LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16861, 11 October 1922, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

There are indications that the com- ; ing carnival week is going to be a ; busy one. Visiting cars are already ar- ■ riving in Christchurch and taxi proprietors in different parts of New Zealand are making inquiries as to the j temporary registration of their cars. Activity on the part of the police and the City Traffic Inspectors is making Christchurch motorists more atten- ; t-ive to regulations and by-laws. Tho I Chief Traffic: Inspector (Mr H. Macintosh) stated to-day that his office wad ( now being inundated with applications j for drivers’ certificates, and copies of i by-laws. Changes of ownership are i also being registered. ! One good turn deserves another, and sometimes gets it. This was shown last night at the meeting of the Ghristi church Fire Board, when Tt was derided to remit the charge which should j have been made t-o the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association - for the brigade’s services at the fire i which occurred at the Show Grounds I yesterday morning. The chairman said ; the superintendent had received a j guarantee, and he sent the brigade out i to the grounds, and in view of the fact ! that the Agricultural and Pastoral Association had given the brigade free use of the grounds for tbe brigades de - ! monstration it was tho superintendent’s j suggestion that charges should be re- | mit ted. * The executive of the Canterbury Patriotic Fund met this afternoon. Air Cyrus J. B. Williams presiding over an attendance of nine members. The Auditor-General wrote approving of the appointment of Mr 11. Bicknell as auditor of the fund. The treasurer reported that the receipts to September 30, 1922. were £257.212 13s 2d. and the payments £217.990 13s Bd. leaving £3*9.221 19s Gd in investments % and cash. The secretary reported that 281 cases were dealt with in September, against 256 in August, and 74 applications were received in September, against 82 in August. Collectors are in tbe streets to-day obtaining funds from the public to relieve the liability in connection with the Taka he Resthouse on the Port Hills, and to form and maintain roads and. walking tracks on the Summit Road. The appeal is made by Messrs N. M. Orbell (chairman). D. Bates, C. H. Gilbv and J. L. Scarvell. whom Air H. G. Ell asked to act as a committee for the purpose of obtaining funds. Several cheques were given in response to the appeal, but only a small number of collectors has been engaged. It :s intended to make the appeal in this month each year.

“ Some little excitement was caused at about a quarter to five o’clock on Friday afternoon on the water front,” states the Timaru “Herald.” The fishing boats, on arrive! with their catches, are usually greeted on the steps, which do not afford the firmest or footholds, by a swarm of youngsters One little girl of about twelve years of age. lost her tooting an<s fell into tho water. Air Mr G. Tulloch’s ‘ Silver Fern ’ was unloading at the jetty, and Air G. Bentley, engineer in charge >f the boat, immediately jumped in and made a good rescue. The child suffered badly from shock and was conveyed to licr home. This ip not the first occasion on which Air Bentley has proved a guardian angel to visitors to the harl>nur, having two or three * saves ’ to his credit. His action on Friday was a most plucky one as it is by no means an easy thing to keep afloat when encumbered with waders and heavy fishing apparel.” Speaking at a recent meeting of dairy farmers in Wanganui, Air AY. J. Poison said that the germ of the control idea came from America. All other countries were now organised to the hilt in marketing produce, and it was realised that New Zealand had to come into line. He knew that compulsion was regarded as a bugbear, but a scheme would he useless without it. The Meat Control Board would apply compulsion when their organisation was complete if it were necessary. New Zealand had to see that her produce was received, handled and shipped, and distributed in the best possible manner, and it would mean that New Zealand butter would be sold under its own labels. “ One Who Was Had ” sends the following to tho Wellington “ Post ” : —I wish to bring before the notice of the public an incident that happened to-day. I was accosted by a young man who asked me to direct him to a certain office. After 1 had directed him. he invited me to afternoon tea which invitation 1 accepted. After we had entered the refreshment room we were joined by two companions, to whom J was introduced. Then the usual argument ensued who was to pay for the tea, so it was decided that we should form a pool, the winner to pay for the tea. After I had lost ten shillings, it began to dawn -upon my mind that I had been “ fleeced,” and I left them I l\ave written this letter solely as a warning to other innocents, who have not yet been caught. Though greatly overworked. Judges of the Supreme Court do not spend all their time on the Bench, as a- witness in the Hamilton Supreme Court found out to his sorrow, states an exchange. All witnesses had been ordered out of Court, when the case in question started in the morning. In the afternoon, a witness who had given some evidence before the Bench, altered his evidencein some material facts. Air Justice Stringer asked the witness if he ha ! discussed the case during the adjournment with a previous witness. He said he had just mentioned it. The Judge gently plied him with further questions and finally asked him if lie had been talking to the witness under a certain verandah. The witness replied in the negative, but admitted talking to him under another verandah a few yards away. He persisted, however, that he had not discussed the case in detail. He received a severe shock when the Judge said he had personally seen him talking, and moreover, had heard him being instructed as to what he- should say. The witness, greatly discomfited, left the box fully satisfied that his memory was not a.s good as the Judge’s powers of observation. The giving of what proved to be a false alarm to the Auckland Fire Brigade in the early hours of Friday morning was attended by peculiar circumstances, states the “ Herald.” Residents in the vicinity of No. 120, Victoria Street West, were startled into wakefulness at about 3 a.m. by hearing loud cries of “Fire.’ Investigations led to the discovery of an excited individual who was standing, half clad, on top of the verandah at the premises referred to. Mj it was who was announcing the supposed outbreak. In the belief that this individual had good reason for raising an alarm, a bystand . er, who had been attracted to tho scene, sent through a call to the brigade from the corner of Nelson and Victoria Streets. In the meantime a second man had made bis exit from No- 120 ori to tbe verandah top, also in a state of “ undress,” and had gained the footpath. Both men made hurried efforts to dress themselves, t-o the evident amusement of the onlookers When the brigade arrived no tra**e of r fire could be found. It ls surmised that the alarm was the outcome of an attack of nightmare experienced by the man whose cries had aroused the neigh bourhood and the other inmate of his own place of residence.