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Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 45, 23 February 1926, Page 6

The Chief Postmaster has been advised that the mails which left Auckland on January 19 by the R.M.s. Niagara, via Vancouver, arrived in London on Sunday last. At the railway employees" picnic at Huntly on Sunday, there were three accidents. A lad fell into nine feet of water, but fortunately was rescued without serious result. A bather had a narrowescape while bathing, and was rescued by a mate. A little girl while descending from the top deck of the excursion steamer Jlawhiti, fell and was unconscious for two hours or more. There were upwards of 2000 on board the Piawhiti.

The stability of the new picture theatre that is at present being erected in the New Lynn district was questioned hy the members of the town board at its meeting last evening. It appears that a portion of the building collapsed during the recent heavy gale, and has | since been a subject of comment. The chairman (Mr. C. F. Gardner) in discussing a letter from the board's solicitor on the subject, stated that it was better and fairer to approach tbe owners now and not wait until the building was completed and possibly refuse to issue a license. He thought * the owners should obtain the opinion ; of some 'well-known architect and submit a report to the board. Other members agreed that this might meet the case, and that course is to be followed. While working on the Prince's wharf yesterday afternoon, a man named S. G. Attwell, of SS Victoria Street West, had a very lucky escape from serious injury. He was struck on the left leg and foot by an iron rod, which had slipped from a sling when being lifted out of the Port Dunedin. The force of the blow was sufficient to cut one of his boots almost in half. The man was taken by the St. John's Ambulance to the Auckland Hospital, where the instep of his left foot was found to be badly bruised. After treatment at the hospital he was ah'e to go to his home. The members of the Wa-itemata Power \ Boarel whose term of office will first the four representatives of the Waitemata County and the Helensville Town District, which are combineci for representation purposes. These are: Messrs. F. W. Grigg. Jas. McLeod, C. S. West, and Jas. Mackie, who' intend seeking re-election. The election for the Power Board in these areas is to be held on the same day as the County Council elections in May next. Already i there are several names mentioned as j probable candidates, in addition to the four members retiring. The annual street collection for the Auckland Hospital Patients and Families Fund will be made on Friday next. I Volunteer workers to help in making the | collection are sought. R.elief is afforded at all hours to people genuinely in neeel, and the fund serves a very useful purpose. Officials of the fund point out j that, despite the fart that some people I are opposed to it. on the grounds that ' it is a work which should be undertaken ! by tlie State, the need for relief persists. ! and in the absence of Government aid I j the community must be appealed to if | the fund is to he built up. A visitor i with thirty years' experience investigates all cases in order to ensure that , the fund is not wasted. Generous re- : sponse to the appeal is urged, since the j ! fund is in credit to the extent of onlyi I £09 17/7. Last year, people in poor j I circumstances were given groceries worth £140. drapery, boots and clothing, : to the value of £55, the sum of £S5 was I I expended on payments for board, rent i anel meals, while medical comforts, at I a cost of £35. were provided, in addii tion to other assistance. The reply made by the Minister of I Internal Affairs to the Council of Christian Congregations on the subject of gold nuggets as art union prizes is j based on section 42 of the Gaming Act. j 1908. Paragraph 111 of that section I provides: "If any person being the | owner of any painting, drawing, scuipi tare, or other work of art, or literature, jor mineral specimens, or mechanical j | models applies to the Minister of In-1 ternal Affairs for permission to dispose I of the same by raffle or chance, the said Minister may. if lie thinks fit. grant a j license for that purpose, subject to such I conditions and restrictions a_s he thinks right to impose." "It will therefore, | be seen." added Mr. Bollard. ''that j licenses issued for art unions the prizes ! j for which are gold nuggets, are within I j the statutory provision I have quoted." A native boarded the mission steamer J John Williams a month or so ago. and . presented a large egg to one of the offi- i ocrs as a curio at the close of a visit to Port Moresby. The egg was presented to a Port resident, and was safely landed at the Moresby Hotel, i Weeks went by and the egg rested on ' the writing-table practically unnoticed . day after day. until March 30, when j from the egg emerged a nestling. The I natives say they do not know what the bird is. but think it is not a native of that part of the world. "Every motorist appeared to feel that : he had a duty to perform, and that was I the welfare of others." So reported j the traffic inspector at the New Lynn Town Board last evening in respect to February 13 (Muriwai race davi. The number of vehicles that passed' through the township between the hours of 6.30 a.m. and noon totalled 61S. Speeding was in no way in evidence, except in one or two cases coming home, anel these were promptly warned. Over 500 cars passed through the district on the Sunday afternoon following the races. Regarding the loan poll which ratepayers at De_»port will vote upon tomorrow the town clerk informed a "Star" reporter this morning that a! ratepayer could ---ote for any one of! the four issues or all as it is thought j fit. It was also pointed out that wives, of ratepayers could vote if they wished, i Alternatively husbands of wives who 1 are ratepayers are also entitled to vote. to-morrow. ' A fatal accident occurred on the Skeet Road near Kapuni on the ISth instant, ! when Bernard Vincent Sheerin, a well- i known contractor, met his death j through being run over by one of his own bullock drays. Deceased leaves a ' widow anel four young sons, the latters' ages ranging from sixteen months to i nine years. Mr. "Ted" Revell, of Te j Xgutu, a single man, employed hv de- | ceased, was with him at the time and ! narrowly escaped a similar fate. ; Through stepping into a hole in the I street near tlie fire brigade station. I Devonport. yesterday afternoon, Mr. W. K. Howitt met with a painful accident | to his foot, and although he spent some time in the city afterwards, when he returned to Devonport the foot became' so painful that he had to be taken to' his home in tlie ambulance. *j As the lease of the British Hotel. Queen Street, which ha.? been purchased j by the Auckland Electric Power Board I for offices and showrooms, will expire in j about twelve months' time, the board is I to invite architects to submit competitive designs for the new building, and to offer prizes of £200, £100 and £.50 for first, second and third best designs. A great deal of new building is going I on at Stratford at present. Several j new business premises are being erected. ' Since January 9 building permits valued I at £1.">.99.j have been issued by the j borough council. This includes the new ; premises of the Bank of Australasia. Railway district traffic managers from all sections in the North Island will meet in Auckland this week. The conference, which will be one of a purely departmental nature, has been called for the purpose of discussing various matters in connection with transport and other similar problems.