LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18244, 10 November 1922, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Unsettled and shovrery weather conditions have prevailed in Auckland during tho past two days. Yesterday the rain kept off, with the exception of a few passing showers, until the evening, when a heavy downpour occurred after 10 o'clock. The barometer fell 10 points during the 24 hours ended 6 p.m. yesterday, when it stood at 29.56 in. The rainfall up to midnight, as registered by tho Herald gauge, was .12in. The wind was blowing freshly from tho north-west.

The sum paid to the Government in the form of taxation in connection with tho Auckland Racing Club's recent spring meeting amounted to £10.066 19s sd. Of this amount, £8245 3s 9d was in respect of tptalisator receipts and dividends.

The Prime Minister had been speaking for an hour and three-quarters at Now Plymouth last evening, and was just commencing to refer to the position of tho two Opposition groups, when he was interrupted by exceedingly heavy rain. The hall has an iron roof, and the downfall made Mr. Massey inaudible. He had to resume his seat for a few minutes, and, as the rain continued in a moderated form, he closed his speech after explaining that, while ho did not bend to political opponents, he had no intention of challenging tho elements. (Cheers and laughter.)

A personally-conducted party of six English tourists, Mr. and Mrs. E. N. Waugh, the Misses Corsar and Rook, arrived yesterday by the Makura, and were met by Mr. C. Wallnutt, officer in charge of the local tourist office. Mr. S. Ruddock, who represents a well-known London shipping agency, is in charge of th« party, and under his guidance all the principal beauty spots of the Dominion will be visited. The party will start for jßotorua next week, and after visiting Wairakei and Taupo will motor from Tokaanu to "Waimarino, thence proceeding to Wellington, Nelson, the West Coast, and the Cold Lakes District. The visitors will return to England early in the New Year.

The hotel-keepers of Auckland, it transpired in a Supreme Court case yesterday, have altered the system -of 8 dispensing whisky from the doling out of restricted nips to the old plan of allowing the customer to help himself from the bottle. "Has that anything to do with the coming elections?" asked Mr. Leary of the barman who was under examination. _ I don't know.'f replied the witness, with a smile.

" Now, ladies and gentlemen, I -want to talk to you about, something I know," said Jlr. F. Burbush, Liberal candidate for Waitemata, after he had spoken for nearly an hour last evening on various political questions at tho Parish Hall, Devonport. A titter that swelled to a laugh went round the hall, and the candidate, who was making his maiden speech to the electors, was compelled to mulct. He explained that ho referred to repatriation, of which ho had a particularly intimate knowledge on account of his previous connection with the Repatriation Department.

"The present is one of the best fishing seasons experienced in the Manawatu," was the information given this week by an experienced angler. He stated that the fish were in good condition, and, generally speaking, averaged between lib. and 2lb. in weight. All the streams were well stocked, these remarks applying particularly to the Tiritea. Owing to the recent rain, those who used worms as bait had caught many fish in the rivers where such methods were permissible.

A collision between a tram and a motor occurred in Beach Road yesterday morning. The motor, which was owned by Mr, G. T. Rumble, of Newmarket, was attempting to cross in front ot the tram when, owing to trouble with the fears, it suddenly stopped on the track. t was struck by the tram *and carried against a centre pole. The driver was not hurt, but the car was somewhat damaged. The tram wtas not damaged beyond (the breaking of the glass of the headlight.

Listructions to prepare plans and specifications for the erection of a new nurses' home, to contain 50 bedrooms, were given to the board's architects, Messrs. Warren and Blechynden, by the Waikato Hospital Board yesterday. Provision is to be made for the extension of the home to accommodate 200 nurses.

A statement of assets and liabilities has been filed with the official assignee at Auckland by Harry Murray Rorke, farmer, of Taupiri, who was recently adjudicated a bankrupt on his own petition. The assets total £3404, including property valued at £3000. The liabilities to secured creditors are £3735 and to unsecured creditors £1211 13s Bd—a total of £4946 13s Bd. Thia leaves a deficiency of £1542 13s Bd.

Besides being a philatelist, the Minister for Defence, Sir R. Heaton Rhodes, is also a very keen horticulturist/, and the cultivation of daffodils is a {particular hobby. He has one of the finest collections of daffodils in the Dominion, and each year sells a quantity of bulbs, giving the proceeds to ihe fund for the erection of a public library at 'Lai T&pu. Otahuna seedling daffodils are noted wherever these beautiful flowers are grown, and the varieties represent the pick of many thousands of seedlings raised during the last 20 years.

"Twenty-pound notes are not as plentiful as blackberries just now," observed Mr. Justice Stringer yesterday, referring to an incident in which the handling of such a rare document formed an item of identification of an accused person. "It is not my good fortune to see many of them, at any rate."

A monster pig will be on exhibition at the Christchurch A. and P. Show. | This animal was recently purchased, and weighs 10581b. It is 3ft. 9in. high, 6ft. 9in. in girth, and over Bft. long. It is a Tamworth-Berkshire, and was reared in Canterbury. It is claimed for the pig that it is a* world record-beater, as pig records go.

That tho provision of school accommodation is not keeping pace, with the requirements was shown by a report submitted by the headmaster of the Cornwall Park school to the Remuera School Committee, the body controlling the school; Built two years ago, the school was overcrowded on the day of opening, and since that time the headmaster has been inundated with applications for admission, the bulk of which he has been compelled to refuse. At present there are no fewer than 57 children of five years of age waiting for admission. The Education Board has plans in hand for three new classrooms to be added to the present school, but the committee states it is evident from the growth of the district that the additional accommodation will bo inadequate when completed. The case of the returned soldier wh6 was threatened with a reconsideration of his pension nuless he paid out of his own pocket .for dental attention, which the authorities held was militating against his recovery, was mentionel at the meeting of the Auckland Patriotic Association yesterday. The man was suffering from tuberculosis, and the association paid the dentist's fee of £5 for him and applied to the Minister for Defence for a refund of the amount. The Minister, in reply, said that all members of the N.Z.E.P. were rendered dentally fit immediately prior to their discharge from the Force. If, through their own neglect, they failed to maintain their teeth in proper condition, it appeared to be quite reasonable that they should be expected to remedy the defects at their own expense. The president, Mr. J. H. Gunson, said that, on the face o{ it, the Minister's conten- , tion seemed to be reasonable,.-