Local & General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 72, 23 July 1948, Page 4

Local & General

False Alarm The Whakatane Fire Brigade was called out to a false alarm on Wednesday morning caused by a pole blowing over in the storm in the vicinity of Goulstone Road-, The pole became entangled with the fire siren system. Fatal Folly One of the main causes of road deaths is the habit of stepping on to the highway when a stationary vehicle masks the view. Of the 189 pedestrians killed in Britain during February, 35 of them, mostly elder- / ly people and children; lost their lives that way. Live “Corpse” in Bus A practical joker combed into' a coffin that had been put aboard a bus at the nearby spa of Bursa, says a report from Istanbul. As the bus and its passengers bounced along a rough road the joker pushed up the cover of the coffin and raised his head. Two passengers were treated for injuries suffered in leaping out of the bus. Coincidence! Senior-Constable S. G. Howard, of Wentworth, decided to put a new head on his axe, got one and' began .gently tapping it to make the handle fit. A piece of steel flew off and lodged in his leg. Along came a friend, who asked what had caused so much blood. Constable Howard explained by demonstration. Another piece of steel flew off, yes, and lodged in the same leg. Rabbit Inspector’s Report In his monthly report to the Pongakawa Rabbit Board, the inspector, Mr C. S. Davis, stated that his men had covered an' area of 15,950 acres with poison and 11,900 acres had been fumigated, using 14771bs of Phosphorised pollard and 1081bs of Cyanogas. The results were good' in most cases but some 6f the area would have to be done again on account of heavy rain. That applied in particular to the Rotomahana area. Schoolboy’s Secrets Eleven-year-old Michael Seward of Streatham, after visiting the Board of Trade with his case - full of secrets, learned that, the novelties he had made out of horseshoes may bring him a fortune when marketed. He first wanted an ornament for his bicycle, and made drawings, got busy with nuts and bolts, screw driver and chisel, and designed something that his parents realised was worth manufacturing and marketing. Michael continued designing and now has thirty-six different designs. They have been registered and a company formed to protect his interests.