LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18586, 19 December 1923, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

• A delay, of tea minutes in . the depart-, ure of the 7.40 ; p.m.*' Main Trunk express for Wellington '; night was occasioned by ,•■ the ''{ heavy:;; Southern mail which had to be handled. ' ; This included over 100 bags of.Australian mail, which arrived by the Manuka. In addition, the local mail : . was ; . exceptionally large, 4 and more than 500" bags of letters,"; papers, and parcels were despatched on the two evening expresses. 'The number of passengers i who left ; for the South yesterday by the three* trains exceeded 800." J .' . . .■;.'*■?;;, ~■". ..!.V.. :.?.•-.:>'.."■..::.■•. 'rV'V! ..'.'.'..:'. ... , ; ■; . • •;-

f:* : A. Judge's experience in regard to buying* What it was hoped; would prove to be a racehorse was alluded to yesterday by Mr. Justice Reed •in the Supreme Court, during the hearing of an action in regard to a bull. His Honor cited the instance of a man buying a yearling at a sale of racing slock, with a pedigree of a winning sire and dam. The yearling turned out a "perfect duffer," and His Honor asked counsel if he would contend that damages could be claimed. Council replied in the negative, saying that, the animal would still •be useful for other purposes.- "The yearling," said His Honor, "proved to be practically no. good at'all. I : experienced that myself once."

" This is; a spirit which could well be fostered," said" the chairman, Mr. Wallace, at the meeting of the Hospital Board last evening, when it was announced that the members of the Melmerly College Old Girls' Club had donated £100 to* endow a cot at the hospital. It was explained that the girls had previously provided £13 to cover the cost of the cot and wished to now endow it on condition that the board permitted the addition of an inscription dedicating the cot to their teacher, Mrs. Clayton. This request was granted, and the board decided to thank the girls for their gift.

Great amusement was , caused at the King's College prize-giving yesterday when the winner of the feather-weight boxing trophy, a boy* hardly in his " teens," stepped up to *?ceive the medal. Everyone at once noticed that his left eye was decorated with a piece of sticking- plaster, and it was obvious that the GovernorGeneral, Lord JelHcoe, had not missed the humour of -the situation from the twinkle in his eye as he presented the trophy.;

The penal storage charge on goods on the wharves will be waived from December 24 to January 3, inclusive. This decision was made yesterday by the Harbour Board owing to the fact that most .of the. city' warehouses will be closed and delivery of goods from the wharves_ will practically cease during the period mentioned.. . -'■''.' ; '-./'•■'. ■>■'';"■.'".■' .■%:'?'

The primary schools in the Auckland education district will close to-morrow for the Christmas; vacation, reopening on the morning of Monday, February 4. The question of observing half-days during February will be decided by tlae Education Board in January. The weather prevailing then will largely determine the board's decision. The grammar schools will likewise close to-morrow for • the Christmas holidays.

Following a collision between two motor-cars in the Maungaroa, Gorge, which lies on the route between Howick and Whitford, the Manukau County Council decided yesterday to apply to the Auckland ? Automobile Association for danger boards to erect on the .spot. It was' also agreed that the association should be asked for danger boards to be placed on Tuesday and _Cashmore Hills on the Orere Road, beyond Clevedon. ;

"It seems l inconceivable that in a ? city the size of Auckland, it is impossible to- obtain ' the quantity and quality of bricks ' required for the school chapel." said- the chairman of the Board of Governors, Mr. V. J. Larner, at the King's College prize-giving yesterday. Mr. Larner said the foundation stone was laid in June, 1922, yet the chapel was still far from completion, owing to continual stoppages on account of short supplies of bricks.'. ■ '■./■ ■ ■;-': : :

Petition in bankruptcy has been £Ixl with the official assignee, ' Mr. W. 11 Fisher, by Francis Henry George Luscoin, butcher, of Manunui. Bankrupt';* schedule discloses liabilities amounting to £587 15s, against which there are assets estimated to produce £527 18s lOd, leaving a deficiency of £59 16s 2d. ' • \._ ' .

The Auckland Trotting Club yesterday accepted the tender of a Wellington firm for the erection of the new grandstand at the Epsom trotting- course. The price was £56,500. . ;." " "■■■,: r '

' A one-armed man was responsible for rescuing a drowning swimmer in Hellyer's Creek, near Birkdale, on • Sunday. M*. H. Carlsen, of Grey Lynn, a strong swimmer, was seized with cramp while bathing. Mr. L. Sparnon, of 25, East Street, Newton, went to : his assistance and succeeded in bringing the helpless man close 'to , the shore. Both were exhausted,' but several other swimmers appeared on the -scene and brought rescuer and rescued to land.

Motor lorries are securing # the hulk of the wool' trade in the South this season, and already thousands of bales from South Otago have been 1 conveyed road vehicles to the wool stores in Dunedin. The grower says it is cheaper and more convenient to . load the wool on to a lorry at the shed on the farm, and it is taken into Dunedin and ; safely; lodged in the store the same day. Cartage is saved to and from the train, and ; : the cost 01 freightage per bale is in favour of the lorry. ,- v _* '. ■■ ' - >

Most of the rooks that nested in the bluegum trees behind the Elmwood homestead, Christchurch, last nesting sea»un, have left that part of the city, presumably to return to Fendalton, where they came from. Early in September last about, a thousand rooks arrived over Elmwood, and circled around; the I bluegums there for about two hours.-About fifty of the visitors remained among the trees and nested there and raised their young. They seem now to have become dissatisfied with" that ; site for a home. It is stated that they were not ' interfered .with at '.the •', \ '. home•stead, and the cause of their departure is hot known. ' -'/>''//;/'/;.' s>' ' ""

" Never/be tempted to give up your studies in.'. the course ) you are taking to go out to work for high ; wages as unskilled labourers," was the advice given by the Hon. C. E. , Statham, M.P., to the boys at the Dunedin Technical High School. " Far too many boys," he added, ** are giving up the study for trades and professions to earn high wages at unskilled labour. S, For them a day of reckoning will come, and they will be sorry that they took. that step." ... * ' ,

: The ? occupiers /of a ; house in Bealey I Avenue, Christchurch, are having an un- < enviable experience. HfA swarm of bees have made their home in a chimney of the, dwelling, taking as a means of . ingress and egress the cracks between *: the: house and the chimney, which is built on the outside ; of the- house. The bees quite established themselves, building a comb, but a work- - man removed a section of' the chimney^ * and commenced ■to displace them. ■ The bees had taken up a strong' strategic- posi- " I tion, but was hoped by a good supply of,i acrid smoke to make them too'uncom- ? fortable in their new quarters to stay.