POWER BOARD MATERIAL.

Shannon News, 9 February 1923, Page 2

POWER BOARD MATERIAL.

FIRST SHIPMENT OF POLES ARRIVE. The first shipment of hardwood poles for the Horowhenua PowerBoard’s transmission lines for the re ticulation of this district has just ar rived from Australia. The poles, which are of a very good class, have been sent ,on to Shannon, and will be, used on the lines in that, part of the district. The next consignment is due in about a month’s time. Mr Overton, the Board’s Engineer, stated this morning that the scheme for the erection of the transmission lines will he 1 in full swing in about two months from now. Preliminary preparations were well advanced, and quantities oi electrical material had already ariived from the Old Country.

A Maori centenarian died at Maungatuutori (Waikato) last week. .His age was 103.

Mr 'James Derbyshire Tyldesley, the well known Lancashire cricketer, died under an anaesthetic at a Bolton "nursing home on Saturday.

Twenty extra’"men have been placed on the road widening deviation ;at the Mana-watu ..Gorge, and the work is progressing very satisfactorily.

‘T have travelled the world over, but never have 1 experienced such hail, thunder and lightning as there was at Eketahumc last week,” remarked a motorist who was passing through that district at the time.

Alter having been closed down for somp two years, the cheese factory at Parawanui, near Bulls, resumed operations on Tuesday, 1 under the temporary auspices of the Rangitikei Dairy Company, pending the negotiations 'of a company of local suppliers.

'lhe recently installed 6. p.m. mail train from Wellington is growing in popularity (says the Palmerston Standard), more particularly among business men on the .southern portion of the route. The seating accommodation is not of the modern type and makes the lengthy journey to Palmerston somewhat unpleasant.

A Greymouth publican was proceeded against by the Department of Labour at the Magistrate’s . Court at Greymouth on Tuesday for , dismissing two waitresses because they joined the newly-constituted employees’ union. Mr Meldrum, S.M., convicted the del’endaont, who was fined £lO and costs: 1 An officer of the Tahiti, which arrived at Wellington from San Francisco the other day, ■ stated that fully 70 per cent of the passengers were Americans, and the majority of them were tourists. A number had hooked for the Island tour, while there were ninny, out for the fishing season. During a recent visit to Europe, a New Zealander went to St. Moritz for the alpine winter sports: “They are sports,” he says, “to which v New Zealanders ought to take very kindly, and there should be facilities provided for such healthy recreation both at the Tongariro National Park and in the Southern Alps.”

That she and- her husband lived in an old fowlhouse because they wanted to pay off a debt, was the remarkable statement made by a witness in the New Plymouth Magistrate’s Court. They now desired possession of the cottage, which they had rented to defendant, she said. Their present place of abode had iiq flooring or lining, and the only means of veiltilation was tlie door.

As a train from Auckland was approaching Whangamarino station., Guard H. Watts tried to light the gas in the van when the lighted match fell on /o a parcel of cinematograph films, which ignited and blazed up, severely burning the guard about the right hand and arm. He managed to throw the burning mass on to the permanent way before injury was done to other contents of.the van.

That there is p'leniy of money available in Marlborough lor investment in solid securities is demonstrated by the fact that the River Board lias quietly raised £IO,OOO bn I 6'per cent debentures in less than a j month, and I hen there were, conj siderable* sums offering when the | board’s requirements had been met. The £IO,OOO was subscribed by I twelve people, in sums'ranging froni | £IOO to £3OOO, states the Marlborough | Express. | A truck loaded with wool and 1 covered with tarpaulins, bearing the j words in big letters: “Beware bees,” i created considerable attention in the 1 Stratford railway yards recently. It ' appears there was some need for the warning, as after the truck had been ■ loaded at Douglas the previous day a i swarm of bees settled under one of | the tarpaulins. As it was not pos- | sible to dislodge them when the i truck was placed on the train, the j notice was put on the tarpaulin as I a warning to the railway officials j who- had to handle the truck in transit. to Wanganui, whither it was consigned. When the truck left Stcat- ; ford the bees were still there.

1 The lack ol' wireless is a serious handicap to ocean-going vessels in these modern days. This fact was brought home to those on board the Pukaki, which arrived at New Ply- | mouth from Walpole Island. The | ship spent the week-end tossing • round Cape Maria van Diemen, hav- ! ing been intercepted en route to ; Auckland by flag signal. The vessel ! was obliged to remain near the j Ca.pe from Saturday to Monday to J await instructions, being then diverted to New Plymouth. Had the vesJ sel had a wireless equipment, this | delay in n heavy running sea would 1 not have been necessary, as the de- \ sired message could have been com-' Imunicated direct.

Owing to lack of • funds and inability, t-o find work for first-class bandsmen, the executive of the Mastertuii Band has reluctantly had to cancel the band’s nomination in the New Plymouth band contest.

Unemployment is rife In Ashburton and Rakaia (says the Guardian). Many of the men are penniless and their incessant solicitation of alms is a source of annoyance to business men.