LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20271, 13 August 1937, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Lord Nuffleld’s Gift.—The promised gift of £35.000 from Lord Nuffield toward the provision of “talking books” for the blind will be made In 14 halfyearly instalments of £2500 each.

Cash Farm Bale.—During the week a 200-acre farm, well Improved, near Otorohanga, was sold for a figure in the vicinity of £SOOO. It was a cash transaction.

Currenoy In London.—Fine gold in London was quoted yesterday at £6 19s 6d an ounce (the same as on Wednesday), the dollar at 4.98 f (4.98 i) and the franc at 132 7-32 (132 27-32).

Doctor for the Solomons.—During the Rev.- B. Gina's mission at the Methodist Church, Nelson, it was announced that Mr Samuel Gorman had given donations amounting to £SOOO toward sending a doctor to the Solomon Islands Mission.

Morrlnsvllle Building.—Reporting to the fortnightly meeting of the Morrinsville Borough Council last evening, the building inspector stated that the value of the permits issued in the town so far this year totalled £11,817. The total for the past month was £B9l.

Hopu Hopu Crossing.—Considerable progress has been made with the elimination of the railway crossing at Hopu Hopu on the Great South Road north of Ngaruawahia and the outline of the ferro-concrete' bridge that will carry the cars over the line is taking shape. The bed of the line to where it will be sunk is nearly completed and within a month or two the rails will be relaid.

Timber Industry Slack. —Unless the demand for ordinary building timber improves the question of producing less timber by the shortening of hours worked, or the shortening of hands, will have to be considered, a decision reached by a representative meeting of Rotorua Line, Bay of Plenty and Taupo District Sawmillers held in Rotorua yesterday.

Spring Lambs Plentiful. —No doubt due to the spell of fine, warm weather, spring lambing in the Waikato has progressed considerably and in practically every paddock this morning hundreds of young lambs were running about in the warm sunshine. A motorist who travelled around the Waikato at an early hour stated that he was surprised to see so many lambs for this time of the year.

Increased Hospital Contribution. — “Gee whiz I” was Mr Boddy’s ejaculation, when the Waitomo County clerk, Mr J. N. O’Brien, reported that the Council’s contribution to the Waikato Hospital Board would this year be £2412 6s lOd, an increase of approximately £4OO over last year. Mr Georgettl consoled him with the remark that the increase was “nly £8 a week I"

Bport and the Newspapers.—“ One has only to travel in other countries to realise' what the newspapers of New Zealand do for the sport In this country,” said Mr J. R. McKenzie at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Trotting Association. “It can be said that they give the sport of trotting very valuable assistance indeed.” These remarks were warmly endorsed by Mr B. McCarthy.

Tamahere School.—A most enjoyable afternoon was spent at the Tamahere School yesterday, when Arbor Day was observed- A 'number of parents attended to assist the children in planting trees. Shelter and ornamental trees and shrubs to the number of 80 were planted, every child taking part and assuming a responsibility for the future care of certain trees.

Empire Games—The secretary of the New Zealand Olympic and Empire Games’ Association has pencilled 75 berths on the Wanganella, scheduled to leave Wellington on January 20, for the New Zealand team to the British Empire games to be held in Sydney in February. No further information had been received on the proposed tour of New Zealand by the Canadian team after the Empire Games.

Gaol for Negligence.—“l have never come across a worse case of negligent driving,” said Mr W. H. Freeman, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court, Invercargill, in sentencing Erio Clarence Taylor, garage proprietor, to 14 days’ Imprisonment. The charge arose as the result of an accident In which a cyclist was knocked down and Injured by defendant’s car. Evidence was given by a constable that defendant had driven for a considerable distance on the incorrect side of the road. To the magistrate, defendant admitted that he had been twice convicted for intoxication in charge of a car.

£1436 Damages Awarded.—A verdict for the plaintiff for £1436 7s 9d damages was returned by a jury in the Supreme Court at Invercargill yesterday In a civil action by Maurice Clark Mander, flax cutter, against James Alfred Coveney, of Grove Bush, farmer, claiming £2940 8s 9d damages for alleged negligent driving of a motor-car which came into collision with a motor-cycle ridden by the plaintiff on the Kennington Grove Bush Road on February 22, 1936. A motion for a new trial on the grounds that plaintiff was guilty of contributory negligence was refused.

Gratified Pensioners.—Gratification was expressed last night by the Minister of Pensions, the lion. W. E. Parry, at the payments from pensions received by authorities controlling public homes and hospitals to ininatepensioners of the different institutions. The Minister -said that some pensioners in hospitals had writlen pointing out that they liked to have a few shillings now and again to meet obligations they had outside the institution which maintained them, and payments now made from their pensions, which the authorities collected, were welcomed and appreciated.

