LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18234, 30 October 1922, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Two calls were received by the Rcmuera and Parnell Fire Brigades on Saturday evening. The first was received just before eight o'clock to a five-roomed house at 2, Ely Avenue, Remuera, occupied by Mrs. J. Band, and owned by Mrs. P. Peacocke. The fire, winch was confined to the bathroom, was extinguished before much damage had been done. The second call, which proved to be a false alarm, came from the street box at the corner of Remuera and Green Lane Roads. A fire occurred in a six-roomed house at 5; St. Mary's Road. Ponsonby, shortly before one o'clock yesterday morning. The City and Grey Lynn Brigades answered the cadi, and confined the outbreak to one room, the walls and ceiling of which wore damaged. The house was occupied by Mrs. C. Barnham* and owned by M r - RWoodside.

Tho Main Trunk express which left for Wellington last evening was a fairly heavy train. There were 13 carriages, including two sleepers, five first-c1t.33 and five second-class cars, and tho ladies' car. The express which arrived from Wellington yesterday 'morning ialso 'carried «• largo number of passengers. Three sleeping cars' were pji tho train, two being filled and the third partially filled.

The claim recently made for Mr. H. Dunbar Johnson, who was appointed a justice of the peace in June, 1885, that he held the Tbngest service as a justice of th.e peace,' has brought forward tho names of others still living who were appointed at much earlier dates. Thus Mr. Robert Hill, of Auckland, had his appointment gazetted on October 12,1871, on the same date as that of the late Sir John Logan Campbell. Another resident of Auckland, Mr. Archibald Clements, was appointed a justice of the peace in 1877, and with that of Mr. Andrew Dilworth, his was the first appointment under the administration of Sir ,George Grey.

The reduction in the price of bread, announced three weeka ago, will take effect in the South Island to-day and throughout the North Island next Monday. The reduction in Auckland on the 21b. loaf will be from 7d to 6£d delivered, and from 6£d to 6d cash over the counter. The price of flour will be reduced from £18 to £15 10s a ton. Its.is stated by a Wellington paper that, owing to tho bread "war, the reductions have already takon Elace in Southern districts, in some cases eing lower than those contained in the order.

A special service was'held at tho Unitarian Church, Ponsonby Road, yesterday afternoon for the purpose of . formally initiating T9 young people as members of the Young Citizens' League. Prior to the candidates being received by Mr. E. C. Purdio, vice-president of the league, the Rev. A. Thornhill gave an inspiring address. The ceremony was carried out in an impressive manner, in the presence of parents a,nd friends of the young citizens. Air. Ei O. Cutten, S.M., president of the league/ will conduct an initiation ceremony at the Terrace School, Wellington, this week. He will later visit Wanganui, Palmerston North, New and .Napier in connection with tho league.

About 16 of the stokehold hands on the Federal steamer Otaki were missing when the vessel was ready to leave Auckland for Wellington at midday on Saturday 1 . As .the vessel was then undermanned for sea service she was taken to an anchorage in the stream ot 1 p.m. With the assistance of the waterfront police tho Otaki's engineers located the missing men in various hotels and persuaded them to join their vessel. They were taken off to the Otaki by launch, and tho Bteamer took her departure at 3 p.m.

On two occasions last week the Cornwall Park School, One Tree Hill, was unlawfully entered and articles stolen. An overcoat containing £2 in cash, and belonging to -one of the teachers, was removed on the first occasion, and some school stationery was purloined on the second night. Entry appeared to have been made through a window.

The petition of 1955 residents of Edendale and neighbourhood asking that an overhead bridge be erected at the icvel crossing at Kingsland railway station was returned to the House of Representatives on Saturday by the Railway Committee. The committee, in its report, stated that it approved of the offer of £3000 made by the Mount Albert Borough Council, and recommended that tho petition be returned to the Government for consideration.

A sitting of the Prisons Board was held at Mount Eden Gaol on Saturday, the Chief Justice, Sir Robert Stout, presiding. A large number of cases aje listed for consideration, and the sittings will bo continued to-day and to-morrow; The members of the will leave for Te,Awamutu on Tuesday evening and will sit on Wednesday at the Waikeria reformatory. The majority of the members will return to Wellington from Te Awamutu on Wednesday night. Sittings of the board were held at Waikune prison camp, Erun, on Thursday, and Hautu prison camp, Tokaanu, on Friday. The members of the, bdard returned from Tbkaanu to Waimar'ino on Friday afternoon, and arrived in Auckland on Saturday morning.

A touch of brightness is about to be added to the somewhat dull surroundings of the Otahuhu railway station, for the vacant area of the yard beyond the northern end of the platform is being transformed into a flower garden. Plants and shrubs of various kinds have been planted, and a good display" of colour should be the result during the summer months.

A storm of several days' duration in Central Otago and Southland caused considerable damage. It was felt over a wide area and has blighted the bright hopes held by orchardists who were looking forward to an early and mqre than ordinarily prosperous fruit season. The gales were accompanied by short and exceptionally sharp showers of rain and hail, and up in the southern portions of Central Otago, a? well as through the whole province* of Southland, the orchards tha£ were brought quickly under bloom by a fine winter and an exceptionally mild springtime have been devastated. The violent hailstorms and the cold wind have stripped the trees of their blossom fnd, in many cases, of their leaves also.

A New Ztalander's view of affairs in Germany is given by Mr. P. Cameron, of Dunedin, who lately visited that country. "In Germany," he said, "there are no Unemployed, there'are no strikes, and the amount of building that is going on makes a visitor open his eyes. So far as I could see, Germany js not financially so badly off as one would expect. There seems to be plenty of money about. They have got hold of a large amount of British and American capital by selling the mark. Whether these marks will evor be redeemed is another matter. Nobody seems to care whether they are or aro not. Some evjdence as to the popular belief on the subject may be found in the fact that no German will buy them, and I further noted that the doctors and all who render service ask to be. paid in British money, either Bank of England notes or gold. It is also to be noted that the Germans are individually and privately sending their money out of Germany, evidently for fear that it may be requisitioned."

The granting of regular holidays to nurses ha« .suited in an improvement of the health of the members of the Wellington Hospital staff. At a meeting of tho board last week several members commented on tho fact that since the institution of tho scheme allowing nurses 48 hours off every_ month, there had been fewer cases of sickness among tho uurses. The hope was expressed that it would not be long before all nurses were given a whole day off each week.