IN THE NEWS.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 426, 6 May 1937, Page 4

IN THE NEWS.

EAST COAST RAILWAY. It is expected that the East Coast railway will be open to Putorino by August and to Wairoa by Christmas, says a °ress Association message from Napier. STATE ADAVANCES. At the request of the acting Prime Minister, the Hon. P. Fraser, the At-torney-General, Hon. H. G. R. Mason, has taken over the Ministerial work in connection with the State Advances Corporation until such time as the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, returns to New Zealand from a visit abroad. ' JURORS’ ACTION. After convicting a man in the Wellington Supreme / Court voste:'d"v of breaking, entering and theft the jurors subscribed port of the costs of the prosecution which he had been ordered to nay. Mr Justice Ostler had made the payment of costs a condition of his release on probation. The court officials ’ accepted the money. The action of the jurors is Unprecedented, as far as can be readily ascertained at Wellington. RESTORING MAUNA GRAVES. When the French sloop Rigault de Cenouilly leaves Auckland to-day on her return to her headquarters at Papeete she will •carry with her as a gift from the people of Auckland materials for use in the restoration of graves on the island of Mauna, in the Samoan group, of officers and men of the. La Perouse expedition who were murdered there in 1767. The gift, which has been made by the Mayor. Mr Ernest Davis, on behalf of the citizens, consists of 50 feet of stone kerbing and two bags of cement. TRAFFIC CONGESTION. Tn the annual report of 'the traffic finpartment cf the Hastings Borough Council, the traffic inspector, Mr D. Mr-nn, said he was convinced that in view of the growing congestion of traffic it would be necessary in tile near future to consider the prohibition of the parking of vehicles in the business areas of the town, and of ’ho making of complete turns at intersections or in the main street

* BAR ROW-PUSH iNG MANIA. ! The barrow-pushing mania, that ( swept Australia and New Zealand like | en epidemic some 18 months ago, has ■ been revived in Wellington. | ; MIDHIRST RIFLE CLUB. | The newly-formed rifle club at Midhirst has now a membership of nearly j <5O and enthusiastic work on the con-' struction of a range at York Road will enable it to be officially opened in j about four weeks’ time. ( SALE OF BANANAS. ! Bananas, after June 1, are to be ' sold in Wellington by the pound and 1 not by the dozen, as at present. A largely-attended meeting of retail i fruiterers yesterday came to this de* j cision as it. was felt that such an alt/ j oration would be of benefit both to ' the public and to the trade. UNIONISM FOR FARMERS. j What was described as “an unusual ! letter” came before the annual meet* | ing of the Masterton branch of the | New Zealand Farmers’ Union at its 1 last meeting. The letter read: “I am ; ready to join the union provided it is made compulsory. It is necessary for , all farmers to organise at once against the Socialists, or we will be pushed out of business. I left before because [of too much talk and no action. Let ! it be now all action and less talk, and i force if necessary.” The letter was • signed by a prominent sheep farmer. ! MANY TRAVELLERS. Nearly 550 persons will leave Wellington to-day for London by the New Zealand Shipping Company’s liners Rangitane and Ruahine. Though it is i now too Inte to reach London in time i for the Coronation, all ships leaving for England, both from New Zealand -and Australia, are still very heavily booked and the present season, for passenger traffic, is one of the heaviest New Zealand has ever known. i Trans-Tasman J raffle, too, continues ivery heavy. JUNIOR RUGBY FIXTURES. The Toko Football Club’s entry in , the third grade section of the Central | Taranaki Rugby competitions has • been withdrawn, leaving seven teams iin the grade. An additional Stratford High School team has been entered in the fourth grade and the fixtures will be redrawn, probably for third , grade as well as for the fourth, at the i end of this week ♦