LATE LOCALS.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 August 1931, Page 5

LATE LOCALS.

The amount of Australian silver in circulation was commented on by a New Plymouth bank official. Whether this had recently been brought into the country, or whether the agitation regarding silver smuggling had made tellers moreobservant in connection with Australian currency, he could not tell. It war, very noticeable, however, that in practically every £1 wovtn of florins three or foip were Australian. As a check against large amounts of Australian coin being banked, and so eluding the exchange, it was the practice of the banks to cnarg exchange on all amounts over £2, except in those cases where it was known that the Australian coin was gathered in the course of legitimate trade.

An unusual accident occurred at Leekhampton court, Caver sham, on Tuesday afternoon, when a motor truck left the road, tore through a fence, and crasher into the corner of a dwelling with such force as to strain the whole of one side of it. The truck had been engaged during the day further up the hill in carting clav from a spot where unemployed relief workers were cutting away a bank. The driver of the truck was evidently turning a corner at a very difficult angle, when the back wheels slid down a bank, the triicK, then out of control, running down backwards over another slope, and thus through the fence to strike the ba\ window of the house with terrific force. Only one pane of glass was broken, but. the woodwork was splintered, and <■ corner of the truck protruded into the room. Hearing the crash the lady o the house rushed to the veranda, where she swooned. A considerable time elapsed before the truck was able to be lowered back on to the mad through the agency of two other lorries,