LOCAL AND GENERAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 July 1939, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Racecourse Improvements

In preparation for the forthcoming meeting of the Masterton Racing Club on October 12 and 14. all the buildings on the course at Opaki have just been repainted. The course itself is also in splendid order, and the- appointments for the coming meeting should be excellent in every way.

Masterton East School Dance. Another very enjoyable dance was held at the East School on Saturday night, there being a good attendance. The winners of the Monte Carlo were Mr Mills and partner. Greatly appreciated vocal items were rendered by Messrs T. Huki and Poura. Extras were played by Mr H. Hood. The M.C. was Mr S. V. Ihaka. These popular dances will be continued fortnightly.

Poultry Show Success. Mr W. Harding, of Masterton, won outright two handsome cups at the Lower Hutt Poultry Show, held recently. These trophies, which Mr Harding has won for three years in succession were the Society’s Cup for the best light breed in the show, and the Ball Cup, for the best game bird in the Show. It will be remembered that at the last Wairarapa Show, Mr Harding won the North Island game bird championship with a pullet.

Overdose of Quinine. “Attention should be drawn to the danger of taking quinine in unmeasured doses,” said the coroner, Mr F. K. Hunt, at an inquest at Auckland into the death of Florence Sybil Smith, married, aged 33, who died in the Auckland Hospital on July 2. Evidence was given that before retiring on July 1 deceased took some quinine and later felt very ill. She had apparently taken a full ounce of quinine. A verdict of accidental death, brought’ about through deceased taking an overdose of quinine by mistake, was returned.

Emergency Precautions. As announced about two months ago, plans for meeting an emergency in Masterton have been in hand for some time and full proposals have been prepared to meet any situation. These are now ready to be put into operation, with one or two minor amendments. In this year’s estimates of the Masterton Borough Council provision was made for an emergency pumping plant so that water could be pumped into the borough mains from' a river in the event of the reservoir supply failing.

Horses Struck by Motor Car. As a result of a collision on the Te Aute hill on Friday night, the horses ridden by Messrs David and Ernest Priest, Opapa, were killed, and the riders both injured. While riding - toward their property, the Messrs Priest were struck from behind by a car driven by a Maori, who was also going to the Priest property. Both riders were thrown heavily, Mr E. Priest being rendered unconscious for a short time. One of the horses died on the roadside as the result of a broken back and broken leg, and the other had a leg broken and was destroyed. Mr D. Priest received minor injuries.

Dropping the Conductor.

Stopping his tram, when travelling into Wellington from a western suburb last night, a motorman walked through the car and demanded of passengers: “Where’s my mate?” There was no answer—-and no sign of the conductor. The motorman decided to wait. He waited till several of the passengers were debating whether they should get out and walk. Then came a shout from away back in the darkness: “Is that you, Bill?” “Yes,” shouted the motorman —and up galloped the missing conductor. The tram had stopped opposite another some distance ‘back. Apparently the conductors were to have changed over, but one had been overcarried.

Scout Relay Race. The South Island section of the Boy Scouts’ Centennial Jamboree cycle relay was successfully concluded at Nelson on Saturday afternoon. The same cycle has been ridden all through, but different scouts have taken it over in relays at various stages of the trip. The relay started at Invercargill two Saturdays ago, Christchurch being reached at 6 p.m. next day. The’ Christchurch scouts took over and rode in relays to Kererangu, where they were met by Nelson scouts. They left Kekerangu at 4.5 p.m. on Saturday and reached Blenheim at 8 p.m. Because of bad weather a stop was made overnight at Blenheim. A start was made again at 9.20 a.m. on Saturday and Nelson was reached at 2.45 p.m. The cycle speedometer now reads 634 miles. New Catholic School. For the past eight years, Roman Catholic children of Karori have received their lessons in the church building, but the discomforts and inconvenience experienced there by the children and their teachers, the Sisters of Mercy, have been removed by the provision of a new school, which was described by the Minister of Education, Mr Fraser, at the official opening ceremony yesterday afternoon as a good job, honestly done. Mr Fraser said he could give no higher praise to anybody than that. The school, which is next to the church and well back from the main road, stands on a little more than an acre of land. It has three large classrooms, each provided with modern gas fires, a spacious porch and corridors and a well-appointed kitchen for the use of the sisters. His Grace Archbishop O’Shea blessed and opened the new school in the presence of a large attendance. Series of Motor Accidents. Three persons were injured and three motor-cars were damaged in a complicated series of accidents on the Hutt Road about 7.45 p.m. on Saturday. Mr L. W. St. Clair, chairmaker, 63 Adelaide Street, Petone. is in hospital with an injured back. Mrs E. Mitchell, Woburn Road, Lower Hutt, and Miss O. Mitchell, of the same address, were taken to hospital, but not admitted, being able to go home after treatment. The accidents happened about half a mile north of the Onslow Road junction. A car travelling northward, toward Petone. and a car in the traffic moving southward, met in a glancing collision, which slewed the north-bound car off its course and caused it to plunge into the lane of the south-bound traffic. There it struck broadside on a baby car occupied by two women who were injured, overturning it and damaging it extensively. While directing cars past the spot Mr. St. Clair was knocked down by a car after the collisions.