LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18533, 18 October 1923, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

; The prices for fat stock that have bean ruling 'for some time were well, maintained at the Westfield sales yesterday. Quality was,good, and competition keen. ■ Extra choice ox sold to £1 17s per '1001b.; choice and prime brought yfrom ,£1 13a to £1 16s 6d; ordinary and plain, £1 lis to £1 13s 6d. : Prime young cow and heifer beef sold at from £1 6s to £1 13s. Sheep met . with a : steady demand; prices varying somewhat from • those that ruled at the last ssle. Heavy prime wethers brought £2 4s 6d to £2 7s 3d,: while heavy prime ewes realised irom £1 19s .'to £2 iss 6d. Spring lambs were not of such fine quality- as, those of the previous week, and prices dropped somewhat. Best .lambs brought from £1 7s to £1 10s. Pigs showed a slight increase, choppers and baconers realising from £3 10s to £6 :18s. ,:

Nineteen building permits,, totalling £32,658, were issued by the One Tree Kill Road Board during September. These included permits for alterations fo the Costley Home, £17,000, and for a number of residences, : the price of which ranged from £673 to £1850.

Some 200 tramway men yesterday paid a lasf tribute of respect to their late fel-low-worker, Mr. William Lewis Wilkin, the tramway motormau, who died in the Auckland Hospital on Sunday night as a result of a shooting accident at Drury on that day. His comrades, in uniform, assembled at Mr. Wilkin's late home at Onehunga, at 10.30 a.m., and marched to tho "Royal Oak ahead of the hearse. Thence about 60, who were not on duty, went in motor vehicles to Waikumete Cemetery, where the interment Cook place. Mr ... H. H. Morgan, the traffic superintendent, was present as representative of the Tramway Department. An indication of the high esteem in which the. deceased was held was afforded by the large number of floral tributes forwarded by personal friends, and ' by his tramway comrades.

Nine head of pedigree Shorthorn cattle were brought to New Zealand by the Karamea, which arrived at Auckland from Liverpool yesterday. The animals comprise one bull and eight heifers*. They are reported to have been selected from the best stock in Gieat Britain, and were purchased by Mr. J. A. Johnstone, of Bushy Park, Palmerston, Otago.

Arrangements have been made for a. deputation to waif on the. mem Iters of the Dilworth Trust Board, on Tuesday, in connection with the movement to save the Remuera Hockey groind for the young people of the city. The deputation has been arranged by Mr. P. H. Upton and tho committee associated with him, and with it will be associated the Majui, Mr, J. H. Gunson, and members cf the City Council as representatives cf the citizens generally. j

A recent breakdown of the stone crusher on the Great South Road tramway extension caused a in t'he delivery of metal, and considerably hampered work during the last fortnight. The engineer to the One Tree Hill Road Board reported last evening that this mishap hud upset his calculations that the concrete slab would bo completed by October 24, and that the tramway, tracks would be laid by the end of the month. The contractor was doing everything in his power to expedite trie work, added the engineer, and the men were working on Saturday afternoon and other overtime to finish the job .as quickly as possible. The chairman, Mr. E.G. Clark, remarked that the City Council was "moving heaven and earth "to have the cars running by race day and Che board would do all in its power to assist. The contractor had had a run of bad luck, but everything possible was being done to make, up for lost time.

Thirteen applications were received by the Northcote Borough Council for membership in the Municipal Volunteer Fire Brigade, including the 11 firemen comprising the existing brigade. The council accepted all the applicants, who will be sworn in at a special meeting of the council on November 6. The council appointed Mr. W. P. Roberts captain of the new brigade, and Mr. A. W. Millar first driver, leaving the other offices to be filled by the brigade. ■ ,"

The statement recently made by Mr. A. L. Treadwell, of Wellington, that it was almost impossible to reform a criminal unless ho was under 23 years of age, wss the subject of some remarks by the Rev. E. G. Budd at the annual meeting of the Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society yesterday. Mr. Budd said a large proportion of the men dealt with by the society .were between the ages of 25 and 50, and he had never had cause to bo discouraged with the results. A prison official with whom he was acquainted had found employment for about 75 discharged' prisoners last year, and although many of these men might be called criminals the majority were giving every satisfaction to ' their employers, and there was no reason to expect they would give further trouble. '' .'

The new type of tramway destination sign, which has proved such a success on the new tramcars, is to he placed on all cars in the service. The first of the old cars to bo so fitted appeared in the streets yesterday. Others are to be fitted as the material for tho signs comes to hand." , ■ -0. i . "• <- v

The much-discussed question of payment for prisoners receiving treatment in hospital was again before the Auckland Hospital Board on Tuesday. , A letter, was received from the Deportment of Health stating that Cabinet had finally decided to give 30s a week and no more. It was decided that the matter be left in abeyance till the return of the Prime Minister, when a deputation should waiifc on him on.the matter.

The two new signs indicating the routes followed by ■;Market Road, Mount Eden, Remuera, and Mount Albert cars, which have. been erected at the Customs Street East stops, .are proving a decided success. They are of particular value to strangers! and occasional ' travellers, as they leave no- doubt as to which route a car is following. Another advantage istheir visibility at nights, for they can be read then from i! ataost any point ■ aa. easily as they can in the daytime. .: {■

Some amusement was caused at the meeting of the Newmarket Borough Council last evening by the receipt of a letter complaining .about stray dogs iiii tho borough. . One of the councillors suggested that a man bo employed to "clean up " the dogs. It was then suggested that a dog inspector be appointed and th°t he be paid at the rate of so much a dozen for disposing of-the homeless animals. : ," : y

The Auckland district primary schools Christmas holidays will commence .on Thursday afternoon, December 20, and the schools will, reopen after.the vacation on the first Monday in February. ■: This decision was reached, by the Auckland Education Board yesterday. It was also decided that school committees that have been granted extension of term holidays be informed that the three days within their discretion must bo used to celebrate local events, and must not be used .to extend term holidays. The question of school hours for February will be 'considered at the ; first meeting in January. .■'.'•■-;' .■■...-: ■ : -J »

The diamond jubilee of the Court City of Auckland of (ho. Ancient Order of Foresters will be celebrated this evening by a social in the .Masonic Hall, Belgium Street. The Court, under Chief Ranger Mr. W. Drew, has a membership of o\u--270. - ;■■::