LOCAL & GENERAL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 26 January 1932, Page 4

LOCAL & GENERAL.

A statutory first offender for drunkenness who appeared .befoic Mi. E. Krahagen in the Magistrate's Court this morning, was convicted and discharged.

In a match for the McKenzie Brooches, the holders, Mesdames Holland and O'Brien of the Featherston Croquet Club, defeated Mesdames Rishworth and Betteridge (Masterton), 2C/19.

As the result of injuries to the head received in a collision between a motorcycle and a tram at the junction of Glenmore Street and the Kclburn Viaduee on Friday, Daniel Hill, aged 35, nn employee of New Zealand Breweries Ltd., died at the Wellington Hospital. He was a married man, but leaves no children.

Farmers are already wriggling like worms on hooks, in their positions as mortgagors, states “Fanning First,” the official organ of the Auckland provincial branch of the N..Z. Farmers’ Union. Interest rates, and kindred subjects, are taking up a good deal of the time at various Farmers’ Union meetings. Even in Wairarapa, these subjects have been discussed by the Farmers’ Union, though the muddled thinking there is, judging by newspaper reports, guided into safe channels by friends of the bankers and mortgagees. A Gisborne telegram states that a young seaman who deserted three years ago from the Port Alma at Wellington was brought before the S.M. Court yesterday, counsel explaining that the desertion had involved the steamer' in a delay of 74 hours and an expense of £162. The accused’s counsel mentioned that last year the accused had actually gone aboard the Port Alma, and had boarded all Port boats to visit old friends. The Magistrate decided to give the accused a chance, and ordered him to come up for sentence when called on. Advice has been received from Melbourne that the following pupils were successful in securing Pitman shorthand certificates at the examination held by the local committee consisting of Mrs. T. R. Barrer and Messrs A. E. Bate and H. M. Boddington: —Greytown District High School. —-Speed: 70 words per minute, Norma Langford; 60 words per minute, Esme Best. Carterton District High School.—Elementary: Beryl Robinson. Masterton Technical School. —Elementary: Eileen Barnett, Mollie Cunningham, Nella Jones, Nancy Rutherford, Emily . Lowis. Theory: Hazel Bell, Dorothy Blanc, Marjorie Blane, Kathleen Cairns, Jean Hardie, Linda McAlieee, Frances Perfect, Nancy Pinkerton. Speed: 60 words per minute: Hazel Bell; 70 words per minute, Mavis McLeod; 80 words per minute, Tangi Elers, Eileen Matson.

Mr. R. B. Owen lms relurned to Clirist-elmrcli' from a holiday trip in the country, with a report that he was charmed beyond, measure to listen to the nightingale. When camped in the Rakaia Gorge on the Mopes of Mount Hutt, Mrs. Owen, about 1 a.m. on December 26th. woke him and told him to listen to the nightingale. He sat up, and there fell on his ears music Wjjjich, ] le states, was so marvellous that he utterly fails to describe it, although the notes in all their range and variety still ring in his memory. There were several songsters. He did not see them, but Mrs. Owen often heard nightingales in the Old Country, and she is convinced that it was nightingales which filled the air with music around their camp. Later, Mr. Owen motored through the Mackenzie Country. At Mrs. Saville’s home, near Burke’s Pass, lie believes he heard nightingales again. These songsters were not in such good voice as those at Mount Hutt. Mrs. Saville told him that she had heard them on previous occasions. Mr. Owen failed to see Dr. McKee, of Methven, who reported having head the nightingale a few months ago. The Methven postmaster, with whom he had a chat, enthusiastically believes that nightingales were heard there. “We heard them at Mount Hutt from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m.” Mr. Owen states. “It was a glorious, entrancing performance, worth going even 300 miles, or further, to hear. ”

Presbyterian Church services will be held on January 31st at Tinuq at 11 a.m., and at Langdale at 3 pan. The secretary of the Okarito FiveMile Beach Gold Dredging Company reports a wash-up for the week-ended January 23 of 740 z. for 126 hours’ dredging-

Ken Garside, a young man employed by Mr. J. Morison, of the Featherston district, had the misfortune to break an arm, caused through the back-fire of a tractor he was cranking. A wife with nine children won a “largest family” competition at the annual watersider workers’ picnic at Redwood Park, Swanson, Auckland. The eldest child is 13 years of age, and the youngest 14 months. They are all healthy children. A real “old man” trout was landed from tin- To Popo stream below the Midhurst Dairy factory bv Mr R. A. Boyles, of Midimrst. On being weighed it was found to turn the scales at 10i ibs. The trout had a particularly ferocious head, with a hooked beak, and carried many scars, evidently basing eome through many encounters.

