LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17753, 12 April 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

A malicious false alarm was given to the City Fire Brigade from the corner of Nelson and Cook Streets shortly after noon yesterday. Fortunately the brigade was able to obtain information of the person supposed to have given the alarm, and as a result of inquiries by the police a 14-year-old boy was interrogated, witli the result that he will appear before the Court in due course. Over 400 passengers travelled by the 7.10 express for the South last evening. The train comprised 14 carnages, including two sleepers. The search for George Vincent Keys, the prisoner who escaped from a prison gang in the Mount Eden quarry, at midday on Saturday, was- continued by a posse (A police and warders throughout yesterday, but at a late hour he had not been recaptured. It is reported that he was seen in the Titirangi district in the afternoon.

/ The sudden shrieking of the Harbour Board's siren at 6.15 a.m. yesterday startled several sleepers into wakefulness, causing them to think that something alarming must have happened in the outside world to warrant such a fearsome noise at that hour. It transpired that owing to a slight mishap in connection with tho city electrical works, from which the siren is controlled, it was set going automatically and without warrant. Incidentally somo electric lights in city buildings, and in one or two of the suburbs, were blown out, to the surprise of the persons using them at the time. The contretemps was short-lived, and a few seconds after the siren commenced to play its weird tune, it resumed its customary silence. Repairs to the fused lights wore speedily undertaken whan complaints regarding them wore received at the electrical power station.

The Masonic lodges of tho Auckland district have lately elected their representatives for the annual commemoration of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand, which will be held in the Auckland Town Hall on May 11. The agenda for the session is an extensive one, including numerous proposals for the amendment of the constitutional Jaws. One notable feature of the occasion will be the practical disappearance from active office of Mr. Malcolm Niccol, of Auckland, who has been grand secretary of the craft in New Zealand for about 20 years, and has been one of the principal workers in bringing the institution into its present flourishing position. Mr. George Barclay, also an Aucklander, at present holds the office of acting-grand secretary.

The monthly meeting of the executive of the Auckland Provincial Patriotic and War Relief Association will be held tomorrow afternoon, and the sixth annual meeting of the association in June. The president, Mr. J. H. Gunson, stated yesterday that the accounts for the past year were being audited, and the report for submission to the members was being prepared. He added that the latter would show that the year's operations had been the heaviest in the history of the association, as regards both the number of cases dealt with and the amount of money disbursed.

The Pacific Cable Board notifies that owing to a break in the cable near Norfolk Island, traffic between Auckland and that station is interrupted. All traffic for the United Kingdom is consequently being diverted for the present to the Eastern service. The Iris will be despatched shortly to effect repairs.

The commemoration of Anzac Day in Auckland this year will include the ceremony of urrvefling a monument which has been erected in the soldiers* plot in the Waikumete Cemetery by the Auckland Returned Soldiers' Association in honour of all New Zealand soldiers who died in the Great War. The usual service will be held in the Town Hall, but in the forenoon, so that the afternoon will be free for the Waikumete function. MajorGeneral Sir Edward Chaytor, officer commanding the New Zealand forces, has consented to unveil the monument.

The Kauri Gum Commission, the members of which arrived in Auckland from the North on Saturday evening, has suspended operations for a few lays. Evidence will be taken in Auckland next week. The exact date of the sitting will be announced later.

A tribute to the memory of Mrs. Car'rick, who died last Friday, was paid at the morning service at St. Andrewls Church on Sunday, when the organist, Mr. Taylor, played the "Dead March" in "Saul." Mrs. Carrick was the widow of the late Rev. A. Carrick, a former minister of St. Andrew's.

Tlie Arbitration Court will commence sittings at Gisborne on May 30, for the purpose of considering applications for new industrial awards. Mr. Justice Fraser will preside.

The report of the session of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church will be considered by the presbytery this evening. The report was adopted by a meeting of the congregation of the church last evening, the Rev. D. D. Scott presiding.

Owing to a mistake in a telegram from Wellington, some comments on New Zealand cricket, published yesterday, were wrongly attributed to Mr. Waddy, a .member of the= Australian touring team. .They were written by Mr. Percival R. Waddy, an old cricketer resident in Wellington.

A number of prisoners will appear foi sentence before Mr. Justice Adams in the Supreme Court to-morrow. There are 12 names on the list to be dealt with. What was described as an election canard was brought to the notice of the City Schools Committee last evening by Mr. D. Wilson, who said a rumour had been started in the Ponsonby district tc the effect that a headmaster under the committee's jurisdiction had taken a number of us pupils to the Police Court apparently to view the proceedings for he.reducat.onal value. Mr. Wilson said be absolutely d.sbelievea the accuracy of the report which, if true, would convict a city headmaster of a degrading action. It was deeded that the rumour should be officially denied. A meeting of retail shopkeepers wo* hold last evening to decide on a course of action regarding the demands of the Employees" Union. Mr. W. J. Cousins presided over a large attendance. It was decided that each section of the trade should formulate its own proposals with a yew to each determining its own conditions. Each section was instructed to appoint its assessors to the Conciliation M? S ? h w W u H conside r the dispute. Mr. b._ E Wright, secretary to the Employers Association, was appointed to conduct the employers' case on behalf of all sections.

A protest against the decision of the Education Board to send two members, in addition to Mr. J. P. Kalaugher and Miss Juniper, to the forthcoming conference of technical school teachers was made by the Newton Schools' Committee hist evening. A motion was passed ,„ toe fallowing tonus:-" The committee strongly protest against the board sending two trt its members to a conference o! techincal school teachers to be held in Wel.ngtcn, especially when the committees are not able to secure sufficient funds from the board to finance their ordinary working expenses, in connection With the schools. '

The fumigating operations which were responsible for the City Fire Brigade being called out to the corner of Queen and Durham Streets on Sunday were in progress in the Grosvenor tea rooms, and not in the premises of Messrs. Whitcombe And Tombs.