NEWS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 286, 3 December 1929, Page 6

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Fewer Bankruptcies. Bankruptcy petitions filed in Auckland during November numbered only four, which is the lowest monthly figure for the present year. The bankruptcies for the eleven months of 1929 total 120, compared with 12(5 and 202 in the corresponding periods of 1928 and 1927. The heaviest month this year was March, during which 20 petitions were filed. Lost —a Dog. ''I notice at every meeting we have there are reports from the fire brigade of false alarms being given," said Mr. Nagle at last night's meeting of the Mount Eden Borough Council. "Sometimes there is one, and often three. It is very disquieting, and a serious matter." "I think it is serious, too," remarked Mr. Mills. "On one occasion of a false alarm being given I lost a life the brigade motor ran over my dog." Problem for the Governor. Speaking yesterday at tlie luncheon of the Hamilton Rotary Club, the Governor-General recalled a somewhat unnerving experience which "befell him on his previous visit. After opening the Waikato Winter Show he was walking up the street when he was threatened with an attack from a bull. Fortunately there was a heavy telegraph pole between him and the animal, and he was able to dodge round it and take refuge in a shop. ''This," said his Excellency, was an occasion when the relationship between town and country was brought very forcibly before my notice. One of the problems of the country was brought home to me, and I have to confess that the country won." (Laughter.) Unemployment Decreasing. The unemployed lists at the Hospital Board offices have reached vanishing point, and for over three years have never been as low as at present. The work of the relief department has therefore much decreased, and cheering accounts are coining to hand that many men are earning enough to pay up back rents and other debts which had been incurred through lack of work. There is a feeling of optimism amongst the workers which is good to see after the dull times which they have passed through for so long. Only one more meeting of the Relief Committee will be held this year, and fewer Christmas gratuities will be needed than for some years past. Warship Puts Back. 11.M.5. Dunedin, which left for gunnery and torpedo practice in the Hauraki Gulf yesterday morning, made an unexpected reappearance iu Auckland Harbour during the afternoon. The reason for her return was the sudden illness of a member of the crew, who was suffering from acute appendicitis. The warship, which had reached the gulf, sent a wireless message to H.M.S. Philomel to say that she was returning. She was met by a launch from the training ship, and the invalid was taken ashore and to the Auckland Hospital. The Dunedin left immediately afterwards on her return journey to the gulf, having been in the stream for only a few minutes. Photographic Pyrotechnics. A flash, an unfolding cloud of white smoke that rose quickly, and a muffled roar, drew a crowd of curious pedestrians from all parts of Queen Street last evening. From Customs Street to Shortland Street inquisitive people stopped their window-shopping to race towards the Government Tourist Bureau. Even a policeman was seen running. Then, when a crowd of between forty and fifty had gathered the "explosion" was explained. "It should look all right," a photographer was saying, at the same time folding his flashlight gun and camera, which he had had standing in front of a window display that had been considered attractive enough to warrant a photographic record being kept. Uniform Charges for Power. The conference to be held between committees representing the Auckland Electric Power Board and the Auckland Transport Board to discuss various matters affecting charges for current for the tramways is to be held on Thursday. A decision to meet the transport representatives was made at yesterday's meeting of the Power Board. At a previous meeting of the latter body a deputation was received which suggested that some attempt should be made to induce the Government to place charges for power on a uniform basis, as at present Auckland was taking hydroelectrical energy from Arapuni at a higher figure than other centres taking a supply under similar conditions. News from Newfoundland. A passenger in the Niagara who is deeply concerned for the sufferers in the recent tidal wave in Newfoundland is Commissioner Maxwell, until a few weeks ago director of the work of the Salvation Army in Eastern Canada and Newfoundland. When news of the disaster reached him, he was already on his way to Australia. "The Newfoundlanders are totally different from the Canadians," the commissioner said to an interviewer. "The majority of them are sea-going folks, and as a people they are religiously inclined. In the main they are demonstrative concerning their religious faith." The visitor remarked that in the absence of a compulsory system of education most of the schools were denominational, and the Salvation Army alone conducted 80 day schools. Current for Tramways. Further reference to the Auckland Electric Power Board's position so far as supplying power for the various suburban tramway extensions was 'made at yesterday's meeting of the board by the general manager (Mr. R. H. Bartley). The iatter said he had taken the liberty of replying to an inquiry by Mr. E. J. Plielan as to whether it wag possible to run trams over the new Point Chevalier line, which had already been run as far as the Western Springs stadium. Power for the trams was not totally dependent on the completion of the Point Chevalier sub-station, and could be supplied by coupling up a feeder from Kingsland. So far as the board was concerned, twice as much power could be given on the feeder as was given to-day. Harbour Bridge Finance. Vancouver's experience in connection with a trans-liarbour bridge was cited on several occasions yesterday by Mr. G. P. Finlay, while addressing the Harbour Bridge Commission, on behalf of the Auckland Harbour Bridge Association. Referring to the question of finance, Mr. Finlay said a toll of 5/ for lorries and one halfpenny for passengers should make it possible to undertake a scheme costing £780,000 to £1,000,000. Assuming there would be 3000 trips over the bridge daily in the first year, the estimated income would be £62,354, which would pay 8 per cent interest on £780,000. Vancouver had experienced an increase of 10 per cent in the traffic the second year, 20 per cent the third year, 15 per cent the fourth year, and 10 per cent in the fifth and also sixth years. The annual income in Auckland, on the basis of such an increase, would be: —Second year, £08,590; third, £82,308; fourth, £94,652; fifth, £104,117; sixth, £114,528. Value of Discipline. A situation impregnated with all the elements of painful tragedy developed at Mount Albert railway station on Saturday evening at about 5.45, when an excursion train from Henderson, bearing about 1000 people, including something like 800 children from the Gladstone and Ridhardson Road Schools, was disembarking its trippers. The train was pulled up on the down line, and in the midst of the detraining operations, when teachers and parents were seeing the children safely across the rails, something approaching a panic was caused by the shrill whistle of an approaching train, outward-bound on the line between the excursion train and the platform to which the excursionists were making. The resultant anxiety devolving on the adult trippers, particularlv the headmasters and teachers, will long be remembered with awe. Fortunately complete discipline was maintained till the northbound train had cleared its Mpunt Albert passengers, and proceeded on its way.