LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18080, 3 May 1922, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Tho Ulimaroa arrived at Sydney from Wellington at 11 o'clock yesterday morning. • , Tho oyster season this year will open on June 1. This will be one month later than usual. A wireless message was received in Auckland yesterday announcing tho arrival of tho Melancsian mission steamer Southern . Cross at Vila, New Hebrides, last Friday. The vessel, which is making her autumn cruise of tho islands, had a quick run from Auckland. Tho recent firo in tho copra cargo of a vessel at tho Queen's Wharf was referred to by Mr. E. J. Carr at tho meeting of tho Harbour Board yesterday. Ho said that in view of the outbreak tho board should take steps to sco Whether it was safo to store copra in tho top floors of tho wharf sheds, where goods valued at many thousands of pounds were held. The board decided to ascertain tho desirability or otherwise of storing this commodity in tho sheds. When trying to save a woman from falling from a tramcar at Onehunga last evening, Constable Kearney dislocated his shoulder. Tho tram had stopped in front of the Onohunga police station, and Mrs. Grace, an elderly woman, who suffers with a weak leg and walks with a stick, was being helped off the car by another woman. The car moved on before she could alight, and both women were dragged along the road clinging to tho car. Constable Kearney, who was riding on the back of tho ear, in endeavouring to save tho woman fell on the road, with t.ho result mentioned. The women were not injured. Tho efforts of the Union Steam Ship Company to completely demolish the hull of tho sunken hulk Selwyn Craig have apparently not mot with complete success. Tho harbourmaster, Captain H. H. Sergeant, reported to the Harbour Board at its meeting yesterday that he had had the area where tho vessel sank swept, and had sent the board's diver down to examine tho harbour bed. It had been lound that the main part of the hull still remained on the bottom, although considerably shattered, and large masses of twisted ironwork were lying about._ Ho mentioned that the presence of . this ma- I terial prevented vessels from.using their anchors when manoeuvring at the Chelsea Wharf, and there was tho risk that the board's property would be damaged in consequence. It was decided to instruct the Union Steam Ship Company to remove the wreck. Expenditure on improvements to the Auckland Supreme Court has been authorised by Cabinet, tho principal changes involved being the construction of a second Court upstairs and rearrangement ->f the public office. The new courtroom will be obtained by the removal of tho partitions in tho western wing, thus making an oblong room about the same size as the present upstairs courtroom. The latter will have one or two objectionable pillars removed, and it will Do available for tho Arbitration Court chamber sittings and juries. The Auckland City Council is desirous of having the berth at the Fish Market Wharf dredged to a depth of 13ft. to enable tho trawler Simplon to berth there and so save a great deal of double handling of fish. A request by the council to hive this work done was before the Harbour Board at its meeting yesterday, when it was stated that at present the trawler used the Albert Wharf, and tne fish had to bo carted to the markets. Several members of the board urged tnat the council should be given every assistance in its endeavour to make its fishing venture profitable to the citizens, and :t was pointed out that the council wiuid be willing to bear its share of the cost of the dredging. The board's engineer said there was a very real danger of tne retaining wall behind the wharf collapsing if dredging were done at the wharf, and suggested that tho city markets might even be endangered. It would be necessary, he said, for the council to indemnify the board against such a contingency. The request was referred to the board in committee for consideration. i

An opportunity to indulge in a little good-humoured banter was offered the Primate, Bishop Julius, at yesetrday's session of the Anglican General Synod. A list of nominations to the standing commission appeared on the printed order paper with the name of Bishop - Julius mentioned twice, once in his capacity as Primate and once in his capacity of Bishop of Christchurch. "I cannot serve in two capacities at one and the same time," he remarked, with an air of conviction. Tho clerical secretary, Archdeacon A. M. Johnson, offered a word of explanation. _ " It is a clerical error, my lord," h« said. "f t is Archdeacon Johnson's error," corrected the Primate, in a loud voice, amid a burst of laughter. . Tho rainfall at the Waitakcro dam during April as recorded by the City Council's gauge was 3.91 inches, or a-quartor of an inch less than that registered in Albert Park. The prevalence of easterly weather, ■which did not reach the ranges, accounts for this unusual excess of rain in the city. The fall at Waitakere for tho present year to date is 29.20 inches, or nearly double tho falls for the corresponding period of last year, viz., 15.18 inches. The fall ii« the city for the past four months was 20.52 inchesArrangements have been made by the Auckland branch of the Navy League for the entertainment of a number of merchant service cadets, who are on board the steamer Makalla, which is at present in port. The cadets are to bo entertained by dances, motor drives, ' tennis parties, and ether forms of private hospitality. Cadets on the Carpentaria, which is to arrive at Auckland shortly, are to bo similarly entertained. Authority was given by the Harbour Board at its annual meeting yesterday to write off bad debts amounting to £120 10s lOd, principally uncollectablo rents, duo to tho absence or insolvency of lessees. It was remarked that the board had escaped lightly during 1921 in this respect. A request was received by the Harbour Board at its meeting yesterday from an applicant who desired the board to erect a building on the Northcote-Takapuna portion of tho ferry wharves so that he couid lease it for the purpose of carrying on a fruit and confectionery business. The request was declined owing to the lack of space in view of the steady growth of traffic at this point. The Northcoto Fire Brigade reported to the Borough Council last evening that the queen carnival had realised £475 toward the purchase of a motor firo engine. The brigade had placed an order for a motor vehicle, which would bo available in a month. Tho cost would be about £400, and £75 would be available for equipment. "What is wanted in trading circles is stability," says the report of tho Wellington Chamber of Commerce, " then trading could proceed with some confidence. The financial position is improving, and traders are not leaning on the banks, as was the case last year. As in other countries, it is realised in New Zealand that economy in the administration of departments of State, local bodies, and among tho commercial community is imperative. Problems affecting the trader are a ■lessened turnover, straitened finance, and difficulty in keeping down the expense rate. The necessity for reduction of publio expenditure was brought before the Government by ihe commercial community, but no section more keenly realises that, however necessary and imperative are decreased taxation and public and private economy, such measures are unpopular and difficult of achievement.''