LOCAL AND GENERAL

Chronicle (Levin), 28 January 1947, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

^ r Boys' Band Practice The Levin Boys' Band will hold a practice tomorrow evening at 7.45 p.m. in the bandroom. An invitation is extended to intending members to be present on this occasion. Refreshing Evidence "A refreshing feature of this case is that the defendant admits having had more than the usual two small shandies," dryly commented Mr. C. C. Marsack, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court, Palmerston North, yesterday when E. F. Senior, employed in the Air Department, Wellington, admitted in a statement ma$e following a car accident, that he had 12 drinks over a period of four hours. Senior was fined 10s, costs 10s for driving without a license, and £5, costs 10s for driving without due care and attention. Rails from Belgium ' The first of three shipments of rails recently purchased in Belgium by the New Zealand Government, is being discharged at Auckland from the Port Line motorship Port Jackson. Transhipped at Londoh from Antwerp, the consignment corisists of 1000 tons of rails and fastenings which will be used on secondary Lines in North Auckland. The New Zealand Government purchased a total of 6800 tons of rails in Belgium. The remainder of the rails are carried by the Rakaia which has arrived at Wellington from London and the Orari which is due at Dunedin from London next rhonth. National Savings In spite of the breaks caused by holidays last week, the deposits to National Savings were well maintained. Pride of place has to be given this time to Foxton. A splendid total of £1028 12s was netted by this offiGe. Others to return good figures were; Bulls . £459 10s, Feilding £238 3s 6d, Dannevirke £225 11s, Rongotea £161 l-6s, and Pahiatua £152 14s. Of the smaller offices, Weber with £50 and Ohau £40, returned creditable figures. The towns which succeeded with their weekly quota were Palmerston North, Apiti, Ashhurst, Bulls, Dannevirke, Feilding, Foxton, Glen » Oroua, Halcombe, Kimbolton, Levin, Ohau, Pahiatua, Pongaroa, Rangiotu, Rangiwahia, Rongotea, Sanson, Shannon, Weber, Weraroa and Woodville. White Island Visited Interesting reports are likely to follow a six-day visit» to White Island by a party of observers froffl the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. The expedition has marked the changes in hydro-thermal activity sifiee the island was last visited by scientists 20 years ago. Among other tasks carried out is a preliminary exploration of deposits, some of which may decide the island's geological history. Some 60 miles from Tauranga, White Island appeared not so niuch white as a highly-decorated Christmas cake, said Mr. C. A. Fleming, the geologist of the party, Parts of it we»re encrusted with a pinkish rock and a heavily - mineralised strearn caused a snake-like trail of sulphur-tinted water out to sea. The island was a blaze of the yeilow of sulphur, the- red of hematite, and the white of gypsum. The only natural green was the far fringes of the pohutukawa, forest. Ashore there were places where it was necessary to treadi soberly and warily.

The fine array of handsome cups to be competed for at the Horowhenua A. and P. Association's show on Friday and Saturday next are at present on display in Mr. J. E. Wallace's shop window. Fruit Factory Damaged Flre, the eause of which is not known, gutted the. _main. boilerhouse and engineers' and carpenters' workshops of the Governmentfruit processingjfactory at Motueka at 1 o'clock on Sunday afternoon. The extent of the damage to the machinery is not yet known. The factory was scheduled to starx operations for the season within a few weeks-. While talking. to a friend at his home in Devonport, a man collapsed and died Iess^than 12 hours before the tiftie at which he was to have been marrfed. He' was William Emest Thomas, aged 54, insuraiiee consultant.