LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19887, 16 May 1936, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Telephone Rentals. —Unless telephone rentals are paid by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 22, the telephones of defaulters will be disconnected and a restoration fee of 5s charged. Altered Boundaries. —A proclamation published In the Gazette alters the boundaries of Te Awamutu Electric Power Board district by including portions of Otorohanga and Raglan Counties. Wrestling at Whangarel. —At Whangarei last night “ Lofty ” Blomfleld. 16st. 81b., and Kopack Woods, 15st. 51b., drew with one fall each. The attendance was large and the bout interesting, being described as the “best | yet staged in the northern centre.” Reduction In Power Charges.— ■ “ Over the last eight years a reduction In charges of £52.000 has been made by the board,” said Mr F. Purnell at the annual meeting of the Wanganui-Rangltikei Electric Power Board. Removing Dead Vegetation. —The winter months having arrived, it has been necessary to remove all dead leaves and growth from Hamilton parks and reserves. Workmen are engaged in cleaning the beds at the Hamilton railway station from all dead vegetation preparatory to winter planting.

Relief of Mafeklng.— To-day is the 36th anniversary of the relief of Mafeking, regarded as one of the major Incidents of the * Boer War. Against great odds a small detachment of British troops withstood a siege until reinforoements arrived. The news created wild enthusiasm in England.

Father’s Turn. —Apparently considering that “ Mother’s Day ” had received its full share of publicity, a Napier jewellery created considerable amusement to shoppers when he displayed in the shop window a notice which read: “To-day is Father’s Day.” Reposing at the foot of the notice was a bottle opener.

Damages Awarded.— —The defended divorce action, Thomas Bradley (a lab ourer) v Constance Margaret Bradley and D. B. Cameron, of Masterton, co respondent, resulted in a verdict for plaintiff for £SOO damages. A decree nisi was granted to be made absolute in three months. Petitioner was given custody of the four children.

Thames Valley Loan. —The Thames Valley Power Board has been authorised by Order-ln-Council, to raise a loan of £15,000, being part of the £75,000 loan sanctioned by the ratepayers last month. The loan will have a term of 25 years with interest at 3£ per cent., and will be repaid by annual or half-yearly instalments.

Bridge Suicide. —A verdict of suicide while suffering from acute mental depression was returned by the coroner, Ml* Wyvern Wilson, S.M., at Auckland yesterday, at the inquest into the death of Maurice Hughes, aged 36, who rolled off the parapet of Grafton Bridge, Auckland, on Tuesday.

“ Provo Your Maglo Now!” —Mr Long Tack Sam, chatting with a representative of the Waikato Times, told the following joke against himself. At Rotorua a slight railway accident caused a truck to overturn, and a bystander remarked to Mr Long: “You are a magician; see what you can do about putting that truck upright again 1”

Motor-Vehicle Registrations.—The motor-vehicle registrations recorded by the New Zealand Post Office during February and March reached the highest totals for those months since the inception of the Motor-Vehicles Act, 192 4. The figures for February were: —Cars, 2073; commercial vehicles, 562; and motor-cycles, 249—a total of 2884, which is an Increase of 1194, or 70.7 per cent over the figures for February. 1935.

Auokland Bank Affray. —Arrested by Detective Moore at the Point Chevalier branch of the Auckland Savings Bank on Thursday afternoon, James Billing, aged 39, bushman, appeared in the Auckland Police Court yesterday. He was charged that with Intent to facilitate the commission of a crime, to wit, that of theft, he did by violent means attempt to render James Godfrey Worboys Incapable of resistance. Accused, who was represented by Mr Sullivan, was remanded until next Thursday.

Privilege Claimed. —Privilege was claimed by a Government official in the Supreme Court at 'Christchurch yesterday, when he was asked to produce statements made by an applicant for sustenance, but he claimed that the documents, being State confidential documents, were privileged. In the absence of a certificate from the Minister of Labour, and because it appeared that one party in the action already knew part of the contents of the statements, Mr Justice Northcroft ruled that the statements must be released.

Paolflo Air Service. —The establishment of an air service to connect Manila, in the Philippine Islands, with New Zealand and Australia, is the subject of preliminary investigations by Mr F. V. Blair, owner of the Grand Central Airport at St. Petersburg, Florida, who arrived at Auckland by the Monterey from the United States yesterday. The service would be quite distinct from that which Pan-Ameri-can Airways was to operate between San Francisco and Auckland, although it would be in a measure supplementary to it, he stated. University Capping. —The 50th graduation ceremony of Auckland University College was held in the Auckland Town Hall last night, when degrees and diplomas gained by students of the college were conferred by the college president, Mr T. U. Wells, as the representative of the Chancellor of the University of New Zealand, the Hon. J. A. Hanan, M.L.C. In accordance with tradition there was a certain amount of student levity and many of the graduands were subjected to good-natured banter from their fellow scholars.

