LOCAL AND GENERAL

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20421, 11 February 1938, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Motorist Acquitted.-—At Wellington yesterday Horace Baden Ginger (36), a manager, was acquitted on a charge of negligent driving and causing the death of Samuel Thompson.

Band Concert. —The Hamilton Citizens’ Band will give a concert at the fountain, Frankton, on Sunday evening, weather permitting. The band will be under the baton of Mr F. Kear.

Dredging Shares —The following are the latest quotations for dredging shares in London:—Clutha River Company, buyers Is 9d, sellers 2s; Molyneaux River Company, buyers Is, sellers Is 3d.

Child’s Leg Broken. —Lottie Wade (2), daughter of Mr and Mrs H. Wade, of Rangiriri, received a broken leg as the result of a fall yesterday afternoon. She was admitted to the Waikato Hospital.

Putaruru School. —The headmaster of the Putaruru School, Mr R. G. Hutton, having received the permission of the Education Board to organise religious instruction in the school, began (he services yesterday when ministers from various denominations, Revs. P. Cleary, K. McKinney and Norvvell took classes.

Currency In London. —Fine gold in London on Wednesday was ’quoted at £6 19s 8d per ounce, (Tuesday £6 19s 96), the dollar at 5.01£ (5.015), and the franc 152 7-8 (152 3-16). The recovery in Wall Street is reflected in London where “bear” covering is notioeable. Business generally remains very quiet.

“ The Midnight Oil. —Training College students have swelled the number of seekers for board in Dunedin. Of 325 entering this year 220 will have to be accommodated. Because they are students many people refuse to allow them Into their homes. One excuse is that the increased electric light bill absorbs all profit.

Football Rail Exourslon. —For the first time in the history of rugby football in Hamilton a week-end railway excursion has been organised by a football club. On Sunday a special excursion train will run from Frankton Junction to Mount Maunganui on a trip organised by the City Football Club.

Young Woman Remanded. —Charged with the theft at Wanganui of a 'bicycle stated to be the property of her brother, a young woman aged 22, whose name was suppressed, appeared before Messrs F. Findlay and F. J. Shepherd, J.P’s. in the Hamilton Magistrate’s Court to-day and was remanded to Wanganui on the application of Detective-Sergeant J. Thompson, bail being allowed on accused’s own recognisance.

Dinghy Overturns. —Mr N. Hill, of Opotiki, had a narrow escape from drowning when a dinghy overturned in the breakers while he was proceeding down the river to the Opotiki Bar on Wednesday. Mr Hill was trapped under the overturned boat and had considerable difficulty in free'ing himself. He managed to dive down and then had to swim about three chains to the shore, which he reached in an exhausted condition.

Rata Log Unearthed. —A rata log 28 feet below the surface seems to indicate that at some time the site of the town of New Plymouth was covered with bush (says the Taranaki News). The log, which is about 13 inches through, was encountered by the workmen engaged on the construction of the new premises for the Daily News, while excavating for the foundations on the Currie Street frontage. The log was very solid and required considerable skil land strength before it could be chopped through in tho somewhat confined space. The rata was in a splendid state of preserva tion, the bark being still on the timber.

Road to Milford The Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, referring to the construction of the road to Milford Sounds, stated yesterday that though delay has been caused by floods, progress has been made. The feature of the work is the large amount of bridging, there being 85 bridges required of varying spans from 15ft. to 150 ft. in the 10| miles on the Milford side of the tunnel portal. Good progress is being made with this work, and besides minor bridges two suspension bridges have been completed over the Tutuko and Don Rivers, 150 ft. and 120 ft. long respectively. A further suspension bridge over the Gulliver Stream is also under construction.

Phosphates From Nauru. —The consumption of phosphate by New Zealand and Australia* had risen by several hundred thousand tons in the last two years, stated Commander R. C. Garsia, Administrator of Nauru Island, who arrived at Auckland yesterday. At Nauru new machinery had been in!ailed last year and further increases in the plant would be made in the near future in order that the demands of Australia and New Zealand could be fully met without delay. New Zealand in 1937 had imported nearly 200,000 tons of phosphate from Nauru alone and a further amount had been taken from Ocean Island. Assault With a Bottle. —At the Supreme Court, Auckland, yesterday Alfred Norman O’Meara (41),- a labourer, was confronted with a series of charges of robbery with violence, of assault so as to cause actual bodily harm, of assault, and of theft from the person. It was stated in evidence that prisoner attacked an elderly visitor from tho country, Philip Andrew Moore, with a bottle and robbed him of £2 in cash and a gold watch and chain valued at £25. He was found guilty of robbery with violence and remanded for sentence. A younger man, Bernard Kilkolly, who was charged jointly with O'Meara with the same offences, was found mentally unable to plead and was committed to the Auckland Mental Hospital,

Success at Taupo. —Fishing on Lake Taupo yesterday, Mr and Mrs R. T. lleid, of Hamilton, secured an excellent bag of trout, 21 averaging silb in weight being landed. This is one of the best catches in number and average weight taken at the lake for a considerable time. Lord Galway In Australia. —A Sydney message states that the GovernorGeneral of New Zealand, Lord Galway, accompanied by the Australian Minister for Deft-free, Mr H. V. C. Thorbv, made a tour of inspection of the Royal Military College at Duntroon, where a number of New Zealand cadets are undergoing training. The GovernorGeneral inspected every phase of the college's activities, including the cadet classes, and expressed his satisfaction and pleasure at the standard of work and the general conditions. His Excellency left later for Melbourne.