LOCAL AND GENERAL

Chronicle (Levin), 25 June 1946, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

^ Death Fall From Balcony Harry .Baistow, aged 41, a laftoarer, due to appear in the Wellington Magistrate's Court yesterday fell from a third fioor window in the Wellington Hospital at 9 a.m. and died at mid-day. He had been in hospital since d-une 12 for treatment of a wound in the throat, allegedly self-infiicted after his ! arrest that day on a charge of theft of clothing, valued at/ £1 13s, from Woolworths, Ltd. He was due to be discharged from hospital yesterday morning to appear on the charges of theft and attempted suicide. Boxing Club's Activities The activities of the Levin Box-r ing Club are now in full swing following its recent revival after a recess made necessary by the war. Training takes place every Monday night in the Regent Hall, and last evening there were some fifty members present. The time is not devoted entirely to training for ! boxing, but a vigorous physical cuij ture class has 'been established under competent instructors, and will embrace gymnastic work. The enthusiasm being displayed augurs well for the club's future. Railv/ay Travel Although most of the trains from Palmerston North to Wellington haye ceased to run, railcars ai'e coping satisfactorily with the passenger traffic fropi, and to Levin, said the stationpiaster (]yjr> . p_ Hay.) this morning, it was apparent I that not as many people were travelling by train now, partly becaus.e of the train cuts a^d partly because i of the abolition of pelrol rationing. j Consequently there had not been rnuch difficulty in seating all the : pa'ssengers leaving Levin. The» pubi lic had been making inquiries as to i train times ever since the cuts were I announced; this- twas unnecessary I as the revised times had been fully advertised in the Press.

Fines for Bookmaking Charged with cafrying on the business of a bookmaker, two men, Joseph Michael Sullivan, labourer, aged 36, and Joseph Franklyn, I mechanic, aged 39, were each fined. £100 when they appeared before Mr. Stilwell, S.M., in the Wellington Magistrate's Cburt yesterday. When the 'poli.ce visited Sullivan's home they found him taking bets over the telephone. He had petting slips totalling £140 2s, said DetectiveSergeant J. Thompson. Sullivan told detectives that he had been taking bets for the past five years. Franklyn had also been taking bets over the telephone whep detectives arrived at his home; Franklyn admitted carrying on the business of a bookmaker for the past 12 months. Greeks for Taranaki A-body styling itself "The Union of Greek Immigrants to Austfalia," wants' to "close a bargain wn-h land-owning members of the Returned Seryices Associatibn" for enough land to accommodate 4000 families from Salonika, on from three to five acres each. A letter from the organisation, received by the executive of the New Plymouth R.S.A., also asked for all the information available about farming in New Zealand. The families average from five to six children. The executive decdded that the proposition was beyond its jurisdiction, and was probably oue involv- ' ing Government poliey. It was referred to the Dorpinion Council pf the R.S.A. with the suggestion that it be handed on to the appropriate. authorities. True Fish Story Large shoals of barracouta in the French Pas'S *area had their numbers considerably reduced by two commercial fishermen, Messrs. J. Hunter and W. Goodman, in the launch Anita. Writing from French Pass, Mr. Hunter states that he and his mate using four lines and coiita dummies for bait caught 1147 of the fish in four hours. In an hour and a-half they had landed and trimmed 223 fish ready for mai'kst, half of that time being taken up with the trimming. They continued filling the boat at the rate of 30t) an hour or five a*minute. It was a case of fastest 'couta winning the dummy, for as soon as the bait hit the water a fjsh was on it, and shoals were fighting for a chance. In four days the total score was 4257 barracouta.