LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16800, 16 March 1918, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

*■ — 1 A further series of test flights was sue 1 cessfully carried out at the Now Zealand i Flying School, Kohimarama, yesterday, by ■ the following pupils :—Messrs. H. V. . Coverdale, Kaiwaka; R. R. Morton, Hamilton; G. A. Eliott, Hamilton; L. A. P. Sherriff, Wanganui; and D. T. GoodEon, Hawera. Other pupils aualifying at the school recently include Messrs. A. L. White, Auckland; A. D. Morris, Napier; ' and H. D. Riddell, Dannevirke. The test flights carried out by the candidates constitute the preliminary qualifications for cadctships in the Royal Flying Corps, and the successful candidates will shortly proceed to* England to enter the air service. The weather conditions for some time sinco tho beginning of the year were adverse to flight practice, but during the recent fine weather a considerable amount of work has been done at tho school. A total of 69 flights, which is a record for the school for one day's flying, was made on Thursday. The examining officers for the qualifying flights yesterday were Colonol G. W. S. Patterson, officer commanding the district, and Lieutenant-Colonel J. L. Siceman, director of military training, and Captain Kewish. There will be further test flights to-day if the weather is favourable. Bush and scrub fires, which have been burning for some days past in the western portion of the Waitemata County, were responsible for a pall of smoke overspreading the upper reaches of Auckland Harbour during Thursday night. Yesterday morning the smoke, which nad i been in evidence since last Sunday, was (>articularly dense, and around Pine Isand and in the neighbourhood of Birkdale and Hohsonville it was scarcoly possible to see the opposite shores. There was also a smoke haze over the lower harbour. Information was received yesterday from Russell of the capture of a swordfish with a broken sword. The captured' fish is supposed to be the one that rammed the motor-launch Virginia on February! 19. A party, consisting of Mr. W. H. , Hazard, Dr. Popo, and Mr. E. P. An-; dreas, of Sydney, were on a fishing trip in the Virginia, off Cape Brett, when one of the party hooked on a rod and line a fish which ultimately proved to be a swordfish. The fish, on being hooked, ; made straight at the launch and rammed j it, the sword penetrating 9in through the lin kauri planking. After a struggle the sword broke and the fish made out to : sea. Tho launch, leaking badly, had to' put back to Russell in quick time. The captured fish is being sent to Mr. Hazard , at Auckland on the steamer Clansman, which arrives tins morning. A further statement has been made by the Minister for Defence, in which he explains that tho Defence Department is not taking over the civil hospitals. " Wounded soldiers and discharged men will bo treated i in the civil hospitals in future, as they have been in the past," the Minister stated. " The only alteration is that the Defence Department will communicate, direct with the hospital authorities with rcspoct to , such men." A little child, about five years of age, named Maud McKenzie, whose parents , reside in Tawa Road, Onehunga, collided . with a horse and trap about five o'clock last evening, with the result that her left leg was broken. The child was passing Messrs. J. T. and F. S. Morton's store, i in Queen Street, Onehunga, just as Mr. J. Morton was about to drive across the footpath. Ho noticed the child approaching, and called out to her to stand still, but she did not do so. The suggestion that the Government should requisition all hulks in Dominion waters to assist in meeting the shipping shortage was made yesterday to tho Minister for Marine, the Hon. T. M. Wiiford, by Captain A. Whitney, of Auckland, who was a member of the party on the Waikato River trip from Mercer to the Heads. He informed the Minister that there had i been an investigation made, and it had been ascertained that many thousands of , tons of shipping would bo available if all , the coal hulks in Australasian waters were utilised. His proposal was that these, and I other suitable vessels, should be requisii tioned by the Government and fitted out ; as cargo boats, Some would do for patrol boats. The Minister replied that the matter was one he should have to refer to Cabinet. If it were adopted ho would , have to sec that every requirement was carried out in regard to making the hulks seaworthy, and in regard to providing ' them with all life saving apparatus, and, • generally, in making them good ships. i St. Patrick's Day this year falls tomorrow, hut in accordance with custom, ' a holiday will be observed on Monday. i The hanks, legal offices, tho Stock Ex- . change, land and estate agents' offices, and J all Government offices, with the exception! of the tourist, passport and shipping • bureaux will ho closed. ,

