Compiled by Cameron McCullough
WHEN Horace Sharp, Hannah Nolan and Vincent Caffra, employees at the Pier Hotel, Frankston, returned to their rooms late on Saturday night last they found them in disorder and several articles of their property missing.
About 9.30 that evening, George Davies, painter, had occasion to go to Caffra’s room in the staff’s quarters of the hotel.
He was surprised to find it securely locked and to see, when he finally gained admittance, a strange young man asleep on the bed.
The young man, Harry Sandforth, a visitor from Cheltenham, explained when he awoke that he had been wandering around and was just settling down for a few hours’ sleep.
Davies communicated with Senior Constable Elliott and Standforth was arrested and locked up.
At the Frankston Court, on Tuesday, before Messrs. Grant, Wheeler, Armstrong, and Brown, J.’sP., the accused appeared on charges of having stolen from Hannah Nolan a box, of powder, and a silk handkerchief; from Horace Sharp an overcoat, a silk scarf, and a booklet of photographs; and from Vincent Caffra, a scarf a pair of socks and 10/- in silver.
On each of the three charges Standforth was fined £5, in default one month’s imprisonment. Witnesses’ costs were allowed.
“When I returned about 10 o’clock on Saturday night, I found my room ‘all upside down’,” said Horace Sharp from the witness, box.
“I value the articles stolen from me at about £2.”
Similar evidence was given by each of the other witnesses.
Senior-Constable Elliott said that the accused, when arrested had pretended he was drunk, but at the watch house he was perfectly sober.
“I asked him where he got the face powder,” continued Constable Elliott, “and he told me that he had bought it in Melbourne for his girl.”
Constable Addison corroborated the Senior’s evidence.
Free Motor Ambulance Offered
Cr. Jack, of Bittern, who has long been interested in the establishment of a free motor ambulance service for the Peninsula, has received information to the effect that a motor ambulance will be provided free, conditionally on a guarantee being forth coming that £30 is contributed annually to a sinking fund to replace the motor car when it is worn out.
Immediately this guarantee is given the ambulance service will be established.
Cr. Jack states that the Flinders Shire Council has agreed to provide £10 annually towards the guarantee, and it is the intention of Cr. Jack to ask the Councils of the Shires of Mornington and Frankston and Hastings to act similarly.
Unemployment Grant and municipal reserves
Practically the complete afternoon session of the last meeting of the Frankston and Hastings Shire council was spent in discussing ways and means of obtaining money from a Government unemployment grant for urgent improvement works.
Councillors were unanimous in their decision to obtain as much of the grant as possible, but the question of how much the Council could raise to supplement the grant was the stumbling block.
Conditions of the grant make it clear that for every £100 Government money – up to a limit of £300 – similar sums must be raised by the municipal councils and by the public.
Money from this grant must be used in wages alone, and on works for which no previous provision has been made.
It was decided to determine the possibility of utilising this grant for improvement work to the disused sand pit at Seaford, which the Council has decided to purchase from McCulloch & Co., for a local recreation ground. The land will be obtained at a cost of £600.
Cr. Brown moved that the treasurer be consulted on the advisability of raising a loan of £300 for this purpose. This loan would be repaid over a period of 15 years.
This suggestion was not received enthusiastically, and when the debate hail reached its highest point without any marked progress being made with the business in hand, Cr. Miles came to light with a brilliant suggestion.
He moved that subject to the sale with McCulloch & Co. being finalised, the deposit of £200 be paid out of general revenue.
This, according to an agreement with the owners, will be handed back to the trustees for improvements.
Of this sum, £100 will be handed to the Council, which £100 will be immediately transferred to the trustees for unemployment work.
The Council will then be able to apply to the Government for £100 of the grant money, and the remaining £100 held by the trustees will be the public’s contribution to render the grant legal.
The motion was carried unanimously.
A DEPUTATION, consisting of Mr. Bishop (head master of the High School), Dr. Maxwell and Mr. Phillips waited on the Council with a request that the old cricket ground in Cranbourne road be improved and put into playing order.
Mr. Bishop said that £200 had been spent in preparing the three acres of the ground on which it was proposed to build the new High School. He suggested obtaining money from the Government’s unemployment grant for this purpose.
A suitable pavilion could be erected at a cost of £350.
Dr. Maxwell: At present it is probably the worst ground in the Peninsula.
Cr. Oates: It is necessary that the ground should be put in proper order. I move that £100 be included in the Council’s loan schedule, on condition that £100 can be obtained from the Government.
Cr. White: I am not in favour of spending hundreds of pounds for a ground for boys and girls to play on when our outback roads are in such a condition. I cannot conscientiously vote for it.
Mr. Ham suggested that a deputation to the Minister of Public Works should state the condition of the Council’s finances, and see if it is possible to obtain money from the Government and public, on a £ for £ basis without any contribution from the Council.
It was finally agreed to include £100 in the Council’s loan schedule and apply for £100 from the Governmental grant, provided that a similar sum or a guarantee be obtained from the public.
TOMORROW will witness the opening of Pope’s new grocery stores in Playne street, Frankston, opposite the Picture Palais.
An extended advertisement setting out the prices of leading lines, appears in another part of “The Standard.”
The new shop, erected by the late Mr. A. B. Morris, presents a well-stocked appearance, and the show windows are particularly attractive.
The business is to be conducted on a cash basis, the proprietor advertising: “No credit; no delivery; and no canvasser.” His customers, he says, will reap the benefit.
ON Wednesday last a party of Frankston High School boys visited Dandenong and engaged the High School boys there in a game of football.
The visitors suffered defeat, but they experienced a happy time nevertheless.
They made the trip in Mr. H. C. Barclay’s motor lorry, which that gentleman kindly placed at their disposal.
From the pages of the Frankston and Somerville Standard, 10 July 1925