LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18296, 12 January 1923, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

: The ' inward and outward Main Trunk trains yesterday were both -well laden, the passengers each way including many returning;! holiday excursionists. Each train contained two sleepers, and all the berths were, occupied. •

A successful trip across the Tararua Ranges was completed this week by a party of ten university students from Auckland and Wellington. Four of the trampers were ladies. The trip occupied five' days, and fine weather was experienced except on the second day, when the party was weather-bound at the Tauherenikau hut. The new emergency hut on the ' saddle between Mount Hector and Mount Field was completed last week, and the party was the first to reach it.

The erratic movements of a top-heavy lorry, piled high with crates of bottles, were an object of interest to wayfarers about 10 o'clock yesterday morning, as it threaded its way through the city streets, threatening at any moment to discharge some of its load by the roadside. At the corner of Wellesley and Lome Streets the expected happened—lo or 12 of the uppermost crates were dislodged and crashed to the footway, scattering a shower of broken glass over many square wards. Passers-by leaped into the air to escape the flying fragments, and all were fortunate enough to avoid injury. For another quarter of an hour, a luckless driver was engaged, in the presence of interested spectators, in gathering up the mess of debris, and readjusting his load to prevent • any further mishap.

A monument to the memory of the Aus-' tralian and New Zealand mounted men who fought in Egypt and Palestine is to be erected at a spot near the junction of the Suez Canal with the . Mediterranean Sea. The locality has been donated by the Port Said authorities. The monument is to take the form of two mounted troopers, one of the Australian Light Horse, and the other - of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles, looking out eastward over the canal and the Sinai desert. The models are to be Main Body men and horses. Visitors to Taupo report that the weather during the holidays has been much better than that experienced in Auckland. There have been a few light showers, and two or three earth tremors, but no storm, although the reverberations of an odd clap of thunder or so were heard. A party of Aucklanders who returned yesterday from Taupo stated that the road over the Rangiriri Hills is now in comparatively good order. The members of the Ponsonby Boys' Brass Band, who have been on a tour of Southern districts, returned to Auckland yesterday afternoon. The boys thoroushly enjoyed their outing, the itinerary including Dunedin. Christchur- h, Wellington, Masterton, Palmerston and Taumarunui. Largely-attended and successful concerts were given in each of these towns. The receipts during the tour amounted to about £400, and the expenses totalled about the same sum. All the 31 boys returned in good health. Mr. T. Vivian was in charge of the tour and Mr. F. Lfcwn was conductor. The band, on its return yesterday, inarched through the city to Ponsonby, playing suitable selections en route.

A tigress consigned to Wellington from London arrived by the steamer Port Elliott yesterday. The animal will be taken on to Wellington by the vessel, which is at present at an anchorage off Motuihi Island to discharge a quantity of explosives.

In the course of a few days the Wellington City Council will be conducting 23 prosecutions for cattle straying. In many parts of the city are narrow stretches of green.sward, which go by the name of "long acre paddock," and thinking the officers of the Sanitary Department would be away on holidays, certain people, it is stated, ventured to let their horses and cattle stray along the roads for some cheap grazing. ,';,« An enormous eel was caught in the Maitai River last week by two Nelson boys. A hook-stick was used, and the boys had an exciting tims before the eel was. landed. One of the lads hooked it in the tail, and the strength of the fish was so great that it threw the boy into the river. The other lad went to his companion's assistance, and together they landed their catch after about a 50yds. run. The eel, which turned the scale at 271b., was sft. in length and over 16in in girth. To save a shilling a bale on their wool and an hour with their cream, the settlers are tearing our roads and bridges to pieces," said Mr. Sutton at a meeting of the Clifton County Council. IThe council was doing its best to provide good roads, but he complained that there was practically no consideration shown by settlers. The work could easily be done by the smaller type of lorry, perhaps at a slightly extra cost, but not at the expense of the roads.

A difficult journey over Mount Egmont is being undertaken by five schoolboys who set out from the North Egmont House last week, and whose return will be watched for this week. Their first stage was to Bell's Falls, where they Were to camp for the night, moving' to the Kahui Honafc next day. After a night's rest here it was proposed to go "over.the top*' from this point, thence proceeding to Dawson's Falls, where rest would be taken prior to the final journey back to the North Egmont House. Some of the boys know the route well.

. The first shark of the season was seen at Castlecliff beach, Wanganui, on Monday. It had got inside the breakers in the early morning, and was detected before six o'clock in a deep hole.' It stayed there till about 10 a.m., a source of much interest, till some enterprising person went in, secured it by the tail, and pulled it out. It measured sft. 6in. in length. Thinking.that a timely warning to bathers would not come amiss, the shark was bung up on the danger post. Later in the day, however, it was deemed to be, a bad advertisement and was buried- under much sand. .-....■ The hay crop in North Taranaki will be a. good one this seaspn. There is an increasing inclination on tbo part of farmers to go in for ensilage, which as a winter fodder is considered to be excellent. A young lady, with \ her mother, was with friends on a mountain tour. Although abstemious she bad been persuaded to take a couple of cocktails about half an, hour before dinner. Just as dinner was about to be served, feeling thirsty, she poured out a glass of water and was drinking it when her mother severely remarked: "My dear, I thought you knew better than that. Don't you know that you should never : mix your drinks }•» ' A large and heavy motor lorry took up a full complement of passengers to the North Egmont mountain house on New Year's Day, and broke through the road and became stuck. It took several hours to get it out and on the good road again, and incidentally it blocked the traffic. As a result the Park Board has decided to prohibit heavy lorries from using the road. During the holidays a Wanganui, party of four, shooting 'for four days near Karori. secured 1200 rabbits. A Christchurch sportsman reports that. Atlantic salmon are well acclimatised at the headquarters of the Waiau, in the Te Anau district. Fish .up to 101b. were taken on the fly. They are well acclimatised, ■'. and exceedingly " plentiful. Eleven were counted in one pool. : The only drawback is the fact that the district is rather inaccessible, a long way from civilisation.