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Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 134, 8 June 1926, Page 6

In the Magistrate's Court at Wan<ranui yesterday, G. H. Bowler, formerly of Auckland, who recently commenced running buses in the river city, was proceeded against for a breach of the municipal by-laws. He pleaded that he had had to change the time-table and route agreed to because of the competition of the council's buses, and contended that he had not been given fair play. Remarking that the by-laws were not to be ignored and that defendant could not make his own laws, the magistrate (Mr. J. S. Barton) inflicted a fine of £1 and costs, adding that in future cases of the kind the penalty would be heavier.

I A car driven by Mr. L. Nankelow was caught on a crossing at Kopu on Saturday by the engine of the Thames to . Frankton express. The car was thrown 'some distance and considerably damaged, but all the occupants escaped unhurt.

A verdict of accidental death was returned at the inquest on Mr. Robert McKinney, farmer, of Warkworth, who was found dead on his farm, death being due to the accidental discharge of his gun while -he "was getting over a wire fence.

A painful accident befel the five-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. Holmes, of Otaua at the Maioro Beach, on Sunday afternoon. The child was sitting a few feet in front of one of the wheels of a heavy "koneke," harnessed to which were a pair of horses. A dog caused the animals to move forward, with the result that one of the wheels passed over the child, fracturing her right thigh. She was taken in a gig from the beach to the metalled road, from ivhence she was conveyed by Mr. Roy Wilkinson, of Pukekohe, in hi 3 motor car to the Waiuku Hospital. It is not known whether the unfortunate child was injured internally.

Although there are times when the waterside labour at Auckland is not sufficient to meet all requirements for working the ships in port, these occasions are rather the exception than the rule, as was instanced this morning, when about 000 union members were unable to find employment, and again at the afternoon call, when more than 100 others, who had been employed on the mail liner Aorangi during the morning, were without jobs. On Friday last the situation was the reverse, there being a shortage of both, union and non-union workers. On the latter occasion, however, the unusually large number of vessels in port and the fact that heavy rain had appeared likely to continue all day, was responsible for the shortnge.

While one of the Ministerial motorcars was standing outside the Bowen Street entrance to Parliament House, Wellington, yesterday, it suddenly broke away down the sloping footway leading to Lambton quay. Taking a swerve to' the right, the car crashed into a poet which supports electric light wires, wrenching the post out of position, and thus causing some of the wires to snap. The car was not greatly damaged, only one of the mudguards being dented. It is understood that the Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. O. J. Hawken) had intended to proceed to an appointment in the car, but he wae not in it at the time. Mr. Hawken's luck seems to be "out" just now so far as motor cars are concerned, for during the week-end he was cut about the head, to the extent of requiring several stitches, as the result of a motor car bumping heavily on a bad piece of road.

To facilitate the drainage of a. portion of the One Tree Hill district adjoining Onehunga, the Road Board has asked the Onehunga Borough Council to take into the borough a certain area, of about 325 acres, on the eastern boundary. If this were done, the drainage from One Tree Hill district would pass through the Onehunga main sewer into the Manukau Harbour. The subject was mentioned last night at the council meeting, when the Mayor, j\Tr. J. E. Cowell, told of the negotiations which have taken place between the two local authorities concerned, and supported by the Health Department. A letter was also read from the Department of Internal Affairs with regard to the necesary alteration of boundaries to give effect to the drainage scheme, stating that a commission had been appoint€d to go into the matter, consisting of Messrs. W. R. McKean, S.M. (chairman and convener), H. J. Lowe, Commissioner of Crown Lands, North Auckland, and J. B. Wallis, district valuer, Auckland.

A proposal that an electric loop railway line should run through Christchurch city, with a station near the Colombo Street ; Bridge, was contained in a letter read to the Progress League Railway Committee on Friday. The route proposed is along Fitzgerald Avenue to the Avon, along the river to Victoria Square, and thence across Hagley Park to the main line at Addington. The line could be electrically worked in conjunction with the Lyttel-ton-Middleton scheme. The area of land bounded by Cambridge Terrace and Victoria, Kilmore, and' Colombo Streets should be acquired jointly by the City Council and the Government, the City Council to be allotted sufficient land on the Cambridge Terrace frontage to erect a town hall, the remaining area to be used by the Government for a North Christchurch railway station. The purchase of land for the railway line would not involve the expenditure of a large sum. The proposal was explained at length by the writer, who stated that street congestion would be relieved, the business part of the city would be extended to the north side of the river, and the Department would an increased revenue. The discussion of the proposal was deferred.

Shags are reported to be again on the increase, especially in the Lake Taupo district, and as scientific investigation has established that these birds transmit a worm parasite to trout, fresh steps are to be taken towards thinninc their numbers. The Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. K. F. Bollard) stated yesterday in Wellington that as th« present price of 1/6 per head does not to pay anyone to so out shooting them, it has been decided to raise it to 2/6 per head in the thermal and Lake Waikaremoana districts.

A notice appears in the advertising columns calling for applications for the right to erect and conduct a hostel within the Tongariro National Park. Tbe lease conferring the right to erect the hostel is for a torm of 42 years, with safeguarding provisions in the public interests, including a power of resumption, after 21 years, upon payment of compensation to the lessee.