LOCAL AND GENERAL.

North Otago Times, Volume CVII, Issue 17748, 16 March 1927, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Owing to the visit of his Royal Highness the Duke of York, there will be no postman's delivery this afternoon. The secretary of the local branch of the Returncd Sokliers' Association (Mr N. H. Colqulroun) has been advised that the Duke of York has exprcssed a wish to meet as many returncd men as possible during his brief stay in Oamaru this afternoon and all those who have seen service with the forces are cordiallv invited to join in the parade. After enjoying his weekly dip at Friendly Bav on Sunday, a yonng man, returned to the dressing shed to find that £7 10s had been taken from his clothing. This is not the flrst occasion that bathers have been relieved of valuables at Friendly Bay this season but the exT)erier.e.' or r Hiers seems to have hau litUe tfu-i.

The sitting of the Magistrate's Court to have been held to-day ha been adjourned till March 30. Miss Hester Gould, of Christchurch, won the first prize of £2000 in the Gclden Glimax Art Union. The second prize went to Mr Barrett, Te Kuiti, and the third to Mr Sole, Taranaki. Yesterday the County Council of- , fiees were besieged by ratepayers ! 1 nxious to pay their taxes before ! >10 per cent. penalty is imposed to-day.. The actuaf amount taken was not available last night but it is expected to be in the vicinity of £5000. When William. Grady (37) and James O'Neil (47), international pickpockets, again appeared at the Auckland Court yesterday, the forraer was convicted and discharged 011 condition that he left the country by the Aorangi, to-day. O'Neil was refused a passage on the steatner and v/as further remanded. When killing operations were commenced at tlie Pukeuri works on Monday nearly 4000 sheep and lambs were iix the yards and 3100 of these were disposed of by 36 butchers. Another heavy draft was forwarded yesterday bringing the total killings since the season opened up to 106,000, which is greatly in excess of the number put through at this time last year. Amy Bitossi, widow of a Wellington corporation employee, who overstrained himself at the destructor and died, claimed £750 and funeral expenses, but judgment was given in favour of the corporation on the ground that deceased suffered from heart disease, and there was no evid'ence to show that his work was the cause. At the same time. in view of the fact that application had been made for lighter work, the Court recommended the Gity! Council to take this into consideratlon in making a compassionatc allowance to the widow. The monthly meeting of the W.C, T.U. was held on Monday afternoon and spent most of the time on the question of the Band of Hope work. The President, Mr J. Clarke, outlined a proposal set forth iat a conference held recently in Timaru to consider this'matter, and it was resolved to aproach the Ministers' Association and ascertain their, view before deciding that action should be taken. The Dominion Convention being at Auckland this year, it was found impos§ible to send a delegate from Oamaru, and Miss J. Smyth, who will he there as represe,ntative from the district, undertook to convey the .local Union's greetings and hring hack a repdrt on the work. A market was held in aid of Union funds last week but .failed to produce enough for a delegate's /expenses. The Duke of York was emphatic in refusing to agree to a suggestion that came to him from the GovernmCnt, through Sir Heaton Rhodes, that hei should curtail his tour to permit his making a run up to Wellington, leaving in the ferry steamer at night and- returning- about 6 hours later1. While much appreciating the kindly thought of thd Government and anxious for this reunion with the Duchess, he directed that a reply be sent delclining the offer, in view of the great improvement in the Duchess' condition; and recognising also that a great number of people would be bitterly disappointed at several centres, where time and- money had been spent on preparations for a welcome. The fact that districts had already ibeen disappointed because the Duchess was unable to visit them made him determined not to add to thejr disappointment. „ . . __ >4