LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18101, 27 May 1922, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Satisfactory progress is being made witih tho work of laying down the eastern roadway of Dominion Road in bitumen. Operations aro now Hearing Milton Road, and tho work should ho completed at an early date. The Mount Eden Borough Council will then liave an unbroken length of bitumen-coatcd roadway linking up witih tho city, and thus bringing Dominion Road into lino with tho other good roads of tho borough. " I am in tho unfortunate position M your president," said Mr. Guneon at tho annual meeting of the St. John Ambulance Association last evening, " of being threatened by tho Mayor of tho city of being sued for tho outstanding rates owing by this association." Tho Mayor had explainod that, while tho varioua accounts of tho association were in credit, there was an account of £41 owing for rates and only £12 with which to meet it. Ho explained that the City Council could not remit these rates although he wished it could, as bodies carrying out work so beneficial to the genera! public deserved this consideration. Tho position could bo met only by legislative enactment. This diflicufty was referred tio later in tho evening by tho Governor-General, who said ho hoped tho Mayor in his " pooh bah" capacity would bo ablo to relievo tho association of this debt, even if it came 110 passing a Bill through Parliament. Tho Governor-General's amusing term for the Mayor's dual position caused some laughter, in which Mr. Gunson heartily joined.

"I think it is time the employers and tho workers protested against these proceedings being conducted in a room like this," said Mr. J. Roberts, when the Arbitration Court resumed its sitting in tho Supremo Court library yesterday morning. "This Court decides the economic wclfaro oT more people than any other Court, and I hope the workers' and employers' representatives on tho Court will mako representations to the Government with a view to getting better consideration in the matter of proper accommodation for tho conduct of tho Court's business." The president, Mr. Justice Frazer, said ho understood tho Government was making alterations to the Court shortly to provide an Arbitration Court room. The Court would have preferential treatment as regards tho upstairs Court room, generally recognised as tho Arbitration Court room.

To-day is tho eighth anniversary of the railway disaster at Whangamarino, seven miles south of Meroer. Shortly before 5 am. on May 27, 1&14, the WellingtonAuckland express ran into a goods train as tho latter was being shunted into a siding. Three passengers were killed, and five others seriously injured. The collision occurred in darkness and fog, and difficulty was experienced in rescuing the passengers imprisoned in the wreckage. Tho postal van and sleeper in front of the train sustained the chiof_ damage, the latter being telescoped into the former, and badly shattered.

The departmental economy campaign in the United Kingdom has at least one novel feature. This is the indefinite number of times an official envelope may bo used in mailing before it ultimately becomes a postal curio, or a tattered thing like a Now Zealand banknote. Originally the envelope bears the slogan of "National Economy," and a printed instruction not to jtear it open, but to slit neatlv with a view to further use. It also bears a gummed tag upon which the second address is to be written before covering the original address. With care the process may be repeated any number of times. One Buch envelope, which was received by a public department in Auckland the other day, bears evidence of hard service for national economy in London.

As indicating the great interest taken in politics in Dargavillo, in spite of the pouring rain last night the Hon. J. G. Coates was greeted by a full theatre, telegraphs our Dargaviile correspondent. Among the audience were men who had crossed rivers and roads for a distance of 20 to 30 miles —mud roads for a great part.

The Governor-General, Lord Jellicoe, has made a dtonatiou of £50 to tho Sir ArQhur Pearson Memorial Fund for tho blind civilians of New Zealand.

Residents of Mount Eden living in the vicinity of Balmoral Road are being forcibly reminded that their foundations havo been " founded tipon a rock." The carrying out of the drainage scheme in that area has necessitated considerable blasting, and with each explosion the houses nearby aro subjected to violent vibration, the concussion apparently travelling along tho strata, of volcanic rock with which tho district abounds. Precautionary measures frequently delay passing trafhc as long as 20 minubes. Tne Health" Department recently advised the Mount Eden Borough Council to compel householders to link up with thti permanent drainage scheme.

Good progress is being made with the work of laying down the permanent " safeby zones" in the city. Thoso at the top of Symondg Street are rapidly Hearing completion, while a start haa been made at tho Grafton Bridge stop. The concrete centre flanked by a substantial kerb, gives an appearance of permanency that was entirely lacking with tho wooden structure which they have replaced.

Many Aucklanders evidently welcomed the commercial travellers' clothes drive last Saturday as a timely opportunity for getting rid of apparel for which they no longer had any use, but too good to consign to tho popper fire, for shiny "belltoppcrs" and dress coats could not, by any stretch of imagination, be considered suitablo wear for the needy and the unemployed. But a use has been found for everything sent, in, and the president of the association, Mr. A. Thompson, mentioned yesterday that ho had received a good offer for all this highclass apparel. Minus the headgear, it filled a good-sized packing case, and included some broadcloth that must have graced many an august assembly.

An increase of half-a-crown a year in the Mount Albert sanitary rate has been agreed to by the Borough Council. The new rate will be 12s 6d a year.

" Supposing two men were working on a winch, who would be the boss*/" was a question put to Captain G. G. Robortson by Mr. Roberts in the Arbitration Court yesterday. " Tho man with the most to say," replied witness. " Supposing you and I wcro together on a winch, who would bo tho boss?" asked Mr. Roberts. " Oh, I would give way to you," was tho reply.

"You say there were 127 sovereigns in tho safe at tho time it was stolen ?" said counsel to a witness in tho Masterton Police Court. "If it turns out that there were only 100 sovereigns in the safe when it was opened by tho burglars, someone else must have stolon some?" Witness: "I am sure there were 127 sovereigns, and if 27 were missing, ono of the thieves must have been too quick for the others, and pockoted the 27 sovereigns for himself." This statement created considerable merriment.

A movement is reported to be on foot in Wellington to secure the construction of a road from the city through to Khandallah, Johnsonville, and on to TawaFlat. It is understood the project will involve tho co-operation of the City Council, the Johnsonville Town Board, and the Makara County Council.

"Your counsel suggests," said Mr. Justice Chapman to a prisoner in the Wellington Supremo Court, "that receiving is less serious than thieving. Ido not agree with that, nor does tho law, for it treats the offence rather as more aerioua than thieving."