NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 266, 9 November 1928, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

"A Perfect Nuisance." "Street collections in Auckland are getting to be a perfect nuisance."—A remark at a meeting of the Auckland City Council last evening. Lake Si:. John. "It is the intention of the City Council to reserve a certain portion of the water area," said the Mayor (Mr. G. Baildon) at a meeting of the City Council last evening, when a letter was received from the Tamaki Women's Progressive League strongly protesting against the proposed drainage of Lake St. John, and urging that a park should be formed around the lake. Underground Water Supply. An underground water supply has been tapped near Westfield, and will be used for the city abattoirs. A shaft was sunk near Panama Road, and at a depth of 3oft there was such a big rush of water that the workmen had to make a hurried exit and leave their tools behind. Pumping tests have since been made, and for 16 hours an average of 6100 gallons an hour was drawn off without appreciable difference in the supply. Plans have been made to lay a pipeline to the abattoirs. In Choppy Water. It is the sweetly innocent question that is often the most devastating. At a private bridge party last evening it was an enthusiastic yachtsman who was the victim. During a lull between the rubbers the conversation turned to yachting, and the following dialogue took place —She:

"You have a yacht, haven't you?" He (with pardonable pride): "Yes." She: "Does it go?" And then they dealt the next hand. Wilful Destruction Increases. "The wilful destruction of buildings appears to have increased in New Zealand," said Mr. Justice Smith at the Supreme Court this morning, in delivering sentence upon two prisoners who had been found guilty of arson. His Honor added that the crime was a difficult one to detect, and, in the public interest, the CoUrt could not lightly look upon the offence of arson. To bring about a destructive fire was a crime of a most serious character, and was liable to cause danger to other property adjacent to that which was immediately involved. There was also the possibility of causing death to members of the community. Confusing Street Names. _• Inverness Road, situated in the city, has been , known as York Avenue and Yarrow Avenue, and at last night's meeting of the City Council it was suggested that it should be again altered owing to the confusion that arises on account of there being an Inverness Avenue in the Mount Roskill Road District. It was explained that the present name was adopted recently at the suggestion of residents of the much-named thoroughfare, and no action was taken in the matter other than to advise the Mount Roskill Road Board, which desires to prevent duplication of street names, to this effect. English Tennis Tourists. "Our tour of New Zealand has been all too short. We shall never forget your country," said Mr. H. A. Sabelli, manager of the British tenni3 team, which is leaving for' Australia this afternoon. The visitors thoroughly enjoyed their visit to Rotorua, their only regrets being that their stay there was so limited. This morning the team played an exhibition match at King's College, Middlemore, and the budding champions of the college saw enough new strokes to keep them talking for many a long day. The English team will spend about three months in Australia, and will then go on to South Africa. Thfey will then return to England. Armistice Day Broadcast. A still further illustration of the close contact which has been established between England and New Zealand was provided shortly after midnight, when station SSW, the short-wave broadcasting station at Chelmsford, was clearly heard by Mr. H. Brown, of Clifton Road, Heme Bay, giving information of the arrangements for broadcasting the Armistice Day services in London. The proceedings at the Cenotaph will be transmitted on Sunday next at 10.30 Greenwich time, which will be 11 p.m. here. Transmissions will also be on the air at 3 a.m. and 8.25 a.m., Monday, our time. The latter broadcast will come from St. Martin's Le Grand. At 9.35 a.m. on Monday Auckland listeners-in will have the opportunity of hearing the service at the Albert Hall. Silting of a Cave.

Complaint that after heavy rain properties in the area between Orakei Road and Upland Road, Remuera, were flooded, was made to the City Council by the Remuera Central Ratepayers' Association last evening. The city engineer said that when plans were submitted for the laying out of Dell Avenue provision was made for two culverts. It was known that a cave existed at the south end of Dell Avenue, which would take a large amount of storm water, but there had been a general silting up in the cave, which was on private property. So far arrangements had not been made to clear the obstruction in the cave, but when that was done lie believed that the position in regard to flooding would be greatly remedied.

Ngaruawahia's New Bridge. Ngaruawahia is to have a new railway bridge to span the Waikato. The present structure is becoming unsuitable for the heavier trains now being brought into use. The old bridge has stood the test of time, it having been constructed in 1874, and now, seeing that extensive repairs have to be undertaken, the cost of which will be great, it has been decided that to build another bridge would be cheaper in the long run. The new structure will be of steel carried on reinforced concrete cylindrical piers, and will cross the river about 30ft below the present bridge. The old bridge will be retained for lighter traffic, and to relieve the traffic, as the new one will onlv have set of rails across it. Tests have been carried out in the river bed to a depth of 100 ft, and suitable foundation has been found on the site selected. Postal Voting. A good deal of misapprehension exists as to the provisions of the Electoral Act as it applies to postal voting, which is being introduced this election for the first time. Forms in connection with the system have been circulated, but it is noticed by the returning officers that so far few have been returned, electors apparently being under the belief that they must hold them till Wednesday next. The envelopes containing the votes, however, should be posted at the earliest possible moment, for, should they reach the returning officers after the hour prescribed for the closing of the poll, they will be marked informal. The postal voting system is available to any elector who will be absent from New Zealand on polling day, is not within five miles of any polling place, will be travelling on election day under conditions that preclude him from getting to a booth, or is sick, infirm, or a lighthouse keeper. Sculptor's Work Rediscovered. Once again the long arm of coincidence has been demonstrated, this time by a story which had its beginning in Palmerston North. Some 17 years ago Mr. G. C. Harris, then of Palmerston North, sculptured a crucifix in Italian marble, which was sold in Auckland and afterwards passed beyond his ken. Now, 17 years later, the f&te of that crucifix has become known to its erstwhile owner, who had long forgotten his early piece of work. During the interim Mr. Harris had removed to Wellington, where he is in the employ of a firm of furniture warehousemen. The firm was recently visited by the representative of an overseas concern, who, on learning Mr. Harris' name, inquired whether he had ever done any sculpture. Then it came out that the overseas visitor had seen, in a Catholic church in Paris, a carved crucifix, on which be had noticed the inscription, "Gordon Harris, Palmerston North, New Zealand." So Mr. Harris has learned the final resting place of the crucifix carved by him in Palmerston North nearly two decades ago.