LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18116, 14 June 1922, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

♦ As a result of an accident at Panmure on Monday night Mr. William Kirkwood, ; aged 29. of Whitaker Place, Symonds Street, was admitted to the Auckland Hospital yesterday. Mr. Kirkwood was at the rear of a motor lorry which-had stopped owing) to engine-trouble. The lorry suddonly backed and crushed him against a wall. Upon examination at tho hospital ho was found to be suffering from severe abdominal injuries. Action in regard to by-laws prohibiting pillion-riding on motor-cycles is being 1 taken by motor-cyclists in Auckland. The Auckland Cycle and Motor-cycle Traders' Association, at a meeting last evening, passed a resolution viewing with alarm the passing of by-laws prohibiting pillionnUing and recommending that export opinion be obtained before any future bylaws of this nature are passed. The matter will bo discussed at a meeting of motorcyclists in the Motor-cycle Club rooms tomorrow evening. A resolution urging the ministry and the sessions to keep a watchful eye on any proposed legislation to reinstate the bookmakers by giving them legal .standing, and to take steps to prevent this being made law, was passed last evening by tho Auckland Presbytery. The Rev. 0. J. Tocker stated that a definite effort was being made by those interested in gambling to reintroduce legislation making possible the existence of bookmakers, and if this was done there would be no effective restriction on gambling. Community singing, which has become bo popular in other parts of the Dominion and in other countries, is to be be inaugurated in Auckland to-day. The gathering will be held in tho Town Hall from half-past twelve to half-past one o'clock. A feature of community singing is that it is free to all, but a collection will bo taken up to defray expenses. A scheme for the improvement of the Mount Albert public school grounds was inaugurated somo time ago by tho school committee. The sum required was estimated at £800, and of this amount; the residente provided one-third, the Education Board one third, and the remainder was promised by the Education Department. The committee was unable to get the department's share, but felt that the urgency of the work justified calling tenders for two-thirds of the work- The tender of Mr. J. Higgins, of Epsom, has now been accepted, for £507, and the work will be put in hand at once. Mr. E. S. Inwood, chairman of the committee, stated yesterday that immediately the tender had been accepted tho Education Department advised that its contribution was available at once. The work to he put in hand now includes tho levelling of the grounds for playing areas and the ■ building of a eton© retaining wall. A euggestion that scont masters should be paid for their services was made by a speaker at the boy scouts meeting held last evening. He maintained that a scoul master trained his boys to be good citizens and this made for good government, so why should not the Government support the movement more strongly than it had done in the past? To the mind of the speaker the work of a scout master was' even more important than that of a military officer. The latter taught the boys to shoot and trained them in discipline. The scout master taught them these things and many more, yet received no pay whatever for nis services. Mr. D. C Grisby said that scout masters did their work for the love of it, and he did not know one man who would wish to be paid for his services. The chairman supported this view, stating that once scout masters were paid the movement would be doomed. Diphtheria is fairly prevalent in the Auckland district at present, but this is ! stated to be usual at this time of the year, and there is nothing in the nature of an epidemic. Four cases were reported yesterday—from the city, Mount Eden, Hamilton, and Piako. The number of diphtheria patients in the Auckland Hospital is 24. Provided the weather continues favourable the Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson, witb the chairman, Mr. G. Baildon, and mem- . j bers of the Works Committee of the City Council, propose to pay a visit of inspec- > tion to the Nihotupn waterworks to-mor-row. Good progress is being made witb the construction of the main impounding dam, and there now remains only some 23,000 cubic yards of concrete to be laid. The present rate of progress is about | 3000 yds. per month. An outbreak of fire occurred about halfpast seven o'clock yesterday morning in a house at 6, Beatrice Road, Remuera, occupied by Father Doyle and owned 1 by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Anckf Land. An electric heater, which had been left close to a bed, set fire to the bed and bedding, which were destroyed. No other • damage was done. The outbreak was r attended by the Remuera and Parnell > brigades. A call was received by the ) City Fire Brigade to an outbreak in a workshop at the rear of premises in | Karangahape Road, occupied by Mr. H. ' Wilson, tailor. Very slight damago was ' done by the fire, which originated in i some rubbish in an open fireplace. ' A widow, Mrs. Maggie Sallen, aged 29, residing at 177, Victoria Street West, was admitted to the Auckland Hospital yes- • terday, suffering from the effects of poii son. It is understood her condition is r not regarded as serious. i The annua] meeting of the Auckland i Provincial Patriotic and War Relief Asso- { ciation will be held on Wednesday, June > 21, at the Town Hall. The business will consist of consideration of the annual rel port and balance-sheet and general matl tors affecting the association. ! The question of contributions to the , European .Students' Relief Fund was dis- • cussed at a meeting of students of Auck- ) land University College last evening, Pro- } feasor H. S. Dottmann, chairman of the J Professorial Board, presiding. After ' hearing addresses by Miss Conntance ' Grant, organiser of the fund, and Mr. L. A. Mander, organiser of the Workers' Educational Association, it was decided to form a committee consisting of representatives of each faculty at the college, !i who will organise funds among their own i faculties. A collection taken up in the room realised £26. ' The Kaipara branch of the Church 1 Socialist League yesterday carried a : resolution protesting against the action of the educational authorities in dismissing Mr. A. W. Page, of the Boys' High ' School, Christchurcn, "for refusing to acknowledge the claim of the State to [ override hw duty to God." The snotion . further stated, "It is tho solemn duty of ' the whole Church to vindicate at the ' present time the principle of Christian 1 liberty now challenged by the arbitrary, action of the State. ' . ' The Royal Commission appointed to in- ' quire regarding the desirability of oon- ( structing a Government railway between , Rotorua and Taapo will commence its i sittings at Auckland on Friday, in the i Chamber of Commerce buildings. Alter , hearing evidence at Auckland the com- . mission will hold sittings at Rotorua on i June 20 and 2L Subsequently, if necess sary, it will visit Waiotapu and Taupo ' to take evidence. Those desiring to be' , heard should either attend the sitting or > communicate with the chairman, Mr. H. I Buxton. There is a boom in rabbitskina at present, and there is a decided upward tendency in values/ One buyer in Clyde, Central Otago, according to a Southern paper, last week, without even seeing the skins, paid £4 7a 6d per 100 for them. Over 10Q per day ia a ooauacw catch. . /