A number of interesting literary contributions are contained in the supplement issued with the Herald to-day. "A Ministering Angel", appears above the penname of Matanga. Lieutenant-Colonel Grace, N.Z.F.A., Res.,' writes on the subject of the " Defensive Campaign-the Waiting Game." Frank Morton contributes an article entitled, "Leaving Well Alone—the Lust of Change." Norman E Burton writes on "St. Patrick's Example -and Ireland's Opportunity." The other articles are:—"Searching for Work," by "The Square Peg," and Nature Notes by J. Drummond, F.L.S., F.Z.S. War pictures and cartoons, and a picture showing the mysterious wreck at Te Araroa, near East Cape, are included. A married man, Mr. Hugh Knight, aged 31, resident at Onehunga, was admitted to the Auckland Hospital yesterday suffering from a dislocated knee. Mr. Knight, Who is a tram conductor, was getting off a car on Thursday evening, when he slipped. The action for the recovery of salary j amounting to £75 lis 6d, alleged to be due to Herbert W. Armstrong (Mr. Scantlebury), by H. Wise and Company, Ltd. (Mr. Mossraan), which was opened before Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., on Thursday, was continued yesterday, it was maintained for the defence that an arrangement between the parties in 1915 ' nullified the contract which existed be- ; tween them in 1914. Evidence was given \ by H. H. Wise, secretary of the company, and the case was adjourned until Wednesday next for legal argument. The hearing of the action for specific performance of an agreement to exchange properties, brought by George Snook, Auckland (Mr. McConnell), against Thomas R. Tindall, farmer, Awhitu (Mr. Richmond), was continued yesterday at the Supreme Court, before Mr. Justice Hosking. Defendant's counsel addressed the Court. Mr. McConne'.l asked for permission to reply to a number of points raised by Mr. Richmond in reference to cases quoted bv him, and His Honor stated that he would hear him this morning. A unique ceremony took place on the bank of the Wairoa River on Thursday, when the party on the way to Lake Waikaremoana inspected the cabbage tree palm under which, 60 years ago, Sir James Carroll was born. Mr. J. M. Hornsby, member for Wairarapa, on behalf of the rest of the party, voiced his congratulations to Sir James on his successful career, and the latter, in his reply, traced his early experiences in New Zealand. The members of the party all extended good wishes to Sir (Tames Carroll. The proceedings were cinematographed. On the occasion of his retirement from the chairmanship of the executive of the New Zealand War Contingent Association in London, Lord Plunket was presented by the members of the executive with a paperweight in the form of a silver kiwi, standing on a silver pedestal. In acknowledging the gift, Lord Plunket referred to the many difficulties that had arisen and been overcome, to the steady progress made by the association, and to the friendship and consideration shown to him. Lord Plunket added that he would

always continue to take an interest in tho work which was being so energetically carried on by tho now chairman, Mr. I. W. Raymond. A sequel to the successful appeal to the Tramway Appeal Board by R. A. Rock land, a motor inspector, in the employ meat of the Auckland Electric Tramway; Company, Ltd., against his alleged wrong ful dismissal, is a summons issued in tin Magistrate's Court by tho appellant t< recover alleged damages, comprising £5! 19s Id, wages for the period elapsinf from the time of his dismissal until hii reinstatement, and £39 6s 8d legal costs An application was made before Mr Justice flosking at a sitting in chamber! at the Supreme Court yesterday by Mr J. R. Reed, K.C., counsol for the com pany, to have the action removed ink the "Supreme Court. The application waf opposed by Mr. Dickson, who appeared for the plaintiff. After argument Hit Honor made an order removing th« action from the Magistrate's Court to the Supreme Court, on condition that in the event of the failure of the plaintiff tc succeed in the action, the costs for which he would be liable, should not exceed those he would be required to pay if the action were heard in the Magistrate's Court. An appeal for funds for | carrying on and extending the work of the Church Army in London is now being made. Ono of the chief activities of tho Church Army is in the direction of providing relief for discharged soldiers, who are more or less physically handicapped as a result of war injury. For the relief of this class of I veterans the Church Army conducts the I Seymour Hostel, off Marylebono Road, I London, where the ex-soldier may stay i while he learns somo new craft and otherj wise becomes able to support himself and anyone that may be dependant upon him. ' Other branches of the activities of tho I Church Army include the provision of : comforts and help for soldiers and sailors wherever they are training or fighting. The qninnat salmon season opened on January 15, but so far none has been caught in the two declared salmon rivere the Rangitata and the Waitaki. Many anglers have wailed some time at likely i spots, but as there had been no run of the ; fish they were beginning to despair of [ their lotoked-for sport. It was reported at ' Oamaru that a few days ago a large number of salmon were seen in the Waitaki, and, providing that the weather held, there was every likelihood of good fishing , in a few days, as the river was rapidly 1 getting lower. There is good reason for believing that ! the effort made by the Mongonui Acclij matisation Society to establish the Hun- ' garian partridge as a sporting bird on tho hills of the Far North has Deen successi ful. Several coveys of what appeared to bo the red-legged game have lately been seen amongst the scrub at no great distance from Mongonui town, in an environment which is highly favourable to their propagation. Necessarily, however, it will be some timo before partridges can be shot. Until they are declared to be legitimate game, it is a penal offence to fire at them. The northern society is also taking steps to procure a supply of Californiau quail for liberation. For several years it has been believed that huias still exist in the more remote spots in the bush country about the headwaters of the Wanganui River, and confirmation of that opinion is now to hand. Last weCk, while motoring over the Okahukura Hill from Maticre, Mr. B. A Beattie, a stock agent, states that he saw two huias. The natives in the Pipiriki district state that the huia disappeared from the locality about 18 years ago, when there was a big demand for the black and white tipper feathers for headgear for decorative purposes in connection with the visit of the present King and Queen to the Dominion. A. comparison of tho conditions of tho trade of the Friendly Islands between New Zealand and Australia is raado in a letter received recently from a trader in Tonga. The writer states that the whole trade of the islands is going to Sydney. " Auckland cannot compete, and she never will." As an instance, he stated that he could i land at Tonga biscuits from Melbourne at 15s 6d per tin of 40!b, whereas from Auckland the landed cost was 235. Ho concludes ; " This is only one of dozens of lines." After a tour which he has just made of the West Coast portion of his electorate, Mr. R. P. Hudson, M.P. for Motueka, is moro impressed than ever with the need for further opening of roads to enable backblocks settlers to obtain tho fruits of their labours and increase production. He is strongly of opinion that curtailment of expenditure in this direction is not only unjust to the settlers, but suicidal from a national point of view. There arc men in the bush districts, says Mr. Hudson, who have to carry their cream out on horseback in cans held on the pommel of the saddle. If the cans were placed on either side of the horse they would be knocked j off by the trees. The tracks were rough and broken, and frequently the horses have •to plunge about in mud and slush up to j their girths. . ".