LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17571, 9 September 1920, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

A large English, Canadian, and American mail is being brought by, the Tahiti, -which will arrive at Auckland from Vancouver' this afternoon. The Tofua is due at Wellington : from San Francisco on Saturday with 1362 bags of parcel mail for the Dominion. Prices for fat stock at the Westfield sales yesterday were equal to last week's rates. Choice ox realised £3 2s* per 1001b. ordinary and prime beef fetching from' £1 18s /to £3 Is per 1001b., according to quality. Mutton prices were unchanged from last week. Wethers realised from £1 17s to £2 98 6d, ewes £1 7s to £2 0s 9d, and hoggets £1. 7s to. £2 2s. Pigs were penned in large numbers, and sold well at late rates. Baconers realised from l £6 5s to £8. ;.',•:..' The demand for oyster* in Auckland is still in excess of the supply. • Last week 170 sacks were received from Waiheke and 112 from the Kaipara, while 63 sacks were received yesterday from the Kaipara. This latter consignment is stated to be the best in quality yet received from that district, though not yet equal to Waiheke oysters. A further consignment is expected to-day or to-morrow. The new Soldiers' Club in Albert Street is expected; to be opened for occupation about the beginning of next month. At the meeting of the executive of the Patriotic Association yesterday the president. 'Mr. J. H. Guhson, stated that the sub-committee to which the matter had been referred had that day appointed Mr. F. G. Young as manager of the club, and his wife as matron. Mr. Young was a returned soldier, with over three years' service. A tender had also been accepted for the furnishing of the building. The committee of the Auckland Automobile Association embarked on a new venture at last evening's meeting, when it was decided to engage the services of an expert motor engineer to act as consulting engineer to the association. The duties of this expert will be to advise members of the association regarding the nature of any repairs necessary to their cars. It is considered that such an opinion in the first place will often save members considerable expense. The Bemuera and Parnell Fire Brigades

received a call from a street alarm box at the corner of Fairfax and Manukau Roads at 10.30 a.m. yesterday, the cause being the fusing of underground electric cables. The cables had fused some distance underground, and the flames burst out at a pole near the corner of the two streets up which the cables run. The power was cut off and the outbreak quickly subdued. A visit to the New Zealand Flying School at Kohimarama has been made by Sir Keith Smith, the noted aviator. He spent several hours in inspecting the machines and buildings, and expressed considerable interest in what he saw of the work of the school.

The question of payment for overtime in relation to the efficiency of the worker was referred to by Mr. Justice Stringer in the Arbitration Court yesterday. His Honor said a limitation of working hours, with payment for overtime, for domestic workers in private hotels, might tell against tho efficient members of the staff The inefficient girl would require overtime in which to do her work, and would thus get extra pay, whereas the capable girl would finish within working hours. On behalf of the union concerned, it was stated that this had not proved to be tho case in other centres, and that it was j generally only at Christmas-time that overtime was charged. Decision on the point was reserved. The amended regulations covering travelling expenses of members of education boards, gave rise to some discussion at the Education Board's meeting yesterday. I The suggested amount of 17s 6d a day for country members was considered insufficient, such members stating they would be out of pocket on any allowance less than 20s a day. It was also urged that 1 members living in town should receive an allowance of 10s a meeting. Mr. H. S. W. King objected to the entire system of defining a flat rate of charges for motorcar hire, travelling expenses, and allowances for meetings. It was decided that the secretary and Mr. King should draft a letter to the department embodying the board's objections to the new scale.

Government House is at present undergoing renovation in anticipation of the

arrival of New Zealand's new GovernorGeneral, Viscount Jellicoe. The wooden promenade, which ran the full length of the front of the building, has been removed, and is being relaid in concrete, while the house itself and all outbuildings are being painted. Shortage of workmen, however, is hampering the work considerably. There has been great difficulty in securing painters and bricklayers, and only one of the latter is at present engaged on the promenade, which requires at least three workmen. A plentiful supply of fish is available for the Auckland market this week. The City Council's trawler Simplon returned to port vesterday after a week's cruise off the Cavallis and Awanui Bay, with 500 baskets of fish, principally schnapper. The fish are all in first-class condition. This is the fust catch received at the municipal market this week.

The adoption of the Stat© scheme of dental service in Auckland schools was advanced- a stage further at the meeting of the Education Board yesterday, when notification was received from the department that Miss N. Hanron and Mr. J. H. Egan, dental surgeon, had been appointed to initiate the scheme at Beresford Street school, and Mr. F. B. K. McArthur in Warkworth and surrounding districts. A general campaign of Tat destruction is to be undertaken at Devonport. This I decision was arrived at by the Borough j Council last evening. " A reduction of hours would mean having a staff as strong numerically as the guests," said a private hotelkeeper in the Arbitration Court yesterday. He said that with a 52-hour week he already had one girl to look after every three and a-half guests. A <8-hour week was a " physical impossibility." The question of illuminating the safety zone discs, lately erected by the City Council at several of the tram stopping places, was referred to at the meeting of the committee of the Auckland Automobile Association last evening. One speaker suggested that a "spot" light should be thrown on each disc. This led the chairman, Dr. C. B. Rossiter, to remark that too many " spots " was probably the cause of such a large number of these notices being knocked over. The condition of the cargo of superphosphates in the Japanese steamer Meikai Maru was the ostensible cause of the recent dispute on the Wellington waterfront. Forty-six thousand bags were dis charged, and as showing how well the cargo was packed, it is officially reported that the sweepings from the hold when discharge was completed were but 12 Bags.

The condition of the Rangiriri-Huntly Road was again mentioned at the meeting of the committee of the Auckland Automobile Association last evening. An interesting statement was made by Mr. M. H. Wynyard, who said the discovery of a deposit of suitable shingle in the Waikato River near Ohinewai, should solve the problem of decently metalled roads in this district. Members of the committee expressed great satisfaction at this announcement. It was stated that a company was being formed for the purpose of turning the discovery to account. An alteration in the half-holiday observed by butchers has been agreed upon, and the shops will in future close on Saturday afternoon instead of Wednesday. Commencing from this week the beef batchers will close at noon and the pork butchers at 1 o'clock on Saturdays..