ELTHAM.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 February 1922, Page 6

ELTHAM.

MAGISTRATE’S COURT. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Feb. 6. Messrs. H. H. Judd, J.P., and J. Phillips, J.P., presided at a sitting of the Eltham Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Alexander Langford, charged under the Arms Act with delivering a pea rifle to another person without first procuring a permit, was fined 10s and 7s costs. Thomas Gardiner, on a charge of securing possession of a firearm without first getting a license to do so, was fined 10s and 7s costs.

Judgment by default was given in the following cases: J. H. Bodie v. Loveday and Hone, 15s 6d and 8s costs; J. H. Bodie v. James Dodd, £6 and 15s costs; J. H. Bodie v. Mate Hare, £1 13s and 18s costs; The New Zealand Meat Packing* and Bacon Company, Ltd., v. Charles Hanson, £6 Is and £1 12s costs; Charles Arnold Cooper v. Frederick W. Pettett, £4 4s and £1 3s 6d costs.

Eltham had an unexpected visitor this afternoon in the shape of an aeroplane, which landed in the Soldiers' Park shortly after 3 p.m. The aeroplane had been noticed going north a little time earlier, and its return a few moments later was a surprise. It appears that the machine (with Mr. Mercer, of the New Zealand Aero Transport Company, accompanied by his wife ana Mr. Salter, chief mechanic), was flying from Marton to Stratford, which was reached in about an hour. They circled round the town to get a landing, but not being able to find a suitable landing place, were returning to Hawera, when Mr. Slater became ill, necessitating a landing at Eltham. It was proposed to land on Mr. Quin’s property, but not being familiar with the country a landing was made on the Soldiers’ Park alongside the town. Mr. Crabtree brought the passenger into town, and later the machine was flown to Mr. Quin’s, where it will remain the night. Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, with his characteristic enterprise and push, has lost no time in getting his business 'going again, in spite of the hard hit sustained by the fire. C. A. Wilkinson, Ltd., are now installed in the big bulk warehouse alongside the railway station, and are doing business as usual. Meanwhile a gang of carpenters are busily engaged in remodelling the premises to meet the new requirements. The warehouse that is being built in New Plymouth near the railway station is also being pushed ahead. The first intimation that many people in the town of Eltham had about last week’s fire was when, they saw the account in the Daily News that morning. Indeed one family living within half a mile of the post office did not know until 3 p.m. the same day. The gale that was blowing at the time prevented the fire bell being heard very far north of the main street.

The water supply is said to have been inadequate to deal with a fire of such dimensions.

The gap caused by the fire has been closed by a neat galvanised iron fence, which provides a very poor substitute for the attractive windows of both Messrs. Goldstone and Wilkinson, Ltd., which were" such a feature of Eltham. The fire certainly made a clean sweep, all that is left standing being the exterior brick walls. Incidentally, it is a tribute to the m£rit of brick as a building material that they were able to Withstand such intense heat.

Tn the course of a discussion at a meeting held in Eltham last week, it was generally admitted by all present that the Daily News was the best advertising medium in the province.