LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17111, 17 March 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

King-fishing on the grounds of Russell and the North Cape has recently been interfered with by heavy easterly weather off the coast. A party consisting of Lieut.Col. W. H. Hazard and Messrs, J. Foster and W. Stewart, of Auckland, who have just returned, were singularly unsuccessful in their efforts to secure largo fish. The party went as far as the cape, but caught none of great size. Off Awanui they were a little more successful, and at Whangarei a fish weighing 681b was secured. No swordfish were seen. On .the return journey the party saw great numbers of kingfish in the vicinity of Sail Rock, but the very heavy swell rendered fishing impracticable. Practically a deadlock has been reached between the Wanganui Borough Council and the Wanganui Fire Board in connection with the latter refusing to pay £5000 for the present fire-station site, and it is probable that the matter will be tested in the Supreme Court by way of an originating summons. One of the councillors has summed up the position thus: "Tho Fire Board has the horns of the cow and the Borough Council the tail, and it looks as if the legal profession is going to get the milk."

"I know nothing of any such movement," stated the Acting-Prime Minister, Sir James Allen, when approached last week with regard to the statement' that the latest report in well-informed political circles is that no' session of Parliament is to be held this year. "I know nothing of-any such movement," added the Ministor. "It exißt-sif it exists at all-only in the imagination of a few." Forged next-of-kin tickets are in circulation, according to a statement made at a meeting of the Main Body Reception Committee in Wellington last week. Tho tickets are described as being good copies of tho original ones, though not altogether like them, and the forgeries are not difficult, to detect.

Tho Dunedin fishmongers have decided not to accept delivery of any consignments o' Bluff oysters for a month. This course, says a Dunodin paper, has been decided upon as a protest against the condition in which southern merchants have been despatching recent consignments to Dunedin, and unless some guarantee is given at the end of a month that thero will be a great improvement in the quality of the Dunedin consignments the embargo will be continued.

Referring to the organisation of city workers to combat a recrudescence of influenza in Auckland, or a fresh epidemic, should either occur, the Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson, stated on Saturday that acting on behalf of the Citizens' Vigilance Health Committee, he recently conferred with Mr. C. J. Tunke, representing the Order of St. John. In regard to transport the Order was fully prepared in the event of another outbreak of disease. The block committees could be brought into opera,tion again immediately, and tho public could rest assured that in Auckland the condition would be a state of preparedness to meet any emergency. The health of the public of Auckland was being thoroughly safeguarded.

: The suggested romoval by the Anglican Church authorities of the older building at St. John's College was deplored in a resolution passed recently by the City .Beautifying Committee of tho Civic League. In its resolution the committee suggested that as there was ample room in -the grounds for a new college, the old stone building, the dining hall, and the warden's and caretaker's cottages be left intact as a memorial to the early work of the Anglican Church in Auckland and as a relic of history and of old world beauty.,

Tho system of fruit-inspection at the city markets was strongly condemned at a meeting of the Henderson Fruit-growers' Association, on the grounds that it was too severe. Several growers stated that tons of fruit were condemned for defects which really did not affect' their food value. Black spot on pears was alluded to as an instance. This blight was stated to affect the pear only in that it produced a pimply appearance, but notwithstanding this fact tons of the fruit in question were condemned and destroyed. After a full discussion it ■was decided to ask Mr. C. J. Parr, M.P., to make representations to tho Public Health Department with a view of securing a more sensible inspection, and so do away with the rejection of fruit quite sound for food purposes.

Up to the present it has been considered a breach of regulations for a soldier of any rank to attend a political meeting or demonstration or procession wearing uniform. The regulation has been amended. It is now permitted to a soldier to attend such meetings in uniform, but a soldier of any rank is still forbidden to institute or take part in any such meetings.

The decision of the newly-formed Waitemata Railway League to endeavour to bring about tho construction of a railway lino to connect the North Shoro with Helensville, made at a meeting on Friday, was ratified at a subsequent meeting of the league held on Saturday. Mr. F. E. Powell presided. Various matters referring to rules and administration were discussed, and the following names wero added to the executive committee: Messrs. G. Creamer, W. Duncan, F. Heldt, and R. H. Biss.

For the eleventh successive year the Raglan County Council has collected the whole of its European rates in each year before March 31. For the year 1918-19 the total European rates .amounted to £14,880, for which notices were posted on September 1, and the last of the rates was paid on March 13.

Tho pumice lands formed tho subject of a question put to the Minister for Lands in Napier last week, and Mr. Guthrie stated that at present ho could make no statement with regard to the policy or anything else in connection with the pumice lands which he Has been visiting during the last few aays. The policy of the Government was shortly to be settled, and he had to report in Wellington on the matter before anything could be made public

The question of observing Easter Saturday as a holiday was discussed at a, recent meeting of the Wellington Grocers' Assistants' Union. It was reported to the meeting that the majority of the employers approaohed had signed a requisition in accordance with the wishes of the union. Tho meeting resolved that, provided theholiday was observed, memners should work the late night of the week on the Thursday, and should do all they could to see that employers were . not inconvenienced.

"Will you please decide for me how long an egg will keep?" was a question asked in all seriousness in a communication received at a sitting of the conference of the New Zealand Poultry Association in Christchurch. The writer stated that he had kept an egg for nine months once ? and a certain gentleman had then eaten it. The testimony of this particular person as to the qualitv of the egg was not available, as "he had since died." Hearty laughs from deleeates present interrupted any further reading of the communication.