LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17242, 19 August 1919, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

f ♦ _ While endeavouring to catch a horse 1 on ' his farm at Paerata - yesterday, Mr. : Fred Gummer, aged 28, a married man, ' was kicked by the animal on the knee- ' cap. The injury was so severe that he - had to be sent to the Auckland Hospital, ' reaching the institution in the evening. i A slight operation -was performed, and , the patient was progressing favourably , last night. Earlier in the day another case of accidental injury to the knee was admitted to the hospital. The patient ■ was Mr. Charles Jones, aged 24, married, of St. Benedict's Street. He gave no particulars as to how he sustained the hurt, which it is believed may prove to be a fracture. A lengthy list of offenders for drunkenness during the week-end was dealt with by Mr. J. E. Wilson, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday. Eleven offenders were apprehended by the police, the majority after 6 p.m. on Saturday and one, a woman, on Sunday night. They were a cosmopolitan crowd. One hailed from Chili, another from Norway, and three came from England. There were two Scotchmen, one Welshman, one Australian and two New Zcalanders. A number of soldiers in the Howick and Pakuranga districts who recently returned from active service were accorded a welcome home by the Howick branch of the Women's Patriotic League on Friday evening., Mrs. Boyes welcomed the soldiers. Lieutenant R. G. Andrews, M.M., in replying, gave expression to the appreciation on the part of all soldiers of the gifts so liberally sent to them at the front. A most enjoyable musical programme was piesented, and supper ana dancing added to the pleasure of the gathering. In connection with the recentlyreported magnetic disturbances which have been affecting the telegraph lines, it is interesting to note that a faint aurora was observed by several people resident on the heights at Wellington. In that connection the Otago Daily Times records that a very fine display of the Aurora Australis was discernible in the southern sky. A special feature of this was a half-arch of vivid green, from which strong red rays radiated. The display lasted for some time. The erection of a bridge over the Mokau River at Mokau is a matter of great importance to settlers and travellers between Waitara and Te Kuiti. This bridge would form the connecting link between the Auckland and Taranaki districts and the main road would run into it. It is urged that a structure similar to the ferro-eon-crete bridges at Mangere and Panmure should be erected. The new mail and passenger motor run between Wellington and New Plymouth, inaugurated as a result of the curtailment of the railway services, is splendidly illustrated in to-day's issue of the Auckland Weekly News. The journey occupies ten hours, and glimpses of the towns and pastoral scenes passed in the 250-miles run should command jjeneral attention. Another pleasing feature of the publication is two pages setting forth in a picturesque way many phases of industrial life in the city of Auckland. The frontispiece contains two beautiful plates strikingly depicting winter scenes on the Southern Alps. An excellent photograph of the New Zealand soldier Rugby football team which is now victoriously touring South Africa after its successful career in Britain is also reproduced. Snapshots of the employers' representatives and the miners' delegates who attended the recent coal conference* at Wellington are of topical interest just now. The whitebait season is also dealt with pictorially. "His Club Night" and "A Smoke, a Wash, and a Mend" are bright studies which should make an appeal to all readers. Many other interesting pictorial subjects will also be found in the paper. Owing to the restrictions on travelling on the railways, Defence Headquarters have had to cancel the arrangements made for the holding of an examination at District Headquarters, Palmerston North, for first appointments to commissions in the Territorials and Senior Cadets. The cancellation affects half a dozen Wellington city candidates, but it is intended to conduct the examination as soon as the railways resume a normal service. Inquiry has elicited the fact that the increase in tram fares, which commenced in Wellington last week, had had no appreciable effect on the traffic In the slack hours the loading on the city section has not been so heavy as formerly, but in the rush hours it is as heavy as ever, a little more bo than the tramway authorities desire. While possible tramcar accidents were being discussed at an inquiry at New Plymouth, Mr. J. W. Poynton, S.M., told the story of a man who gained fame in the United States because he succeeded in beating the railway companies in compensation claims for accidents. A certain lady had such strong leg muscles that she could' break the tibia or fibula bones in her legs whenever she liked. The enter- I prising American married her, and started I a business. He would find a hole in a railway platform and then bring his wife out on his arm. She would put her foot in the hole and break her leg, and the company would be compelled Ito pay damages. This happened a number of times, but eventually the fraud was discovered, and the man got " five years " instead of any more damages. Mr. Poynton assured his hearers that this was not a fable ; it was reported in the Law Times. The suggestion was made at a meeting of the Masterton Progressive League that temporary housing in the form of tents might be provided in some suitable spot by the local authorities during the summer months.. It was contended the rent from the tents would more than pay for their erection. A black Orpington pullet in the egglaying competition at Christchurch has laid 100 eggs in 108 days, thereby nearly equalling a world's record for consistent laying. The present world's record of 100 eggs in 107 days was established by a black Orpington pullet in an Australian egg-laying competition. Supplies of factory butter are very short in Otago, and the position will not be relieved till the end of this month, when greater quantities of milk will commence to come in'. Otago and Southland require a supply of about 15,0001b a day, but the stocks held by the dairy companies are very smallabout 600 561b boxes, and the milk coming in just now is only sufficient to supplement these stocks very slightly. Moreover, stocks in merchants' hands are negligible. A Masterton resident who was in Wellington when the curtailment of passenger traffic came into operation had the utmost difficulty in convincing the railway officials that hs desired to return to his home, says a Wairarapa exchange,. He produced a certificate of identity from a justice of the' peace, together with his cheque book. As he was banking in Wellington, however, the officials were sceptical. He had to produce a letter with a credit note addressed by the bank to himself in the country. An anomaly in the railway restrictions was cited at a meeting of the Eketahuna County Council. It was stated thalt an auditor from Wellington was required for an audit in Palmerston North. The Railway Department refused to issue a passenger's ticket, but was agreeable fto convey two large cases of books from Palmerston to Wellington, to enable the audit to be made. In connection with the Waitaki High School memorial to ex-scholar who have fallen in the war, the principal (Mr. Milner) offered £500 and said the boys were prepared to raise another £500 by foregoing their prizes, organising entertainments, etc. It is proposed that an avenue of oaks bearing plaques with the names of the fallen soldiers inscribed shall lead up to the entrance. Among the correspondence received recently by an insurance company was " a surprise packet " contained in a registered envelope in the shape of £100 " conscience money 1 l___ .— ._ .... .