LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 October 1938, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

London Guide Enthusiasm. “I have never seen such enthusiasm, grubbiness or variety of uniforms," said Miss N. Ratcliffe, when describing yesterday a visit to a Girl Guide meeting in a London slum district. The girls she saw in that district, she added, were more attractive than those seen in Kensington Gardens, but, their grubbiness was appalling. Name Suppressed.

Reserving his defence, a Palmerston North man whose name was suppressed was committed to the Supreme Court for trial by Mr H. P. Lawry, S.M., in the Magistrates’ Court, Palmerston North, yesterday, on a charge of forging a warrant of fitness. Accused pleaded not guilty, and was represented by Mr Gordon E. Rowe. Senior-Sergeant J. Mclntyre conducted the prosecution. Bail was renewed. Serious Charge.

Pleading not guilty to a charge of intent to do bodily harm to his wife, Charles Neil Neilson, labourer, aged 62, was committed for trial at the next sitting of the Supreme Court by Mr J. H. Salmon, S.M., in the Magistrates’ Court, Wanganui, yesterday. Detective J. K. Robertson prosecuted and accused conducted his own defence. The charge stated that Neilson put an explosive substance—three sticks of gelignite—among bamboo in the Esplanade on the river bank with intent to harm Annie Elizabeth Neilson, on July 25. Million Electors. Although the final figures showing the total number of names on the electoral rolls for the coming general election are not yet available, it is now almost certain that the million mark will be exceeded for the first time. The total on the main rolls which closed on August 31 is 925,798, but the total of all of the electoral rolls has not yet been received at the Chief Electoral Office, Wellington. When inquiries were made in Wellington yesterday, the Chief Electoral Officer, Mr G. G. Hodgkins, said that there were still eight returns to come. He considered it likely that the total would be more than 1,000,000. Locomotive Shed Fire. The roof of the locomotive shed in the Masterton Railway Yards was slightly damaged by fire yesterday afternoon. The outbreak was caused by a spark from an engine and the flames were quickly fanned by the strong wind which was blowing at the time. By the use of the first-aid outfit and the pumping equipment on the new fire engine, the brigade was able to generate sufficient pressure to deal' with the fire, water being drawn from the station supply and delivered at great-ly-increased pressure through the engine pumps. The call was received at 3.55 p.m. New Trial Refused.

In a reserved judgment delivered at Pamlerston North yesterday Mr Justice Johnston dismissed a motion for a new trial of an action held before him in the Supreme Court, Palmerston North, on July 21, in which a jury of 12 awarded Alexander Reid Shelton, salesman, Feilding, £331 19s special and £2750 general damages against Stanley Stedman Viles, farmer, Cheltenham, for injuries received by plaintiff in a collision between plaintiff’s; and defendant’s cars, alleged to have been caused by defendant’s negligent driving. The motion for a new trial was on the sole..ground that the damages awarded were excessive. Road Safety. An appeal on behalf of the Wellington Automobile Association for the cooperation of school committees and home and school committees in inculcating traffic sense in children of preschool age has been made by Mr W. A. Sutherland, secretary of the association. Mr Sutherland said that his association had felt for a long time that one of the most important methods by which safer conditions on the road could be brought about was through the child. The Education Department had done well, but the association felt that more systematic instruction by parents to children under five years of age was desirable. New Union Co. Ships.

Two more of the cargo vessels building for the Union Steam Ship Company are now nearing completion, and the appointment of the masters and senior officers and engineers to bring them out to New Zealand was announced yesterday. The two ships are the Kurow, which is being built by Alexander Stephen and Sons Ltd., Linthouse, Glasgow, and the Karitane,. under construction at the yards oi Henry Robb Ltd., Leith. The Kurow should be completed about the end of December, and the Karitane about the middle of January. Captain M. MacKenzie has been appointed master of the Kurow and Captain C. C. Waters master of the Karitane. Road Beautification. The first of the 75,000 trees that will ultimately line the new PlimmertonPaekakariki highway were planted last week. Aiming to make the highway one of the most beautiful scenic roads in New Zealand, the scheme was proposed by the Wellington Beautifying Society, which is carrying out the work in co-operation with the Public Works Department. The programme for this season is to plant 1000 trees, and this will be completed this week. The trees include kowhais, cabbage trees, ngaios, pohutukawas, karaka trees, and ake ake trees. Negotiations for the taking over of some of the land adjoining the route of the new road are still in progress, and much of the foundation work of the highway has still to be carried out. The planting will be completed next winter, when the road work will be further advanced.

Scottish Battalion. The matter of the formation of a Scottish battalion in New Zealand is still very much alive. Those interested in the project in Wellington have recently been in touch with the staff officers at the Defence Department headquarters, when the proposal was fully discussed. As the result of these discussions it has been decided that a Scottish battalion be formed, with companies of 125 men in each of the four centres. The cost of the uniforms, it is felt, is too great an obstacle for the individual members of the battalion to be expected to overcome. It has been estimated that it would be £3 a man in excess of the cost of ordinary uniforms for men joining up with the forces. This extra £3 a man, or £375 a centre, it is proposed to find on the following basis:— Recruits to pay £1 entrance fee, £125; Scots in each centre to raise £125; Defence Department to find £125.’

Dead Kiwi Found.

While searching for a calf at Houto, North Auckland, Mrs W. W. Holster found a large dead kiwi. About ten yards away Mr Holster found the bird’s nest in the end of a log. The nest contained two large eggs. The Prohibition Poll. There appear to be people who do not know that the poll to be taken on the licensing issues on October 15 must be held in conjunction with the polling for the Parliamentary general election. That is the law where a Parliament runs its full term. An impression appears to have grown up in some quarters that there were to be no more prohibition polls after that of three years ago, and that the notification of one being held on this occasion was unexpected. There is no ground for this view, which possibly arose from the extent to which the prohibition issue dropped into the background after the very decisive vote in 1935.

Negligent Driving Alleged. Hillgrove John Gossett, student of the Otago Medical School, and a resident of Sumner, aged 25, appeared in the Christchurch Magistrates’ Court yesterday on a charge of negligent driving, thereby causing the death of Mrs Selina Elizabeth Mason. He pleaded not guilty and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Counsel for accused, Mr N. S. Bowie, submitted that the evidence was not sufficient to establish the case for the prosecution, but the magistrate, Mr E. C. Levvey, did not uphold him. An inquest into the death of Mrs Mason was held together with the charge against Gosset. A verdict was returned that she died on August from concussion following laceration of the brain. These injuries she received when she was run into and knocked down on August 25 by a Car driven by Gosset.