LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15125, 16 October 1912, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

This season's wool sales in Auckland are expected to be much larger than those of former years. Previously Auckland has had to bo content with holding sales on the samo dates as had been allotted to Southern sales, and therefore the buyers present usually averaged only about 20. The coming sales, however, will be held on days sot apart specially for Auckland, aui provision is being made for close upon 60 buyers. The first sale will be held on November 27 in the concert chamber of the Town Hall, and will be followed by a second sale on January 31. There is every probability that a supplementary sale will bo held in the latter part of the season.

. Since the introduction of teeth inspection among school children much excellent work has been done by the. Auckland branch of tho New Zealand Dental Association. Reporting to the Auckland Hospital Board for the past six months last evening tho association stated that the increase in work had been particularly noticeable in regard to the number of fillings put in, which, in this instance, totalled 364. In all, 570 patients had boon dealt with' as compared with 385 attended to during the previous corresponding period.

The address to be presented to tho Prime Minister (Hon. W. F. Massey) on the occasion of his next visit to Auckland, was exhibited in Victoria Arcade throughout yesterday, and a large number of Mr. Massey's admirers availed themselves of the opportunity of adding their signatures to tho lengthy list already obtained.

A branch of the Farmers' Union was inaugurated at Xgatea (Hauraki Plains) by Mr. A. Sehmitt, secretary of the Auckland branch of the union, on Saturday last. There was a fair meeting, and with' one exception all present joined the union. Mr. Coppin was appointed secretary. The first meeting of the newly-formed branch will' bo held in a fortnight's time, when the question of making application for a fulltime school will bo considered. Interviewed by a Hkrald representative on his return from Ngatea, Mr. Sehmitt said ho was greatly impressed with tho possibilities of district for dairying purposes. The drain ago appeared to be working very satisfactorily, and where grass had been laid down it had taken splendidly. About 1000 cows will be milked there this season, and the prospects of a good season are extremely bright.

The most aariouu accident .which has yet occurred , on the North Island Main Trunk railway was the slip which b ac e the line between Ohakune and Horopito on Thursday night last An excellent idea of the extent -of! the damage done may be had from _ a very fine series of pictures appearing in this week s I ® si f® the Auckland Weekly News, published to-day. Altogether there are about 30 snapshots, occupying three pages o the issue. The pictures appear exclusively in the Wekki-y News, and form the chief feature of an all-round excellent number. Amongst the numerous other subjects illustrated may be mentioned the strike ofi coalmineis at Huntly, parade o territorials at Hamilton, the laying c © foundation-stone of the new Marist Bros, school at Ponsonby by Bishop Cleary, the school", 'of instruction in military camp cooking at Trenthaim, the Auckland watereiders' demonstration, Christ's College and King's ' College sports, Ulstermen drilling to oppose Home Rule, the funeral of General Booth, the army aviation fatality, and many others. ' There is a topical cartoon/ a page of snapshots from Jsew Guinea, many interesting portraits, and numerous miscellaneous illustrations, making up one of the finest issues over seen in the Dominion, and one which stands unequalled in the colonies.

Arguments in favour of an improved ferry service to St. Heliers Bay and Kohimaramara were put before the chairman of directors of the Devonport Ferry Co. (Mr. E. W. Alison) yesterday afternoon by a deputation of residents from the districts concerned.. At a recent public meeting at St. Heliers Bay resolutions were passed in favour of an improved service, and in placing these before Mr. Alison, the deputation pointed out the increasing • growth of the district, and urged that if better transport facilities were- provided the district would grow still more. The deputation also submitted a time-table, which it' was desired the company should adopt. Mr. Aiison said that lie and hie co-directors recognised the progress of the districts concerned. With the near completion of Kohimaramara. Wharf, it was realised that an improved time-table would be possible. He promised to bring the deputation s representations before the next meeting of directors, and the chairman of the St. Heliers Bay Road Board would be informed of the alterations maue. The issuing of family annual tickets was also urged, but Mr. Alison said that although he would put the matter before th© directors, he did not think the population was at present large enough to warrant this concession being made.

