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Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 206, 31 August 1926, Page 6

A rather novel method in municipal procedure has been adopted by the engineer-town clerk of Birkenhead, Mr. Frank Finch, of presenting to the council the progress of actual expenditure as compared with the estimated expenditure for borough works. Members have before them the statements in columns of figures, and also, in addition, the graphical representation of these. The diagram is in the form of a sphere. The circumference represents to scale the total amount of estimated expenditure. The sphere is divided into sectors, each representing proportionately the amounts allocated for the respective works. Each sector is blackened to represent the amount of expenditure to date, and, as the preiphery of each sector is equivalent to the period of one year as well as the estimated expenditure, it is seen at a glance how finances are standing in relation to the advancing year.

The chief health inspector for Auckland, Mr. B. A. Franklin, accompanied by the district inspector, Mr. H. H. Martindale, has completed a visit of inspection to the Ohinemuri hotels, including those at Paeroa, Kerepeehi, Waikino and WaihL They have expressed the opinion that the several premises had met with their entire approval in all departments and that the premises generally were in equipment above the average of licensed premises in the Auckland Province.

A motor ear belonging to Mr. W. S. Miller, garage proprietor, of Khyber Pass Road, was unlawfully removed from Boston Road at about seven o'clock last evening. The police recovered the car this morning in an undauged condition in Westwood Avenue.

Opportunity is to be taken when the Prime Minister visits his home at Matakohe before leaving for the Imperial Conference, to tender him a public farewell at Dargaville, the headquarters of his constituency. The date of the meeting will be fixed in a day or two.

When the Auckland launch Euamano called at the island of Makogai, in the Fiji Group, where the leper station is situated, it was found that the New Zealand leper patients were building a launch from material that was available. However, the stumbling block was how to get an engine for the small craft. On returning to Auckland the Ruamano's crew, with the assistance of friends, collected sufficient money to purchase a 41-h.p. launch engine, with all necessary accessories, and these have been duly dispatched through the Auckland office of the Health Department to Makogai.

During the general business of the Ta'kapuna Borough Council last evening Mr. J. W. Williamson criticised a complaint made by the engineer of the Waitemata County Council that, notwithstanding the agreement by which the county council was to pay £1000 towards the cost of regrading Sheriff's Hill, no plans for approval had been received from the Takapuna Council, which had already commenced the work. Other councillors and the assistant engineer also spoke on the matter, refuting the statement. It was decided that the facte of the case be forwarded to the chairman of the county council.

At a picture theatre in Wanganui the other evening a lady had an insignificant miniature dog of the weasel-eyed type tucked comfortably under her jacket. All went well until the pocket edition of dog commenced to bark. "Oh, do be quiet, darling!" said the lady. Darling still continued to bark, only to be tucked comfortably all the more under the lady' 3 arm. There was a lull in the proceedings, and then darling once more commenced to enter a protest. "Darling, darling, do be quiet!" said the lady. "If you keep on barking like that I am afraid I will be put out. You know," she remarked to some people in the adjacent seats, "I can't make out what is the matter with darling this evening. I always bring him with mc to the pictures, and he has never behaved like this before." Two small boys at the rear knew all about darling's troubles. When the pictures were too dull the boys amused themselves by pinching darling's tail.

The lake in Mount Ruapehu, which for many years up to 1924 has regularly stood at about 80deg. Fah-, and which has risen as high as lOOdeg., has frozen over, and a thick coating of snow covers the ice. On Friday members of the Ruapehu Ski Club ascended the mountain and inspected the crater lake, and for the first time since about 1897, they found it to be frozen over. The phenomenon is considered extraordinary in view of the number of years in which the lake was hot enough to bathe in, and has excited particular interest throughout the the North Island. This interest waa caused by the activity of Mount Ngauruhoe three months ago.

The firet quarterly meeting of the Ohinemuri Licensing Bench, including the adjourned annual meeting, will be held at Paeroa on Monday, September 6 The principal application to be dealt with, legal argument in regard to which was heard at the last sitting, is that of Mary Blackie Montgomery for a license at Morrinsville for premises to be known as the Morrinsville Hotel. The hearing of objections to the granting of the license, including that of the police, also took -place at last sitting. The furnishing of the Waihi Commercial Hotel is now proceeding and a license for the same to Mrs. H. D. M. Haszard has already been approved. The approved applicant, Medora Stevens, for the Sterling Hotel, Waihi, has commenced building operations, and when completed will comprise Waihi's fourth hoteL

An Auckland business man, who recently paid a visit to Waihi, said that he hardly recognised the town again after an absence of over twelve months. He commented favourably on the improved condition of the main thoroughfare, the introduction of electric lighting, and the up-to-date hotel buildings and accommodation for the travelling public. The mining outlook, he also considered, was most favourable now that the Waihi Company had taken over the Grand Junction mine.

A whirlwind of some considerable dimensions was noticed on Sunday afternoon by residents near the railway line (writes our Te Awamutu correspondent.) The disturbance seemed to start on Taylor's Flat, half a mile north of the railway station, and it swept across towards College Street with a roaring sound that alarmed people in the locality. So far as could be juJjred, no harm was done. These atmospheric disturbances are usually regarded as the forerunner of a spell of fine weather, which would be greatly appreciated by the farming community.

Speaking on the value of reinforced concrete in architecture at Ohrdstchurch on Friday night, Professor Campbell, of Canterbury College, said that so many experiments and calculations had been made with reference to the use of concrete in buildings that to-day the weight and tension it would stand in any given part of a structure could be determined exactly. It had often occurred to him that it would be practicable and easy to do at the quarry. It would cost more, of course, but (reports the "Press") the question arose as to the saving in cement for the same strength. He intended to carry out a series of experiments, which he had no doubt would prove that cement could be saved.

At the commencement of his sddress last evening, Gipsy Smith stated that he intended one evening to tell of some of his experiences during his three and a-half years' ministry amidst the blood and mud of Flanders. He did so at each place he went to because he found that wherever he went in the British Empire the people were forgetting the war and what the gallant boys had done for them. Those who wanted to hear this talk would need to come each evening so as to be sure of not niissin"it.