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Hokitika Guardian, 5 January 1932, Page 4

Turners are now taking orders for raspberries and others jam fruits.

Mr R. Whiley requires a one-ton truck.

A meeting of the Committee of the Unemployment Conference will be held at the County Chambers at 8 o’clock on Thursday evening to consider matters relating to assistance to be given to settlers to improve production.

Those who have regard to superstitions will not take any comfort in the fact that the New Year began on a Friday ami that, therefore, there will be 53 Fridays" in 1932. The optimists can answer this dnlofui discovery, however, by proclaiming that since 1932 is a Leap Year, it will also contain 53 Saturdays, 53 half-holidays, and for those who are paid weekly on Saturdays, 53 pay-days.

The death occur: - : d at Wostpprt last evening of Mr Gerald O’Donncli, at the age of 51 years, a single man and a native of Brunner. The late Mr O’Donnell worked in various mines througnout the district. He suffered only a short illness. He is survived by two brothers, Messrs John O’Donnell (Boa) and Charles (Greymouth), who is at present on a holiday visit to Sydney : and three sisters, Mrs M. Mcßride .Murray Street), >i : ss Teresa O’Donnell (Shakespeare Street) Greymouth, and another is Sister Agnes, of the Greymouth Convent of Mercy.

That the country was in the middle of an election campaign when the time arrived for the recommendations to he made for New Year honours, and none was made as it was not thought that the time was opportune for their consideration, was the explanation given by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, on Saturday in explanation a:i to why the Government had not made any reeonimendat'ons tor the Royal Honours list. H" added that it was likely that better opportunity would he available before the time for recommendations for birthday honours had to be made.

Breaking open a pump at the Matipo petrol station ja Riecarton early on New Year’s morning, a thief removed some 18 gallons of motor-spirit, and in so- doing displayed a carelessness that might have resulted in a serious accident. He worked by the light of matches —a very dangerous proceeding in dealing with petrol T and in the morning several used and unused matches were found in a pool of the sp-'rit which the thief had spilt on the concrete floor of the station. At about 3.20 a.m. a young man passing on a bicycle 'noticed a car, a Hupniobile tourer, standing in front of the pumps, but there was apparently no one about, and be paid no .attention to the matter. The police are making inquiries,

On Christmas Eve a number of gas balloons were released by an enterprising retailer in Dunedin., each balloon containing an order redeemable at the store for a stated value in goods, states the “Otago Daily Times,” Several of these ordeis have already been returned and honoured, but great was the surprise of the managing-director, who is spending a holiday m the W anaka Lake district—he was playing golf at the time—to he confronted with one of his own orders which had been picked up on the golf course. The finder happened to he a Dunedin man, who demanded cash (and received it. too). Although Lake *AVanaka is some hundred miles by air ' " 't is evident that articles much more frail than an aeroplane can safely make such a journey. ”” ~ fact that the order was number thirteen may cause some thought regarding old superstitions. Three shifts will he employed when work is resumed at the Cobden Quarry on the preparatory work for the blast which is expected to bring down approximately 80,000 tons of stone. The upper tunnel will be driven anotliei ten feet. It was originally intended to drive one lower tunnel with two cross-drives, hut that plan has been altered, and two lower tunnels are to be driven making the work much easier, A steam shovel secured by the Greymouth Harbour Board from the Public Works Department, for trial at the Cobden Quarry, with option to purchase, lias arrived bv rail. 'lhe shovel is of American manufacture, and lias, a capacity of one cubic yard per lift. It is of an interchangeable type, and can be used either as a mechanical shovel or a drag-line exeavat'-". It will be used principally to handle quarry spoil, and will be capable of lifting stones up to five tons in weight.

Blazers, bathing suits, silk underwear, Pure silk gloves, Pure silk lmsc, in all the latest shades at all prices can be found at Schroder and Co. Priced most moderately. Inspection cordially invited—Phone 121 s. Call early before the pick is gone. Advt.

