LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17843, 26 July 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The return of two trawlers to port during the week-end has relieved to a considerable extent the bare state of the fish market in Auckland. The City Council's trawler Cowan, which had been operating in the Gulf since Monday, arrived on Saturday with 135 baskets of mixed fish, principally schnapper, tarakihi, gurnard, and trevalli. Yesterday the Kahu, one of Messrs. Sanfords' trawlers, arrived from the Bay of Plenty, but the haul was a very poor one, tarakihi being in the majority. It is probable two other trawlers will return to-day.

A party of 25 men will be despatched to relief works at Mangonui to-day by the Auckland office of the Labour Department. Yesterday 14 new applications for work were received and one man was placed in private employment.

With regard to the disposal of refuse in Mount Eden the Finance Committee recommended to the Borough Council last evening that the present system be continued, stating that the refuse was used for the purpose of filing in an area that would eventually prove an attractive sports ground. The refuse was covered with large quantities of earth and scoria and there was no offensive smell. The provision of a destructor was costly, tno committee added, and the working expensive. I n England destructors were being abandoned in favour of a method of sorting refuse and selling that of value. The rate of wa?es would probably make this impossible here and the method now employed was the best that could be pursued until the area was reclaimed. The report was adopted.

A severe frost was experienced in the city and suburbs early yesterday morning. The weather throughout the day was threatening, but no rain fell.

Certain repairs and alterations are proposed to be carried out at the Veterans' Homo under the direction of the Patriotic Association, which now has the full conI trol of the institution. It is also being j provided with some new furniture and j equipment in order to add to the comfort jof the resident veterans. The latter yes- | teiciay morning assembled to receive the | president of the association. Mr. J. H. | Goneon, and Mr. V. J. Larner, on the I occasion of a visit by them to the home.

A special meeting of the Manukau 1 Licensing Committee was held yesterday afternoon at Onehunga. Mr. W. R. McKean, S.M., presided. Sergeant J. A. j Cruickshank reported that there had been I a very decided Improvement in the conI duct of the Exchange Hotel, new fire escapes having been installed since the I annual meeting held in June. The com- ! mittee granted the license

Shortly before the collier Kaikorai sailed for Newcastle last evening it was reported that there were stowaways on board the vessel. A .search resulted in three men being discovered in the stokehold. They were ordered ashore, the steamer sailing immediately afterward.

Hawthorn was declared a noxious weed by the Mount Eden Borough Council last evening. This action was taken after hearing a deputation from the Auckland Fire B'.ight Committee.

The premises in Victoria Street West which were damaged by fire last Friday night are not occupied by Messrs. Browne Bros, and Geddes, confectioners, as was first stated. The occupier of the premises is Mr. P. Hughes, confectioner.

A safety-zone for the public frequenting the various shipping offices in the Harbour Board's building on the Queen's Wharf, was established yesterday. In the past it has been the practice of a large number of carters to drive rather close to the doors of the offices, which made this locality dangerous for pedestrians.

A conference of suburban local bodies invited to join the proposed electric power board for Auckland Isthmus will be. held this evening. The Mount Eden Borough Council has appointed the Mayor, Mr. J. W. Shackelford, and Messrs. E. H. Potter and L. Joll as its representatives. Few people are travelling by train in the South Island at present, says "the Ashburton Guardian, and the scarcity of passengers is reflected in the reduced size of the express trains. The express from Invercargill now consists of only about eight carriages, just sufficient for requirements.

Sittings of the Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers Commission will be commenced at the Central Hall, Paeroa, on Tuesday, August 2, for the purpose of hearing evidence. The commission is directed to inquire into and report upon the allocation of the cost of providing funds required under the provisions of the Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers Improvement Act, 1910, and other matters connected therewith. All interested are invited to attend and give evidence.

A woman, believed to be a Mrs. Smith, sustained concussi-on by falling from, or being run over by a motor car in the Ngahauranga Gorge, says a Press Association message from Wellington. She was conveyed to a private house, and later to a private hospital. It is reported that she has not regained consciousness.

It would seem that potatoes are again to become a drug on the market. A correspondent, writing in the Farmers' Union Advocate, remarks : "We all know what happened last year, when a large quantity of good potatoes were allowed to go to waste, some in the ground and some in the pits. Hopes were entertained that matters would be better this season, but prices are very low indeed—too low to pay for the cost of production. Auckland, that outlet for potatoes that has savetl the situation for us again and again, is now willing to buy, but the prices offered will not allow fanners to get more than 50s or 55s a ton on trucks,at country stations. This shows that there are plenty of potatoes available. There is evidently an oversupply, and low prices must consequently rule."

That the Government is sincere in its professions that the Waikaremoana hydroelectric scheme should be proceeded "with as rapidly as possible, says the Napier Daily Telegraph, is evident from the fact that arrangements have been completed for the purchase of 500 acres of land from Messrs. Tapper Brothers.

Some irresponsible person or persons turned to one of the Wellington City Corporation's steam rollers standing with banked fires at Ngahauranga as a source of amusement on Friday evening and set the machine in motion in the direction of the Ngahauranga stream. The roller crashed down the bank into the stream and was considerably damaged, particularly about the fore-carriage It also appears that a dog which had been tied to one of the wheels suffered most cruelly, for with each revolution of the wheel it was swung into the air and thrown violently to the ground. Tbe police and city authorities are making full inquiries into the occurrence.

Announcement is made by the Post and Telegraph Department that until further notice the maximum amount that may be remitted to the United Kingdom and places advised through London, to India,, to Norway, and to the Union of South Africa, by means of a money-order {and in the case of the United Kingdom by British money-order telegram) by any one person to tjie same payee in one of those countries is £20 in one week. The maximum for tbe United States and Canada still remains at £5.

During the recent coal shortage in New Zealand the Government railways were hard pressed to procure the necessary supplies, and the experience gained has resulted in the department being deters mined to be in a better position, should another shortage occur. In Napier, two huge coal stacks are being built up in Munroe Street, and it is estimated that over 8000 tons of coal are now on hand. Owing to the scarcity of ground space, it has been found necessary to add height to the stacks, and a railway track has been constructed up the centre and the coal is being discharged at the tap>