Local and General

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 57, 18 February 1927, Page 4

Local and General

The body which was found floating in the water on the Petane Beach, near the Beacon, last Thursday evening, ha* so far not been identifiea.

The Hawke’s Bay Education Boarfl has been advised by the Education Department that grants for additional accommodation could not be considered until the next financial year.

Next Wednesday about thirty natives will entrain from the Hastings district for Rotorua, where they will participate tn the Maori reception to the Duke and Duchess of York.

The Hastings Citizens’ Band leaves to-morrow for Wellington, where it will compote in the B grade division of the Band Contest opening there on Monday next.

A long train, containing the Wai pawa district school children and staffs, to the number of about 1000 persons, passed through Hastings for Napier at 9.40 this morning to enjoy a holiday by the seaside. The youngsters, who cheered and waived as they whirled past, were a very merry crowd.

An excavation is at present being made at the Heretaunga street entrance to the Hastings Railway yards, for the establishment of a 500-gallon tank and Bowser pump to supply petrol for the railway motor service cars running between Hastings and Napier.

A neat point concerning the rules of the road was raised in the Supreme Court yesterday in Wellington in an appeal by John Fary against the d«cision of Mr. Tate. S.M., at ELtham A collision occurred and both were negligent. Fary appeared yesterday and Mr. Justice Ostler reversed the decision of the lower court, allowing the appellant ten guineas costs. The chief reason for the non-suit of Fary was that he crossed an "intersection” at a greater speed than twelve miles, contrary to the by-laws. After ponsultinc a dictionarv the judge decided, that a road joining another without crossing it did not constitute an ’ntersection, and that Fary’s speed of 25 miles was no* unreasonable if he took all precautions.

Formal notice appeared in last night’s “Gazette" authorising the transfer, as from January 1 last, of the sole control of the Napier Technical School from the Hawke’s Bay Education Board to a board of managers.

The Tariff Commission commenced taking evidence in Christchurch yesterday, and the sitting is expected to extend for nearly two weeks. Visits will be made to local factories tor exhaustive Inquiries into the position of industries which are more or less peculiar to Canterbury,

Th 4 Bl Dorado are union was drawn at Hawera last night. The first prize of £2OOO wont to T. Weight, Boxburgh, Otago, the second, £5OO, to T. E. Tauchell, Bewaka, Nelson, and the third, £lOO, to Alec Hyndman, Cromwell, Otago.

An epidemic of whooping cough is at present raging in Raetihi. The main school opened only for a day or two after the summer holidays, and then closed again on account of the prevalence of the malady.

A judgment of interest to local bodies was given by Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., in Feilding yesterday. The inspector 1 of factories sued the Oroua County Council tor using a place on a river bank for a stone crushing plant, not registered as a factory. Thu Magistrate found that as the plant was portable and worked by a traction engine, both the plant and the engine being on wheels, it could not come within the definition of a factory. The information was dismissed.

The Hastings Citizens’ Band, in response to requests, held a mixed programme of musical selections and dancing on the green, in which the public took joyous part, at Victoria Square last night. A large gathering of people enjoyed the instrumental selections and subsequently the lads and lassies danced to their hearts' content, to the music of the band, until 10 p.m. when the reunion was brought to a close. The collection taken up in aid of the contest fund amounted to £4 13s.

Two engines collided in the Christ-, church railway yards yesterday afternoon. It appears that an engine drawing carriages was approaching the end of a loop when another engine was on the point of getting clear. The latter engine did not get clear soon en.ough, however, and the two collided. Both were daniager, but were still movable and were taken at once to the repair sheds. No one was injured, although the crew of one engine jumped clear when the impact occurred.

The commission of inquiry into the petitions of the natives with regard to the alleged wrongful confiscation of lands after the Maori war concluded its sitting at Waitara yesterday and will resume at Wellington on Wednesday. Further evidence was given by the natives regarding the alleged plundering of Parihaka village by British soldiers when Te Wliiti was arrested. They said the soldiers pulled houses down, ruined crops, carried away valuable goods and cattle and outraged native women. Evidence was also heard on a number of private petitions, while it was also alleged the Government had not kept, its promise to give land to natives on their return from exile on the Chathams. It was said a little land was given and a number of Maoris were still landless.

The opporessive weather conditions liave had a noticeable effe.w on the health of the men of the first Battalion, Auckland Regiment, who are in training at Hopu Hopu. Over 120 men paraded sick on Wednesday morning. A large portion of these men have been unable to attend the daily parades and have been confined to their tents with various summer complaints and influenza, while badly sunburnt arms have caused a good deal of discomfort. It was found advisable to evacuate a batch of territorials to Auckland where several were admitted to the hospital for treatment and one man was also admitted to the Waikato Hospital. The camp authorties have decided during the hot hours to give the men more frequent spells.

Good news for Hastings from a Hastings man. The Auckland “Star’ has the following in its commercial column: “A Hastings merchant who is at preseent in Auckland speaks in optimistic vein of conditions at present ruling in that district. He states that useful rains at Christmas time were extremely beneficial to the fruit crop and a very satisfactory yield is now assured. He anticipates the district will export at least 60,000 cases of apples and pears. The country generally benefited by the rains referred to and stock are doing well. This is naturally reflected in the town and business is quite good.” What say the stay-at-homest ___