LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18020, 20 February 1922, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The last tramcar from Renraera to the Epsom depot ran off the rails as it was turning into Broadway, Newmarket, just after 11 o'clock last eveuing. It was an hour before the car was got on to the rails again. Fortunately, only one other car, the last outward-bound car for the city, was blocked a 6 a result of the mishap.

The Main Trunk express that left Auckland for Wellington yesterday evening consisted of 14 passenger carriages. There was seating accommodation to spare as some of the carriages were extras that were being returned to Wellington.

The Otahuhu Trotting Club's Summer Meeting was opened a*t Alexandra Park on Saturday, and attracted an attendance estimated at 14,000. The leading event, the Otahuhu Cup, was won by the Australian horse Grand Voyage, owned by two Melbourne sportsmen, Messrs. Qlasheen and Busst. Grand Voyage, who started favourite, won the' race in a brilliant manner. The sum of £46,758 was invested on the totalisalor during the day, a decrease of £1723 10s compared with the amount handled ou tho corresponding day last year.

The value of the life-saving club was exemplified at Cheltenham yesterday, when a voung woman got beyond her depth while bathing. On her calling for assistance, members of the club promptly swam to her aid, and succeeded in bringing her ashore, in a fainting condition. A doctor was summoned, but his services were not required, as the restorative measures adopted by the life-savers proved effective before his arrival.

The fine weather that has been experienced at Auckland for nearly a fortnight continued over tho week-end. Tho month so far has been very dry, only about hrslf an inch of rain having fallen. Last week the weathor was particularly hot. During tho last three days humid conditions prevailod, the sky being dull and threatening and the wind changing between north-west and southwest The barometer has been high for some time. It was practically steady at 30.25 in. on 10 days up to Thursday. It then rose to 30.50 in.. at which it remamded steady until midnight on Saturday. Yesterday it fell slowly, and last night tho reading was 30.35 in.

The Birkenhead Borough Council, with a view to popularising the reserves in the distrirt, has arranged with the Municipal Brass Band to give a series of Sunday afternoon open-air musical performances in 'the various public areas. The Srst of these was held yeflerday on Birkenhead Point, overlooking the wharf. The selections by tho band were listened to with p'easure by a, large crowd. This hand also played in the Birkdale school grounds on Saturday afternoon, on the occasion of tho annual show.

A conference regarding tho plans for the new arts building of the Auckland University College was held on Saturday morning, the Minister for Education (Hon. C. J. Parr) meeting the Hon George Fowlds, chairman of the College Council, Dr. T W. Leys, and the architect, Mr. R. A. Lippencott. Various details were discussed. The Minister promised to bring before Cabinet the question of proceeding with work on the building.

* A report on the Auckland fruit crop and market conditions at the end of January was forwarded to the Department of Aericulture by the officer in rharge of tho Auckland branch of tho Horticultural Division, The report sUited that the crops of apples, peaches and ornnpes were of an average character. There wero heavy crops of nectarines and len.ans but light yields of plums: tomatoes were in good supply.

St. George's (Anglican) Church, Papatastoe, was moved last week to a new site, a distance of about a quarter of a mile, The church was raised on rollers, and then drawn along by a traction engine. Services were held as usual in the church yesterday.

Visitors to the Hot Lakes district, says the Ttotorun Chronicle, are having good times among the trnut. Xho Hon. W. MulhollanH, in 37 days, t»ok 9771b. of fish, and his companion, Mr. Feme, who is a fishing habitue of Rotorua, caught 10731b. All were taken on the fly, and the greater number of them in Rotoiti Lake.

Notice lias been given in the Gazette that in accordance with section X of the Expeditionary Forces Act, 1915, the Governor-General has disbanded the Now Zealand Expeditionary Forces raised in connection with the late war with Germany. The dato of disbandment is December 31, 1921.

A reference to his proposed candidature for Parliament was made by General Sir Andrew Russell at a returned soldiors' reception at Nelson last week. Ho said ho was going to stand as aji Independent and that if he got into Parliament he hoped he could work with other returned soldier members. He was not looking for political honours in the ordinary sense of the word, but felt that if he entered Parliament he would be able to talk without feeling that he was giving away party secrets or trying to influence members from a party point of view. In that capacity ho might be of some use. "Of course,' he laughingly concluded, "it is on the cards that I will not get in. There are already Government and Liberal candidates out, and there is bound to be a Labour one. In fact, I don't know who is going to vote for me."

Two elephants that escaped from a circus at Dannevirke last week caused considerable consternation among residents. A grocer driving on his rounds met the huge beasts as they ambled unattended down the street. The horse took fright and bolted, and eventually the driver was thrown out and the cart was overturned and completely smashed. The driver sustained slieht injuries to his back as a resuit of the accident. After doing some minor mischief the elephants were recaptured by their keepers, much to the relief of the townspeople.

A suggestion has been made in New Plymouth that a paid secretary b« appointed for the various sporting sooieties, imtod of a multiplicity of honorary secretaries. The idea is to have a central sports 'bureau whence the various sporting interests can be- focused and managed. A meeting is to be held shortly to discuss the proposal.

A period of stagnation is being experienced by the six flourmills in the Dunedin district, and they are now at a standstill. It is reported that they cannot got wheat to grind, and it is expected there will be none available for a fortnight, when the first of the new orop may hj to hand. Inquiry at Oamaru show s that, for want of sunshine, the wheat is taking a long while to ripen. There is no shortage of flour.

An interesting demonstration of agility in rats was afforded %n inspector in Wellington a few nights ago. Several rats had been cornered at the bottom of a lift well. On the approach of a catcher with the dogs one rat immediately scaled the greasy cable, and reached as far ae the second floor before the violent shaking of the cable by the rat-catcher dislodged the fugitive. On reaching the bottom again his second dash was cut ffcort by tfet. dogs,