LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20586, 27 November 1936, Page 8

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Extent of Laziness A new limit in laziness was described in the Supreme Court, Auckland, by a wife seeking divorce on the ground of separation. She said her husband was a very lazy man. He had been on relief work, but was too lazy even to go and draw his relief pay. The petitioner obtained her decree. Dance Halls That young people of the Methodist Church should be warned of the subtle evils associated with dance halls was the view expressed by the Hawke’s BayManawatu District Synod. The following resolution was passed: “We are of the opinion that such are the moral and spiritual dangers associated with mixed dances that we recommend that no alteration be made in the Church’s law on the matter.” “E.W.” Probably the most popular man at the Devonport reunion on Monday afternoon was Mr E. W. Alison, or, as he is better known, “E.W.” He has filled an important place In the history of the North Shore. He was taken there in 1854, when two years of age, and ever since his resided on the shore. He has been county councillor, road board member, borough councillor, Mayor, member of Parliament, Legislative Councillor and harbour board member; incidentally, he has run the ferry services for 50 years and been head of the Takapuna Jockey Club for half a century. After Many Voyages Mr H. E. Read, chief steward pn the Aorangi, who claims to have crossed the Line probably a greater number of times than any other man at sea, is making his last trip in an official capacity. The vessel left Auckland on Monday night for Sydney, where Mr Read will sign off. He is retiring after nearly 50 years’ service with the Union Company. Mr Read has served in many vessels, and was on the steamer Grafton, which was wrecked off the west coast of Tasmania many years ago, and was on the Wakatipu, the intercolonial vessel which sank in Sydney Harbour following a collision with another steameh Negligent Motorists The danger to traffic created by motorists pulling out from the kerb in Stafford Street without signalling was emphasised by Mr S. D. Mason at the annual meeting of the Automobile Association (South Canterbury) last night. Another member, endorsing the complaint, attributed the offence to country people who were unaware of the regulations, but Mr W. H. Walton pointed out that he had seen a man in the motor trade pull out from the kerb on two occasions recently and miss by inches colliding with on-coming traffic. The committee was recommended to take the matter up.

The Pheasant “Carried On” When discussing the Auckland Acclimatisation Society’s liberality in liberating pheasants in the King Country early in the year and the increase in the number of birds in the Taumarunui district, Mr A. E. Benn, of Lairdvale, informed a reporter that his son accidentally ploughed up a nest containing 13 pheasants’ eggs recently. Although startled by the horses, the bird went only a short distance, for, when Mr Benn returned a little while later, he noticed that the pheasant had made an attempt to collect the eggs and remake the nest. Mr Benn, however, remade the nest, and about two weeks later saw the bird in the vicinity with 11 young chicks, two eggs left in the nest being unfertile. Women “Watersiders” The suggestion that two women are members of a New Zealand waterside workers’ union was made in the Arbitration Court, Wellington. Applications for exemption from the proposed clerical workers’ award were being heard, and a letter written to the Court by Mr J. Roberts, secretary of the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Federation was read. The letter asked that the citation of the federation as a party be struck out, one of the reasons given being that all members of the federation’s staff were already members of waterside workers’ unions. Mr A. W. Croskery, workers’ advocate, said he doubted whether women could be members of a waterside workers’ union. The Court reserved its decision on the application. “Worst In New Zealand” “It is things like this which have brought upon Tlmaru the name of being the worst controlled town in New Zealand and one in which the regulations are most frequently broken,” remarked Mr W. H. Walton in complaining at the annual meeting of the Automobile Association (South Canterbury) last night of the careless manner in which motorists give traffic signals. He referred specifically to the practice of drivers beginning to turn at an intersection before draping a limp arm over the door of the car, whereas the regulations set out that the arm should be fully extended before the turn was made. He suggested that the Association should undertake a publicity campaign for a more rigid observance of the traffic laws and so bring to motorists a feeling of safety while driving down Stafford Street, which they did not have at present.