Price on saboteur’s head
Wellington, April 10: The Railway Board has decided to offer a reward of £500 for information leading to the apprehension of the person or persons responsible for the Palmerston North railway outrages.
Approval expressed
Advice has been received by those advocating daylight saving that during the past fortnight another 22 local bodies and other organisations have passed resolutions in favour of the adoption of summer time daylight saving, making a total of 97 bodies which have expressed their approval. There is an impression in the minds of many that the proposal is only for the purpose of increasing the facilities for outdoor amusements, but it is mainly on economical grounds, in materially reducing one of the items in the present high cost of living. In this respect everyone benefits, farmers and city people alike, as on a rough average one may say that artificial lighting comes into use in the summer months about 7.30pm, and on the same rough average is put out at 10.30pm. Standard time by summer-time clocks being an hour fast, the light will not be needed until 8.30pm, but extinguishing time will be 10.30 by the clock. Thus at one stroke the average householder’s lighting bill is reduced by one-third.
New road urged
At the last meeting of the Taieri County Council a petition signed by over 70 Strath Taieri ratepayers was received, asking that a road should be formed on another route to avoid the dangerous grade on the Deep Stream Hill. The necessity for something being done was emphasised on April 2, when a party of motorists was coming down the hill (writes a local resident). The crown wheel gave way, all the gears and brakes were immediately put out of action, and there appeared to be nothing to stop the car and its passengers from being hurled to the bottom of the gorge. Fortunately a small rock impeded the car’s progress, and the passengers were saved from what might have been a fatal accident. As one passenger put it, he "never expected to be so near death and miss it."
Charges decried
The licensing of motors and drivers is proceeding apace in Oamaru. Nevertheless there are a great many people who do not appear to appreciate the fact that in both cases the licenses are renewable annually. People do not seriously object to paying the 5 shillings fee for a driver’s license, but loud protests are heard against the annual charge of £2 for a motor car. Owners of cars contend that they are paying a double tax for the upkeep of roads, firstly, through the tyre tax, and, secondly, through the motor license. They state that they would not complain so much if they saw tangible results in the shape of greatly improved roads. — ODT, 12.4.1926
