LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 November 1938, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Thefts From Cars. John Arthur Crawford, Dunedin, pleaded guilty in the Ashburton Magistrates’ Court to the theft of two overcoats, two travelling rugs and gauntlet gloves of a total value of £ll 19s 6d, the property of various people. He was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment with hard labour on each of three charges, the sentences to be cumulative. Accused was seen to take the articles from cars and hide them in the grass. Slip on Highway. Although it is estimated that it will take three days to clear the large slip that blocks the New Plymouth-Auck-land road in the Awakino Valley, a passageway for light cars was made over it yesterday by laying fresh metal and thus a number of marooned cars were released. Service cars, however, still had to tranship passengers. Flood waters in the Awakino and Uruti Valleys have receded without loss of stock and the road is negotiable. Pig-hunting Expedition. A party of three Masterton sportsmen who conducted a pig-hunting expedition into the Jerusalem district, on the Wanganui River, recently, had successful weekend sport. On the Saturday night, after bagging only three boars, prospects did not appear very bright for Sunday but the luck of the party changed and 12 more pigs were added. “Fifteen in a day and a-half,” said one of the trio on his return to Masterton, “is not bad sport.” The three are unanimous in their belief that Jerusalem is a pig-hunter’s paradise. State Houses. Further housing construction contracts approved by Cabinet were announced yesterday by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary in Charge of Housing, Mr J. A. Lee. They are as follows: —Masterton. —D. F. Andrews, three single-house units. Miramar, Wellington.—H. J. Corskie, 11 singlehouse units. Papanui, Christchurch.— J. J. Construction Co, Ltd, eight singlehouse units. Darfield. —John Calder, four single-house units. Messrs S. Jarvis and Son have secured a contract for the erection of six wood tool sheds, garage extension type, at Te Kuiti.

A Speedy Settlement. About 1209 linesmen employed by the Auckland Electric Power Board ceased work on Tuesday because of a dispute with the board on a question of an interpretation of the award affecting wages. The dispute was settled in the afternoon and the men resumed yesterday. After a stop-work meeting Tuesday morning, representatives of the men met the board in conference, the proceedings lasting until the luncheon hour. In the afternoon committees ofthe men and of the board conducted negotiations ending in a settlement. In the course of the day the board’s staff was able to carry out some emergency work on power lines.

Band Contest. For the New Zealand Brass Bands Association’s championship contests to be held in Christchurch from February 19 to 25, the following entries have been received by the secretary, Mr J. G. Osborne: —A Grade.—Port Nicholson Silver, St Kilda Municipal, Timaru Municipal, Wanganui Garrison, Wellington Municipal, and Woolston Bands. B. Grade.—Ashburton Silver, Christchurch Municipal, Dannevirke Municipal, Green Island Municipal, Hastings Citizens, Nelson-Marlborough Mounted Rifles, Oamaru Municipal, Feilding Municipal, Taranaki Regimental and New Plymouth Municipal, Wellington Boys’ Institute, and Lower Hutt Civic Bands.

Broadcasting .Building. Apart from disclosing that the contract for the foundations of the projected broadcasting and conservatorium building to be erected on the site of the old museum building had been accepted, Professor James Shelley, Director of Broadcasting, said yesterday in an interview that he was mot yet prepared to disclose any details of the structure or the plans for the establishment of a conservatorium. Professor Shelley said that the plans would not be available for some time yet because the original proposals were at present, jjeing modified. The old museum building is occupied by draughtsmen of the Government Architectural Branch for whom alternative quarters will have to be found before a start on the new block can be made.

Cats Destroying Birds. The activities of cats : in preying on native birds, specially the young ones, in ,the bush around the Chateau in Tongariro National Park were discussed at a recent meeting of the Forest and Bird Protection Society. It was decided to write to the chairman of the Tongariro Park Board, requesting that effective action be taken to cope with the cat nuisance. The president of the society, Captain E. V. Sanderson, remarked that many thoughtless motorists were responsible for releasing cats in or near native forests. They Look unwanted animals away in their cars and set them free in areas where they would have to find their living in new ways. Unfortunately, the new diet in many cases included native birds. In some localities owners of launches were guilty of similar stupidity. Phar Lap’s Skeleton.

Under the expert hand of New Zealand’s foremost osteologist, Mr E. H. Gibson, F.R.Z.S., the skeleton of “The Wonder Horse,’’ Phar Lap, is beginning to take shape at the Dominion Museum. Two weeks ago the skeleton was but an assorted collection of about 160 bones. The vertebrae have been made up, and, with the ribs and tail attached, are hanging suspended from the ceiling of one of the rooms of the museum taxidermist, Mr Charles Lindsay, who is assisting Mr Gibson. At present, Mr Gibson and Mi’ Lindsay are working on the legs. Every one of the 160 bones has to be wired, even down to one at the tip of the tail about half an inch long, and a quarter of an inch thick. The erection of the skeleton would be completed shortly, said Mr Gibson, but it was not possible to say when it would be on view, as it first had to be mounted and a glass case had to be made for it.

It is cheaper to get fined now and again. A Glasgow motorist stated this point of view recently when fined 10s for parking. He left his car 11 hours cutside his own premises. He could not use the car parks because commercial vehicles are barred there. The nearest garage wanted 2s per day and the next 8s per week,