LOCAL AND GENERAL

Chronicle (Levin), 3 September 1947, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Slip in Gorge A small silp came down on the railway through the Manawatu Gorge in* the vicinity of Te Apiti yesterday afternoon. Although goods trafflc was delayed for some' hours the line was cleared by 6.30 p.m. and the Gisborne -Wellington express passed through. - ■ Farmer Drowned . A farmer from the Aria distnct was drowned at about 10 o'clock on 1 Friday night when his car somer-j saulted into the Mokauiti River,1 four miles east of Aria. He was Mr. Jack Randal Sellers, aged 66, of Anaio. The car was almosfrcom- . pletely submerged. Heavy rain was falling at the time. Roads Closed The local patrol officer of the Automobile Association (Wellington), Mr. R. Keenan, advised this morning that -the Desert Road, i Wanganui - Raetihi ' (Parapara) Road and Napier-Taupo Road were all closed. Some slips have occurred on the Bulls-Taihape Road, but it is negotiable to good drivers. Air Traffic Diverted As the southerly gale affected the Paraparaumu aerodrome, all air mov£ment there had to be abandoned yesterday, including the regular Dakota seiWices. Aircraft normally using the- aerodrome were diverted to Woodbourne and passengers to and from Wellington were taken across Cook Strait by Lodestars. Flying operations at Rongotai were not* affected. English Footballs Advice from the Comptroller of Customs to the effect that the restrictions on English footballs have now been lifted was received at a meeting of the management committee of the Horowhenua Rugby Union last hight. 'The new balls will cost approximately £3 and £3 10s each. It was considered however, that these balls would be worth buying because of the better quality. New Zealand balls would not stand any hard play. Two Women Injured Two middle-aged women, Mrs. N. T. Churches and Miss Andrews, of 112 Upland Road, Wellington, were the occupants of a car which capsized in a ditch near the top of Matahiwi Hill, about 12 miles south of Dannevirke. Both are in the Dannevirke Hospital, Mrs. Churches with abrasions and a fractured patella, and Miss Andrews with a fractured wrist' and ribs. Both also suffered severe shock. Their condition is reported as satisfactory. Judge's Bewilderment In the House of Representatives yesterday, Mr. A. S. Sutherland (Hauraki) asked the Minister of Lands to look into alleged irregularities by the South Auckland Land Saies Committee. He said a press report stated that Judge Archer of the Land Saies Court, had expressed bewilderment at the method used by Crown valuers. The Judge had questioned the frankness of Crown witnesses and asked if it was a case of sidestepping. Public Enemy No. 1 In the opinion of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society, Public Enemy No. 1 is the hedgehog. Hedgehogs have increased to such an extent that they are now the worst predatory animal preying on ground-laying birds, such as duck and pheasant. One member said that, following the burning of a hillside • at Wainui-o-mata, about "100 of these animals came rolling down through the hot ash. The ranger said that when a drain became blocked on a property about 250 drowned hedgehogs were discovered, while one man in his area found that trapping them for the 6d per shout bounty was very , profitable.