Boys rip off expo building

Mr J.R. Bartholomew SM had brought before him in the Juvenile Court on Saturday morning two boys, aged respectively 15 and 16 years, on a charge of climbing on the roof of the Exhibition buildings on a Sunday afternoon and cutting away some malthoid. The boys admitted cutting away the malthoid, but denied that they had broken several windows by kicking sticks through them. Mr Hanlon, who appeared on behalf of the boys, said that as others had done, they had climbed on to the roof of the building to obtain a view, and while up there rain had come on, and they had made a tent out of the malthoid. They had also kicked things off the roof, but had not heard any glass break, nor did they know that any damage had been done. They had been caught on the roof and soundly cuffed. Mr Lock (juvenile probation officer) said that the older boy was undoubtedly the ringleader. He had been before the court on a previous occasion on charges of theft and mischief. The second boy bore a good character. The magistrate said the older boy was obviously not normal. The previous case, where serious damage had been done to a boat shed, pointed to that. There was not sufficient evidence of the breaking of glass, and that charge would be dismissed. On the remaining charge the older boy, who was already under the supervision of the juvenile probation officer, would be placed on probation for a further period of 12 months. The other boy would receive a chance, and would be admonished and discharged. The respective fathers would have to pay 7s 6d each to defray the cost of the damage.

Gravel on the rails

The journey on the Rattray street cable car is never a comfortable one, but lately it has become more unpleasant than ever. From Maclaggan street to Arthur street loose metal has been placed on the road. A result is that vehicles passing up or down Rattray street remove a quantity of metal on to the rails of the up cable car, which bumps over them, to the great discomfort of the passengers.

Operator error

Ostracism of the road hog to-day, just as the slacker during war times was given the cold shoulder by his fellows, is advocated as one method of reducing automobile casualties, according to traffic authorities. Failure to give right of way is responsible for many accidents in the tabulations that have been compiled by motoring organisations, and it the unanimous opinion that the road hog is the chief hazard of the highways.

Milford nitrate not needed

To the editor: It is evident that the farming community does not use the whole of the nitrogenous manure now being produced in the country. How is it going to utilise the £150,000 worth of nitrates which the promoters of the Bowen Falls scheme intend to produce during their first year’s operations? One further point is worthy of consideration by those who are anxious to back up the syndicate. As calcium nitrate is hygroscopic and cannot be long kept in bags on account of absorption of moisture from the atmosphere, it will have to be stored in drums or similar receptacles. It will certainly not pay to add the cost of freight to the works of empty drums. Does the syndicate then propose to make these drums on the spot, and thus add another factory to the nitrate works? — I am, etc, Geo. M. Thomson, Dunedin, March 28 — ODT, 30.3.1925

Compiled by Peter Dowden