LOCAL AND GENERAL.

North Otago Times, Volume CVII, Issue 17748, 17 March 1927, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Probate in the estate of the late Robert Brims, of Oamaru, has been granted by the Supreme Court, Dun edin, on the application of Mr A.' Hamilton. Last year the Licenses Reduction Board in New South Wales awarded £4,972,000 as compensation for delicensed houses. The report shows that the labours of the Board have resulted in a marked improvement in the construction and accommodation amongst hotels generally. The marriage oi the Duke of York to a member of a famous Scottish House, has apparently given his Highness an addcd interest in the Highland race. While in Oamaru yesterday the Duke chatted for a few moments with members of the North Otago Pipe Band who presented a sfnart appearance in their M'Lean tartan. The band was in charge of Drum-Major D Campbe'M and Pipc-Major G. Stcvenson, both of whom have been associated with the band since its inceplion twenty-six ycars ago. Country people were- early astir -yesterday morning attcnding to their numerous duties so that they would be able to have as much of the day as possiblc. trcc to to visit Oamaru to catch a glimpse of the Duke of York. The trains hrought hundreds of sehool children to Oamaru and thc.se, together with others who had come by road,' thronged Thames street all tlie morning. With so many people in town it is no wonder retailers were grumhling about havlng to elosc for the afternoon. One prominent business man was very sore about it and exprcssed the opinion that if shops had been asked to close for a couple. of hours that would have been quite sufficient.

« TOWEaacCTgraesOT ^^amxsanvm A gift jf £600') loward Ihe provision of niodern swimming baths has been made to St, Cuthbert';:. Presbyterian Girls' Coilege, Auckland by Miss Runciman and her niece. I i The oid Chorai Iiall, an ancient landmark in Moray Place, Dunedin, was completely gutted by flre last night. The building had been occupied for some time as o clothing and robe factory by Butterworth Eros., the under floor being occupied by F. B. Francis and Co., land agents. ( The Christchurch police, armed I with warrants. yesterday raided the premises in Cathedral Square oi , .Tohn Henry Bott (54) and William Henry Cousins (27). Both men were 1 brought before the Court and charged with occupying a common gaming house. They were remanded ! till to-day. A quantity of betting ' material was seized. i Over three hundred men are already in camp for the National Rifle Association meeting which opens at Trentham this morning. It is expected that the total entries will reach the vicinity of four hundred, A number of ex-King's Prize men are included in the entries. also Sergeant Howard of H.M..S. Diomede, who did well at the Army meeting last week. In response to complaints over the multiplicity of formalities on arrival of overseas visitors the Auckland Council of the Chamber of Commerce is advised by the Cus-

toms Department that some questions in the existing form will be deleted and an amended form will shortly be in use. •55 Mr Alfred Seifert, a flaxmilling proprietor states that owing to restrictions and regulations and the : award of .the Arbitratios Court with respect to Ihe rate tc be paid f-or side leaf cutting of flax, two milling companies in the Manawatu district will be compelled tc close down during the winter months, throwing several hundreds of men out of employment., "The American visitor spends much of his spare time in New Zealand buying curios and mementoes," said Mr W. Brown at the Wanganui Chamber of Commerce meeting, when referring to the recent tour of the Americans from the liner Franconia. A number of the visitors had shown him likis they liad bought in various places. The tikis were made of New Zealand greenstone cut in Germany, but he did not enlighten them, As evidence of the value of Jtopdressing pastures & farmer gave a "Herald" reporter the following figures concerping a farm which he knows. well, a few miles out of Invercargill: — The farm comprises 450 acres, andi as a result of top-dress-ing it is now carrying the following stock: 434 "bullocks. 1380 two-tooth ewes, 1180 lambs, and 20f wethers. The latter were put on at the New Year because there was too much grass on the place, The farm is in permanent pasture; it is topdressed once a year with 2cwt of superphosphate to the acre and no cultivation is done on it. A versatile iady ot middle age, known as "Madame Elvino," who included among her ' specialities telepathy, healing, face-reading, and hair-speoialisation, was convicted on two charges of undertaking to tell fortunes, before J.P 's at the Christchurch Court yesterday morning. The occulf sense of Madame Elvipo, whose full hame was Constance Elvino Patterson, widow, could not detect the" calling of" two police matrons who visiteai her house on different occasions' The Bench fined her 10s and costs, A discussion took place at the meeting of the Waitaki Hospital Board concerning the observance of the regulations at the Victorian Home for old men. It was pointed out that tliese regulations required the inmates to do work according to their ability. The majority ot the men absolutely refused to do any work. They sat ik Ihe room, smoked and played cards. Moreover^ it was the habit of many of them to go out iand come in when they chose. Members realised that there was a difficulty in the matroh enforcing the regulations, and the, suggestion was made that some mate assistanice be- secured. It was eventually decided that an endeavour be made to secure a more strict observance of the regulations. The Mayor of Nelson (Mr W. Lock) has received the following letter from the private secretary of • Ihe Duke of York: "His Royal High- j ness has been told by the Duchess : of the great kindness and courtesy , extended to her by the Mayoress, | yourself and the citizens of Nelson j and the presents of flowers an4 . fruit that you have sent her, I am ! to ask you to accept his most sin- 1 cere gratitude for all you have done • and to convey an expression of this ! sentimfent to the. citizens. He would also be glad if you would inform ; the traffic inspector and the bor- , ough engjneer how deeply he ap- i preciates the efficient arrangements \ which were carried out under their ' supervision to ensure the comfort i and quiet of her Royal Highness, I j am to ask the Mayoress and your- j self to accept personally the accom- j panying photograph as a small token of their regard." Accompanying the photograph is a fine autographed pjcture of the Duke and Duchess. II is held in a solid leather frame and at the top is a device in gold consisting of a crown above a monogram of the Jetters "A" and "R."