Local and General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 268, 7 February 1941, Page 4

Local and General

Shipping at Whakatane. The Vesper berthed from Auckland on Wednesdaj evening. Yesterday the Northern Steamship Co's Clansman berthed shortly alter I p.m., also from Auckland, carrying 90 tons of general cargo. Fire Service Auxiliary. The superintendent of the local Volunteer Fire ■ Brigade, Mr F. H. Stewart, reports that the Fire Service Auxiliary organised under the Emergency Precautions Scheme, is now progressing well in Whakatane, ten residents having enrolled as auxiliary firemen or fire police. These volunteers are to be trained in fire fighting and called upon in the event of an emergency. Over She Goes. Hands on hips he surveyed the pile of parcels on the pavement alongside his upturned bicycle. The post office parcel delivery boy had cut a corner too abruptly and as a result the wreckage lay sprawled across gutter and curb. A few interested onlookers waited for the traditional expletives, but the victim was apparently made of sterner stuff, and without a. word he gathered up the loa'd and went his way. Stung in the Eye. An employee of the Paper Mills, Mr R. Anderson, was returning home from work last Wednesday on his motor cycle when, just as he was about to croSs the Whakatane bridge a bee into "which he had run stung him on the eye. The painful injury was the more oi' a handicap dn account of the swelling which set in immediately and it was only with the greatest difficulty that the rider was able to proceed home.

Nearly an Accident. A gentle tip to the Automobile Association to continue with their school instruction of rood crossings, would perhaps not be out of place. In the past excellent work has been done in this direction and the association deserves the credit for its fine efforts. Recently however in and about Whakatane there have been so many close shaves with small children who apparently have little or no knowledge of traffic rules etc. that we are certain motorists -will endorse our suggestion. Bell for Ambulance. The local St. John Ambulance Brigade has found that when the ambulance has been called in an emergency the public has not been ready to recognise the vehicle and give it absolute right of way as should be done. Therefore at the meeting of the Association and the Brigade held on Tuesday night it was decided to purchase an alarm bell to attach to the ambulance to warn other road users of its approach. Tt was also decided at the meeting to purchase three more stretchers and to con- ' tinuc with the fortnightly meetings. | Checking the Ready-reckoner. j There is a flood yarn going about ! the Strand concerning a young junior clerk, recently engaged by an accountancy firm. Being full of en- | thusiasm-he took a delight in asking for work to do. The boss, almost at the end of his tether, and in order j to get rid of Ihe keen recruit told him to go and 'check up the readyreckoner'. He had almost forgotten the lad when some three hours later he came into the office and in a weary voice said, "I've checked up a whole page and they're all right, what can I do now."