TABLE TALK.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 305, 26 December 1928, Page 1

TABLE TALK.

Auckland Cup and Railway Handicap at Ellerslie to-day. The third England-Australia cricket Test opens at Melbourne on Saturday. Christmas Day celebrated in traditional manner on board the warships in port.

Excursion trains to picnic resorts poorly patronised this morning owing to rain setting in. There are six galloping meetings and three trotting meetings in progress todav in the Dominion.

Twelve hampers of South Island mail consigned to Wanganui and Taranaki destroyed by fire on Monday. Three dozen of champagne and a quantity of beer stolen from a Ponsonby resident's house on Christmas Eve.

Health Minister states that the Department's efforts to reduce the maternal mortalitv rate are to be accelerated.

The yacht Wairiki, disabled in the ocean race to Tauranga, reached Coromandel at 10 o'clock this morning.

Two young Maoris were thrown from the running board of a motor car on the Great South Eoad near Wiri last evening, both being seriously injured.

The Port Denison arrived from Australia this morning to load for London.

Tofua arriving late this afternoon from Samoa, Tonga and Fiji.

A Gazette notice makes the notes of the six associated banks operating in the Dominion legal tender for a further period of three years, to January 10, 193-2.

All holiday sports marred by the rain, although tennis and cricket enthusiasts were hoping from hour to hour for a lift in the weather. The Christmas bowling tournament was definitely postponed till to-morrow.

Seventeen points of rain fell last night, bringing the December fall so far to 3.31 inches, nearly an inch above the average, with prospect of a substantial addition in the next 24 hours. Rain reported to be falling off the coast all day yesterday.

Close scoring was the feature of the Sheffield Shield match between Victoria and X.S.W., Victoria making 376 (Fvdcr 175 and A'Beckett 113) and N.S.W." 367 for nine wickets. Kippax (221 not out) and Hooker made a record tenth wicket partnership of 250 for inter State cricket.

In the Plunket Shield matches yesterday Auckland made 264 for 'five wickets at Christchurch against Canterbury (Allcott 60 and Gillespie 65 not out), and at Wellington Otago made 39S (A. W. Alloo 101), and Wellington had replied with 281 for six wickets at stumps.

Kensington Dining Booms open Sunday, Christmas Day and all holidays. Princess Buildings, Queen Street.—(Ad.)