Through being thrown from one of Mr. W. E. Bid will’s young horses on Saturday, Gordon Thompson received painful injuries to his leg. He was convoyed to the Kelvin Private Hospital. An X-ray examination showed that the leg was not broken, but the bone badly cracked.

The annual report and balance-sheet of the Christchurch Gas Company discloses a balance in profit and loss account of £34,550, after writing off £13,<>ol for depreciation. The directors recommend payment of a final dividend of 4 per cent., which, with the interim dividend of 4 per cent, already paid, will absorb £27,300; and carry forward the balance of £7250.

The shop of J. A. Hazelwood and Co., general storekeepers, Main Road, L ppei Hutt, was broken into on Saturday night and goods to the value of £lO9 were stolen. The thieves broke in through a back window, and presumably used a car or lorry to take the goods away, for they comprised a large assortment of cutlery, jewellery, watches and clocks, cigarettes, tobacco, and a rifle and ammunition. Mr A. M. Mowlem, S.M., is not a believer in memorial services in connection with the earthquake. When a suggestion was made that a sitting of the Court should not be held on February 3rd, Mr Mowlem said:—“l don’t want a memorial service, and certainly would not go to one. 1 hope they get some people to go.. If they do, they will be stranger people than 1. I have had enough—more than enough —and I suggest that you gentleman have, too. If any of you gentlemen desire to go to the memorial service you will have to make arrangements for someone else to take your case, as the Court will sit as usual. ’ ’

An episode of the unemployed demonstration in Dunedin on January 9th, the destruction of Johnston’s motortruck in St. Andrew Street, had a sequel in the S.M. Court, when George Jones, one of the men convicted of encouraging disorder, pleaded guilty to mischief by damaging the windscreen and two head lamps, valued at £4 10s. On taking out a prohibition order, Jones was ordered to come up for sentence within twelve months, provided he paid for the damage in two instalments.

Charged with trick flying over Palmerston North at 7 a.m. on December 1, Major G. A. C. Cowper pleaded not guilty in the Palmerston Magistrate’s Court. The police said that several people had drawn the constable .’.s attention to an aeroplane which was trick flying over the engine sheds adjoining the railway station. Trick flying over any portion of a city or thickly populated area was prohibited by the Aviation Act, 1918. Counsel for the defendant claimed that the flying was being done over an area where there, was room to land. The defendant, in evidence, said that there was no element of risk. He had chosen the area mentioned, as even at a height of SOO feet he could have landed in some fields further south. The Magistrate imposed a fine of £2 as a warning.

The fortnightly meeting of the Claims Board of the Wairarapa Patriotic Association was held in Masterton yesterday afternoon. There were present: Messrs. 11. M. Boddington, R. R. Burridge, W. G. Lamb and L. S. Nicol. In the absence of the chairman (Mr. B. McGregor), Mr. 2sieol presided. Mr. McGregor was asked to represent the association at a proposed conference of patriotic societies to lie held at Flock-House, Palmerston North, on February 24. A number of matters affecting soldiers’ outstanding loans were considered. Seven applications for temporary financial relief were dealt with.

The Marine Department announce that Capt. G. Wilkinson and Mir. F. W. Grainger have been appointed assessors for the Magisterial inquiry to lie held shortly at Wellington into the loss of the small motorship Kotiti. No date has been fixed for the inquiry. Capt. G. Wilkinson, nautical assessor, is the master of the Muritai and has had many years’ experience on the West Coast in small vessels. Mr. Grainger, who has been appointed engineer assessor, held a similar position at the inquiry into the loss of the Union Company’s liner, Tahiti.

An alarm of fire was sounded at Eketahuna at 2 o’clock on Monday morning, when it was discovered that the old cordial factory, at the bottom of the Newman Road hill, was ablaze. The brigade was quickly on the scene, but on its arrival the building was well alight. It has not been in use for some time as a factory, but has been used for storing cars. The only vehicle there at the tune was Mr. J. Gaskin’s butcher’s van, which was insured. The building was owned by Mr. T. C. Denne, of Wainukurau. It was reduced to ashes. Much time was lost by the brigade in finding the plug which was npar the factory and it was compelled to connect the hydrant some distance from the fire. The plug was found later buried under two inches of earth.

Early on Monday evening Mr. J. Green’s house at Newman was destroyed by fire. It is understood that the family were absent at the time.