LOCAL AND GENERAL

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 111, 2 January 1932, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Two Cars Wrecked Two motor cars were wrecked about 13 miles from Rotorua on the Tauranga jToad at six oclock last evening when they collided on a sharp bend. One vehicle was driven by a 1 Maori named Kakara, of Te Puke, and the other by Mr. Foot, of Rotorua. The latter was brought in to ; Rotorua by Spedding and Company's I salvage waggon. Young Man Found. The young man, Hope Russel Howe, who disappeared from his home in | Rotorua on Monday morning last, was discovered yesterday by- the police at Morrinsville. Apparently Mr. Howe •suffered a complete loss of memory, as when he was found he had no rxcollection of what had happened to hlm. Many Visitors The wide diversity in the number plates of the cars thronging Rotorua's streets provides an observer i with an interesting indieation of the | large number of visiting motorists i who are at .present in the district. i Car numbers from all parts, of the , North Island are to be found on the j parking stands, and even cars which : have made the straits crossing from the South Island. Heavy Launch Traffic The heaviest boat and launch traffic which the Ohau Channel has experienced for a long time passed up and down that waterway yesterday. The beach carnival at Cochrane's, point at the entrance to the channel was a general rendezvous and an exceptionally large number of launehes from both Rotoiti and Rotorua tied up inside the entrance. A westerly wind made a choppy surface on Lake Rotorua but possibly owing to dredI ging which had been carried out in j preparation for the carnival traffic, ; the majority of the launches negotj iated the entrance and got away with- ' out a great deal of 'trouble. It was ! evidcnt, however, that a.veryYon- ! siderable improvement can still be | effected by further dredging of the j channel entrance.

Well Conducted Despite the unavoidable traffic congestion of New Year's Eve and yesterday, there were no -motor accidents to ,mar Rotorua's New Year celebrations. On New Year's Eve, cars were parked sometimes two deep in all the main streets, and many intricate problems in parking met the motorist during the evening. Taken g.enerally, although the carnival atmosphere was so evidently abroad, there was an enfire ahsence of attendant rowdyism and hooliganism.

"The Moraing After" The streets of Rotorua, in the dawn of New Year's Day, presented a distinctly morning after the night before appearance. Remnants of streamers, confetti, and carnival decorations of all descriptions reminded the early morning traveller of the scene of high carnival which reignpd on the last night of the Old Year.

District Roads The streteh of main highway on the Te Ngae Road, which has been lai^ down in bitumen, was opened to traffic yesterday. While the bitumen has been consolidating, traffic has been diverted past the abattoirs and the d-eviation, with the unaccustomed heavy traffic, was showing the effects of wear. The new bitumen streteh has an excellent travelling surface and provides a very appropriate introduction to Rotorua for traffic approaching from the coast. The bitumen has been laid with a coating of metal chips and is of a type which has been suggested for use on the Taupo highway. Roads generally, in the district, are standing up to the heavy holiday traffic very well, although the dust nuisance, i as usual, detracts from the otherwise | excellent travelling conditions pro- I vided by pumice roading. I Putting a Different Face On It Many strange sights were abroad in the streets of Rotorua on New j Year's Eve. Old friends, sheltering hehind weird and wonderful disguises passed each other in the crowd, and everywhere were bright splashes of colour where groups in fancy dress, or semi-fancy dress, had congregated. Worlcaday headgear was laid aside for paper caps of any and every description, and in addition to putj ting a happy face on it, hundreds in the crowd put on other faces as well. Into The Breach. Although the carnival functions officially finished with the passing of the old year, it was felt that the visitor's night originally altered to allow for the change in dates necessitated by the postponement of the Maori hangi, should not be allowed to lapse entirely. Unfortunately a number of the artists who had promiseds^o assist with the visitors' programme on the original date, were not available last evening, but the breach was admirably filled by a party of Tokaanu Maoris who had come through for other purposes, but who willingly turned to and gave a really excellent programme to fill the evening.