LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17846, 29 July 1921, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

When discussing the arterial roads scheme of the Government yesterday Mr. W. H. Wynyard, president of the Good Roads Association, mentioned that the Minister for Public Works had given his assurance to Auckland deputations that the Rangiriri Hills Road would be made an urgent matter in the arterial roads policy. It would be pleasing to the people of Auckland to know that there was some pfbspect of this much-debated section of the Main South Road being dealt with at last.

A sudden change in the weather occurred about noon yesterday, when steady rain commenced to fall, and continued until about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. The morning was bright, with a light wind from S.S.E., but at about noon the wind veered round to a north-easterly direction for a short while, and then fell away to a calm. The rainfall for the 24 hours ended at midnight, as registered by the Herald gauge, was .24in. An unusually bright meteor was ob-

served in the north-eastern sky about

half-past seven o'clock last evening. It showed a rosy pink colour in the first instance, shading off into bluish green. The meteor travelled over a considerable arc of the sky, appearing to descend toward the waters of the gulf. The annual election of the Board of Managers of the Seddon Memorial Technical College is to be held in September. The number of managers to be elected is 16. Of these three are appointed by the local bodies in . the Auckland Harbour area, three elected by the parents of scholars attending the college, three by the Education Board, three each by the Employers' Association and Trades Unions recognised by the Minister, and one by the School Committees in the urban area. In the past the City Council had three representatives on the board, but now all the local bodies in the area mentioned have an equal voice with the City Council in the appointment of these members. The civil list for the coming session of the Auckland Supreme Court comprises 85 cases, 20 of which are jury cases and 65 actions to be heard before a judge alone. Yesterday dates were fixed for a number of the actions. Another " cleaning up " week was recently suggested to the CSty Council by Mr. F. W. H Brinsden, one of the members. The matter was referred to the Works Committee, which last evening recommended, on a report from the chief sanitary inspector, that, in view of more urgent matters requiring attention, the be not adopted. The council acted on the recommendation. A section of land, containing 3f acres, in Alexandra Avenue, Mount Albert, has been purchased by the Education Board as a site for a new school. This information was given by the JVfayor of Mount Albert, Mr. A. F. Bennett, at the meeting of the Borough Council on Wednesday evening. Permission to* plant trees in Dromome Road was recently sought by the Remuera School Committee from the City Council, whose co-operation was asked in providing guards for the protection of the trees. The Works Committee of the council, to which the matter was referred, recommended last evening that the council co-operate in the tree-planting, and offer the School Committee sufficient stakes for the trees, but decline to supply the guards. The recommendation was adopted.*

6 The question of employment 'of waterfront labour was touched upon in a letter from the Wellington Harbour Board, received yesterday by the council Of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. The letter stated that recent statements with regard to the matter were inaccurate. No radical alteration of system had been made in Wellington. .The great majority of the board's labourers wars still casual in status. What hard been done was simply what was done in previous slack winters, notably 1909 and 1911. This was to give preference of employment, with the approval of the Waterside Workers' Union, to the 350 men who had looked to the board for employment all the year round for years past, and to put these men on a roster, so as to make their engagement a _matter of rotation, and thus do away with their need for waiting oil the wharves when idle.

The matter of compensation to the City Council for land taken in Rutland Street by the Defence Department for access to the Drill Hall was referred some time ago to arbitration. Mr. George Elliot was appointed sole'arbitrator. The council last evening received notification that he had made his. award in the matter, which wis that the Crown

pay to the council the sum of £600 in compensation. The costs of the award, £26, are to be paid by the parties in equal shares. The Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson, said the council had asked £14,000 and the Government had wished to pay nothing. The award was accepted.

The. secretary of the Jubilee Institute for the Blind has recently received a cheque for £71 Ss from the Wairarapa Caledonian Society, Masterton, The donation represents the proceeds of an entertainment organised by the society in aid of the institute. .

The sound of a very realistic Maori haka just outside the railway station, followed by a burst of cheering, about seven o'clock last evening, set some of the travelling public wondering whether a party of Maoris was about to hoard the train. The war-cry, however, came from members of the Wellington tramways football team returning home -after having played the Auckland tramwaymen for the Kohn Shield on Wednesday.

A resolution of sympathy with the relatives of the late Mr, J. TL Julian was papsed bv the City Council last evening. It was also decided to place on record the council's high appreciation of the deceased's public work.

Improved lighting at the approaches to the King's, Central, and Northern Wharves was requested by the Harbour Board in at letter received by the City Council last/ evening. It was decided to reply that to comply with the request this year was impossible on financial grounds.

Speaking' of the Racing Commission's recommendations regarding the amalgamation of the Gisborne Racing Clnb with the Poverty Bay Turf Club, ajid the consequent disposal of the former club's racecourse, the president of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association, Mr. C. A, Fenwick, stated that Tvi« organisation has at lease of the park racecourse for show purposes, which has about five years to run. On top of this it has the right of renewal of the lease for a further 21 years. Should the Racing CJommission s recommendations threaten the disposal of the park, then the Agricultural and Pastoral Association would have to take steps to protect itself against the loss of its lease and prospects. There was no doubt 33 to which was the better course for show purposes, and the association meant to " sit tight." The Auckland Fire Board last evening submitted to the City Council its estimates of expenditure for the current financial year, the total amount involved being shown at £18,375, including an estimated deficit as at pune 30 last of £1436. The board enclosed an account for £2271, being the council's contribution for the quarter ending September 30 next. The Mayor, Mr.-J. H. Gunson, said this meant an annual charge greater than the council had hitherto paid- The account was " received."

A request that the hours at the Mount Albert Post Oflice should be the same as at Kingsland is to be made to the chief postmaster by the Mount Albert Borough CounciL At present the Mount Albert office closes between 1 and 2 p.m. daily and on Wednesday afternoon, while the hours at Kingsland are from 9 am. to 5 pun. dapy. A request for a slot telephone at the tram terminus i§ also to be.