LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18563, 22 November 1923, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Prices for beef at the Westfield fat stock . market yesterday showed a further decline. ! Extra choice ox realised £1 9s per 1001b., other grades from 19s to £1 6s, according to quality. , Cow and heifer beef ;, sold * from 14s to £1 ss. *■ Prices for mutton were a fraction .easier than those ruling last week. Heavy prime wethers brought from £1 15s to £1 18s 3d, medium to heavy £1 12s to £1 Hs 9d, light £1 10s to £1 12s 9d. Ewes realised from 19s to £1' 10e. Lambs also showed a lower value, best selling up to £1 8s 6d,. others from £1 Os 6d to £1 ss. Prices for fat and young calves again declined, Lut pigs were penned in small numbers, an! an improvement was shown in prices. Concrete roads and adjusted gradients prove tempting to motorists, and many a forbidden burst of speeding results. At a meeting of the One Tree Hill Road Board last evening the general question of excessive speed bj> motorists using the roads of the district was discussed, and the view was expressed that the high speed of some motorists was a nuisance, particularly on the Great South Road. It was decided that a qufrter of a mile should be measured off, and that two members of the staff be employed to time motorists witb . a view to prosecution.'. The chairman, Mr. R. G. Clark, said he had seen motorists travelling at 50 miles an hour. One man had told him that, whereas a short time ago the . Great South Road was a country road, it had now become a racing track. The desirability of British statesmen making periodical visits to the overseas Dominions was urged at the Chamber of Commerce Conference yesterday, and as it was considered that such visits would result in far-reaching benefits to the Empire, the conference decided to bring the proposal under the notice of the Imperial authorities through the various chambers. Mr. N. Elmslie, British Trade Commissioner, who was present, said a new spirit was noticeable in Great Britain in the interest taken in the Dominions. However, he thought that in view of the present conditions prevailing in England the men actually in office would not trouble to find time to spend some months abroad. The Otahuhu Trotting Club's Spring Meeting, which was opened at Alexandra Park yesterday, attracted an attendance estimated at 15,000. The leading event,' the Jellicoe Handicap, was won by Mr. J. R. McKenzie's mare Lightnin', who started a warm f.vourite. The totalisator investments amounted to £50,335 10s, compared with £56,183 on the opening day's racing last year, which was held on a Saturday. A collision between two inward bound tramcars occurred near the safety zono at the junction of Queen Street and Victoria Street shortly before five o'clock last evening. Neither of the cars was seriously damaged, and the. service was not interrupted. • Because he allegedly found his water supply was rusty, a plumber adopted the drastic course of bodily taking out the meter. The penalty which" the ingenious plumber had to pay was referred to by the engineer to the One Tree Hill Road Board last evening. As soon as he discovered that the meter was missing the engineer ordered the water supply to be cut off. , Then came certain monetary payments before the meter could be re-installed, and there was also a fee for testing. Finally the pluirVer got his water supply again, but he paid rather dearly for-exercising his skill , upon the meter. *The board approved the engineer's action. An offer by the Epsom Grammar School Old Girls' Association to donate French prizes for the -third, fourth, and fifth forms, in memory of Miss L. , M. Matches, a former French mistress,' was accepted yesterday by the Auckland Grammar School Board of Governors. The prizes are to be known as the "Matches Memorial <■■■!.-■'■:

An interesting souvenir of their visit to Auckland was received yesterday ; !y the delegates to the annual conference,of the Associate Chambers of Commerce now sitting in Auckland. , At the conclusion of the afternoon session each of the delegates received a copy of the official municipal handbook and the handsomely illustrated history of Auckland as the gift of the Mayor. The gathering expressed its appreciation of this thoughtful action on the part of Mr. Gunson. While in Auckland the visitors will >be given i very 1 opportunity of inspecting the various municipal enterprises, and. to-mor-row will be taken on a visit to the Nihotupu .dam. The following day they will be taken on a tour of inspection' of the harbour and its shipping facilities. The * necessity of warning the public ■ in regard to the purchase of sections which were not served by dedicated roads was; discussed by the One Tree Hill Road Board last evening. It -was pointed out that in regard to certain sections .recently sold there was obligation on the vendors: to give title for three years. v The suggestion was advanced that there should he legislation to prevent sections being sold until roads were constructed, or an undertaking given for their construction. The chairman, Mr. R. G. Clark,, said the protection. of .', the public consisted of their own common sense, and if they signed such agreements they did so- with their eyes open. A Mamaku farmer, Archie Douglas Pemberton, has filed a petition in bankruptcy with the official assignee at Auckland. A meeting of creditors, to be held at ' Cambridge, has been" fixed i. for next Wednesday.- . '-> • , ; y -._ - A young man, Mr. Thomas McMillan, employed at the Lion , Brewery, Khyber Pass, was admitted to the Auckland Hospital yestefday morning suffering from injuries to his back, sustained through a fall at , the brewery. ;, His condition' is not considered to ' be serious. The decidedly unusual action of a jury awarding'" costs incidental to the case" of a plaintiff took place in the Wellington Supreme Court. The foreman read the decision, including 'the award of costs to the plaintiff. " I am afraid that is a matter for roe," said Mr. Justice Salmond, amid Lughter; -..;..■.'■.. The whole of the freehold property and buildings in Dunedin of the D.1.C., which includes Watson's Hotel, .f facing High Street, has been, bought by a syndicate, which intends pulling down -the buildings and erecting a modern hotel on the site. ,■ There v»a3 some excitement in Hagley Park, Christchurch, on Saturday afternoon, when- a chase was' made after a man who, it was alleged, had stolen a watch from one of the players engaged in the cricket matches. 'The man, it is stated, was observed by a boy to take the watch. The boy gave the alarm, and a chase was at once instituted. The fugitive, in an effort to escape, threw away the watch, which was recovered. Later the man was arrested and charged with the theft of the ; watch. <.. I' U "Yes. we have no. rabbits, to-day." In effect; this was what a North Canterbury farmer said to his ( neighbour. .;• He claimed that his land was free of the nest, but the neighbour was doubtful, and he replied, Come > and !we will see." The result of the tour over the supposed, free land was a bag of 200 " bunnies" in an hour. This incident was related by a speaker at a meeting of Waipara ratepayers, called to discuss' {. the formation of a;; rabbit destruction board. He. said it would not be. disputed that rabbits were easing greatly iii Canterbury. : The production ' from the mine of Glen Alton Collieries, ; Waikato, on t Tuesday amounted to 420 tons, a record for tl"« mine. '.The- average: weekly output exceeds 2000 tool. < ' -