LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18495, 4 September 1923, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The area at the end of Dominion Road originally selected 'by , the Mount Eden Borough Council as a. site for the proposed refuse destructor is now to be devoted to other: purposes. The acting-Mayor, Mr. A. M. Bryden, stated at a meeting of the council last evening that the area was about to be , roaded, and that would for all time do away : with the idea that a destructor would be located there. The owner of the property, he said, was proceeding with the cutting up and reading erf.: the land, which would be disposed of for building purposes.

No notifications of pneumonic influenza were received at the district health office during the week-end, and no deaths were reported. As the; number of cases is now very little above normal the Health Department has discontinued the issuing of daily reports, and only the monthly totals will now be available.

The mean barometric reading in Auckland for August, as recorded in Albert, Park, was 30.07 in., a3 against 29.91 in. in July, and 29.70 in. in June. >; The maximum reading was that of 30.42 in. on August 1 and the lowest was 29.75 in. ori August 20. The approximate mean temperature for the month was 50.10 deg., the maximum of 59.60 being recorded on August 18, while the minimum of 36.40 was registered on the first day of the month.

The laying out of Waiatarua Park, in the vicinity of Lake St. John, is considered a feasible project by Mr. T. E. Pearson, superintendent of city parks. With the necessary funds, he told the Rotary Club yesterday, practically 40 acres at this park could be made available for recreation purposes. ,If St. John's Lake were lowered it would be possible to lay out the grounds for cricket, football and other games, and judging from the progressive policy of the Mayor and City Council, he would naturally infer that this would be carried out at some future date.

Writing to a friend in Te Awamutu from Los Angeles, a former resident of Auckland province says: "I received the other day a copy of the New Zealand Herald with the splendid supplement of Northland. It is a great newspaper and beats anything they have here. Everyone here that I have shown it to admires the paper. The Californian papers are all sensation from start to finish. Big headlines op. the green or pink cover; all the divorces and murders and hold-ups; ' movie stars' " love affairseverything piffle and skite and bunk. They will feature a huge sensation one clay, with all the people concerned in the sensation lodged in gaol; next day and ever after you hear no more about it. The New Zealand Herald and all the papers in your lovely Dominion are aristocratic compared with these word-mongers."

An outbreak of fire occurred shortly before four o'clock yesterday morning in a wash-house attached to a dwelling at 17, Pitt Street, occupied by Mr. S. Kindley. The City Fire Brigade quickly extinguished the flames, and the damage was confined to the interior of the washhouse. The cause of the fire is not known. A second call was received by the brigade shortly after seven o'clock last evening to a residence in Prime's Lane, Karangahape Road, occupied by Mrs. Goulden. The fire, .which was caused by a lighted candle igniting a curtain, was suppressed after slight damage had been done to the furnishings. and wall-paper of one room.

The Council of the Pukekoh'e branch of the Young Citizens' League met at the High School to . complete the election of officers. Mr. W. F. J. Munro was in the chair and there was a good attendance. The election of vice-presi-dents was completed, and Mr. J. F. Deane, town clerk, was elected treasurer. The council decided to meet regularly on the first Tuesday of the month. At the next meeting, the question of the subdivision of the league's activities among young people will be discussed, and committees appointed to superintendent the various phases of the work. A visiting committee was formed to promote membership among the scholars ; of the surrounding schools. It is confidently anticipated that much good work will be accomplished, as there are many capable and willing members on the general committee and council. '

A. bountiful supply of eels are to be found; in the ornamental ponds skirting tho margin of the Domain. Mention was made by Mr. T. E. Pearson, superintendent of parks, at the Rotary Club yesterday, of the landing of an eel weighing 191b. some years ago during the progress of cleaning out the ponds. History recorded, he said, that in the early times the Maoris residing in the Mount' Hobson and Epsom districts, used tho swampv grounds of the recreation area as a. depot for catching supplies of eels, or tunas, as food for their chiefs and families

A belief that racing apprentices were allowed to travel on the railway with their horses at half-fare up to the age of 18 was put forward in the Hamilton Magistrate's Court yesterday by Edmund Tuohey, a boy of 16, who was charged with travelling on the train, between Frankton and Wellington without having paid the full fare, and Robert McTavish, a jockey, who was charged with making a false declaration in order to secure a reduction in Tuohey's fare. Both defendants pleaded guilty. Tuohey was convicted and discharged, and McTavish was convicted and fined £5.

"Workmen on the electrical transmission lino between Shannon and . Foxton received a surprise a few days ago when they came across a small live snake about 18 inches in length in one of the transmission poles. The pole had a branch lopped off, leaving a small cavity between the , bark and the trunk, and it was evidently in the Australian forest that . the reptile found a snug resting place. What it had lived on in .the meantime is a: matter of conjecture, as it must bo at least two months since those poles were shipped from Australia. -.'":

Of two applicants recommended for a teachership in a country school in the Nelson district, one is a married woman who was formerly in the service of the Education Board. At a meeting of the board " last week the chairman, Mr. F. W. Smith, said he objected on principle to any married woman being appointed while she had a husband who should maintain her, > and : thus shutting out younger teachers.. He had a great regard for the applicant's capabilities as a teacher, but there was principle involved. It was resolved that the appointment be given to the other applicant.

"Racing clubs are the best cows in Mr. MaSsey's herd," was a remark made at the Waipa Racing Club's annual meeting. It was mentioned, that taxation totalled £1400 for " five hours' fun." The Waipa Club has only a one-day permit and lost money on last season's operations.

The .cement works at Tarakohe, Golden Bay, ■which were closed about; three years ago, have been overhauled, and work has been resumed. The first consignment of the new product was expected to reach Nelson yesterday. The "moving : spirit, in •the re-opening :of the 'works 1 ' is .; Mr. ■ D. Beese,'of Chriatcburch. ■ ■