A private meeting, to "be presided over by the Mayor (Mr. C. J. Pair), will be held on Friday afternoon next at three o'clock in the Mayor's room at the Town Hall- to consider the subject of immigration, and if possible to arrive at some resolutions which may assist the Government to frame and put in operation a, policy for encouraging the introduction of the right class of immigrants. The meeting is being held under the auspices of the local branch of the Overseas Club, the Auckland Employers' Association, and the Auckland Provincial Industrial- Association. -

"The only way- we can raise the money is by- debentures," remarked a member of the Gisborne Eire Board when conversing with a reporter on the subject of the £3500 required by. the Board to erect a new fire Ration. Ho did not think there would be any difficulty, in doing that, as he was confident many of the big firms would., take .up . some., of the debentures, seeing that it nieani> greater facilities for the'protectum.''of property. _In his opinion a loan was out of 'the question under the circumstances'that existed, but there was no'' reason why 'the - debenture scheme should not-be - prat in hand immediately, and a start madje with the new station. The levies on the Borough Council and insurance companies could be arranged so that a certain number of debentures could bo redeemed ' each ' year. By this means he thought the money could be procured at 5 per cent. ..>

Considerable discussion ensued at the meeting of the Devonport Borough . Council last evening in regard to a motion by Mr. J. Allen concerning the . erection of sanitary conveniences on . Cheltenham Beach. ' Mr. Allen referred'to the popularity of the beach and the number of people who visited it, and stated that the fact of there being no such conveniences was a disgrace to the district. They had! no money to erect a costly building, but £200 or £300 would erect all that was necessary. The question was one of great moment, and he would propose that the Council should hold a meeting to give the matter the consideration it deserved. It was decided eventually to hold a special meeting on Tuesday to discuss the question.

The duty of justices of the peace who take informations and sign warrants which have not passed through the clerk of the Court was referred to by Mr. C. C. ."Settle, S.M. at the Magistrate's Court yesterday. Mr. Kettle stated that in such cases the justices should retain, the information, and at once forward it to the clerk of the Court. It would then be filed, with a memorandum of the data of issue of the warrant and its delivery to the police for execution. People who fain would know how io swim in the briny, but hesitate to quaff salt water or to place themselves in the hands of professional teachers of the natatorial art, should find comfort, in the discovery claimed by Mr. R. H. W. Bligb, the White Cross League lecturer, fliat swimming can be mastered in a few minutes. The method Mr.. Blign told a Sydney reporter is delightfully simple. The learner is put in the water breastdeep, ready to strike out, ' and the teacher supporting him tells him to plunge his head under water and strike out with the breast stroke. The trick is to release the learner just as the teacher feels his weight, and, hey presto! he swims forthwith. Mr. Bligh stated that during his recent New Zealand tour ho taught 31 boys to swim j in 45 minutes.

! Writing to the Sydney Mail, a correspondent asks if any of its readers can ex--1 plain the cause of the extraordinarily attenuated condition of hundreds of large schnapper and bream to bo at present seen lin some of the Sydney fish shops? Sclmapper, ho says, which if in a healthy state should weigh 201b and upwards, do not reach over 101b to 121b, and present a most miserable appearance, the big head appearing to be out of all proportion to tho thin, starved body, \ Several experienced persons whom the writer consulted on tho subject say it is duo to worms ia the intestines, but this has not been borne out by investigation (four . large fish being opened). Others say that, their old feeding grounds becoming exhausted, the fish set out in search of new ones, aid, failing to discover them, return to; the. old spot in an emaciated condition and ravenously hungry. This appears a reasonable supposition. Whatever the cause may be, the fish are not fit to eat, being almost tasteless, in addition to being unpleasant to look upon. -