LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 26 April 1927, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr J. Fitzgerald, •of Stratford, on Saturday evening met with, an accident which resulted) in his car being considerably damaged, a lady companion . suffering bruises, and the driver ihiihself cuts and shock. Edward James Steffert. kvas proceeding along Princes Street, Hawera, on a motor cycle on Sunday at 1.20 pan. He intended, to turn onto the South Road in the direction of Manaia. lie came iuto collision with a motor ear driven by James Davis, of Manaia. The motor cycle was slightly damaged, but nobody was injured. A claim for the value of a pair of woman’s shoes, which it was stated had been ruined by tar laid on a footpath, was received by the Mount Albert Borough Council Auckland, on Tuesday, states the “New Zealand Herald.” “Just to test the feeling oi the meeting I’ll move that half the value of the shoes be paid,” said Mr. 11. Allingliam. “I think that’s absurd,” protested Mr W. Russell “It’s asking us to pay for an -act of God. We laid the tar, but God sent the rain which washed the sand off it.” The motion was lost by a large majority. The Auckland City Corporation is, next to the State, t'he biggest business concern in the Dominion, said Ellen Melville, in her address to the electors at Grey Lynn (“Auckland Star”). It has an income of over £1,500,000 a year, there are 2450 people constantly employed, and the wages bill ranges from £13,00 to £14,000 a week. In order to help the unemployed problem, the expenditure of the £700,000 raised for concrete roading had been accelerated, and this had provided employment for a number of extra men.

The dangers that confront fire brigades in fighting fires in the neighbourhood of the nigh-tension electric cables was emphasised at a meeting of the Waitemata Power Board when the consulting engineer' (Mr \V. P. Gauvain) made certain recommendations for the guidance of brigades. According to a northern paper he particularly stressed the danger of playing the hose on a live wire, the current from which would travel along the column of water, to the injury of the man holding the nozzle. It was decided to warn the brigades in the board’s area, and furnish them with a list of streets in which high-tension lines were situated. Mr Norman. S. Taylor, of Okaiawa, who, as was reported iin “The Star” sports edition on Saturday evening, was injured at about 6.45 p.m., when the motor-cycle lie was riding and another machine came into oolasion in the Glover Road, wa.s later admitted to the Haw,era Public Hosiptal. This morning he , was reported to be making favourable progress. Mr Taylor sustained injuries to the right shoulder and arm, but they are not regarded as ‘serious. The rider of the other motorcycle, Mr A. Honey, of Hawera, escaped with minor abrasions only.

On the Akitio property of Mr Frank Armstrong, the well-known cricket supporter, is perhaps the. finest private cricket ground) in the Dominion (Nepier “Daily Telegraph”). The playing field is an extensive one, constantly attended by two expert groundsmen, and the wicket is excellent. In a game played on the ground on Saturday last almost half a' thousand runs were scored, and still the pitch showed no signs of wear, this alone speaking worlds for the quality of the wicket. The game was one between Dannevirke and East . Coast Coast scored 153 and Dannivirke 124, Coast playing out time, having six wickets down for 115. The teams were the guests of Mr Armstrong while at Akitio, and his hospitality was a much-appreciated feature of the match. “While I was on tour I constantly applied myself to the issue of determining what would be the best transportation system for Auckland, buses or trams.” said Mr Ford, manager of the C ity Tramways in the course of a recent statement. “I have brought back the opinion that the bus is a very valuable vehicle in city transport, but it is not capable of replacing the tram on economical grounds. The bus cannot, and it. will not for many years, carry passengers at the same rate per seat mile as the tram. The tram, in spite of a merciless attack, has not been found wanting, and to-day in all cities of reasonable population in which adequate service is being given the tram is not only holding its own, hut is making good ground. The tram’s paramount advantage is that depreciation is almost negligible. We have trams on the road to-day which have been in service for 20 years, and I venture to say that we can maintain the latest type of car for 30 years without a great deal of cost.” Buses, it had been found in England, Mr Ford added, had to be written down over a period of five years. Booking for the Mannequin Parade to be held in the Golden Minim to-night has been very good, and a bumper house is assured. This parade has been put on with phenomenal success in New Plymouth, where it was repeated by request, and also at Stratford. The Melbourne Ltd. are showing the latest in London and Paris gowns, coats, wraps, etc. The sum of one shilling is charged for scats, including supper.*