LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17144, 25 April 1919, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

An English mail of 320 bags unexpectedly arrived from England by the lonic yesterday morning. The Auckland portion was delivered in the city and suburbs by the afternoon delivery. The various banks in the city opened yesterday after having been closed during

the Easter holidays and on St. George's D»v — continuous period of five days— and in consequence there was an unusually heavy rush of business, The banks will not be closed to-day, Anzac Day, and the usual hours will be observed. The Auckland Stock Exchange, which closed for the Ea«ter holidays on Thursday, April 17, will reopen for business next Monday. The approach to the railway station presented a busy appearance last evening prior to the departure of the Main Trunk express for Wellington. The assembly of people was larger than usual owing to a troop train departing shortly after the axpresses. The first express consisted of 11 passenger carriages and carried over 300 passengers, all civilians. The second express was a longer train, and carried over 400, including a number of returned soldiers for the Taranaki district. The third train, which left at 8.30 p.m., was a special troop train, conveying the South Island quota from tho lonic., It comprised 14 carriages, some of them being set aside for soldiers with wives and families. The restrictions with respect to- the posting of newspapers to the United States of America have now been withdrawn, and papers may be ~osted in the usual way at any post office; For many years the Waikato River has not been so low as it is at the prosent time. Great difficulty is experienced with shipping, and in some of the tributaries it is impossible to get up to the landings with launches and cargo. Rain is badly needed.

The resolution advocating that power be extended to local bodies to contribute moneys from their funds for porraanent war memorials, which was passed recently by the Tanranga council, was supported by the Mount Albert Borough Council last evening. In discussing tho resolution, the mayor, Mr. T. B. Clay, said that Mount Albert, a largo borough, should be in a position to erect a sound and lasting war memorial. In order to do so, the council should have power to draw moneys from its own funds to supplement a public subscription. A storeman, Mr. Thomas Honry, who resides in Cook Street and who is employed by the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company, was admitted to tho hospital yesterday afternoon, having been injured by a bale of flax falling on him. It is thoueht his injuries include a fractured pelvis, but before this can be definitely determined an X-ray examination will be necessary.

Wate-rsiders commenced to discharge the Moeraki at six o'clock last evening, says a Press Association message from Wellington, and the vessel is expected to leave for Sydney on Monday afternoon. The shortage of slaughtermen which is said to be seriously hampering the meat i industry in Canterbury is stated to be general in the Dominion, though the industry in the North Island has not been detrimentally affected by the lack of labour. The shortage is said to be largely due to the fact that during the war period the annual migration of Australian slaughtermen to New Zealand for the season practically ceased, and that the outbreak of influenza this season prevented the slaughtermen of the Commonwealth resuming the pre-war practice. There has also been a considerable increase in the number of cattle and sheep slaughtered this season, as compared with previous years. It is anticipated that with the establishment of normal conditions there will be ample labour available for the ensuing season. In connection with tie Anzac Day celebrations an exhibition illustrating events in the campaign has been arranged at the children's department of tho Central Library. The idea was to collect pictures which would convey an idea of the nature of the fighting on the peninsula, and a large number are shown, depicting the historic landing and other incidents in the campaign. A list of books dealing with the suljoct has also been compiled, and children may thus refresh their memories of an event of gr*>at personal and national interest to young New Ze&'anders. The adoption of a moro vigorous educational policy by the Government, so that the national system shall meet tho urgent requirements of the times, is advocated in a resolution submitted by the Auckland Primary School Committees' As?ocir.tion for support by the various district srl"vM committees at their annual meetings. The executive of the association, tin? letter states, is of opinion that although the education grant was increased last session a much larger grant is necessary if New Zealand is to successfully maintain her position with the progressive nations of the world in the standard of education set up for their populations. " Our main roads are perfectly scandalous," said Mr. J. C. Entrican at a meeting of the Mount Albeit Borough Council last evening. The remark was made in support of a resolution to the effect that the time had arrived when the Government should control the main arterial roads in the Dominion, with a view to the formation of permanent highways. Th': was passed by the Palmerston North Chamber of Commerce some time ago. ilie mayor, Mr. T. B. Clay, said it was unfair that Mount Albert having a considerable length of main road should bo obliged to pay upkeep for a highway used mainly by residents of outsido boroughs. A proclamation published in the Gazette defines the middle line of a portion of the Waipu branch railway, upon which construction works were recently begun by labour organised by a local committee This branch line was authorised in 1914, the Act defining it as running from Mangapai, on the VVhangarei-North Auckland railway, to Waipu, a distance of about 16 miles. The section now proclaimed is 6 miles 77 chains in length. When I'ostilities ceased the Wirkers' Dwellings Board immediately inquired of the Defence Department what build : ng materials (such as roofrg iron) could he ~9r!i> nvibh'p '« t>e boW m-t n" M H , D partmeit's purchases. The Department lias vow rcphed that iheie is no luuie.kU to 6pare.

In the course of a civic reception to visiting firemen, the Mayor of Napier, Mr. H. Hill, expressed the opinion that the Government should bear a share of the cost of maintaining the fire brigades. The Government had a goud deal of property in various towns, and should bear an equitable share in the cost of upkeep of the brigades. This remark was received with marked approval from the delegates. "We can reasonably look for an influx of immigrants which will swell the population of New Zealand, whereby a greater demand for locally-manufactured poods I will be created," remarked a delegate to I the Coach and Motoi Vehicles Employers' Convention in Wellington. " With this :in view it seems that now would be a most opportune time for the expansion and establishment of local industries," I A meeting of Riwaka fruitgrowers recently expressed dissatisfaction regarding the remarks of the magistrate, and also the small penalties imposed, at tho i hearing of cases under the Orchard I and Garden Diseases Act recently brought Iby the Department of Agriculture "at ' Motueka. The following resolution submitted by the committee was unanimously carried:—" That this association protest against the altitude taken up by the ; magistrate in tho recent prosecutions by the Department of Agriculture, especially in the ra.-e where it wat proved no fprayin; una clone." ■ Dili in- the year ending March 31, 1919, i the lVti-.ie railway station, Wellington, issued 220.064 tickets, being an increase < I 2t).03b uii the previous year's figures. The concession tickets issued numbered ,34,856, an increase over tho returns of-1918 |of 3133 tickets.