, A. E. Armstrong, and F. T. Evans were the only councillors present, an apology for absence being received from Cr. Mabel B. Howard, who was one of the signatories to the requisition calling the meeting. Nine councillors have to be present to constitute a meeting of the council. The DeputyMayor waited the statutory quarter of an hour, and then announced that the meeting had lapsed.

Tasman Sea Air Race? A Tasman Sea air race from Melbourne to Christchurch will be arranged if sufficient support for the proposal can be gathered by the Canterbury Aero Club. Providing prize-money can be found, it is intended to invite competitors in the Melbourne Centenary Air Race to fly to Christchurch so as* to arrive at Wigram Aerodrome on a Saturday afternoon or a Sunday. Mr P. R. Climie, secretary to the Canterbury Aero Club and organiser to the Canterbury Progress League, is behind the proposal, which he first advanced some months ago. His reason for reviving it is that the recent flights have convincingly proved the contention that there would be no difficulty in making the flight with the best of the machines. Mr Climie considers that such a race would assist the development of flying in this country, by reason of the popular enthusiasm which it would create, and that it would afford valuable and widespread publicity for both Christchurch and New Zealand.

Remarkable Statement: The remarkable suggestion that his wife had persecuted him, and had had another man buried in his name, was made in the Magistrate’s Court this morning by George McDonald Hamilton, aged 34 years, who was charged before Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M., with failure to comply with the terms of a i

maintenance order issued against him I at Auckland on November 29, 1931. The accused was represented by Mr j D. w. Russell, who said that the order and arrears were admitted. Cross-examined by the Maintenance Officer (Mr P. j. Jones), Hamilton denied that money which he had re- I ceived from the sale of bonds had been | “tucked away.” He also refuted the j suggestion that his trouble was gambling and drinking. So far as drinking | was concerned, he said, he was not a I teetotaller, but, on the other hand, he j was not a drunkard. He complained ' of persecution by his wife, adding: I “She told the police that I had committed suicide, and had the police I running round looking for me for three months. She had another man buried i in my name.”

Mr Russell said that Hamilton had been found guilty and sentenced in the Supreme Court to imprisonment on charges of false pretences. He had sixpence only on him when arrested, but even had he had other money it was probable that it would have gone to the people from whom he obtained it and not to his wife.

Sentence of six months’ imprisonment with hard labour was imposed on Hamilton.