LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18685, 15 April 1924, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The Manaia was delayed for an hour last night; owing to threw of the firemen failing to join her at sailing time. She left the wharf at 10 p.m., her usual time of departure, and the men's absence was not dincovered until the Manaia was off Devonport. She returned to the wharf for the missing men, and resumed her trip at 11.15 p.m. The question of the water supply of the Point Chevalier school was referred to in the report presented by the school committee at the meeting of householders held last evening. The recent statement, made by the Mayor of Auckland, Mr. J. H. Tjunscn, to the effect? that the school did not have city water was dealt with, and it was pointed out that the school had been receiving the city water supply for some considerable time. The report of the Health Department that the water in the school baths was in a bad state was, it was stated, an exaggeration. Inquiry showed Chat the school baths were not the cause of the sickness which prevailed among the scholars a few weeks ago.

Through colliding with a tramway pole at Surrey Crescent, Grey Lynn, yesterday morning, the Auckland Motor-Bus Company's big Guy bus suffered considerable damage and the passengers had a narrow escape from injury. The tramway tracks are being duplicated and the centre of the road has been excavated for some distance each side of the New North Road. Crossing places are provided, but as they are at right angles the large buses running to Point Chevalier and Avondale find they difficult to negotiate. The driver of. the bus in question, therefore, continued along the road on the right hand side and to avoid a collision with an approaching vehicle steered in toward the footpath, with the result that the bus crashed into the tramway pole. The windscreen Was broken and the hood damaged beyond repair. None of the passengers was injured, but the driver received an injury to his hand.

Swimming is regarded by the members of the Ponsonby School Committee as one of the most important branches of sport connected with the four schools of the district. In the course of its report to the annual meeting of householders the committee stated that by swimming distances varying from 50 yards to one mile, 529 boys and- girls had qualified for proficiency certificates. Appreciation of the services of the Ponsonby Swimming Club in attaining these results was expressed. At the same time the committee recorded its regret that the. Education Department, had discontinued the capitation grant for provision in this highly-important part of the athletic life of the school.

The enormous expansion and contraction that takes place in large concrete structures is one of the problems' which designers and architects have to contend with. The method adopted for overcoming this difficulty in cormection with the new Arts Building of the university was explained to members of the Rotary Club yesterday by the architect, Mr. R. A. Lippincott. Although to all appearances the building is in one piece, it was seen that the central rotunda, carrying the decorative tower, was separated from the wings on either side by spaces between the walls. Mr. Lippincott stated that the estimated movement of the structure under changing climatic conditions was 2£in., but it was impracticable to leave such a narrow gap between the walls owing to the necessity of putting in timber to mould the concrete. The spaces on .each side of the lotnnda walls, therefore, were each about 4in. in width, and this would be more than ample to contend with the movement of the mass and prevent damage to plaster and fittings. "What struck me in the Now, Zealand cities was that the majority of the people walking along the streets seemed wide awake and to have a definite object in view. There was an entire" absence of 'loafing,' " said Dr. R. R. Smith, who is a passenger for America by ithe Makura. He add?d that New Zealandera have ambition and the will to carry out their undertakings.

The date fcr the Auckland University) College capping ceremony has been fixed for May 1. Arrangements are to be made for the chancellor, Professor J. MacMMlan Brown, or "the vice-chancellor, to preside). , '' The invitation extended to the members of the Auckland Rotary Club by the architects and builders to inspect the partially-completed Arts Building now being erected for the Auckland University was referred to by the president, Mr. Kenneth Mackenzie, at th« luncheon yesterday as a distinct compliment. "There is an old -Scotch saying," remarked Mr. Mackenzie, "that fools and bairns should not see things half done, and we, therefore, thank our hosts for the compliment they have paid us." The last sitting of the Supreme Court at Auckland till after Easter was held yesterday. The sittings will be resumed on Monday, April 28. "I guarantee that if an hotel were to be burnt down in any part of Auckland at midnight, you would find a notice on the door at nine o'clock next morning, 'Business as usual,' " declared a speaker at the meeting of householders at Epsom. "The same with any business house," continued the householder, 'amid laughter and applause. "They would go straight ahead. Of course they would, and there is something wrong with a department that lets four months go* by before it. even makes a grant for the erection of a new school."

The Hamilton fire brigade was summoned to Pomeroy's garage on Sunday. A bicycle brought into the establishment by Mr. J. Jamieson, of Pukemiro, for benzine, back-fired, and burst into flames. The brigade quickly put the flames out with chemicals, only £10 worth of damage being done to the machine. The new public hall at Hobsonville, which was formally opened by the Minister for Education, the Hon. C. J. Parr, has seating accommodation for 350 people, and is provided with stage accommodation and a commodious supper room. The residents of the district, by means of debentures, raised £450 toward the cost, and the Onward League played a conspicuous part in carrying the project tot completion. An excellent programme was carried out on the evening of the opening, to the pleasure of a notably large audience.

A tedious wait while the ballot papers were being counted at the householders' meeting at the Ellerslie Parish Hall last evening was relieved in pleasant fashion by a succession of gramophone selections, thoughtfully provided by an Ellerslie resident. The counting took considerably longer than was expected, 200 voting papers being handed in to the returning officer. As the counting operation occupied the best part of 1£ hours, the diversion was highly welcome. .'

Requests for the revival of community singing for the winter months have been received by the Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson. A meeting of citizens interested in the movement will bo held in the council chamber of the Town Hall at noon on Thursday. • -