LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18571, 1 December 1923, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

'■ A five-minutes' service: will be ; run on the 'Dominion Road tramline from Mon!day in place of the present six-minutes' one. At rush • hours! cars > will leave at intervals of four ; minutes. On Sunday mornings, commencing . to-morrow week, the ; present interval between cars of 12 minutes will be reduced to; eight, while the new Sunday afternoon time-table provides for .cars running ■ at intervals of six minutes instead of eight. Extra cars will also be run in the busy periods of the day.' Arrivals in Auckland last month show an increase of 55 as .compared with the total for November, 1922, the figures being 1367 and 1312 respectively. Six Chinese and 11 Hindus were included among the arrivals. The number of departures was 805, including 13 Chinese. In November, 1922, -two Chinese arrived and two departed. The prospects for a 1 large crop of strawberries are "unfavourably affected by the present dry spell following on a cold and wet spring. It is feared that in many districts the yield will be an unusually light one. Moist, warm conditions aro wanted to ensure future suplies, failing which it is anticipated that' his year's crop will be- equal to about half the yield of a good season. Considering the / supplies available, however, current prices are not high, but it is expected that they will rise as Christmas approaches. The Takapuna Jockey Club's Spring Meeting was opened yesterday. Although Friday is an inconvenient day for most people, there was an attendance of about 10,000 at Devonport. The leading event of the programmethe Alison Cup— was won by Mr. W. H. Wackrow's gelding Boomerday. ' The totalizator investments during the day amounted to £41,923, compared with £60,305 10s on the first day last year, which was a Saturday. The amalgamation of the four North Shore boroughs was an idea which met with the approval of the Marine Borough* Association Jast evening. The association, which includes as members the mayors of '. the four boroughs conu'ned, resolved to ask the Devonport, Takapuna, Northjcote, and Birkenhead borough councils to consider the question. The majority of the members were in favour of all four boroughs uniting, but it was agreed not ■to lose sight of the feasibility of reducing the bodies joining .to two as a preliminary to a complete amalgamation. Civil and banco cases will be taken by Mr. Justice Reed at the Auckland Supreme Court on and after Tuesday sxt. in addition to Mr. Jus|ico Stringer. i The revised railway time-table for Auckland suburban and provincial services will come into force to-morrow. The principal changes in the suburban running apply to Sundays and include additional early morning and evening trains from -Papakura and Swanson to the city. Several trains that have fin the past run, only to Papatoetoe will now be run to Papakura. An extra train has also been provided to Henderson on Sunday afternoons. On and after Monday the Roto'rua and Thames expresses will be run separately, the former leaving the city at 10.5 a.m., and the latter afr 9.12 a.m. A train will also be run from Frankton to arrive in Auckland at 11.2 a.m., while the return train at 4 p.m. will be speeded up to arrive at Frankton at 8.25 p.m. instead of 9.10 p.m., as heretofore. * One result of the hot weather now being experienced is that an early start has been "made with haymaking in many parts of the Waikato. The paddocks are yielding very satisfactory crops. Oats have also matured early and several fine paddocks of cut oats are to be seen in the Ngaruawahia district ready for stacking. The proposal of the Soldiers' Mothers' League* that Anzac Day should be observed on the Sunday nearest to April! 25 is being supported by the Post and'. Telegraph Officers' Association. The association has received a reply from the Postmaster-General stating thai its representations on the subject will be kept in mind when tho matter is next under consideration. The City Fire Brigade received a call ortly after six o'clock last evening to the premises of Warren and Co.. engineers, Chapel Square, where some sacks had become ignited. The outbreak was suppressed before any damage was done, "As long as I am in Parliament," said the Hon. R. F. Bollard, Minister for Internal Affairs', at Raglan, "I am going to see that' the. people in the back areas of the country get the facilities they richly deserve," A voice: Keep that up. (Applause and laughter.) A silver-mounted shield" has been presented by Mr. H. H. Howden, of Hamilton, for competition among the fire brigades in the South Auckland district. Mr. Howden's object is to promote friendly rivalry and efficiency among fire brigades, whose good work he considers is worthy of every encouragement. The offer made by the Te Awamutu Borough Council to supply water from the municipal mains to the mental hospital at Tokanui, five miles away, at the low price of sixpence per 1000 gallons, conditional on the supply being taken only at night time, is likely to be accepted in the near future. The Public Works Department has asked the Borough Council if it is prepared to enter into an agreement to supply under the terms stated for a term of 50 years. The council has replied that the offer still stands, provided tho council can legally enter into such an agreement. A reference to members who had not paid their annual subscriptions was made at the last meeting of the Waikato Winter Show Association. The secretary, Mr. W. H. Paul, mentioned that one member was 11 years behind, while many others were from three to ICL years in arrears. About £232 was owing -in overdue subscriptions,- and he thought a special effort should be made to collect them. Members who had not paid their subscriptions for some time were still availing themselves of the privileges of membership. It was decided to appoint a special committee to secure payment of old subscriptions. *" -, The Canterbury College Board of Governors, has decided that the academic year shall be divided into three terms. The first term will begin on the first Thursday in March and end on the eleventh Friday thereafter; the second term will begin on the fourth Saturday after the end of the first term and on the eleventh Friday thereafter; and the third term will begin on the fourth Saturday after the end of the second term and end on November 1. In the Faculty of Music the terms may be differently arranged. A comprehensive scheme of improvements is projected for the Papatoetoe district, and loan . proposals involving a sum of £19,765 for carrying the scheme into effect will be submitted to the ratepayers early in January. The proposals include £12.700 for . bituminous roading, £1800 for a' sanitary' service, £2200 for the purchase of land for recreation purposes adjoining the present reserve on the Great South Road, £1700 for the purchase of a reserve of twelve acres on the western side of the railway, and £1365 for the repayment of recreation ground loan debentures and antecedent liability. The loan will 'be the first promoted since the establishment of the • Town . Board district in 1919. A previous loan of £2500 was raised by the Road Board in -. 1917 for the erection of a public hall,. / 1 .- ( • - . .... t