NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 32, 8 February 1928, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Argyle Street Wigwag Signal.

For a number of years the Mount Albert borough Council has been hammering away at the Kailway Department to erect warning signals at Argyle Street crossing, so far without result. Last night the council received a reply from the District Engineer for Railways stating that "the matter will be duly looked into." Public Bequest. A public bequest, in equal shares to tiic Jubilee Institute for the Blind and the Orphans' Home Trust Board of the Church of England, is made in the will of Mr. Job Carter, late of 11, 0 Dnnbar Road, Mount Eden, who died on Decern- e ber 2~>. After provision for certain life interest, 3 the residue of the estate, which is being admin- a istered by the Public Trustee, will go to the I two institutions named. j 3 "Coats Off." t "Mr. Mayor, the night is very warm; c would " The Mayor, having perspired freely j for a couple of hours under the double misfortune of a heavy agenda and a February night with the thermometer soaring upwards in the direc- , tion of the 80 mark, grasped the situation in v a flash. "\es, gentlemen, you may remove your coats." Immediately councillors, officials and pressmen at the meeting of the Mount Albert j Borough Council last evening followed the example of the Mayor (Mr. L. E. Rhodes), threw off coats and vests, and concluded the 'business in shirt sleeves. Thistles Checked by Drought. Healthy clumps of Californian thistles are j to be seen in many parts of the Morrinsville district, but the spread of the plant is not welcorned by farmers. Efforts <to keep it in check ' have not been very effective, and t lie latest ' reports indicate that it is an increasing nuisance. Although the thistle is the national 1 emblem of Scotland, farmers in the Auckland 1 Province find it is a pest which must .be carefully controlled. Following the long dry spell, a 1 Kiwitahi farmer has noticed that the fluffy 1 flowers, when half-formed, have wilted and died, ] and this, while indicating the dryness of the soil, ' is regarded as a welcome development. < Midnight Fountain. . : A mighty fountain gushed skywards in Vic- ; toria Street last evening, and played for 20 minutes. The actual scene of the outburst was between Albert and Federal Street intersections, where a large main delivered water to the city area. Broad columns shot spectacularly to a height well above the telegraph poles, and sometimes reached the level of the top of a nearby shop. The fountain was divided into three distinct arms, and resembled the feathery plumes i of the Prince of Wales. Adjacent shop fronts were deluged, verandah gutters flooded, and the roadway changed into a network of streams. The break was located at a fireplug, and the warning • was given to the city waterworks department by a constable who saw it about 11.25 p.m. A gang cut off the flow in the affected section and repaired the main. Threatening Grass Fires. Fire brigades in various parts of the city had a busy time yesterday in attending to grass and scrub fires. In several cases things looked dangerous till the fire-fighters arrived. Two houses were threatened by a fire in the grass at the corner of Handlcy Avenue and Malvern Road, Devonport, at four o'clock in the afternoon. The brigade promptly got the flames under control, however, and no damage was done. The igniting of a gum tree in Great North Road, Point Chevalier, <?aused anxiety for a time, for it was feared that a falling branch might interrupt the telegraph service. The City Brigade extinguished a grass fire in C'rummer Road, Grey Lynn, early in the afternoon, while similar outbreaks were attended to in Amaru Road and Clarke Road, Onehungo, in the early hours of the morning. Samoa and Niue. The Department of Industries and Commerce has advised the Chamber of Commerce that there is little likelihood of the Government motorshiji Maui Pomaro leaving the United Kingdom before February 21, so that the initial trip of the vessel from New Zealand to the Islands is unlikely to take place before May. Until a more definite date of departure is known, it is not possible to make final arrangements as to the,constitution of the proposed business delegation, but there is said to be every indication that the applications to make the trip will exceed the number that can be taken. Several of those proposing to go have notified that they will be accompanied by their wives, and in view of the response to the invitation, the Department of External Affairs has agreed to allot the whole of the thirty berths available. • Tram Tracks Dangerous. "Have the conference as soon as you can, because the tram tracks are in a dangerous state. Just outside the Council Chambers a stone cube is two inches above the track, and things are much worse at Morningside." These remarks were made by a councillor at last night's meeting of the Mount Albert Borough Council, when a letter was read from the Auckland City Council, stating that the council's requests regarding the tracks on the Mount Albert route had been considered, and that it had been resolved that a confcrcncc should bo arranged between Mount Albert representatives and the chairman of the Tramways, Water and Electricity Committee, the manager of tramways, the city solicitor, and town clerk. The letter also requested that the Mount Albert representatives should be accompanied by the council's solicitor. New Lynn's Water Supply. A special meeting of the New Lynn Town Board was held last evening, over which the chairman (Mr. W. L. Titchener) presided. The chief item of business was that concerning the district water supply. A report was submitted covering tests carried out by the superintendent of the Auckland Fire Brigade, which showed that 3in mains on high levels did not give a satisfactory pressure for fire-fighting purposes. The engineer's report for; strengthening the present service estimated the cost at £0700. A further sum of £2000 would be required to reticulate the Kelston area if the proposed merger was successfully brought about. No provision is made in the above figures for establishing a fire brigade, with the necessary premises and equipment. After a good deal of discussion, the board decided to let matters remain in abeyance i until tho proposed Kelston merger had been disposed of, and then take one poll on the whole question. Intercolonial Trade. ' The announcement that the Commonwealth 1 Minister of Customs (Mr. H. E. Pratten) would ' visit the Dominion shortly to confer with the ; New Zealand Government upon reciprocal tariff matters was considered by the council of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce at its last ' meeting. The president expressed . appreciation l that a conference was to be held shortly to i discuss the traile situation between the o , countries. Chambers of Commerce for some , years past, he said, had urged upon the Governinent the necessity for revision of existing agree--5 ments, and the general revision of the tariff last t vear had made that an urgent matter. The great difficulty was that both countries produced in ' the main articles of a similar nature, and 6aen 5 wished to conserve its own market to its own * producer. In acting for sectional interests in i this way there was danger of ignoring the general 1 interest, and actions taken under the tariffs and , in other ways had been such as to 5 savour more of retaliation than of recipiocit}, * especially where duties had been raised to such i a height, as to be prohibitive.