Improvements at Forbury

The Forbury Park Trotting Club were favoured by perfect weather for the opening of the spring meeting, and this, in conjunction with an attractive card, drew an excellent attendance. 

A slight breeze sprang up during the afternoon, but it did not raise any dust, as the track had been well watered and kept attended to in that direction during the afternoon. It would perhaps be advisable when watering the track during the intervals between the racing to affix a lighter spray to the water cart, which at present throws rather too heavily, and so tends to make the going greasy in patches. The going was in good order, but not fast, although it improved towards the end, and evidence in that direction cropped up by Ben O’Hau going 2min 12sec, which is faster than any winning record on the track. Since last season the club has carried out some important improvements by installing turnstile gates and forming a new entrance for motors, which now gain access to the course by way of Richardson street. The police took charge of the traffic approaching the course, and effected a great improvement in that respect on the old method of allowing it to make an approach in any haphazard way that various individuals might select. Another improvement consists in the replacement of the old picket fence formerly surrounding the birdcage by a handsome iron railing with sliding gates.

 

The Electric Power and Lighting Committee of the Dunedin City Council reports that in view of the fact that the department is now in the position of having ample power for sale for all purposes, it is proposed to take steps to let that fact be widely known with a view to securing new consumers. 

 

The second performance of "Samson" by the Dunedin Choral Society was given in His Majesty’s Theatre last evening before a large audience. The chorus work was as good as on the preceding evening, and the soloists — Miss Paine, Miss Lungley, Mr Drake, Mr North, Mr Sutherland and Mr Walmsley — were quite successful in presenting the music that fell to them in an attractive form. The choir was again conducted by Dr Galway. Mr Wallace was the orchestral lead and Miss Hartley provided all piano parts.

 

A conductor on the Maori Hill trams thought that he was one of the chosen of the gods the other day when he found the sum of £16 in Bank of New Zealand currency notes, all nicely tied up in a little white canvas bag with the letters BNZ printed thereon, lying in the track of his car. Strictly speaking, the car should not have stopped there, but under the circumstances the conductor and the motorman must both be forgiven. Fortunately, the conductor was an honest man, and had a shrewd suspicion that the money belonged to a woman who was standing near-by. The woman had more than a suspicion that it belonged to her husband who was walking up the road not far away. "Bob," she called "Bob! where’s your money?" Bob felt hurriedly through each pocket and then looked up with an expression of frozen horror on his face. "Good heavens!" cried he. "Good heavens! It’s gone!" Perhaps it was that his gratitude was too deep to be expressed in words, or that he thought that the conductor would be insulted if he endeavoured to make a tangible recognition of services rendered, for he hastened away without a word. The conductor is a bit of a philosopher, 

however, and he expresses the belief that he will get his reward in heaven. — ODT, 29.11.1924