Right from early afternoon the St. Clair end of the beach was thronged with people, and very considerable interest was manifested both in the pavilion and also in the movements of the surf bathers. The pavilion looked at its best under the conditions that prevailed, and, whatever its faults, visitors were at any rate pleased with the tea rooms, which had been tastefully fitted up, and which later in the day drove a thriving trade.
The opening ceremony took place in the assembly hall on the ground floor of the building at 3 p.m. There was a large number of people in the hall, and on the platform at the end were his Worship the Mayor (Mr J. Wilson), Mr S. S. Myers (chairman of the Tramways Committee), and Mr J. M'Donald (who was present to open the club's season).
In the course of a few introductory remarks Mr Myers briefly outlined the steps which led to the erection of the building, which, he said, had altogether cost the council 5300.
• A rather unusual case came before Mr Page, S.M., on Monday at the Wanganui Magistrate's Court, when the police applied to have an order made against the grandfather of an illegitimate child. Sergeant Burke gave an outline of defendant's circumstances, and explained that the whereabouts of the father of the child was not known, and the mother was contributing towards the child's maintenance in the industrial school.
The magistrate said that he hadpower under the Destitute Persons Act to make an order against the grandfather, and an order was made for a payment of 2s 6d weekly.
• The Inspector of Fire Brigades (Mr T. T. Hugo), in his report to the Dunedin Fire Board in connection with his recent inspection of the Dunedin and subsidiary brigades, stated that, as the water reticulation had now been extended over the greater portion of the North-east Valley district, he would recommend the board to erect a small shed in some central position sufficiently large to house a light equipment to consist of reel, hose, stand-pipe, a couple of light scaling ladders, and a bell.
From four to six men residing in the vicinity might be enrolled as auxiliary firemen. The suggestion was favourably received by the board, but in the meantime the matter was referred to the superintendent of the brigade, to be reported on at the next meeting of the board.
• The Timaru Herald states that a young man belonging to a Government travelling gang went out recently to fish on a Fairlie farmer's property on the Sunday. The farmer came out and ordered him off his property, and gave him his reasons for doing so - firstly, fishing on Sunday was against his principles; and, secondly, it was a bad example for his family. The young man, who knew better, confessed his wrong and left, feeling very much ashamed of himself.
• Dr Brigham, an American visitor to New Zealand, speaking with reference to Maori curios, said that when he was in Hamburg he had seen Maori tikis being made, and these tikis were afterwards sent out to New Zealand and sold as the genuine article. The Maoris themselves bought these tikis, most of those of their own manufacture having either been sold or lost.
- ODT, 25.11.1912.
