LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18397, 12 May 1923, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

To facilitate the quick despatch of mails between ports, whether coastal or overseas, all classes of vessels are utilised, from oil launches to Royal Mail steamer. Even warships help when possible. Three of the latter vessels are booked to take mails from Auckland to overseas ports within the next four days. A mail to be - despatched by H.M.S. Chatham for Nukualofa, Tonga, closes at 9 a.m. today. One for Fiji to .go by H.M.S. | Laburnum, will close at 2- p.m. on Monday, while a third is to be sent to Pago ! Pago, Apia and Honolulu! by the United States naval patrol vessel Ontario at 8 a.m. on Tuesday. •• The romarkable growth of pasture in the' Auckland district during the spring ' and summer months this season has been continued into the autumn. The rainfall has been almost too abundant at times, but the genial weather experienced of ; late'-has been extremely favourable for growth. Many dairy . farmers this season intend milking "through the winter, and there should be ample feed in most | 'districts to enable operations to bo car- I ried on to advantage. .j . l The Commissioner of Taxes draws the attention of taxpayers to the notification appearing" in, 'to-day's issue -that returns of income , must be furnished not later i than June I.'. Forms of return may be obtained at any postal money-order office they will not be sent to taxpayers from the office of the Commissioner of Taxes unless written application is made for them. ■'.. ■ • ■ ■ - ■ .■ . An Auckland citizen who was passing down Shortland Street early last evening had a narrow escape from being stunned by a plump pheasant which came hurtling down from a clear sky. He picked up the bird, which was quite dead, and was pondering over the strange phenomenon, when a somewhat agitated man rushed from a building near-by and claimed the ■/- pheasant, explaining that it formed a valuable ex-, hibit in a discussion which even then was taking place among members of the Acclimatisation Society. : It transpired that the secretary had hung the bird's carcase by the legs from the catch of the open window, and while taking it. down to exhibit it to members, it had slipped from his grasp and fallen into the street below. The pedestrian passed on his way . with an added sense of the perils of modern city life. .' .-y.. : -.. . . The second criminal session for the year, of the Auckland Supreme Court which opened on Tuesday will probably establish a record for brevity. The list contained 16 cases for trial, involving 17 persons, and all the cases had been heard! by yesterday afternoon .In one trial the jury disagreed, and the retrial will take place on Monday. The' business of the session was conducted in two Courts, Mr. Justice Stringer presiding in one and Mr. .' Justice Herdman in th© other. : A comparison between New York and New Zealand newspapers is made by an Aucklander at Columbia University, New York. ; In a letter he states that the American newspapers are full of sensationalismmurders, bootlegging, frauds, and legislation reports, though as regards the doings of the country, and even' international news, there 'is proportionately nothing. "I always .. look ■. forward," ho says, ' "to the Auckland Weekly News, j for- we get more outside news from the j foreign cablegrams' than iwe ever get from the huge bundles of newsprint they sell here." . ''■■■-•.-;■ - .^, ';: ; The Main Trunk express which left for Wellington last evening 1 was the largest tram which lias been despatched from Auckland since the end of the holiday season. There were 14 passenger cars, each of which was filled almost to its capacity. " ' ■■:'■'- , " ; ; A peculiar accident happened at about mid-day yesterday in ; First *,- Avenue,; Kingsland. The street terminates at the bottom in a steep bank about 50ft. in depth. A horse and cart belonging to •Messrs. Winstone, Ltd & , was proceeding down the street 'with a load of coal, when the impetus gained by the cart in negotiating the gradient became so great, that the driver was unable to check its progress. Continuing on its way out of .control the vehicle passed over the crest of the bank. The driver was able to jump clear, but the horse and cart was precipitated to the bottom of the bank. There the cart righted itself, and was later extricated , with the aid of a motor-lorry. -The horse was. not injured. • The City fire brigade received a call to the Returned Soldiers' Club, Mbert, Street, shortly after 6 a.m. yesterday. The alarm was given owing to the ignition of a towel which had been left over i tea urn. The flames were extinguished without necessitating the use of the origade's hoses. • While a heavily laden waggon was proceeding down Eden Terrace at about 11.30 a.m. yesterday, one wheel became detached, and the body of the vehicle collapsed on to the axle. The disabled waggon lay across the tram rails until '[ assistance had been procured, and it was dragged clear of the track. The mishap caused an interruption to the tramways < service lasting about 20 minutes. The ceremony of laying the foundation j stone of the new University Buildings in Princes Street will take place on Wednesday, May 23. The stone will be laid by the Prime Minister, Mr. W. F. Massey, and other speakers will include the Hon. C. J. Parr, Minister for Education; the Hon. George Fowlds, chairman of the College Council; and the Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson. It is not often that a motor-car is j owned and run by a man for a considerable number of years, and then sold for the same price as was originally paid for j it. This was disclosed during the hear-; ing of a civil case before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court, Petone. j The plaintiff stated that he had owned I the car in question for ten years, had worked it, and used it for many purposes. At the end of ten years the car was sold at cost price. , The manner in which the Railway Commissioner of Victoria assists the fruit industry was referred to by Mr. R. Nairn in the course of his recent address before the Canterbury Fruitgrowers' Association. Mr. Nairn remarked that the Vic- ; torian Railway Commissioner, in order ,to increase the railway revenue, had dis- ; played at all stations a large artistically coloured poster which carried the following wording : " Keep fit. Eat more fruit. Help yourselves and help the growers." In the centre of the poster was a representation of different fruits, including a bunch of luscious grapes, the whole making a pleasing and attractive appeal, in addition to these posters, there were also sky signs, bearing the same message; these could be seen half a mile away. In all probability it was merely a coincidence, but it did look strange Ui the ratepayers of a certain South Island borough when they found a week or so ago that the asphalters were laying dovn a path in front of the new - Mayor's property the day after his election. A complaint was put before th* Christchurch Tramway Board, that as r>-any a* three dozen lamps were recently stolen from the trailers at the Chrirtchdrch railWay Station. ..' ■