LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20895, 26 November 1937, Page 8

LOCAL & GENERAL NEWS

Lest Wc Forget A hiker recently wandered down a river bank to where Maoris were pursuing the elusive whitebait. Naturally interested in what was going on, he said, “How’s the fish running?” Quick as a flash came the reply: “Like te All Blacks—too slow!” Show Essay Competition The result of the essay competition conducted by the Tlrnaru Agricultural and Pastoral Association, which was open to all South Canterbury Primary Schools, was as follows: John McLeod 1, Jean Hughes 2, Eunice Stevenson 3. The subject was “The Show.” “In the Melting Pot” Mr W. J. Polson gave notice in the House yesterday to ask the Prime Minister whether he would make a full statement on the question of Pacific shipping in view of the statement by the Prime Minister of Australia that the whole position was in the melting pot. Evidence of Identification Evidence of identification was given by a brother-in-law, Ernest M. Tozer, before the Coroner (Mr H. Morgan), when an inquest was opened yesterday concerning the death in Timaru Hospital of John Cassidy, who was injured while demolishing a sod hut on his property at Washdyke on Tuesday. The inquest was adjourned till 11 a.m. on Monday. Inquest Concluded , A verdict that John William Ritchie died at the Opihi Reserve on November 20 as a result of coronary occlusion, was returned by the Coroner, Mr H. Morgan, when the inquest was concluded yesterday. The Coroner mentioned that he had received particulars from the Pensions Department that the deceased had been drawing a military pension up till 1924 because of heart trouble. Motor Victim The victim of the motor accident in Dunedin in the early hours of yesterday morning, Joseph Reginald Wilson, had resided in Timaru for .sometime. He was 32 years of age and lived at the Gloucester Flats with his wife and two young children, one aged three and the other aged eight months. He was a commercial traveller by occupation dealing chiefly In auto parts. Holiday Accommodation Although there is every prospect that all hotels in Timaru will be fully booked for the coming holiday period, Mr J. M. C. McLeod, secretary of the South Canterbury branch of the Licensed Victuallers’ Association, told a reporter yesterday that the statement made by the organiser of the accommodation bureau, in a report to the South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce at a meeting on Wednesday night, that all the hotels had been fully booked for some time, was premature. There were 15 hotels in Timaru, said Mr McLeod, and so far only six had no further accommodation to offer. Stock Quarantine StatioA Mr T. D. Burnett asked the Minister of Agriculture to the House yesterday an urgent question whether he would consider the setting up of a New Zealand Government quarantine station in Tasmania with the cognisance of the Tasmanian Government, where all stud stock from England for New Zealand could be maintained at the lowest possible cost in charge of a New Zealand veterinarian and whether, in view of the tremendous national importance of the problem, the quarantine and maintenance charges would be subsidised by the Agricultural Department. The Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. W. Lee Martin, replied that he would have the matter investigated. He. added that there was the question of cost to be considered and also the question of how far the Tasmanian Government would concur. He recognised the Importance of the suggestion for having it Investigated.

Landlord and Tenant A special meeting of the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Real Estate Institute was held yesterday to discuss the clause in the Finance Bill providing for landlords who require their tenants to quit rented houses to make arrangements for alternative accommodation for them. The branch president, Mr J. G. Williamson, issued a statement In which he said: "Effect of the legislation would appear to be considerably more far-reaching than intended. He thought it would prejudice rather than assist the very class of person it was intended to assist, because every house property becoming vacant Would inevitably remain vacant until a sale could be effected. In the same way a new house erected primarily for letting would now be kept vacant until sold, as it was obvious that once let it could not be sold. The measure would also be a deterrent against any further building except by Intending owner-occupiers. He suggested that before the Bill had its third reading it should be referred to a committee of the House to take evidence and ascertain the real effect.