LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17189, 17 June 1919, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Good • caches of : fish tire reported' by local trasvltng authorities. One dealer stated yesterday that the yields were keeping e,.»fthitently good. He remarket! upon the early arrival of frost-fish arid of- trevalli, both of which are usually caught onlv in August and the eubs-o-quent spring months. Their early appear, nnce he attributed l* the mild weather. Another dealer, however, complained of a dearth of fish, stating that he had been 20 tons nhort for the last week. The last catct. ...wisisted mainly of echnapper of fine quality, where 5 * the previous trawl-had resulted in a preponderance of tarahiki. Prices remain the same, and no decrease is anticipated until the warmer weather sets in.

Questioned yesterd .y in regard to tho return of tho Prim* Minister and Sir Joseph Ward from lngland, the ActingPrime Minister, Sir James Allen, said he had no definite information on the subject. He thought it very probable, however, the* the two ;. uitical Hdors would he bark in the Dominion by the oifcd of July. A brilliant meteorite was viable in t*'n northern glry shortly before half-past six on Saturday evening. There were but a few stars shining at the time, and the meteorite, falling from about 15deg. to the horizon and leaving ft widening trail of vivid light behind it, made a very striking sight.

A remarkable fish, apparently of the trevalli species, but as yet not specifically identified, was brought to port yesterday by Sanford, Ltd. 's trawler Countess. The fish, which was netted en the Tiri fishing grounds, is about 18in in length, and closely resembles the ordinary silver trcvo]li in shape and sire, but bears fins of a brilliant golden red hue. The body is suffused with a beaut ful combination of these two colours. The owners of tha vessel, realising that the fish was of an unusual order, communicated with Mr. T. F. Cheessman, curator of the Auckland Museum, who has as yet been able to ascertain whether it is' an accidental or casual chance variety of trevalli or a new species hitherto unclassified.

Prospecting for coal is to be carried out on a property at Kararnu, in the Raglan County, owned by tho Auckland University College Council. Permission jn the matter was yesterday granted by tho council to Mr., Campbell Johnstone.

Tho completion of tho new Post Office in Wellesley Street has been delayed by difficulties in connection with the roofing, but tho preparation .of tho angle-iron, which has been the main cause of the delay, is now almost completed, and the roof will be in placo in about a fortnight's time. Most of /he external work on the building has been completed, and the interior plastering and fittings will bo finished when tho roof is on. Tho building will probably be completed in about two months' time. The installation of the automatic exchange will also proceed as soon as possible. Most of the equipment is already in Auckland, but could not bo installed until the roofing was completed.

A large thrasher shark, about 10ft in length, was caught by the trawler Baroona,. which has just returned from the Tiri fishing-grounds. Tho eh.ark caused not a little excitement aboard, and, in spite of tho efforts of the dow.n employees, literally held the deck for about' 15 minutes. Eventually, however, he exhausted himself by lashing the deck with his heavy tail, and incidentally damaging the net in which he was caught. Tho thrasher shark is well known as the whale-killing variety, and, as he usually keeps near tho surface, it i 3 very unusual to find one in a trawling net.

Tho work of building tho Lugo bonfire on Mount Eden in connection with the i forthcoming peace celebrations is now well in land. . Tho engineer to the Mount Eden Borough Council, Mr. J. Rogers, tabled a plan at the meeting Of the council last evening showing that the fire column; which is octagonal in, shape, is 90ft. in height and 30ft in diameter. He explained that the column would bo lighted from tho top in order that it might burn longer, and eight effigies, seven of prominent Germans and one of a Bulgarian, would bo hung at the sices, about two-thirds of the way up. These would represent the Kaiser, tho Crown Prince. Hindenburg, Ludendorff, Von Mackev.sen, Von Tivpitz, Von Biasing, and King Ferdinand.

An inspection of the City senior cadet units was made by tho Acting-Prime Minister, Sir James Allen, in Princes Street last evening. Twelve officers and 663 cadets paraded. The Minister expressed himself as very pleased with tho showing made by the boys.

Matters in connection with the proposed alterations of the boundaries of the Counties of Ohinomuri and Piako will be investigated by a commission which has been appointed for that purpose. The commission will sit at Te Aroha on Friday to hear evidence.

Arrangements in connection with the reception of Admiral Lord Jellicoe on his forthcoming visit to Auckland will bo considered at a public meeting to be held in the City Council Chambers on Thursday afternoon. The meoting was previously called fqr this afternoon, but has been postponed until Thursday on account of i.'ther public fixtures! being held to-day.

Business at the Government Department of Labour for the week ended yesterday was reported io havo been iairly quiet. During tho six days very few implications for work were mado, and a few men were placed in positions.

The need fop the establishment at To Kuiti of a hospital, or, at least, an accident ward, has been emphasised by the sufferings of a man who was injured by a truck and who had tc be taken to the. Waikato Hospital at Hamilton, writes our To Kuiti correspondent. "It took four and three-quarter hours for the injured man to reach Frankton, a distance of 41 miles," said Mr. Walsh, manager of the lime works, who accompanied the patient, " and another 15 minutes to reach the hospital. The train stopped an hour at Otorohanga for shunting, and yet there is an opinion among members of the Waikato Hospital Board that Te Kuiti is too close for another hospital to be established."

The homing pigeons donated by members of the Auckland Pigeon Flying Club for service on tho western front arrived in England in good condition. Up to the signing of the armistice they were used entirely in the seaplane service. Advice to this effect has been received by tho secretary to the club, Mr. C. E. Scott, from the Army Council through the Acting-Prime Minister.

The unauthorised use of motor-cars was discussed by the council of the Canterbury Automobile Association. One speaker urged that the Government should introduce legislation similar to an Act passed in New South Wales in 1915 with a view to stopping tho practice. The New South Wales Act made it an offence for any person to drive or use a motor-car without tho consent of the owner, and a fine up to £20 could bo imposed for the offence.' If the offender held a license to drive a car, his license, in addition, might be cancelled. The council decided to send a remit embodying the suggestion to the annual meeting of the New Zealand Automobile Union in Wellington on June 27.

In view of the notification that the American postal rate has been reduced from 3 cents to 2 cents the Acting-Postmaster-General, tho Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald, was asked if there was any immediate prospect of the New Zealand charges being reduced similarly. He replied that the halfpenny extra charge on mail matter and the twopenco on telegrams were war taxes. They could not, in any case, be removed until Parliament met; then it would be for the Finance Minister to consider the matter from the viewpoint of the financial requirements. The question was one of finance, not merely of postal revenue. Mr. MacDonald mentioned that already the wirelees charges hz~i been reduced.