All you people must have heard at some time or other of Potter and Moore's Cosmetics, or Boyer, or of Morney’s, and you don’t need reminding that they are in the top flight of quality toilet preparations. Of course

you pay extra for them, but then you pay extra for pure silk stockings, don’t you? It’s just the same, there is just as much difference between these quality toilet lines and the cheaper goods as there is between pure and art silk stockings. The milk in this particular coconut, however, lies in the fact that we—Hooker and Kingston, Ltd., are selling the above-mentioned linos at substnnli.il discounts, particularly Morney’s. which is being cleared at exactly half price. This brings a 6/6 box of face powder

into the 3/3 range. Your chance t< stock up with the best at a comfort able price.****

False Fire Alarm.—The Hamilton Fire Brigade received a false alarm by telephone about 5.27 last evening to the Frankton Hotel. Upon arrival at the building the brigade found that there was no fire.

Injured By Fall.—A fractured thigh was received by Mrs H. Davison, of Frances Street, Claudelands, when she fell at her home this morning. She was admitted to the Waikato Hospital and her condition is satisfactory.

Reciprocal Duties.—“ The pedestrian has a duty to look after himself,” said the Chief Justice, Sir Michael Myers, at Palmerston North. “He is also entitled to have others regardful of his rights, but he does not own the highway any more than the motorist. Each has a duty to the other.”

Increase In Wholesale Prices. —The continuous rise in the British Board of Trade index of wholesale prices, which began in May, 1936, but was checked last June, was resumed In July, when it was 0.7 per cent higher than in May and about 19 per cent above the index of July, 1936.

Imprisoned Motorist.—At Invercargill on Wednesday Erio Clarence Taylor, garage proprietor, was sentenced to 14 days’ Imprisonment for negligent driving. Claiming that the conviction was wrong, his counsel has applied to the Supreme Court for a writ of habeas corpus for his release. Argument will be heard on Monday.

Company Registered.—The following company has been registered in Auckland: Winder's Horse Transport, Limited. Registered as a private company July 30. Office: Hamilton. Capital: £2500 in shares of £1 each. Subscribers: Hamilton—C. J. Winder 1500, A. Winder 800, V. G. M. Winder 200. Objects; Horse transport, carriers, etc., and Incidental.

Increase In Gold Production.—r Gold production in Australia for the year ended June 30 increased in value by more than £2,000,000 sterling compared with the preceding year. The yield amounted to 1,290,849 ounces. In the financial year ended June 30, 1936, a total of 1,053,731 fine ounces was produced, valued at £7,319,376 sterling, so that the return for the past year is worth almost £10,000,000 sterling.

Tuatara Lizard’s Death.—Percy, a tuatara lizard, which has been in captivity for the last 70 years, died in Christchurch this week. Percy was an ancient specimen, stated by some to be 2000 years old, but a well-known authority states that there are no means of definitely computing a tuatara’s age. Peroy, however, was evidently very old, and being an excellent specimen, his remains have been presented to the Canterbury museum.

Crowded Hospitals.—“We broke all records last night,” said Dr. M. M. Hockin, medical superintendent of the Waikato Hospital Board, referring at yesterday’s board meeting to the number of patients in the Waikato Hospital. The number of beds occupied was 372, he said. Admissions to the Rotorua Hospital were also high, said Mr A. L. Keith, there having been 92 patients there when he visited the institution recently. All the board’s hospitals were crowded, stated the chairman, Mr J. J. Ryburn.

Indian Pig Iron. —According to a notice appearing in the Gazette last nr&ht, the dumping duty on Indian pig iron imposed in September, 1927, has been withdrawn. The dumping duty will not in the meantime be charged on shipments of pig iron imported from India in cases where the sellingprice to the importer in New Zealand is less than the current domestic value determined in accordance with the Customs Acts, but the Minister of Customs reserves the right to impose the dumping duty immediately should circumstances arise in future which would warrant such a course.

Rotorua Timber Traffic.—The proposal of the Publio Works Department to close the Atiamurl-Rotorua Road to all timber traffic, with the exception of that being carried for consumption in and around Rotorua, has evoked considerable concern in the Rotorua district and one timber merchant has said that if the proposal is put into effect it will necessitate the closing of his large mill. All the carriers will be heavy losers- The proposal is that in future all timber for outside centres from the Atiamuri area must be carried by way of Putaruru. The action has been taken as a result of a decision by the Main Highways Board that it Is not prepared to provide more than one outlet for timber traffic from the AtiamurJ district.

Oil Production. Auckland yesterday, Mr. A. Tyndall, Under-Secretary of the Mines Department, states that State ownership ol potential oil resources in New Zealand does not necessarily imply a Stats monopoly of the actual production ol oil in the Dominion. Mr. Tyndall was asked to amplify the statement made in New Plymouth recently by the Minister of Mines, the Hon. P. C. Webb, regarding the Government’s Intention to encourage scientific prospecting for oil. “ Mr. Webb’s remarks regarding the nationalisation of potential oil resources are being misinterpreted to , some extent," said Mr. Tyndall. “Pub- ( licity has been given to suggestions that* the Minister’s statement tends to discourage private enterprise on the grounds that all oil is to be nationally owned. In point of fact, the real position is that no major private oil inter- ; ests will embark on a comprehensive drilling programme unless national ownership is first established. Legislative precedents for such a policy already exist in Great Britain, Victoria and Western Australia.”