LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17497, 15 June 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

•; Mails from Britain, Canada and America will arrive , at Auckland by. the, R.M.S. Niagara" from < Vancouver ' this " afternoon. An Australian' mail that* reached Wellington yesterday by the TJlimaroa from Sydney will arrive hero by the Main Trunk express this afternoon.

Two accident cases were- admitted to tho Auckland Hospital yesterday. The first patient, Mr. F. 'J. Darlow, a railway employee, was seriously injurod as the resalt of being thrown off a loaded truck in Quay Street about 4.30 p.m. The seond patient, Ernest Herbert Newson, aged 16,' residing at Princes Street, Onehunga, was suffering from severe injuries to his left hand. He had been rabbitshooting, and when returning home across tho Mangero Bridge put his gun down to light a cigarette. In doing so ho put his hand over tho muzzle of the gun, when the chargo exploded. >

Tho benefit derived by the children of tho Napier Street school from tho system of supplying hot cocoa at mid-day was the subject of a report received by the City Schools Committee last evening from teachers of the school. The report stated that 170 pupils wore supplied, and results warranted the extension of tho scheme to all Stftto schools. committee supported a rccommondation from tho Cocoa Committeo that delegates interview the Minister for Education, the Hon. C. J. Parr, on tho question of establishing a permanent grant for school children's refreshment.

The Mount Eden Borough -Council recently complained to the City Council Tramways Department that .travellers by section cars to the termini of tho lines in tho borough would bo subject to an increased charge when changing .cars. The reply stated that the proposed duplication of tho lino would improvo tho position. If trouble continued tho question of running minimum faro cars would bo con-„ sidorcd. It was decided to ask tho City Council when the duplication of the lino might bo expected to begin.

Tho care of soldiers' graves at Waikaraka cemetery was the subject of a letter received by the Onehunga Borough Council last evening • from Miss E. M. Statham, inspector of soldiers' and historical graves. Miss Statham stated that she had suggested to the Minister for Internal Affairs that local authorities should take over the caro of the graves. She commended tho suggestion to tho council. Tho matter was referred to the Cemetery Committee.

A' protest against the number of subjects put before local bodies for an opinion was voiced by the Mayor of Mount Eden, Mr. C. Hudson, at the' Borough Council meeting last evening. A letter from the Hawera Borough Council asking for; support in urging the Government to remit the duty on children's footwear was under consideration, and a discussion arose whether the letter should merely bo received or whether action should bo taken. Mr. Hudson said the duty of tho council was the care of the roads and other works in the borough, and the administration of tho ratepayers' money. If all these outsido subjects were to bo discussed by the council it would becomo a sort of Soviet. H they were to consider all these subjects which properly belonged to tho'legislature, why were they paying members of Parliament! Tho Mayor's views found the endorsement of the council, and the letter was received. .

At the Police Court in Hamilton yesterday Percival Silica was charged with driving a motor-car over a railway crossing when a train was approaching. Evidence was given by the driver and fireman of the train that they took the number of tho defendant's car as he crossed the line. Tho defendant claimed that he did not see or hear* the train. A fine of £2, with costs, lis, was imposed. t

While a contractor was excavating a road near Whakatano his men came across an old Victorian shilling some five feet below the surface. They also unearthed several human bones, presumably those of a Maori, and an old muzzleloading gun with a brass trigger guard. It is assumed that theso havo been under ground sinco the early "sixties."

"You 600 what difficulty wo aro in over this matter," said tho Mayor of Mount Eden, Mr. C. Hudson, at the Borough Council meeting last evening, when the engineer rqported that tho shortage ■ of cement was delaying the extension of drainage* work. A brief discussion of tho causes behind tho cement shortage was followed by the passage of a motion to write to the Government drawing attention to the delay caused to tho completion of essential drainage works owing to tho lowness of the cement supplies.

Speaking iu Dunedin on Saturday night, General Sir William Birdwood said he VBB glad to see a few present wearing the Australian Imperial Forces . badge. (Loud applause.) At Gallipoli the Australians and Now Zealanders had fought side by side and had realised how the safety of the one deponded on the bravery of the other. Australia and Now Zealand should see eye to eye in matters of defence. There must be mutual support in case of need, and ho was therefore delighted to see how completely welcome Australian soldiers had been made to the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association.

The Post and Telegraph Officers' Association has a membership of 6750, comprised as follows Auckland, 1168 j Wai-kato-King Country, 327; Thames, 189; New Plymouth, 143; Wanganui, 388; Manawatu, 285; Gisbornei 111; Napier, 340; Wairarapa, 22»; Wellington, 1202; Marlborough, 98; Nelson, 148; Westport, 55; ureymouth. 118; North Canterbury, 681; Timaru, 156; Oamaru, 65 Dunedin, 589; Southland, 271;- N.Z.E.P., 96. On, April 1, 1919, the membership was 7681, but sinco that date 1088 members resigned from tho Department, 128 from the association, and 85 did not agree to the new rate of subscription. As against theso defections there were 270 new members, thus bringing the total to 6750,

In connection with the announcement that a fire at Cranwell, in Lincolnshire, had destroyed tho hangars and 130 aeroplaces, it is interesting to note that Cranwell was tho principal training centre of the Royal Naval Air Service during the war, and both Capiain Dickson and Captain Gray, of the Canterbury Aviation Company, completed their training there. The aerodrome and buildings cover 600 acres, and there is housing accommodation for 3000 officers and men. Tho establishment is still maintained as a Royal Air Force training centre. During the war, Prince Albert was adjutant at Cranwell. He is a qualified pilot, and, like the Prince of Wales, owns his own machine.

"We have seen two groat booms, a rubber boom and an oil boom," said General Sir William Birdwood in Wellington. "The next boom may be a timber boom." The general mentioned that timber was becoming scarce ail over the world and that he had been interested to see a report of a lecture on the subject of forestry by Sir David Hutchins. He would like to suggest that in dealing with forestry and other scientific questions New Zealand should make moro use of the line brains of its own young men. He had met many of theso men at the front, and had found them to be extraordinarily ingenious and resourceful in dealing with electrical and other problems. New Zealand had vast resources awaiting development, and il could secure enormous advantages by giving its young men the best possible training and the widest opportunities to investigate scientific problems on their own account.