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Evening Star, Issue 20059, 27 December 1928, Page 10

A few weeks ago a young single woman busied herself about Dunedin obtaining money and goods from various townspeople by falsely representing that her husband was a builder out ot town, and that she was short of ready cash. After meeting with a fair measure of success, she disappeared to Invercargill, where she consorted with a female companion who evidently was of a like nature. Actuated by some irresponsible whim best known to themselves, the two_ hired a taxi, and went for a lung drive to Timaru, neither having the wherewithal to pay for the conveyance. Their arrest followed, and the pair were dealt with for obtaining taxi biro by fraud. The pseudo-builder’s wife was charged also with committing similar offences in Dunedin. in order that restitution might ho made she was admitted to probation for two years. Traffic was heavy on the city and hill trams and buses again yesterday, particularly in the afternoon, when the sun shone brightly and brought hundreds out; of doors. The tramways manager (Mr W. U. Mackenzie) reported this morning that the takings yesterday amounted to £441, which was £BS ahead of the amount taken on Boxing Day of last year. The various trips by bus about the city are proving decidedly popular, both to local people and visitors, who have been charmed with the beauties of the city and its surroundings. Ono bus load was despatched this morning to Waipon. ■ On Christmas morning the mayor (the Hon. W. B. Taverner) despatched, through tho Awarua station, a wireless message conveying to Commander Byrd and the members of his expedition seasonable greetings on behalf of the citizens of Dunedin, and hoping that tho New Year would bring success to the expedition. At a short session this morning of tho Police Court, which sat before Mr H. E. Moller, J.P., and Mr J. H. Wilkinson, J.P., a statutory first offender for drunkenness, Robert Kerr, was convicted', and discharged. Tho local representatives of the West Ham Mission, London, had the joy of cabling last week the sum of £6U to tho Rev. Rowntrce Clifford, superintendent of the mission, to assist him and his helpers in giving Christmas cheer to tho needy women and children whoso hard lot the mission seeks to alleviate. Sister Kathleen, who visited our city some years ago, sent grateful acknowledgement of tho splendid gilt. Railway traffic continues to bo well maintained, and present indications aie that this year’s holiday figures will bo in excess of last year!s. The Otago Central trains are still well patronised, but to-day’s race traffic was not as heavy as yesterday’s. The 8.35 a.m. express to Invercargill carried 350 passengers, and the 8.40 express to Christchurch had' passengers aboard. The 8.52 train to Oamaru carried 400 passengers, and the 10.5 a.m. for Pnketeraki Had 350 passengers aboard, mostly bound fof the Karitane regatta. The through express to Christchurch was twenty-six’ minutes late in reaching Dunedin, and left here at 12.5, carrying 500 passengers. The express from Christchurch, this morning' due here - at 4.25, had COO passengers aboard when it left Christchurch, and the night express from Christchurch steamed into Dunedin with a complement of 250 passongers.

This is the story of a remarkable series of transactions’*. One evening a fanner who lives within an hour's motor drive of Dunedin returned from town to his acres in a state so generously mellow that 'ho presented his farm hand with a horse and cart, complete with harness. But the worker was no old-fashioned son of the soil. Before many days had passed by ho went to the city to see if ho could sell the turn-out and buy a car. As luck would have it ho mot a' hawker acquaintance who desired to exchange an old llivvor for a horse-drawn vehicle. There was nothing intricate about the business that was done. As the car was in need of repairs the farm hand decided to leave it in a Dunedin garage until the necessary improvements were carried out. in tho intervening time, however, lie arrived at tho conclusion that ho .would sooner have the ready money than anything else, and ho therefore asked tho garage people to effect a sale if possible. At about the same time his employer, who apparently missed having a vehicle in which to run around, decided to invest in a cheap car. The original detailer of these transactions states that people can believe him or not believe him, but it remains a fact nevertheless, that tho farmer, led by chance to tho garage which housed his employee’s flivver actually bought back tho equivalent of the horso and cart ho had given away. An Auckland Press Association telegram states that Archibald Anderson was fined *for using his promises in Hobson ’ street as a common gaming house; and Ids assistant, William M'Millan, was fined £25. Two other bookmakers wore fined £lO and £25 respectively. The City Fire Brigade was called out at 11.35 a .in. to-day to deal with an outbreak in tho bottom of a chimney in the residence of Mr F. J. Gair, 21 Preston crescent. No damage was done.

Touring parties require field glasses. The Octagon optician, Mr W. V. Stunner, invites inspection of tho “Little Gem,” £4 10s; worth £l2 10s.—[Advt.l Fisher bus and car service daily to Brighton; available for picnics, excursions.— Booking office, 77 Castle street; phone 11-234. —[Advt.] Gifts in profusion await your inspection at Williamsons, the jewellers (next The Bristol Co.); valuer always fair.—[Advt.] The Railway Department advertises in this issue the miming of a special passenger train from Outraiu Ug Mosgiel at 5.35 p.m. on Saturday, 29th December, in connection with Outram sports. Christmas and New Year greetings received (and heartily reciprocated) from the Rotary Club, the ‘ Waikato Times ’ staff, S. S. Sargent and Co,, Goldberg Advertising Agency, the ‘ Southland Times’ Company, and the Goss Printing Company (Chicago).