LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19346, 27 June 1925, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

An exhibit of Queensland cotton on view in the “Chronicle” Avenue window evoked a good deal of interest yesterday.

His Excellency the Governor-General has accepted an invitation to lunch with the Wanganui Rotary Club during his forthcoming visit.

While lowering the outfall of Lake Georg?, Southland, recently, Mr Cooks

-' <■’’’••red a quantity of mon bones. From the size of the bones they would ur.pi.ir to be the remains of three birds a full-grown bird and two younger ones.

The turnip crops at Falling, Mayfield, and Tfuapunia. arc wintering some 40,000 to 50,000 sheep from the Mackenzie Country. The turnip crops in the Mackenzie Country have been a failure owing to attacks by the fly and late sowings through wet weather.

A London cable reports that his Majesty received M. Paderewski, with whom he conversed for half an hour and conferred on him the Grand Cross of the British Empire, believed to be in recognition of his recent generous services to the British Legion. It is understood that he will not assume the title of Sir.

A Wanganui enginedriver, Mr A. Allan, has petitioned the House, through Mr Veitch, praying that the Government reimburse him the cost he was obliged to incur in defending himself from a charge of using abusive words after the railway strike in 1924, of which charge he was acquitted. Legal costs and witnesses 1 expenses amounted to £4B, which petitioner states constituted a serious financial handicap.

The question of nurses handling D.T. cases came before the Wellington Hospital Board on Thursday. The Medical Superintendent (Dr Wilson) said that nurses had to handle such cases, washing and attending them in the ordinary way. They were not considered objectionable, and much worse cases had to be dealt with than the average D. T. case. A male attendant was always at hand in case of violence. Some old people who neglected themselves were more objectionable to handle than D.T. ’s. Only ten of the latter had been in the hospital during the past year. Male venereal cases were not handled by nurses.

A salvage sale of the linen, stores, furniture and ship’s gear from the wrecked Cyrena was conducted at the Harbour Board’s store at Oastlecliff yesterday afternoon. There was a good attendance of buyers, a good many of whom indicated that they -were in search of mementos, some of which were fairly costly under the circumstances. The schedule showed a varied list of goods, including assorted meats, ■ pepper, white lead, rat stoppers, coffee I beans, chisels and other tools, various [ship’s fittings and a boat anchor and [chain. There was a good demand for I bedding and stores that sold at good | prices, but some of the ship’s fittings went for the “price of a song.”

It was from Tit ahi Bay, Wellington, last week that rockets were reported to have been seen being sent up, as if some vessel were in distress. The origin of those rockets or lights still re mains unsolved. On Monday evening another sea “mystery” was reported to the Secretary of Marine (Mr G. C. Godfrey) from Titahi Bay by Mr Moult who (states the Post) said he could sec a big blaze in the vicinity of Queen Charlotte Sound .and Jackson’s Head. The ferry steamer Ngaio, which was on her way from Nelson to Wellington, was communicated with, and the captain was asked to keep a good lookout when passing the locality. The Ngaio passed Jackson’s Head at 1 o’clock in the morning, and the captain reported a big log to be burning on the land there.

“When a man is the driver of a taxi, he needs to be more careful than a private driver,’’ said Mr C. R. OrrWalkcr, fcJ.M., when delivering judgment in the case in which a taxi-driv-er named Thomas Gilbert Wakeham was charged at the I’etone Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday with driving a motor-car in a manner dangerous to the public. “A licensed taxi-driver has no right to take drink when on duty,” continued the Magistrate, “and in this case 1 propose to cancel the defendant’s driving certificate for three months.’’ His Worship remarked that as the defendant had been put to considerable expense in the way of damages to his car, he would not impose a fine, but suspend his license, and order him to pay the costs.

With all the heavy rains recently experienced in the North Island, the country about Wellington, Hawke’s Bay and Auckland looks decidedly good when compared with the pastures of the South Island. That is the view of a visitor from the South. A notice-

able feature of the land from Dunedin to Christchurch is that the grasses dry and browned, while the hilly country, parts of which are snow-clad, are bare of verdure. The less rigorous climate of the North Island has reft the country cloaked in rich green grass. While many trees have shed their leaves, the fields and hills offset this effect of winter’s hand. The country about Hawke’s Bay is especially good, and while the effects of the heavy weather experienced some time ago is brought prominently before the eye, the better class of country seems to have greatly improved.

The Auckland-bound Main Trunk express had stopped to get water' shortly after 1 o’clock the other morning, when I passengers were disturbed by voices shouting a challenge to all and sundry Ito come out and have a snow tight. | Four men scenting some fun, dragged i themselves from the warmth of their carriage and stepped into the coin night air, sinking to the ankles in snow. They were greeted with cheers from the challengers, and then a volley of snowballs. The passengers promptly sprang to action, and a battle royal ensued. The challengers were driven along the platform, and would have been completely routed but for the fact that the express whistled and began to .continue its journey, and the passengers had to make a wild dash to catch it. Those unfortunate people who had been awakened by the shouts were interested spectators, while the combatants felt exceedingly pleased nt their victory.