LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18346, 12 March 1923, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The weather in Auckland during the past two weeks has been fine, light mn> falling on only two days during that time. In fact the conditions have been more settled in the past fortnight than at any time during the summer. From the beginning of December until the end of February the conditions experienced were most unseasonable, the weather being very unsettled and rain falling every few days. The barometer has been practically steady for. some days, with a mean of about 30.05 in. The looting of registered mail bags at, Sydney recently was referred to Mr. R. D. Kelly, chief postmaster at Auckland, on Saturday. He stated, that he had not been advised yet that, any of the registered mail bags concerned were from Auckland, but the department at Wellington was in communication with Sydney in connection with the matter. The need for a new railway station at Auckland was again evidenced last evening prior to the departure of the Mb in Trunk express for the South. Fully 600 passengers travelled by the train. Owing to the large number of people who had gone to see their friends off, the crush outside the barrier was at times so great as to make it a matter of considerable difficulty to approach the gates, and passengers with luggage found it difficult even to move. The platform itself was considerably crowded. The express was a very long one, carrying 15 passenger cars, two sleepers, and two vans. An unfortunate accident occurred on Saturday to a youth, Frank Smith, aged 16, who lives at Clevedon. He was carrying a lawn mower, when his hand was caught in the knives, with the result that he lost the tips of "three fingers. He was admitted to the Auckland Hospital. Some interesting remarks on the prospects of fruit-growing in the Eden district were made by the Hon. C. J. Parr at the Henderson Fruit and Horticaltural Society's annual show on Saturday night. Mr. Parr said the Eden district, with 170,000 people in the city of Auckland, would easily be the largest fruit-growing district for the supply of the local market in New Zealand. The growth of Henderson had been phenomenal, and he predicted that the population would be doubled in the next five years. He hoped to bring the Minister for Horticulture, the Hon. W. Nosworthy, on a visit to the district next month. It was stated during the hearing of the Auckland brick, pottery, and clay work' era' dispute before a conciliation council that permanent burners are now working 84 hours per week, one of the main points in the dispute being the request by the union that the hours should be '.educed to 48. The union also asked that casual burners be paid overtime rates for night work when called on to work at night after working all day. It was suggested that they should be paid at the rate of time and a-half from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. The union further asked that the hours of all workers other than burners be reduced from 48 to 44, and that they receive the same rate of pay for the 44 hour's as they now get for 48 hours. The adjourned hearing of the dispute will be held this week. The short-sighted policy adopted in former years of putting schools on halfacre sections was referred to by the Hon. C. J. Parr, Minister for Education, at the opening of the Takanini school on Saturday afternoon. In the past, said the Minister, it was considered that half an acre would do, and the result was that to-day there were hundreds of schools which had so increased in size that the grounds were altogether inadequate, and the Education Department was put to the expense of acquiring adjoining properties. The department was now trying not to repeat that mistake, and in the case of Takanini, as in mnnv other centres, an area of four acres hid been secured. This provided for all time, giving a spacious playground and allowing for future enlargements to existing buildings. A grass fire on Mont Eden was responsible for the brigade of that borough turning out at about 6 p.m. yesterday. No damage was done, but the blaze attracted considerable attention. An accident occurred at Claudelands, Hamilton, to a youth, Charles Edward Clarkson, aged 17, employed by his father, Mr. Charles Clarkson. The young man fell from a ladder while assisting in the construction of a house on Friday. He was admitted to the Waikato Hospital suffering from injuries to his leg. An approximate balance-sheet of the recent show, presented to the Dannevirke Agricultural and Pastoral Society, showed a credit balance of £476 17s 6d, against a profit of under £450 last year. Two half sovereignsa rarity on the rocefourse in these days—were passed through one of the totalisator windows by an investor at the Dannevirke. Racing Club's Autumn Meeting. Not only are exporters keenly buying all the beef they can get, but outside operators arc making forward-delivery contracts at 27s 6d per 1001b., the price to commence now and last through the winter, says a Wanganui paper. Farmers should be on their guard, as it is well known that the beef market for the coming winter is very promising. Values down South have been constantly high for many months compared with prices ruling in the North Island. It is equally well known that grown bullocks are in very short supply throughout New Zealand compared with requirements. This has come about through dairymen killing their steer calves and the slump having caused many cattle breeders to go out of business. Three-quarters of a century will have elapsed on March 23 since the arrival at Port Chalmers of the ship John Wickliffe with the first- contingent of passengers organised by the Free Church of Scotland Lay Association to found the province of Otago. About a month later arrived with a much larger contingent the ship Phillip Laing, which had taken her departure from Glasgow a day earlier than the John Wickliffe from Southampton. Evidence of what the soil can be made to produce was afforded at the Albany Show on Saturday by the excellent collection of products raised on the Government experimental plots there, on ground known as the gum lands of Albany. These products were placed on exhibition, occupying the stage in the Coronation Hall, and were of great educational value. They included fine samples of potatoes, field turnips, swedes, carrots, mangolds, onions, pumpkins, a varied assortment of sheaves of Algerian oats and linserCgajftenhant grass, and Sorchum SacchauT '.„. Some of the green maize exhibited was from 10ft. to 14ft. high. A quota of men from the Northern Command travelled South last evening to attend the New Zealand Army Rifle Association's meeting commencing at Trentham on Tuesday. Th© party, which was in charge of Major S. G. Sandle, numbered 75, comprising 11 officers and staff and 64 other ranks. Appreciation of the hospitality extended ! to the members of the Queensland bow- ! ling team during their recent tour of the I Dominion is expressed in a letter received by the president of the Wellington Bowling Centre from the Queensland Bowling Association. An invitation was also expended by the Association for a team ol New Zealand howlers to visit Queensland during 1923 and 1924, " when opportunity will be taken to repay some of the ereat kindnesses extended to Queensland j players." There was no rehearsal of massed choirs j on Saturday evening for the proposed performance at the forthcoming Auckland carnival. As on the previous Saturday evening th attendance did not reach the required 500, and the leader, Mr. Colin Muston, disbanded those present.