LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18040, 15 March 1922, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The decision of the City Council to have the Judges' Bay beach cleaned np was conveyed to the Harbour Board at its meeting yesterday afternoon. Mr. E. H. Davis asked whether it was beyond the power of the board to negotiate with the Railway Department for a deviation of the proposed line along the waterfront to a tunnel through the hill so that the beach might be saved for the citizens. It was almost certain this would be found to be the most suitable place for a boat harbour. The secretary, Mr. H. B. Burnett, said the whole thing had been settled between the Government, the board and the City Council, and an Act had been passed • providing for the railway line to run along the front of Judges' Bay beach, leaving about ten acres inside which would be water, the Railway Department having agreed to leave openings beneath the line to admit small boats to the inside area, which the board had agreed to vest in the City Council. Mr. Davis said he would bring the matter up before the council.

The proposals made by the Takapuna Borough Council to the Takapuna Trainways and Ferry Company in regard to a rearrangement of fares have not met with favour from the company. In a letter, intimating this fact, to the council the directors ask for a further conference. The letter will come before the council at a meeting this evening.

An extensive theft from a market garden at Avondale is reported. Some time between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning Mr. D. R. Connell's market garden, situated in Rosebank Road, Avondale, was visited, and a particularly fine crop of citron melons practically .ill stolen. On Sunday afternoon the owner was showing a fnend what a fine crop it was, but on Monday morning there was very little left. It is estimated that about three tons were taken, which leads to the conclusion that more than one person was implicated There is access to the property by water as wel] as by road, which makes investigation'the more difficult. The Avondale police have the matter in hand.

The Main Roads Bill was the subject of a letter from the Minister for Public Works, the Hon. J. G. Coates, receiv<jd by the committee of the Auckland Industrial Association yesterday. In answer to an inquiry the Minister wrote slating that a conference of local bodies and organisations concerned would bo summoned to meet in Wellington, when the Bill would be discussed.

The staffs employed by the City Council at the Town Hall were entertained at a social function given by the heads of departments in the Town Hall concert chamber last evening. An enjoyable programme of songs and recitations was contributed by members of tiie staffs, and a pleasant evening was closed with a supper and dance.

A protest against being made to pay for refuse collected from its ships was received from the Union Steam Ship Company yesterday by the Harbour Board. The secretary, Mr. H. B. Burnett, explained that an account for £17 had been forwarded to the company for removal of refuse from 27 vessels from December 22 to January 31 in connection with plague precautions. The charge only just about covered the cost The other shipping companies had paid their accounts. The Union Company had suggested that the charge should be debited against the Health Department. It was decided to reply to the company in terms of the secretary's report.

Exception is being taken by farmers to an increase of id a lb. in the price of phosphorised pollard, supplied by the Department of Agriculture for poisoning rabbits. The matter was discussed by the provincial executive of the Farmers' Union last evening, when several members asserted that the increase was unwarranted, as the price of pollard had not been increased. It was decided to write to the Department of Agriculture protesting against the increase.

The number of returned soldiers who have registered themselves at the Returned Soldiers' Association's office as unemployed during the past fortnight is 523. Only about half a dozen of the men have been placed in employment by the association during this period. %e executive of the association announces that it does not countenance a proposal to hold a procession af unemployed returned soldiers to tho Town Hall, it being of opinion that such an action would tend to prejudice tie efforts it is making to relieve the situation.

A large shark measuring 9ffc. was captured at Tauranga on Sunday in the waters between Matakana Island and the mainland. A launch party were netting when the shark got into the net ana was hauled to shallow water, whore it was killed.

"A rat!" The exclamation interrupted the inspector of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in the midst of the reading of his monthly report at the meeting of the Christchurch committee. Most of the members adopted some attitude of defence, but calm was restored when one of the lady members explained that the cause of all the consternation was a frog which had worked ita way out of her pocket. In further explanationshe narrated that on her way to the meeting she had come upon some boys ilUreatinc the frog, and she had rescued it with the intention of liberating it near the river. The frog was duly recaokired, nnd the business of the meeting was resumed.

The state of unemployment in Wellington has undergone little change during the past two months. The Labour Department estimates that there are about 250 men idle in the city at present. This is much the same as has prevailed for many months past. The number of unemployed on the department's books fluctuates from week to week, but an average is maintained in the vicinity of 250. While numbers of men leave the city to seek work - the country districts, an influx occurs in the city.

The rates collected by the Wellington City Council during the current financial year amount to £225,620, leaving a balance yet outstanding of about £45,000. Numbers of ratepayers are asking for an extension of the time in which to pay their rates for this year, on account of financial embarrassment, and in many instances these applications are being granted. Concessions are being made particularly in the case of ratepayers who have suffered through unemployment.

Among the losses in connection with the recent fire at the Otago 'University were some 60 rate. These were of a special breed t,hat had recently being imported for use in connection with the medical classes. These rodente, which were of various colours, succumbed to the smoke and heat. A tnatara lizard, which was in a glass case in the damaged building, escaped unharmed.

The strenuous life of a country magistrate iu described by the Poverty Bay Herald. Since Mr. J. S. Barton, S.M., returned from the last quarterly Court session on the East Coast, the town Court work has been exceptionally heavy, and the magistrate has been engaged upon the bench practically all day. He has thertfore had to do his office work during tie evenings. Mr. Barton say 8 that during the past three years the volume of business at the Giaborne Court has trebled.

It is reported that stoats are raiding some of the fowlhoussa in Lyttelton which is thought to be an indication that there is a shortage of rata, for which, it is stated, the stoat has a very pronounced preierenc*. ..*""■