Local & General

Chronicle (Levin), 11 February 1948, Page 4

Local & General

Artiliciai Limbs p „T Out of 491 Second World War .amputees, 461 have to date be.en fltted with artificial limbs, and only 30 remain to be fltted. Duplicate limbs have been issned to 285 of the amputees. The limb-fitting factory, operated by the pisabledServicemen's Re-establishment League on behalf of the Rehabilitation Board, has so far manufactured or repaired 1201 limbs for amputees. Of these, 144 were. for civilians and 188 for veterans of the First World War. "Cycling Methuselah" To undertake a cycling trip of over 30 miles is nothing unusual for ' the younger generation, but 'When accomplished by a man 89 years ot age it becomes something of a feat. Yesterday an elderly Palmerston North resident rode his bicycle from the city to Levin, via Shannon, in three and a half hours. He returned today by the Foxton route. This veteran has made several long trips, qhe'of his most notable being thre'e years ago when he rode from Palmerston North to Hawera. , Fertiliser Rationing r" It is unlikely that the rationing of fertilizer will be lifted before the end of the year, according to a statement by the New Zealand Federated Farmers. Information to this efiect was received recently from the Acting-Director- General of Agriculture. This decision more or less complies with the views expressed at the meeting of the council of Federated Farmers in I November when other matters con- . cerning fertiliser were discussed. I The council did not reach a decision on the questioning of ration- ; ing them.

A Fortune In Postage j An indication of the f antastic j degree of inflation being experi- ; enoed in China was given by Mr. ! ! Yue Henry Jackson, Consul-attach- |- ed to the Chinese Consulate Geiii eral in Wellington, in the course of ! evidence in the Supreme Couxt in I Palmerston North yesterday. Testij, fying as to the preseaatrcte3k.vallfe- ! of ' Ghin'ese" ^Uf'rericy the witness j produced an air mail letter he ha'd j recently received from China. The. ; letter bore postage stamps to the I value of 51,000 Chinese National | dollars, which witness said was a : normal rate at present currency ! values. I Bitteri On Forehead * I HOw a man 'arr.ested in Jackson j Street, Petone, bit a police con- | stable's forehead was described in I the Magistrate's Court, Petone, | yesterday, when John Lawrence ! Healey, Taita, bottle dealer and ! baker, aged' 24, was charged with I being drunk in a public place and j with assaulting Constable KilpatI rick. When the constable arrested j Healey on Saturday night and , j placed him in a taxi, Healey resisfcj ed violently. The constable was. ! able to control 'Healey's arms and j legs, but Healey bit him, taking a j piece' out" of his forfehead. The ! constable had to receive medical 1 attention.S Venomous Snake In Tram. . Women screamed apd men y elled iii alarm when a highly venomous brown snake 5ft long landed in a' tram at Earlwood, Sydney, the o.thef day. The conductor in a ■ scene of wild excitement, killed the snake - with . repeated- blows oi his. point'rhook. The incideijt occurred j as1 the tram was apprbaching a | corner. A, truck ran over the j snake and threw it into 'the second . part of the . tram coupled behihd the front- seetion. Passen^- , gers shouted in fright as the snake •writhe'd on the floor. The conduct,or, Mr. W. Baldry, hsouted a 1 warning to the driver, who braked [ the tram to a halt. Surrounded by j crowds, he .struck at the snake i. until he killed it. ...

Public Noi Saving Petrol The general public are not -tjrying :to save petrol, complained a garage proprletpi' to "The Clironicle" this mornink.' ; Last night there. was a ^terrific" v iiumber ' of cars outside the . pictuie theatre, he reported, and when the Levin Fire Brigade burnt off some grass in Queen Street, cars flocked to the scene in scores. This 'was not, he considered, the way in which to conserve petrol. • Car Catches Fire A motor car belonging to Mr.-.C. Dempsey of-Levin, caught flre in Queen Street West yesterday af ternoon. Mr. Dempsey was drivjng along Queen Street when he noticed smoke issuin'g from under the bonnet; of his car. He immediately stopped the car and got out, whereupoii flames burst out through ;the 'bonnet. ' As the car was op^osite the' Levin Fire' Station, he summoned the aid of a fireman who ,extinguished the blaze. The engine and wiring in the car were b'adly damaged but the rest of the vehicle was unharmed.