LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16936, 23 August 1918, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

A draft of 35 Maoris from Paeroa,, Thames, Hauraki Plains, and the King Country, with Lieutenant Holland, ,of Hamilton, in command, arrived in Auckland' yesterday afternoon and proceeded to the Narrow Neck camp. With the party was a t'afaulter who had been arrested at Paeroa. ''

The portion of the old University Buildings which is to be removed in .making way for the formation of Anzac Avenue, will be offered by the City Council for sale on September 30. The section that includes the old General Assembly Hall, being off tho road alignment, i« not to bo interfered with at present. How this relic of New Zealand's" early Parliamentary history is to be dealt with is a matter for later determination. .

. The special \ appeal* for funds . for the erection of a permanent soldiers' club in Auckland will be made some time in December. Christmas Eve was proposed by tho Auckland Returned Soldiers' Association as the date, but the city authorities considered the day unsuitable. .The special form of the appeal will be the selling of ."brick." tickets. The association has also obtained the free use of the Town Hall on September 30 for a sal© of gifts in aid of its building fund.

, A proposal . has been made ;by Mr.'' A. Whitney to reinstate a time-ball for Auckland, such as 'was in operation on the waterfront'until a few years ago, with additional provision for the discharge of a gun ' at i Fort Cautley simultaneously with the mid-day dropping of tho ball. Colonel G. W. S. Patterson, officer commanding the district,' is sympathetic with the movement, and Messrs Kohn and Co. have undertaken to j guarantee the correct.timing of the ball. The matter is under considerathn by the City Council's Public Services Committee. ~ - '•*

.-■ Reports have recently been received by the' Minister for Munitions that , in some cases retailers ; have '.. not observed ,tho regulations controlling the price of petrol: Mr. Myers states that at the request of the Department ~ the secretary of the Motor Garage Proprietors' Association is now co-operating by assisting in making the , regulations, more I fully known to -, all the parties concerned., "It may be of interest to the public," added ' the Minister, " that the prices which have been fixed by . the Board of ; Trade are the maximum prices which should be paid to retailers, and anyone, paying in excess of the gazetted prices is committing a breach of the regulations," .• ' ' A- '■■:■■

A striking illustration of the saving in maintenance arising from : tho adoption of concrete paving was ' mentioned last evening by' Mr. H. D. Heather, chairman of the Auckland Harbour Board. .. Since the construction of the Queen's Wharf in ferro-concrete, it has cost the board practically nothing to maintain. Last year's expenditure-upon the wharf, said Mr Heather, was lees than 30s. . ,'7

• The position with ■ regard to Beckham Place,., off Grafton ' Road/ the condition of which has been the subject of much complaint on the part ■ of the residents, was again considered by the City Council last evening. ;i Examination of old records showed that only about half the width of 'the. street is dedicated ;to the city, and the Mayor submitted a proposal to' the effect that the council dedicate the undedicated part of the road, on condition .that ■: the "property-owners pay -a sum of £200, ; and that the council agreo to expend -upon the formation.of tho street not less than £400. . The Mayor's proposal was accepted by the council. :

p.. Additional cold storage space to meet the congestion caused by the shortage :of shipping .; is being provided by the Gisborne Sheepfarmers' Frozen , Meat Cornpany. Tho addition will provide accommodation for 120,000 freight carcases,' prepared in the old style, or about 144,000 in the new style. -"The necessary material and equipment are i on the ground, and the building should .bo available for,' use in January. :/ The. engincroom" power at the works, is estimated to be sufficient to provide for. holding a maximum of 800,000 sheep. The storage space available will be preferentially reserved for shareholders.

'. The : water-meters installed in : the' Epsom i portion of the , city ; under the. old Road Board regime are now beings taken' out. For the most part, according -to a memorandum presented by (he Mayor to the City Council last evening, ,the servicein the district will now be on precisely the same basis as in. other parts of the city. A great deal of work has been .done in reticulation and other, ways, since the city acquired the interest of the MariblMu Water Supply Board.

Surprise has been expressed in the city at the remarkable state of preservation in which the old Symonds Street water main, has beep found on its being unearthed for transference from the roadway to the, fontpath. After having been underground for 40 years tho pipes are in excellent order and suitable for relaying. ;-" ■'.'•.'■

The Buffalo system of school libraries, which so far has been applied to only four of the more otoitral schools in Auckland, will be gradully extended to other city and suburban v schools. , The . following sequence will be observed:-Richmond West, Meadowbank, St.* Mary's Convent, Ponsonby, Nelson Street, Richmond Road, St. Patrick's Convent, j Kemuera, Queen Victoria College for Maori Girls, Grafton, Bereflford Street, Newton West, Normal, Urcy Lynn Convent, St. Benedict's Convent, Parnell Convent, Bayfield,. Remuera Convent, Epsom, Vermont Street (boys), and Vermont Street (girls). > • $yv

The death of Mrs. Minnie Masters, at 48, Grey Street, on Wednesday, formed the subject of an inquest held by Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., yesterday.' Dr. P. M. Keller stated that death was (hie to natural causes, and a finding in accordance ■ivith this evidence was returned by tho -coroner. '..;„;:.• •;•:■,' ''.;» .• V;-. %

. The Hon.' E. Mitchelson has donated to the Auckland Art Gallery ,the portrait of himself which was presented to him by the ;. members of the ' Auckland.; Racing Club at the last annual meeting. ;.

/.The Epsom branch library will' be officially opened . on ; Tuesday evening \by ; ; tho Mayor. The Rev. G.^W.Moi!cklon ; will deliver an '" address; on , "Present Aspects of the War.""- • - .