LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Dense smoke enveloped the southwestern slopes of One Tree Hill for over an hour yesterday afternoon. The smoke at times rose high above the trig station on the summit and residents for several miles around were under the impression that a serious fire had occurred. The outbreak was on the Maungakiekie Golf Club's links, where a considerable quantity of dry grass was being burned.

The threat of competition in trade from Germany was referred to by the Prime Minister, Mr. Coates, in a speech at Ruawai. He said he had been shown a card quoting prices of tools made in Germany, all of which were used by farmers, at Is 9d each and British at Ss each. While the Government advised preference to British goods the British manufacturer would have to get his prices down to meet competition, said the Prime Minister.

Dozens of camps have been established at Muriwai Beach during the last fortnight, and the approaches to the sands are still thickly populated. The service officer of the Auckland Automobile Association reported from the beach last evening that road conditions were excellent and that the Lincoln Road route would hold traffic in all weather. "The Muriwai access may now be termed an allweather route, and only after abnormal rain might there be need for chains over a short distance," he said. The Thames-Frankton steam rail car crashed into two cows, which were lying on the line near Wharepia about 3.40 o'clock yesterday morning. Both animals were killed. The car, after some delay, was able to complete its journey to Frankton. Te Aroha is threatened with a shortage of water in the event of the present dry weather spell being prolonged. Both reservoirs which supply residents of the borough with water are nearly empty, and drastic measures are being . employed to prevent the use of garden hoses. Four men have been patrolling the borough environs in the evenings, and are instructed to cut off the supply altogether to residents found using hoses and with leaking taps in their homes. Nineteen residents of the Paterangi district set out one day this week to climb to the top of Pirongia Mountain and safely negotiated the little-used track. However, on the return journey they lost their way. After wandering in various directions for three hours the party eventually emerged on the Harapepe side of the mountain, about 10 miles from where they started. They sheltered at the home of Mr. Madson while a thunderstorm was in progress, and made their way to Mr. Corcoran's homestead. Then they woi-e conveyed by car back to their camp. One member of the party, who had detached himself from the main body, had the unpleasant experience of wandering through the bush alone. After crossing ridges and gullies, he arrived back in camp footsore and weary.

The first swordfish to be landed off Whangaroa this season was caught on Thursday by Mr. Stanley Ellis, of Hamilton. It was a fine specimen and put up a great fight. Its weight was 2781b. Mr. H. L. Rees, of Auckland, landed a mako weighing 2681b.

Arrangements have been made in Auckland for the extradition from Hawaii of William Maddison Ait, a former resident of one of the suburbs, who has been arrested in Honolulu on charges of false pretences. It is understood that a firm which claims to have sustained loss in certain deals in motor-cars has guaranteed the expenses involved.

The number of bankruptcies recorded in Hamilton last year wa3 29, compared with 39 for 1926, and 25 for 1925. Of last year's bankrupts 10 were farmers. Liabilities -totalled £24,000 and the assets realised only £6558.

Good sport was experienced by a party of Te Awamutu and Te Kuiti holidaymakers in a launch outside the heads at Kawhia. They spent two hours catching sharks, and then arrived on the hapuku grounds near Gannet Island. Hapuku were plentiful, and at the end of the day over 70 had been caught. The top weight was 841b. The visitors praise Kawhia as a holiday resort with excellent deep sea fishing within an hour's run by launch.

Very few people would care to see their car disappear over the edge of a cliff, but that is what very nearly happened to an Invercargill motorist. He left his car parked on a slight slope at the "Rocks" at Riverton and took the precaution to leave it in gear and with the brake hard on. Later one of his family eagerly questing for cigarette cards knocked the car out of gear, pulled off the brake and returned to his parents. Within a very few minutes the car started to rue backwards down the slope toward a cliff, brushing aside in its descent a post which, however, slackened the pace slightly. An onlooker stopped the car only a few feet from the edge of the cliff.

A motorist driving to Takapau recently ran into a swarm of which gave him and his fellow-passengers a lively time for a few moments. The visitors were eventually driven from the vehicle.

The Maoris are too great a race to die, but die they undoubtedly will unless the pakehas lead and help them. Civilisation's duty to the trust which the coming of the white man to New Zealand has imposed was emphasised by the Bev. E. T. Olds, assistant superintendent of Methodist Maori mission work in New Zealand, in an address to the New Plymouth Botary Club on his work among the Maori people. He referred to the dwindling of the Maori race from 400,000—the estimate of Captain Cook—to 40,000. Aiding in the destruction of the Maoris by bitter intertribal strife was the musket. Mr. Olds warmly defended his friends against the allegation that they were "not much class" and would not work, and asked whether the pakeha deprived of his best land by the invader would be enthusiastic in working the rest. The Maoris had been compelled to leap in 100 years to that civilisation it had taken the pakeha 1000 years to reach. But the Maoris were now progressing and it was not the idea of the Church workers to make them "good, superficial pakeha churchmen "—they wished to help them fill their own destiny, for they had a part to play is the life of New Zealand. The growth of educa tion among the Maoris and their better acceptance of pakeha medical treatment were stressed as points of progress with a people who will prosper, providing they have pakeha sympathy.