LOCAL AND GENERAL

Evening Star, Issue 20134, 26 March 1929, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Two youths named Scott and MacDonald, of Blaketown (West Coast) went over the bar on Sunday in a IBt sailing boat without sweeps or oars. The seas became calm, and they were unable to get back, and they drifted in a northerly direction. A search by a launch parly proved fruitless. The youths were out ail night, but readied the harbour at 7 o’clock yesterday morning.

From the Wallsend mine, which, after having been for thirty years flooded, has recently been unwatered, the first truck of coal was yesterday despatched by rail. The ceremony of tipping the first coal tub was (performed by Mr Joseph Taylor, promoter of tho new' proprietary company, in the presence of Mr G. Stitt (managing director) and other directors, officials, ami visitors. When in full operation tho mine E expected to put out 5.00(1 tons of coal weekly.—Greymouth message. A five-roomed dwelling at Blenheim, owned and occupied by Mr I*. R. Rothwell, was destroyed by fire, together with its contents. The insurances totalled £801) on the house in the Eagle, Star, and British Dominion Office, and £225 on the contents in the North British and Mercantile. A bakehouse in Willis street. Greymouth, was destroyed by fire on Sunday evening. The brigade made a good smo of the adjoining residences. The property was owned by Mr Herbert Moore ,and was insured, the buildings for £J2S in the Phoenix Office, the contents for £125 in the Phoenix and £275 in the Eagle, Star, and a motor lorry, which was damaged, for £IOO in the New Zealand Office:

Arising out of a prosecution for smoking at Gisborne preferred against Wong Dan, another Chinese, Wong Chew, aged forty, pleaded not guilty to a charge of permitting Ins premises, to be used for smoking opium. Evidence was given to the effect thar the building mentioned was a threeroomed shack and tiie previous accused, wlm was living there, barricaded Jus door while smoking opium. Wong Chew’s counsel contended that no direct evidence had been given that Wong Chew knew that opium was being smoked. The Magistrate said tlm court was satisfied that Wong Chew knew that opium smoking was going on in ins house. Tho maximum penalty was £2OU and the minimum £SU, and he had no option hut to impose the minimum fine of £SU; but, as the man smoking the ojpiuni had been witJi tlie accused for only a fortnight, and the practice had not been carried on over a lengthy period, the Magistrate said he would be prepared to recommend an application for a reduction ol the fine to £lO.