LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19478, 24 December 1925, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

••♦There will be no publication of the “Chronicle” to-morrow, Christmas Day.

The State of New South Wales is sweltering under a hcgt wave, 112 degrees being registered in the western districts.

Following the owners’ refusal to grant, new rates and conditions, the wheelers in six collieries in the Kurrikurri (N.8.W.) district have struck, rendering the mines idle.

The City Council workmen have commenced to lay a sheet-asphalt carpet on Heads Road. Good progress is being made with the work, and when it is completed the bituo carpet will extend from the Hospital right up to the Imlay works railway crossing. The Castlecliff beach will bo efficiently patrolled during the holidays by two life-saving teams with reels. * It is expected that iho new shod at the Westbourne end of the beach, for the purpose of housing one of the reels and for the use of members, will be completed by the end of the present week.

A handsome shield has boon donated by Messrs Hackshaw and Searle to the Royal Life-Saving Society for the purpose of stimulating life-saving competition in Wanganui. The shield is the workmanship of Airs Barkman. and its design, done in pewter, is spociallv suited for a surf shield, as upon it are emblems appropriate.

While some members of the Dunedin Gun Club were searching for unbroken Vclays” recently, an interesting find of a -wild duck sitting on her nest on the club’s property was discovered. The duck had, however, built her nest in the safety zone, and has now departed. presumably to enjoy the moonlight on the lake nearby with her fam-

The New Zealand Astronomical Society has received advice by cable of the discovery of a comet on December 14 at. the Cape of Good Hope. The comet is one of the eighth magnitude, and therefore not visible to the naked eye. The comet’s position in the sky is roughly on a line between the brigh stars Achernan and Canopus, about onethird of the distance from Achernan.

At Wellington yesterday Captain Binger van der Hagan, master of the oil-tanker Agwipond, was charged before Air Page, fcj.AL, with bringing his ship into port with the Plimsoll mark submerged. Air Prenderville, for the Marine Department, said there had been several prosecutions on similar charges, and steps were being taken to have the maximum penalty increased 1o £lOOO. The mark this time was 1A inches under water. In Alarch the same defendant was fined £25 for having the mark submerged 141 inches. The defendant attributed the offence to the difference in the specific gravity of oil from that carried on the previous trips, when the mark had been clear. He had done his best not to break the law. He was lined £25.

The ranks of “strap hangers” on the trams and buses have been considerably swelled during the past few days on account of suburbanites visiting the city in their hundreds to participate in the usual belated shopping invasion. Men folk are generally the ones whose fate it is to grab the dangling pieces of leather for protection, but of late members of the fair sex have also been compelled to engage in this “exhilarating pastime,” which is only avoidable by one gaining his “tram sealegs.” All the trams have been taxed to their utmost, and to add to the discomfort of travel bulky parcels carried by busy housewives—who have age-old customs to observe in order to gladden the hearts of their off-spring on Christmas morning—playfully tickle one’s ribs. For all that, a irerful atmosphere pervades the tram compartments, and everyone is brimful of the festive spirit and anxiously looking forward to a joyous holiday season.

When distributing prizes at 4<Sonning” Girls’ School at Hamilton last week, the Chief Justice, Sir Robert Stout, recalled an incident of his school days, when, as a boy of 13 years, he received as a prize a book written by Donald Alitchell, of Cincinnati, U.S.A, (says tho “Waikato Times.” The volume made a great impression oik him, so much so that 50 years later he wrote an article to a Christchurch journal u..der the title of “An Old School Prize,” in which he referred to this very book. Someone apparently forwarded a copy of the article to the author of tho book, who, delighted that, a work of his written 50 years earlier should have been so kindly remembered and written about, sent him (Sir Robert) a letter and his photograph, which he kept as a treasure. Donald Mitchell’s biography had since been written, and the biographer stated that, Air Alitchell kept the speaker’s letter as one of the relics he wanted to preserve a-nd always had it under lock and key.

Further argument was heard at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning in the complicated licensing case in which the licensee of the Federal Hotel (P. J. Purcell), and his son are in volved. The case revolves around certain sales of liquor made on election day. The point at issue concerns liability under the Licensing Act as to whether or not sales can be made to a lodger during certain hours of prohibition. Air J. S. Barton, S.AI., held that between the hours of 12 noon and 7 p.m. there was an absolute bar to everybody, including lodgers, while a licensing poll was being taken. Any sale of liquor during the restricted hours—deleting the question of lodgers —was an offence against the Legislature Act, and being an offence against that Act, it was an irregularity. They all knew that a poll might be upset, and when such a poll was being taken in one licensing district, then section 39 of the Act applied only to that district. The question as to vicarious liability was raised and Senior-Sergeant Lopdell pointed out that he was seeking an interpretation of the law rather than punishment of the licensee. The Magistrate said he agreed it was not a case for punishment of the licensee nt all. The police gave the latter a good character, and ho (tho Afagistrate) did not consider that Purcell would use his son as a “blind” during his absence. A conviction was recorded against tho son for selling liquor during the time licensed premises were required to be closed during an election poll, and a fine of £3 imposed. The charge of selling liquor tp an intoxicated person was dismissed. Tho charges preferred against the licensee were further adjourned.

