LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18025, 25 February 1922, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Three district courts, two from the North and one from the Bay of Plenty, have already been promised for the winter show of the Auckland A. and P. Association, to be held during the first week in July. Two other districts are trying to arrange for similar representation. These courts were a feature of the last winter show, the displays bringing home to the public in a most forcible manner the industry and productivity of each district.

" I congratulate tho citizens of Auckland on their beautiful harbour," said the Mayor of Dunedin, Mr. J. S. Douglas, when speaking at tho social tendered to the delegates to the Master Plumbers' Conference last evening. "It is a harbour thoy should be proud of," ho continued. " I have seen the Sydney Harbour, and while it is admittedly very fino, I do not think it is to bo compared with tho Waitemata," As a parting shot, Mr. Douglas said he hoped to see more of this fine expanse of water next year when the Otago yachtsmen come up to take the Sanders Cup tack to Dunedin.

In spito of the prolonged spell of dry weather, tho various parks and reserves of tho city retain much of their summer glory, and are still showing clusters of blooms of variod hues, The reserve in Emily Place has a vory picturesque appearanco, and overlooking as it does a prtion of the city devoted to warer houses ' and railway yards, relieves the otherwise drab appearanco of the hillside. The transformation effectejd in recent years along Bowen Avenue is also a subject of favourable comment.

DisaDproval of tho new provisions of the Amusement Tax Act, which levies a tax of Is 9d on guinea membership tickets for A. and P. associations, has been expressed in a telegram sent to the Government by the Auckland association. This action was taken at the request of the Egmont association for co-operation in protesting against a tax on an educational fixture.

Tho conviction that the Boy Scout movement as at present constituted is admirably adapted to meet the needs of the lads of the Methodist Church in developing manliness, self-reliance, and citizenship was expressed by the Rev. C. H. Olds, retiring organiser of the Young People's Movement, at the Methodist Conference yesterday. In the recent reorganisation of the New Zealand constitution of tho movement, said Mr. Olds, special care had been taken to guard against any danger of militarism creeping in. For the successful development of the movement within the Church, the most urgent need was leadership, and ho was convinced that no better training and recruiting ground for scout officers could be found than in the Bible classes of the Church. Recommendations urging

every circuit to enter upon a campaign for the formation of a troop within the circuit and for the encouragement of the movement by the placing of Churca. promises at the disposal of troops were adopted by the conference.

" Alexander, Caesar, Napoleon, and tho Kaiser are the supreme knaves and fools of history," said Bishop C. E. Eocke, representative of the Methodist Episcopal Church of America, in the course of his reply last evening to tho welcome oxtended to him and other overseas delegates to the Methodist Centenary Conference. He was referring to the world movement against war, and vigorously denounced tho scheming of the nations for the supremacy of the Pacific Ocean. The Pacifio was not made for the monopoly of one nation or another. " The sea does not belong to kings or potentates," said the speaker; " tho sea is His and He made it."

The meeting of creditors in the bankrupt estate of Francis Thomas Meyer, fanner, of Otahuhu, which was to have been held at tho office of the official assignee yesterday, lapsed for tho want of a quorum. The deficiency shown in tlie bankrupt's statement is £9262 14s Bd, the enly assets being book debts estimated to produce £261 Is Bd.

The accommodation at the children's hospital will be increased when the work of glassing in the large verandah on tlie east of the boys' ward is completed. About 20 beds for convalescent patient* Mill be placed on tho verandah, the windows of which aro adjustable to maintain plenty of fresh air under all weather conditions. In the past patients have been wheeled outside only when weather conditions were favourable, but under the new arrangement thoy will obtain fresh air and a pleasant outlook over the playing areas of the Domain at all times.

An animated discussion of the policy of tho Railway Department in requiring local authorities to bear part of the of bridges intended to replace level crossings followed the reading of a paper at the annual conference of the New Zealand Society of Civil Engineers at Wellington. Several local body engineers opposed the principle and emphasised ite, unfairness in cases where certain authorities would be put to great expense while others would escape altogether. It was argued that the public had equal right to the use of the road ' crossing, and that in England it was recognised that a danger of this kind to the general public could not be allowed. One speaker remarked that it was common sense that "persons creating a nuisance should bear the onus of removing that nuisance." Eventually the president, Mr. F. W. Mac Lean, in whose address the question had been raised, closed the discussion by remarking that it was more a political than an engineering subject.

Reference was made in a report published yesterday of divorce proceedings in the 'Supreme Court to the name of Constable Christmas. The evidence in the case referred to a somewhat similar name, and we regret that the latter was, in error, printed as that "of Constable Christmas.

A sea captain who has just returned to Dunedin from a brief visit to Australia stated the other day that the wave of trade depression and unemployment was still somewhat acute in Sydney. The .Australian inter-State shipping companies, on the other hand, appeared to have recovered from the shipping slump, and were running regular services. In Auckland, he said, trade was good, and tho city was evidontly going ahead by leaps and bounds. Coming south from- Auckland one could not but notice the general quietness of tilings. Trade was very dull compared to Auckland and in the north generally, but there wore aigns that things were- gradually coming back to normal in the south.

The question of an Act of Parliament to place professional engineers on the same footing as doctors, lawyers, surveyors, and other professional men occupied a considerable part of the time of tho Conference of Civil Engineers now being hold in Wellington. Pear was expressed that an impression had got abroad among local authorities that tho New Zoaland Society of Civil Engineers was endeavouring to establish a "close corporation." It was stated that what was desired was that only qualified engineers should bo allowed to design and carry out works where public money is involved. This was hold to bo in the best interests of the local authorities and the public alike. No interference with men already acting for public bodies was contemplated, and it was only proposed that the examination of men who desired to qualify should bo in the hands of a Government examining body.

A flock of sheep driven into Eltham attracted some attention last week, because of the fact that a small pig was in their company. One of the ewes in the mob while on the run had lost her lamb. It would also appear that at the same time a littlo wild pijr had lost its mother. Anyhow the ewe and the pig fraternised, the latter, leaving the bush and accepting (lie ewe as its foster mother. After the sheep had been shorn the pig had had no difficulty in recognising its. foster mother and the relationship was at once resumed,