One of the finest ranges of gloves it is possible to see is now showing in the new Glove Department of Hooker and Kingston, Ltd. A most extensive collection comprising attractive wool gloves in new guantlct style and colours, smart fabric gloves in guantlet style, new Nappa and Skin Gloves and a. wonderful range of beautiful Nappa gloves fur lined and fur trimmed—the prices are most attractive. J n the Hosiery department you will see a most comprehensive range of pure wool hose and silk and wool hosierv, and a special line of Wolsey Gym Hose with spliced heels and toes *all sizes at 4/1 i pair, if you need gloves and hosiery see Hooker and Kingston’s range first for the values will certainly appeal to you.**

Currency In London. —Fine gold was quoted in London yesterday at £7 Os 2d an ounce £7 Os 3d on Thursday . the dollar at 4.96* (4.96 11-16), and the franc at 75 7-32 (75 9-32).

Farmers’ Trading Dividend. —The directors of the Farmers’ Trading Co., Limited, are recommending payment of an ordinary dividend of 5 per cent, unchanged,* for the year ended March 31.

Australia’s Wool Cheque. —Wool sold in Australia in the 10 months of the current season ended April 30 realised £46.297.175, according to figures issued by the National Council of Woolselling Brokers of Australia. The average price of .creasy wool was 14 id per lb, or £l7 15s 2d a bale.

Perpetual Forests. —The net earnings of New. Zealand Perpetual Forests, Limited, for the year ended March 31, were £22,104. an increase of £4761. The year's dividend is unchanged at 8 per rent. The net planted acerage established to date is 162,546 acres.

Aged Motorist Injured. —Whjle Mr William Emery, an aged settler ol Otewa Road (near Otorohanga) was motoring home his car left the road at a bend, and climbed a small cutting before capsizing. Mr Emery was considerably bruised and shaken, and was injured severely on the left band, necessitating the amputation of three fingers at the Te Kuiti Hospital.

Emergency Landing Ground. —The establishment of a landing ground for aeroplanes at Port Waikato is being seriously considered and officials of the Public Works Department are making investigations. Pilots frequently encounter dense fogs when travelling between Auckland and New Plymouth, and have to put hack. They consider the provision of an emergency land ground very desirable.

Tilt of Hamilton Stage. —l-n announcing a particularly dangerous feat by skaters of the Long Tack Sam entertainment in the Theatre Royal last night, one of the performers said that it was rendered even more difficult by the unusual tilt towards the orchestral well of the local stage. One of the adagio dancers with the Gaieties, recently in Hamilton, made the same comment to a Waikato Times representative.

Returned Soldiers’ Membership.— Evidence of the increasing keenness taken in the work of the Returned Soldiers’ Association throughout New Zealand was shown by figures received last night at a meeting of the executive of the Te Awamutu branch. At the end of March 31, 1927, the financial membership stood at 6071 and since then th© figures have increased fourfold, the total now being 20,828. The returns for the Te Awamutu branch show a membership of 181.

Education System Indicted. —That secondary school education in New Zealand has made little or no progress during th© last 20 years, that its schools are inadequately staffed, that the education system suffers from want of flexibility, and that the New Zealand boy or girl seem lo be too sex-cou-scious were opinions expressed in an interview with the Christchurch Press by Mr J. A. Peart, headmaster of King's College, Auckland, when he was discussing the standard of education in this country.

Transport Operators. —A conference of motor transport operators, which was opened Jn Wellington to discuss the provisions of the Transport Amendment Bill concluded yesterday. The Minister of Transport, the Hon. R. Semple, was present. It was stated that representations were made to the Minister on various clauses of the Bill. The Minister took a note of these and he undertook, as far as possible, to meet the wishes of the conference. About 70 to 80 operators attended.

Unusual Death. —At New Plymouth yesterday, an inquest was held into the circumstances surrounding the death of Leslie Jacklin Hardgrave, a farm labourer. The medical evidence showed that he .had been suffocated by earth which had lodged in his mouth and gullet. The theory is that deceased fainted and fell from a hayrake while gathering fern, being dragged by the machine into some soft earth. There were no external marks on the body.

Hospital Patients. —The daily average number of patients in the Waikato Hospital In April was 300 and 377 patients were admitted. The number of operations performed was 169 and although there were 319 discharges 326 patients remained as inmates on April 30. Thirty-one women were admitted to the Campbell-Johnstone Maternity Ward, the average daily number being 14.

Seine Net Fishing.—The necessity for controlling seine netting as a means of conserving fish supplies was suggested by Mr W. P. Endean (Opposition—Parnell) in the House of Representatives yesterday, in giving notice of a question to the Minister of Marine, the Hon. P. Fraser. Mr Endean referred to a recent statement by the chief inspector of fisheries, Mr A. E. Hefford, to the effect that New Zealand’s fish supply was poor in comparison with that of Great Britain. He asked whether the Minister knew that one of the most serious causes of the diminution of fish In New Zealand waters was the operation of some nets, which destroyed small fish, and whether some action would be taken to conserve the Dominion's fish supplies.

Registration of Poultry-runs. —By advertisement in this issue the New Zealand Poultry Board notifies “occupiers” of “poultry-runs.” as defined in the Poultry-runs Registration Act, that they are required to register on June 1 next or not later than June 30. The Act applies only to persons who have 25 or more hens or ducks over six months old and who sell eggs. Persons who do not sell eggs are not required to register irrespective of the number of poultry. Persons wno come under the Act and who fail to register on or before June 30 commit an offence and are liable to prosecution.

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