Local and General News

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21555, 18 January 1940, Page 6

Local and General News

Schoolboy Injured Alister Barker, aged eight, son of Mr and Mrs R. Barker, 15 Craighead Street, was admitted to the Timaru Public Hospital yesterday suffering from slight abrasions to the left side of his face and to the left ear. The boy was knocked down by a motorist at the corner of Wai-iti Road and Craighead Street. Strange Pet To receive a pet by post from the United States of America, is the strange experience of a young Napier girl. The pet is a turtle, U inches long, and came to New Zealand in a cardboard box. The turtle was kept alive on its long journey by means of moist packing in the box. On its back, the turtle carries a miniature painting of flowers in bright colourings, and altogether proves a most interesting pet. Wind Shakes Church A sudden gust of wind which struck St. Joseph’s Church, Hastings, during Mass on Sunday, shook the building as if in an earthquake. With timbers creaking and walls swaying, members of the congregation believed an earthquake had occurred. Women screamed, two fainted and others had to be assisted from the building. The phenomenon had a curious aspect in that the gust was preceded and followed by an almost dead calm. The wind was not felt in other parts of the town and no damage was caused. Varying Punishments Alleged discrepancies in Court decisions in regard to men charged with being intoxicated while driving motor vehicles were pointed out by Mr V. Butler at a meeting of the Gisborne advisory committee of the A.utomobile Association (Auckland), when he quoted decisions in nine recent cases that had been heard throughout the Dominion. Mr Butler suggested that a recommendation should be placed before the parent body to the effect that the hearing of intoxication cases throughout the Dominion should be conducted by stipendiary magistrates. Wharf Labour Contract A contract system of employing wharf labour has been introduced at Patea, which is the first port in New Zealand to experience conditions under which ships are being loaded in half the usual time and the workers are being paid ordinary union rates, plus bonuses varying according to the tons an hour loaded. As an example of the team work that has been developed, 14 men in one day handled 480 tons of cargo for three vessels, comprising 3082 crates of cheese, 6732 boxes of butter and 36 tons of general cargo. Under the old conditions 30 to 40 men would have been required to clear the three ships of that amount of cargo in the one day. Offer of an Island The free use of Moturekareka Island in the Hauraki Gulf for the duration of the war has been offered to the Minister of Defence by its owners, Mr Charles Hanson and his sister. Mr Hanson, who is a veteran of the South African War, is of opinion that the island is an ideal place for use as an internment camp. A reply has been received from the Minister expressing thanks for the offer and stating that his Department did not have use for it for the time being. If there was a likelihood of its being required later, however, he would have it inspected. Moturekareka Island is best known as the one on which the old barque Rewa was stranded as a breakwater. Substantial Appreciation In appreciation of the prompt manner in which the inspector of the Otago Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Mr J. J. Hinchcliff) had investigated a complaint made by her, a Ranfurly resident forwarded a donation of £lO to the society, asking to be enrolled as a life member. This was disclosed at the meeting of the society held on Tuesday afternoon, when the complainant wrote expressing her appreciation of Mr Hinchcliff’s prompt and effective work in dealing with the matter. She asked that her name be withheld from publication. Members were unanimous in expressing their appreciation of the new subscriber’s action. Fatal Electric Shock When he came into contact with a fallen power line. Mr Edwin Wrigley, married, a motor-driver of Rotorua, received a fatal electric shock. Mr Wrigley's children were playing outside the house when one of them told him that his son Desmond had fallen into a pool of water and appeared to be dead. The father and mother hurried outside and saw the boy lying in a pool. In endeavouring to pull the child out of the water Mr Wrigley came into contact with a live power line which had been brought down by the storm on Saturday night. Frantic attempts were made oy Mrs Wrigley and her eldest son to prise the power line out of her husband’s hand, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Canteen Profits Another distribution of £lOOO for the benefit of members of the First Echelon of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Forces when going overseas was recently made by the Canteen Board. The money was from profits of canteens in the camps where members of the force have been trained. This was the second distribution made to members of the First Echelon. Early in December a similar amount was paid out by the board. On that occasion the money was divided among the four camps, Papakura, Ngaruawahia. Trentham and Burnham. The £2OOO now distributed does not exhaust the profits received by the board from the canteens. As a result, it is expected that a further distribution will be made in the next few weeks. Magistrate’s Court At a sitting of the Timaru Magistrate’s Court yesterday before Mr H. Morgan, S.M., judgment by default was entered in the following civil cases: Westport Coal Co., Ltd. v. E. Necklen, balance of claim, £3/11/6, costs £l/5/6; Desmond Unwin, Ltd. v. Patrick Thomas Hogan and Walter Patrick Hogan, £l3l/16/1 (£7/8/9); Dominion Motors Ltd. v. T. W. Hughes, £3O/16/8 (£4/1/6); Auto Parts Ltd. v. L. C. Wederill, 9/6 (9/-); same v. Norton Chamberlain, 15/- (8/-); same v. F. C. Chamberlain, £2 (£l/3/6); same v. Stephen B. Watson £l/7/6 (8/-); same v. H. A. Boulton 13/- (10/-); Calder Mac Kay Co., Ltd. v. D. A. Vincent, (£3/8/6 (£l/4/6). On the application of the Public Trustee (Mi J. F. Montague) as executor of the estate of James Hislop, Thomas Smallridge and Adeline Mary Smallridge were ordered to give up possession of a tenement by February 17, 1940, and judgment by default was entered against defendants for rent due to January 14, 1940. £B/10/-, with costs £2/13/-.