NEWS ITEMS

Taupo Times, Volume III, Issue 114, 2 April 1954, Page 4

NEWS ITEMS

Beer With a bite. A wasp invaded an hotel bar in Hastings and settled on the rim of a glass of beer. Unconscious of its presence, the purchaser of the drink placed it in his mouth, only to give a piercing scream as the wasp stung his tongue and then flew away. ❖ ❖ ❖ Southern Hospitality. A Dunedin visitor who was charged at the recent sittings of the Magistrate's Court, Taupo, with fishing at Taupo without a license, wrote a letter in explanation to the magistrate. In it he stated that he had fished one day in the boat of a Taupo friend who held a license, and was not aware that he needed a license just for a day. When a northern angler had recently applied for a day's license in Otago he was given a complimentary license, for southern hospitality could not allow a North Islander to pay for a mere day's fishing license. * ❖ ❖ Coming Round The Bend. In a traffic case in the Magistrate's Court, Taupo, last week, a Maori charged with driving negligently pleaded not guilty and expressed the opinion that the matter was not very serious. The traffic Officer's evidence was that defendant had come round a bend near Waipahihi in a truck with the tray almost toucking the bank on the wrong side of the road. Claiming that he was not as far over as that, defendant explained quite seriously that at 25 miles per hour one had to go over the white line. It was explained to defendant by the Court that he must go round bends at such a speed as would enable him to keep the correct side of the white line. He was duly convicted.

Hastings Labour Candidate. Twelve nominations were received for the selection of a Labour Party candidate for the Hastings seat, states the Napier Daily Telegraph. The selection committee consisted of the Party 's national president, the Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer, M.P., the national vice-secretary Mr J. Roberts, and the national secretary, Mr A. McDonald, with three members of the Party resident in the electorate and nominated by the Hastings L.R.C. It is understood that six of the candidates were from outside the electorate, and that they included Mr P. Kearins, M.P., for Waimarino, in whose electorate Taupo was hitherto included. The chosen candidate is Mr E. J. Keating, an executive officer of the Post and Telegraph Department in Wellington, aged 43. Joining the Party in Rotorua in 1934, Mr Keating has been Chairman of the Wellington L.R.C since 1947. He took his M.A. degree at Auckland University College. ❖ ❖ ❖ Electricity Department Staff. Cr. C. S. Currie, referring at the Council's recent meeting to the increase in the numbers of consumers of electric power, stated that he considered it was time the Council had a staff purely for handling the work of the electrical department. He felt they should go into the matter. Cr. W. G. Morris enquired whether the system of electricity accounts being made out by the meter reader and left when the meters were read, could not be introduced. This would save much time making out accounts in the office. The Town Clerk stated that he had intended making a suggestion to the Council in connection with the matter of staff for the electrical department following the close of the financial year on March 31. He said it had been planned to introduce the system mentioned by Cr. Morris when the scheme was established and that it might be pos-? sible to do so by about June.