LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18015, 14 February 1922, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The weather at Auckland yesterday was the hottest experienced here for some lime. There was only a very light brcez* from the north-west, not sufficient to temper the heat of the sun's rays. In tho city the atmospneie was stifling and everywhere doors and windows were opened to their fullest extent to admit of the slightest breath of wind. An indication of the heat is afforded by the fact that 85 degrees Fahrenheit was recorded on the Queen's Wharf at 4 p.m.

Tho organisers of the sheepowncrs' fund for British seamen have applied to the Advisory Board of tho patriotic associations asking tho latter to act as its agents between tho fund, amounting to £180,000, and claimants for giants. The board's letter notifying this was received by the executivo of the Auckland association yesterday. It was stated that the different societies were authorised to make grants up to £5 for sick or wounded sailors or those suffering from disabilities in cases where such was considered advisable. After that rjavment claims were to be forwarded to tho War Funds Council in Wellington. It was agreed to co-operate as rco.nested.

The provision mado in the Appropriation Bill for the payment by the State Fire Insurance Department of tho purchase price of the premises to bo acquired in Auckland from the Bank of Australasia refers to the purchase for £32,000 of the bank's premises at the corner of Queen and Wyndham Streets. The arrangement was completed over a year ago. Tho Bank of Australasia will be transferred across tho road to the building at present occupied by tho National Bank df New Zealand and purchased by tho Bank of Australasia from the Goodfellow estate in March, 1920. The National Bank of New Zealand has new premises in courso of erection in Shortland Street The transfers will not take place until tho new building is completed, probably in September. Tho State Firo Insurance Department will then be transferred from the old pozl office building in Shortland Street to the Bank of Australasia's present building.

To-day is the thirteenth anniversary of tho inauguration of the North Island Main Trunk railway service. The first regular through train, which left Auckland for Wellington on the evening of February 14, 1909, consisted of five passenger carriages, a sleeper, two luggage vans, and a postal van. Tho train carried about 200 passengers.

'Hie keen interest with which conditions affecting the primary industries are being studied by farmers was shown by the sizo of the audience before tvhich addresses were delivered by Messrs. W. J. Poison and F. Colbeck in Dargaville on Friday evening. Over 300 farmers gathered from the surrounding districts, many travelling long distances by road and river, and the proceedings, over which Mr. John Stallworthy presided, were prolonged to a late hour. Tho addresses by the two representatives of the Farmers' Union were followed with clow attention, and at their conclusion, many questions were submitted and answered by the visitors.

The weekly luncheon of the Auckland Rotary Club was held in the Town Hall supper room yesterday, and was well attended by members. The president, the Hon. Georgo Fowlds, asked for an expression of opinion by members on the question of holding a dinner in connection with the annual meeting in March, the voto Being in the affirmative. It was de cided that it should be open to members to each invite a guest to this function. Mr. F. Colbeck, vice-president of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, who was the guest at the club, delivered an address on "The Farmers' Problems."

Valentine's Day falls to-day, but the observance of the occasion belongs to a past generation. It was on February 14 that in former times in England, Scotland, and some parts of Europe each young bachelor and maid was assigned by lot a member of the opposite sex as a " valentine " for the year. This was a fonn of mock betrothal which frequently led to real engagements and marriages. In later years tho practice developed into a habit among young people of exchanging sentimental caricatures or " valentines." It is many years since the observance of the day in New Zealand was allowed to lapse.

The theft of a number of overcoats from the Auckland Commercial Travellers' Club was the charge upon which a man was arrested yesterday by Detective Moll ugh. A large number of coats, for which owners are wanted, were on view at the detective office last evening.

A conference of amateur operatic societios will bo held in Wellington in a week or two. For some time past theso societies have been feeling the pinch caused by the increased cost of production, and the conference will be an attempt to bring the societies together in a scheme that will lessen the costs all round, by mutually sharing the cost of scores, scenery and dresses. The conference has emanated from the Palmerston North Society.

Tho New Zealand Institute of Architects' examination, held in December last, was the first occasion on which candidates, having completed tho preliminary and intermediate examinations, were eligible to sit for the final, qualifying for election as associate N.Z.I.A. Of those presenting themselves, Mr. A. A. V. Campbell, of Wellington, and Mr. A. U. Tizard, of Auckland, wore the only candidates who passed.

"In some cases it ought to be made a criminal offence for relatives to interfere between a husband and his wife," said Mr. Wyvem Wilson, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court in Christchurch, when dealing with a maintenance case in which the relatives of tho parties figured somewhat largely. The magistrate said that over and over again, in maintenance cases, ho had seen the result of relatives interfering and carrying tales backwards and forwards. Relatives should not listen to the tales of a young couple, but should leave them to fight out their own battles.

A pieco of decayed wood stated to have been taken from the collapsed wheel of a wagon bought by a farmer from the Defence Department was produced in the House of Representatives last week by Mr. W. T. Jennings, who asked what redress the farmer was going to obtain. Ho thought that manufacturers who put inferior materials into military equipment ought to be punished severely. The Minister for Defence replied that he had invited the Imperial authorities to write down the wagons to a very low price, The farmer concerned was being supplied with a new wheel.

The municipal bus service in Palmerston North is not proving a financial success. It is expected that the loss for the year will amount to £1000.

"I don't want to hear children. I dpn't think it is a wise thing to bring them into Court if it can be avoided," remarked Mr. A. M. Mowlem, S.M., in the Now Plymouth, Magistrate's Court when a girl of 13 was called to substantiate the evidence of the defendant in an assault case.

A novel plea was made in the Magistrate's Court at Wellington the other day. Handing up a photograph to the Bench, counsel for a defendant in an action, said: "This woman is the mother of all those beautiful children. The house in which 6he resides with her family has been sold over her head, she has been given notice to quit, has nowhere to go, and now has to pay a fine." "I will deal with tbe case next Tuesday," replied Ife, F. K. Hunt, S.M.