LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Wairarapa Age, 12 February 1927, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The oustanding rates of the Featherston County amount to £2600. Last month 1413 yards of metal were put through the Featherston County crusher at a cost of 4s 2d per yard. On account of Tuesday next being the first day of the Masterton Show, the monthly meeting of the Chamber of Commerce will be postponed until the following Tuesday. The first direct shipment of Onekaka iron to Australia was being made yesterday by the Union Company's steamer, Kaitangata, which is loading seven hundred tons at Onekaka wharf.— (P.A.).

The Boy Scouts have offered to send a working bee of eight Scouts to help members of the Mount Holdsworth Club at the mountain this afternoon at 1.30, provided they can be taken out. The 'Mount Holdsworth Club would like to accept the offer, if some one will kindly lend a car or lorrv.

The Featherston County Council has instructed its engineer to make inquiries and report on changing over from steam power at the crusher to electric power.

The number of motor registrations made up to the end of January last was 157,743, as follows; North Island, cars, 63,607; trucks, etc., 15,332; cycles, 18,591; total, 97,533. South Island: Cars, 39,439; trucks, etc., 6755; cycles, 14,016; total, 60,210.—(P.A.).

At tho meeting of the Featherston County Council held on Friday it was decided to make tho annual grant of £7 10s which has not been paid for the past two years, towards the Featherston Library. The usual grant is also to be made to tho Martinborough Library.

John O’Hagen, 44 years of age and married, a dairy farmer of Kumeroa (Woodville), lost his life while surfbathing at Foxton yesterday. Attempts to rescue him were fruitless owing to the undertow. The body came ashore about a mile north of where the fatality occurred five hours later. Mr. O’Hagen was a member of a school picnic party from Woodville which came to the seaside. He leaves a widow and seven children.—(P.A.).

The new council of the New Zealand Institute of Architects met at Hamilton yesterday for the election of officers. Mr. Frank L. Moodie, of Auckland, was elected president and tributes were paid to the work of Mr. William Page, past acting-president. Mr. F. Greenish (Wellington) was appointed secretary and Mr. A. S. Mitchell treasurer. It was decided to hold the next annual meeting at Invercargill.— (P.A.).

James Frederick Rapson, a young clerk employed at the Government sawmill at Frankton, was charged at Hamilton yesterday with the theft of £4 7s 9d. It was stated that tho total sum involved was about £374, but much of it was in non-negotiablo cheques since recovered. The «um in cash alleged to have been stolen was about £2O. On behalf of the police, it was stated that other charges were pending, and a remand was granted till Wednesday, bail being allowed in one surety of £loo.— (P.A.). A young man named George Gold, about 21, lost his life in the Balclutha Municipal Baths yesterday afternoon. He had been playing water tag with some companions and had just dived in and was swimming across the baths when he sank. He came up the second time and caught hold of a ledge on tho edge of the baths and seemed to try to pull himself up. His companions ■went to his rescue and pulled him out of the water. Two doctors were summoned and tried artificial respiration for over an hour without avail. The doctors give it as their opinion that death was not due to drowning, but to heart failure. An inquest will be held. —P.A.).

A number of test actions against manufacturers of ice-cream were heard by Mr. Moseley S.M. at Christchurch yesterday. The defendants were charged with having worked at their calling and sold the product on Sundays. The manufacture of the ice-cream, said Mr. Thomas, counsel for defendants, has assumed such proportions that it has become a work of necessity as defined under the Police Offences Act. He added that the ice-cream trade had grown to very large dimensions, and if this action against wholesale manfacturers should succeed, the small shopkeepers would make their own and probably make it badly. The Magistrate said he was not prepared to hold that icecream manufacturing was a necessity within the meaning of tho Act. Each defendant was coifvicted and discharged.—( P. A.).

A' sad drowning fatality occurred at Shelly Beach (Auckland) yesterday afternoon. The victim was Lawrence William Moylan, aged II years, son of William Moylan of Grey Lynn. It appears that Moylan was a pupil in a swimming class held by the Ponsonby Swimming Club every Friday afternoon After the class had been dismissed a number of boys, including Moylan, left the baths and bathed in the tide to the west of the baths. Subsequently it was noticed that they were getting into difficulties. A boy named Brewer was brought ashore in an exhausted state’ and after he had been restored by artificial respiration said that he had seen Moylan sink. This w’as the first indication given that Moylan had got into difficulties. His body was washed up on the beach near the baths at 7 o’clock.—(P.A.).

Elizabeth May Stewart (33) sat and wept in tho Auckland Police Court as she was charged with stealing a pair of shoes valued at ss, the property of the K. K. Footwear Company, a lady’s skirt valued at 19s lid from Milne and Choyce, and a woollen costume and a pair of child’s rompers from the shop of Rendells Ltd. Accused pleaded guilty to all the charges. Chief Detective Cummings said Mrs. Stewart went into three shops and stole the articles nierftioned. At Milne and Choyce’s her child removed the skirt from the counter, accused placing it in her bag. Accused was the wife of a farm labourer and had three young children. She came to the city recently from the Bay of Plenty with a relative who was ill. Accused, who had never previously been in any trouble, was not arrested as she had a young child with her. Mr. Singer, in asking that Mrs. Stewart should be leniently dealt with, said she was in ill-health. That probably might account for the offences being committed. The Magistrate (Mr. McKean), said he did not wish to send the woman to prison in view of her condition. She would he fined £3 and costs on one of the charges.—(P.A.).

The Duchess of York set the fashion at Home in real Alaska gold seal furs, and she is reported to be bringing a number of these out to New Zealand with her. Madame Menere has been fortunate enough to secure a quantity of real Alaska gold seal and those she will be displaying on her approaching Dominion tour, commencing at Invercargill next month.*