The Auckland Stock Exchange will bo closed till January 11 for the Christmas vacation.

The holidays that are being observed by Wanganui retailers during Christmas and tho Now Year are Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day and the day following.

In connection with tho Westland election petition by Air J. O’Brien, former member, against Air Scddon’s return, Justices Stringer and Ostler have been appointed as an Election Court to hear tho case.

Local grown strawberries have made their appearance on the city market this season later than is usual. However, they have ripened at. an appropriate time anr| are commanding a good price, As they are just ready for the Christmas trade. Although tho fruit is backward, it is all of good size and remarkably freo from blemishes.

A hospital patient, was taken aboard the Wahine at Wellington yesterday morning for Lyttelton. The steamer was tilled with passengers for tho (lavlight trip ami sailed with such punctuality that the ambulance driver ami his assistant, who were seeing to the patient’s comfort, wore carried away. Another driver had to be sent down to return the ambulance to the hospital.

Yesterday tho Commissioner for Crown Lands sold two sections in tho now industrial area near tho gasworks, Petone. One of 5,j acres was sold at an upset price of £5350 to Mr S. (I. Nath an as agent. :d the second of over 5A acres at an upset price of £sfi()o to Air G. A. Troup for the Standard Porcelain Company. It is understood factories will be built on both. An amazing escape from injury occurred at. Whangaroi on Tuesday ovening, when T. R. Christie, married, aged 311. while motor cycling, crashed into a railway engine at tho Kamo Road crossing. He was flung from tho. machine on to the cow-catcher of the engine head downwards and remained balanced in that position for thirty yards until tho train pulled up. The cycle was badly smashed, but Christie got off scathless.

Afiss Phyllis Mount fort has boon notified that the following of her shorthand pupils were successful at the examination which was held by the Wanganui Education Board on December 2: —Speed: Stella Lovegrovc, 120 words per minute; Constance Reid, Dorothy Afichie and Rita Hoad. 100 words per minute. Theory: Frederick Law, Edna Lidston, Bessie Alaulo, Aileen Alacaulay and Phyllis Carrad. The certificates for the successful candidates will bo available after the New Year.

Two young ladies narrowly escaped sudden death in the Avenue, near the Post Office, on Tuesday evening. Thev wore crossing the road on a diagonal line when a motor car driven by a woman swept, up tho Avenue at a high rate of speed. It is alleged that Iho driver of the car had one hand on tho steering wheel and was looking over her shoulder and talking to two other women in tho bpek seat. The car was making the letter “S” in wide swoops and it swerved at the psychological moment, just in time to miss the two pedestrians.

A Gazette contains regulations governing amendments in classification ami rates of pay of employees in the locomotive and maintenance and signals classes, operative as from September 13, 1925. Regulations arc also Gazetted authorising investment in securities under the Public Revenues Act of any moneys of Samoan Estates Account, not immediately required for other purposes. Regulations under the Afasseurs Registration Act, .1920. Nurses and A!idwives Registration Act, 1925, also the Post and Telegraph Department Act, .1918, are Gazetted. An Order-in-Coun-cil prohibiting the importation of wheat and flour was Gazetted yesterday. Regulations governing tho manner of taking the votes of producers for the election of members of the Honey Control Board are al<o Gazetted.

This time last year the farming community were exceptionally jubilant as a result of the phenomenal prices they had realised for their wool clips, and also on account of the stability of the dairy produce markets. They purchased with a fair amount of abandon, but this year country people are exercising more caution in selecting Christmas goods consequent upon tho uncertainty of the markets and the further effects that are likely to be produced from the recent seamen’s strike and Ihe generally unfavourable season. Local business firms who have noticed any decrease in their returns as compared with last season, might attribute this to tho fact that their country clients are holding off making the large Yuletide purchases they made last year until such timo as brighter prospects loom on the horizon.

The Christmas rush has set in with a vengeance for the postal officials. Throughout yesterday crowds besieged all departments of tho city office, and inundated the harassed, but, nevertheless, courteous officials with parcels of all shapes and sizes and telegrams. The latter, since the reduction of price from 1/- to 9d for twelve words, have regained their old popularity as a medipm of convoying seasonal greetings and it is expected that a record number will be put through the local office this year. Mail hampers in steadily, increasing numbers were despatched by each express train that left tho city yesterday, while Christmas presents and letter greetings continue to pour in with remarkable rapidity from all quarters through tho same. channel. Better carriers are working over-time to cope with the largo influx of mail, but are going their rounds cheerfully and with a persistency that will merit just reward.

A local draper remarked yesterday that the Christmas trade had not been as brisk this season as he had anticipated, although, on the whole, ho had nothing to complain about. Novelties, cosmetics, and small articles suitable for presents were being disposed of fairly freely, but, on the other hand, men’s clothing and dross materials were not selling as readily as was usually the case when people were preparing for the holiday season. He attributed this to the fact that many people were putting their earnings into such things as wireless sets, and gramophones, and paying instalments on motor cars and cycles. The reporter suggested that those who could afford the latter luxury should also be able to continue their purchases of wearing apparel, hut the informant, discredited this by the statement that, tho 1 rouble was that those who could not actually afford expenditure in this direction were stinting themselves in other respects in order to secure motor vehicles.