LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17311, 7 November 1919, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The North Auckland Land Board met on Wednesday and yesterday to deal with applications from returned soldiers, the commissioner, Mr. R. 1». Greville, presiding. Although only 11 days had elapsed since the previous meeting no fewer than 139 applications for houses and land appeared on the order paper. The majority of these received favourable recommendr.tion, only eight or nine being definitely refused. A collision between a tramcar and a motor-car occurred in tjueen Street at 3.15 yesterday The motor-car, driven by Mr. J. Erceg, of Cook Street, was emerging from Vulcan Lane, when, as a result of a-faulty gear change, the pace was reduced and an outward-bound tramc&T crashed into the motor as it crossed the rails. No one was injured, but slight damage was done to the mudguards of the motor-car. Small supplies of rice have come to hand lately from Sydney, but the shortage in Auckland is still acute. The Australian supply is stated to be very limited indeed, and recent consignments have advanced in price, although this has not been passed on to the public, to whom the retail price is still 8d per lb. A well-known Auckland merchant stated yesterday that he had managed to place an order in Australia for two tons at £66 a ton, three times as much as it would have ccst six months ago. There is little prospect of anv improvement in the position until next "May, when the new crops in the East are gathered. Another article in which there is still an acute shortage is methylated spirit* of wine. Very small quantities are being received from Australia from time to tine, but like the nee this goes into consumption, the market remaining practically bare.

Among the patients admitted to the district hospital last night was Mr. James Dow, engineer on the s.s. Bellbuckle, now lying at King's Wharf. He was Buffering from cuts on the head. It is understood that his injuries were sustained in a lracas on board the vessel. The waterside workers at Onehunga have decided that in future they will cease work on the local wharves at 5 p.m. on Saturday. It has been the custom hitherto to work the steamers late on Saturdays if required.

The names of about 200 soldiers who died in Featherston camp during the epidemic of 1918, have been added to the obelisk previously erected in the Featherston cemetery as a memorial to all men who died while in the training camps at Featherston and Tauherenikau. The recent addition was made at a cost of about £140, the major portion of which was paid from the funds of the Featherston Camp Weekly, a periodical conducted in the camp as a new medium for the soldiers.

A conference under th e " matter in dispute " clause of the Local Bodies Labourers' Award was held yesterday between representatives of the Auckland Drainage Board and of the union. The matter ct issue concerned the status of two of the board's employees. The conciliation commissioner. Mr. T. Harle Giles, persided. Messrs H. H. Watkins (secretary! and Mr. S. E. Wright represented the "board, and Mr. B. Clewe the union. After a friendly discussion, the conference was adjourned to allow the representatives to consult tfieir respective bodies. The extent to which American motor-

cars are being imported to the Dominion

may be gauged from the fact that the cargo steamer Bellbuckle, which arrived from New York on Wednesday, ie unloading over 100 cars in Auckland alone. The steamer also brought 18,500 cases of oil for this port.

A scrub fire on the Meadowbank Estate, beyond the Remuera tram terminus, was responeible for the Remuera and Parnell Fire Brigades receiving a call at 7.40 last evening. The fir was' extinguished before any damage had been done.

The necessity for replacing 72 of the locomotives then in service was one of the recommendations in the report on the New Zealand railways made by Mr E H.Hiley, in 1914. A return presented to the Ho"use of Representatives shows that since then the number of engines obtained by the Railway Department has been 112 comprising: Built by Railway Department' 65; built by A. and G. Price, 37; imported, 10.

A collection of about 100 specimens of native New Zealand plants has been presented to the herbarium at Canterbury Coliege by Mr. T. F. Cheeseman, curator of the Auckland Museum. The college co.lection now contains representatives of all New Zealand plants available for*preservation :n an herbarium. Specimens of some plants collected, described, and named by early botanists in New Zealand have been lost, and no other specimens of the species have been collected. With the exception of these, the Canterbury collection now is complete. The resolution of the New Plymouth Borough Council to place all matters of administration in the charge of a general manager wa s carried by 5 votes to i The borough engineer, Mr. W. H. Cook and the electrical engineer and tramways .nanagcr, Mr. Bartley, expressed their approval of the appointment of Mr. Bellringer to the position of general manager ana assured him and the council ol their whole-hearted co-operation. Mr. Bellringer said the scheme was new to New Zealand, but he was satisfied it was on correct lines, and that, if he had the co-operation of the council and too heads of the different departments, it would be a success.

_ Ihe protest of the Wanganui Borough Council against the reinstatement of Prolessor von Zedlitz, as professor of modern languages at Victoria College, Well.ngton, has been endorsed by "the Tauranga Borough Council. * °

A m Id winter and an early sprint in the Kaglan distinct have been the means of making this year's lambing season practically a record. All round the district splendid results have been obtained, one holding alone with 1600 ewes returning 100 per cent, of lambs. % l

The revenue for the New Plymouth I postal district for the quarter ended Sep- ! tember 30. 1919, was £22,£97, as compared with £20.412 for the corresponding period of 1918. For the first time New Plymouth has taken the lead from Invercargill flT'cfiA th -r, re « " Ue kt ( l ' tei ' ™» £21,916 The Savings Bank business at -New Uymouth also shows cnside'able increases, being exceeded only bv those at the four cities and Napier. It is not an uncommon occurrence for a man to discover money in an old suit and judging by the who of a past in' vestment that , has lately been heard in Invercargill it IS not impossible to bewme a shareholder and to forget all about he investment even though the venture is lucrative. Fifty years: ago a vouii"man came to New Zealand from Gotland'! He settled in Invercargill and prospered. He has been dead for many years but recently a , communication "was received tiom Aberdeen in connection with the winding up 0 a local railway company " that shire. The letter was opened by the deceased man's son, who marvelled to read that his father had been an early shareholder, before leaving Scotland half a century ago, in a company the existence of which he had evidently forgotten A search produced an original share certificate, and as a result, the estate benefits by a good sum.