CITY AND SUBURBAN

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 261, 31 July 1929, Page 13

CITY AND SUBURBAN

HAPPENINGS IN AND ABOUT TOWN

An industrial dispute affecting licensed hotel workers will come before the Arbitration Court at Wellington on Monday. August 12.

The Wellington Fire Brigade has received a donation of £2 2s. towards its recreation fund from Mrs. M. Harbottle in appreciation of services rendered on the occasion of the fire in her house, 29 Hall Street, on July 13.

Mrs. A. Allen, of 321 Willis Street, sustained a fracture of the right leg through falling on the back steps of her home about 9 a.m. yesterday. After being attended to by a doctor she was removed to the Public Hospital by the Free Ambulance.

As the result of falling through a window, about 20ft. from the ground, at the Tramway Hotel, Adelaide Road, where he was staying, James Rapley sustained injuries to the back and legs early yesterday morning. He was removed to the Public Hospital by the Free Ambulance.

William Joseph Roberts, aged 22, who appeared for sentence in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday on a charge of deserting from the s.s. Hurunui at Auckland on June 30, was sentenced to twenty-one days’ imprisonment. Accused was ordered to be placed on board his ship before the vessel left New Zealand.

Councillor C. H. Chapman, M.P., has given notice of motion to the City Council as follows: —“That the by-laws committee be instructed to consider the matter of private streets and rights-of-way in the city boundaries for the purpose of: (a) reporting under what general conditions all or any of these can be taken over by the council; (b) reporting what legislation would be necessary to give effect to this purpose and to safeguard the interests of the council in the event of private streets and rights-of-way being taken over by the council.” It is anticipated that the motion will be discussed at an early meeting of the council. ,

With the new public structure in Clyde Quay available for use, some thought might be given to a new layout for the eastern end of the Courtenay Place Reserve, opposite the De Luxe Theatre. It has been suggested that the waiting-shed might be extended round the end of the reserve, with perhaps two more slot telephone boxes at either end. On these wet, cold nights there is frequently insufficient accomm elation for those awaiting south-bound cars in the narrow lean-to shed provided. What is required, writes “Waiting,” is a shelter shed that provides shelter, not a lean-to into which the rain drives at will. There is at present no real shelter shed at this busy Courtenay Place junction. About eight years ago the late Mr. W. H. Morton (city engineer) devised extensive alterations to the whole tramways lay-out at this point, which was to provide adequate shelter-sheds and conveniences, but so far. beyond . the laying down of new tracks and the erection of the new conveniences in Clyde Quay, nothing has been done to improve and bring up-to-date the layout of the reserve mentioned.

A talk in humorous vein <m his war and other experiences was given by Mr. Pat Hanna at yesterday’s luncheon of the Rotary Club. Mr. J. Thompson contributed a song.

Concerts conducted with the houselights out are not appreciated by everyone. Pianoforte pupils were trailing their way through a garden of music ou Monday night when an exasperated voice fro mthe gallery rang out sharp and clear, “Put up the lights, and let us see what we have on our plates 1” Such an appeal could not be refused —the lights were switched on.

The Railways Department’s fine new bus, operating on the Lower Hutt run, is certainly well-illuminated and a pleasure to ride in after the type of vehicle previously in use, but why “spoil the ship for a ha’porth of tar”? asks “Frequent Traveller.” The door of the conveyance is as difficult to open as the door of the average old-model private car, and the driver’s seat on the right-hand side “up for’d” prevents him from opening and closing the door in the usual manner. Result —elderly women, strugglii. - vainly to get out, fraying of passengers’ tempers by the repeated delays entailed, and a harassed driver who has to bear the brunt of it all and come up smiling for more.

Should a man remove his hat in an elevator when there are lady passengers? In these cold drear mid-winter days the point interests a great many people, particularly those who do not wish to bare their heads in a draughty lift. - The ultra polite will probably answer: “Certainly, it is only what is due to the ladies!” In answer to this one would like to know where the line is to be drawn. In London the tubes are fed by great lifts that carry 60 io 70 people in one journey, and there no gentleman dreams of removing his hat. And if the hat is to be doffed in a lift, why not in a tramcar, or even a motor-car? It seems that politeness of a kind is limited to certain conditions. Probably the sea leopard, picked up on the Lyall Bay beach in an exhausted condition, and now in the Zoo at Newtown is the only one of its species in captivity in the world. Sea leopards are very rarely encountered in these latitudes, as they are denizens of the far south. It is possible that the extraordinarily cold winter has had something to do with the stranger’s arrival on this coast They are occasionally met with at the Auckland and Macquarie Islands, and it would only be at this time of the year that they would venture so far north of their native zone. The curator (Mr. J. Langridge) reports that the new arrival is doing fairly well on a diet :bf fish. He his been accommodated with a separate cage and a pool; but during the day, whether it be from nervousness or not, he does not move about very much, being content to lie in the water with only his head visible; but at night" he becomes very active, and dashes al >ut the pool as though hunting busily in his native element. It is still a matter of doubt as to whether a sea leopard can be held in captivity for any length of time.