Local & General

Chronicle (Levin), 3 February 1948, Page 4

Local & General

W.I. Meeting Postponed The Levin Women's Institute was to have resumed its monthly meetings tomorrow but, acting on the advice of the Health Department, activities have now been postponed until April 7. The 21st birthday party will be held on April 15. • Slight Earth Tremor A slight earth tremor, proceded by a rumbling noise, was felt in Palmerston North at 11.6 o'clock last night. • Both the tremor and th.e rumbling were of brief duration, the tremor itself being just strong enough to set electric lamps swinging slightly.' « ; Vital Statistics The vital statistics for Levin for January show that 11 births were recorded as against 16 for the same month last year, Only four -deaths were registered as compared with eight during January, 1947, while there were 12 marriages last month and nine over the same period last 'year. Totalisator Returns Close to £400, U00 was invested at the seven race meetings held in the Dominion on Saturday, the total reaching £393,226 10s. Increases on the figures for last year were recorde.d by the Pahiatua (£13,511), Forbury Park (£8060), Nelson (£10,501) and Wairoa (£4894) Clubs, while decreases were registered at Auckland (£25,700 10s) and Otautau (£4092 10s). The. Hororata Club did not race on its own course last year. Crash Into Bridge A car driven by Mr. James Priestly, of Aokautere, • failed to negotiate the bend leading on to the Fi'ozherbert Bridge at about 1 a.m. yesterday and crashed into •'.the concrete work surrounding the " bridge. Mr.' Priestly was found lying in the roadway in a dazed condition by a passing motorist who summoned an ambuiance and the police. The injured man was remov.ed to the Palmerston North Pub'lic Hospital, where he is reported to be making a good recovery. Licenses Declined A recent decisiOn on the import licensing schedule for 1948 states that applicaiions"' for licenses to import writing and printing pap"er from Canada and the United States are to be declined. Persons wishing to import civil aircraft should apply for a license in the normal way, . together with details of the aircraft and the purpose for which it isrequired. * It' will still be necessary for them to comply with Air Department requiremeq,ts. ' Any special licenses granted for hardware and the like will not be available .for imports of furniture domes. A Lingual Problem Four Yugoslavs and an immigration oificer arrived at a deadlock in Wellington on the Astufias ap the Yugoslavs spoke no English and the officer no Yugoslav. The immigrants, a mother and son and two single women, did their best, the son, aged about 14 years, counting proudly' up to 10 on his fingers in English and saying "O.K." and "Oh yeah" twith an American accent at not inappropriat.e moments. The immigration officer tried sign language, but without visible • eff ect. In desperation, he re.quested over the loudspeakers that any person speaking Yugoslav come.to his aid. A member of the crew appeared and very •quickly solved the difficulties in a spate of words and vehement gestures. Sniiling and undismayed at the diffl'culties in. store for them ashore, the Yugoslavs quitted the ship and the officer mopbed his brow. f