LOCAL & GENERAL

Western Star, 18 October 1932, Page 2

LOCAL & GENERAL

Tlie monthly meeting of the Wallace Hospital Board takes place on Thursday and the County Council on Friday,

Cnivfisli are so plentiful in' the vicinity of Kaikoura that tlie catches have exceeded the demand (says the Marlborough Express). Quantities have been put back iut 0 the sea through lack of a market.

Tlie Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, founded by Julius Itoscnwald, has received a gift of several cans of soup which were carried bv the third relief expedition sent to Major-general. Adolphus W. Grecly in 1884,. when lii.s Lady Franklin Bay Expedition was rescued.

“The man i s not fit to work,” stated counsel, relerring to a husband proceeded against for arrears of maintenance (reports tlie Stratford Evening Post). ‘‘Well if lie can walk from New Plymouth t 0 Stratford and go in for hiking, h e can do work,” responded counsel for plaintiff.

I his is not the first occasion on which tlie pohcg in Greymouth have received attention in like manner (says the Greymouth Star, in referring to fhe bombing of the police inspector's house). Several years ago Senior Sergeant Simpson had his house in Arney street twice endangered by liomlis. and Constable Black had a visit, paid to his house in Blaketown.

M hi 1-e opening the cash till one morn ing recently. a Stratford business man wa s surprised to see a mouse jump out (sta'es the Post). Next morning the family’s pet dog wa s invited t 0 tlie opening ceremony, hut failed to score a catch of either of the two rodents which appeared. However, a trap was set in file till and th e offender was caught. Dining its occupancy if ate one or two business letters.

Customer (looking doubtfully at box f’'"m which he is being served) : ‘These cigai’s are smaller than they used to be.’ ToliM'-coi'ist: ‘Yec. sir. You s-<\ the manufacturer noticed that tlie last imli of the cigar is always thrown away so lie’s making them that much shorter. 1

Hard times breed a grim sense of humour. A Christchurch blacksmith I has hung up on his forge, for liis own) and his customers’ diversion, this disturbing legend: “Work hard for nine hours a day and don’t worry; then in time you may become a boss and work 18 hours a day and have all the worry.”

Though she has left her uinetyfourtli birthday behind, a lady who lives in Christchurch walks seven miles to the post office each month in* order to collect her pension (says the Sun). Invariably friends give her a lift back in their motor cars, but the prospect of missing the conveyance does not daunt her. She would be quite ready if necessary to walk another seven miles in the ong day.

A defendant in the Auckland Alagis trate’s Court asked for an adjourn ment of hi s case pending the receipt of a letter from a Government department in Wellington (says the Herald). Ho said he had written to the department and had recived advice that the matter was receiving consideration.. “Oh that is the usual Government reply; you do not want to take any notice of that,” remarked the magistrate, Mr W. It. M’Kcan. However, the desired adjournment was granted.

Numbers of katipo spiders have been reported as having been seen on the South Beach, below the Kaitoke Stream (writes a Wanganui correspondent of the New Zealand Herald). The Kaitoke Stream i s well south of that part of the beach used by holidaymakers in the summer, and no poisonous spiders have been seen near the main beach. In previous ,vear s when the katipo scare lias been raised it has been found that another species of spider, not unlike the katipo, but innocuous has been seen and reported as the dangerous insect.

A Te Ura resident had quite an exciting experience on a trip to Daniievirke recently (says the News). As he reached the top of a hill lie felt something in the leg of his trousers, and after a little hurried manoeuvring the car pulled up against a fence with a bump. The driver then got busy, and much to his surprise caught a big rat, which apparently got into the car when a door was open, and bad sought refugo in tile driver’s trouser leg.

With the object of finding a market for goods made by disabled returned soldiers a shop under the name of Disabled Soldiers’ Handicrafts i s now open in Christchurch (says the Sun), and lias on display a varied collection of well-made articles. Members of the Canterbury Disabled Soldiers’ Civil He establishment Committee inspected the depot recently, and expressed pleasure at what was being done to obtain a living for disabled men.

' Tlier© will be a shortage of officers for the merchant- marine service in about 10 or 15 years’ time in the opinion of the masters of two of the vessels which recently visited the port of New Plymouth (says the News). Both agree that though there might be the same number of youths taking uP cadetships or apprenticeships in the service, there arc not nearly sufficient of tliein going through with tlieir training to fill requirement;; in the years to come.

In the “Otago Daily Times” of August IG, 1862 there appeared this paragraph: “Yesterday afternoon two men went to the Treasury, Dunedin, and deposited a bag of gold weighing 871 b. They declined to say where they had obtained this rich pared, but stated there was room for plenty more men where they had been working.” The names of tlies e two lucky diggers were Hartley and lleilly, two Americans, and the site of their discovery was a mile below the confluence of the Kawarau and Molyneaux Rivers, near where the township of Cromwell is situated.

Though the wages of native crews on English, vessels are small in the eve s of a European they are high in tlie opinion of the Indian coolie generally employed, but neverthlcss they do not lead him into wanton extravagance (says the 'Taranaki News). 'The Coniliebank berthed at New Plymouth iust before 7 o’clock the other night and several of the crew set off to visit the town. No thought of tranicars entered their heads, for, walking, they had almost reached the town soon after 8. Late at night they returned by the same incan s of progress—“Shanks’*, pony.”

Decision was given in th e Pukekohe Court last week by Mr F. 11. Levien, S.M., in an action brought by N. D Goad, farmer, AA’hangarata, against the Railway Department. The plaintiff claimed £IOO on account of damage to plantations and fences by fires spreading from the railway line. 'The magistrate accepted the evidence of plaintiff and hi s witnesses, that the fires had l.teen lit, by railway servants. The day wa s windy and unsuited for lighting fires unless precautions were taken. ! At the request of the solicitors for the' parties, he iiad visited (lie plaintiff's j properly, and had reached the conclusion that the claim was grossly exaggerated. Judgment wa s given for the plaintiff’ fo r £3O 17s Gd, with costs f£lo 10s). ]