Local & General

Chronicle (Levin), 20 January 1949, Page 4

Local & General

Downpour Drenches District A heavy 'downpour of rain drenched the district during the night, bringing much relief to : parched farmlands and gardens. ! According to flgures recorded by Mr. H. Harvey, of Cambridge Street, j 60 points of rain fell. This nxorn- j ing dawned bright and sunny. Cattle Stealing Charge I Remanded from December 27 on ' a charge of stealing five heifers | value-d at £45, at Waiata, Archie Willis Hodge, a farmer, of Waiata, ! was yesterday again remanded ; until January 31. He appeared ! before Mr. C. V. Ciochetto, J.P., in the Magistrate's Court at Palmerston North.

Fishing Record Mr. D. J. MoKay, of Mangonui, established a fishing record in Doubtless Bay. Fishing from his launch Rowena, he lifted the ! anchor and found he had hooked the old Pacific cable which came ashore at Cable Bay. The. anchor brought the cable to the surface before part of 'the anchor broke under the strain. i Cargoes Delayed Port congestion, the long holiday period, and the laying up of several coastal ships for annual overhaul and survey have resulted 'in a glut of South Isiand goods awaiting dispatch from Auckland and there will be no easing in the position until all coastal ships are recommissione'd. Five Union Company coastal freighters are laid up in Auckland and two more are awaiting discharging berths. I Chinese Newspaper 1 When founts of Chinese type have been secured, a newspaper in that language will be started in New Zealand, either in Auckland or Wellington, to place before the Chinese population the matters of chief interest to them. A similar effort 20 years ago failed through lack of finance. Many adult Chinese residents in New Zealand rea'd English, but their national views and opinions lack a medium of expression. ' English "Jeeps" Six English "land rovers," vehicles very similar to the warI time U.S. Jeep, were landed from | the Empire Star at Auckland. They | have been imported for sale to] I f armers. The vehicles are ideal for i I farm service, particularly towing, j [ and as mobile power plants. The j I "land rover" has a four-wheelj I drive and normal and heavy-duty| | transmission. Four /other "land, [ rovers" are aboard the ship, two for Wellington and two for Lyttelton. Homes For The Blind \ Thanks to the enterprise and j generosity of an Australian author, t Mr. J. V. Bartlett, O.B.E., there is scarcely a blind person in South Australia who does not own his I own home. Mr. Bartlett's book, "Handy Farm Devices and How to | Make Them" netted £40,000, which j has been used to pay off mortgages ! and buy houses for blind men in | the Gtate. Mr. and Mrs. Bartlett j arrived in Auckland from Sydney ! by flying-boat on Tuesday, and ] will spend two months in New Zea- | land. I Royal Cars In Store I Several private firms have made ' approaches to the Government I about buying one or more of the 12 D.aimler cars sent to New Zealand for the Royal tour, which arfe now in store at Wellington. Six of the cars are owned by the Government, and the others have been placed at the Government's disposal by the Daimler company on condition that they ultimately he purchased or sold by them. Until a decision is reached, the cars will p'remain, unassembled, in store,