Summer colds arc dangerous -hi prepared! Kc p a buttle of Naznl lv, avs by you. It’s the scfentilio remedy. 120 doses for 2s tick (it) doses for Is (id.—Advt. A beautiful range of Art Silk Curtain Nets, ‘‘and fadeless curtain nets” are sow opening out at Schroder and Co : It will be to your advantage to call early, as they are marked at a price to suit the most fastidious. —Advt.

Several paddocks of potatoes in the Hal.swell district (Canterbury) "'ere well blackened with frost on Saturday morning.

The weather last night had a decided effect in reducing the attendance at the dance in the Soldiers Hall, when Fred. Smith and his orchestra held another of their successful gatherings.

A fast trip wan made by the turboehctric steamer Rangatira on an excursion trip from Wellington to Picton, the return run to Wellington being made at an average speed of 23-1 knots exceeding hv over a knot the best average of the ship on the trial trip.

I A meeting of the Hokitika Borough CouncT will be held on Friday, Bth January, at 7.5!) p.m. Huskn-ss, To receive and deal with the Borough balance-sheet for the year ending the .'3lst -March, K3I ; to be followed I y the ordinary monthly meeting of the Council at 7.35 p.m..

The raici that came so steadily yesterday afternoon showed not much improvement as the lrght wore on. There were only showers at intervals during the night, and the inclining broke cloudy but fine, with a decided threat of more rain, This was fully borne out about nine o’clock when rain commenced to fall, and got heavier, there being a particularly heavy shower at 11.30 o’clock, and again an hour later. There was then a lull for a while.

The Mayoress (Mrs 0. Perry) advises that the relief depot, being: conducted by the Women’s Benevolent Committee in Fitzherbert Street, will be open on Thursday and Friday afternoon for the collection and distribution of goods and clothes. An urgent appeal is made to the public for boys’ garments, for which there is a demand. The duration of the depot depends entirely on the assistance it receives from the public in the way of gifts of (lothing etc., an ( l as there are families ill the town who are. in need of assistance, it is felt sure that the answer to the appeal will lie good, and typical <cf the generosity and large-heartedness for which the district is well-known.

During the height of the electrical storm that raged in Christchurch on the evening of New Year’s Day, the Papanui railway station was struck by lightning, and the iofficer in charge had a narrow escape from injury. tie was using one of two manual telephones on the wall of the budding, when the instrument not in use was torn from the wall by the discharge and thrown to the floor, the lightning arrester being blown to shreds. A file of papers lying or. a table near the telephone was scorched bv the blast, and the table overturned: The officer at the station received a fairly severe shock, and was fortunate to escape injury.

I While swimming off the Muritai beach (Wellington) one evening recently, a young man had his attention drawn to a shark which was breaking the water about twenty yards from the shore. The water was particularly calm at the time, although few people were bathing. I*tom a point on the sand-hills about a quarter of a mile from the youth, several people had been watching the shark, chasing smaller fish, and they lost no time in raising an alarm. From the beach the visitor appeared about six feet long. Several sharks have been seen playing in one of the sheltered hays near the Penearrow lighthouse.

The death of Mr William Hobbs, a well known resident of Wcst-poit, took place on Sunday at Blenheim. Deceased had not been enjoying good health recently, and with Mrs Hobbs and daughter Molly, left cm A ednosday morning for Auckland on a health recruiting tr : p. They reached Blenheim, intending to spend a day or two there before going further but death claimed Mr Hobbs. Deceased was a native of Dccni s ton 48 years of age. but had spent most of his life in Westport. He leaves a widow and daughter (Molly) and six brothers, George, Albert, Fred. Robert. James and Ernest, and two sisters, Mrs lloskiage and Miss Annie Hobbs. Duller Returned Soldiers’ Association sent a firing party through for the funeral, which took place yesterday.