LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18702, 7 May 1924, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The outward Main Trunk traffic from Auckland has apparently returned to normal. On Sunday and Monday, two trains were despatched, but last evening only one express left for the South. It was of average size.

Duck are very. plentiful in the Lower Waikato district. Mr. A. G Potter, of Otaua, and party of three, obtained 193 duck and four pheasants for two days' shooting.

Complaint of an anomaly in the bylaws of the various local bodies controlling the Great South Road from Auckland to Pnkekohe, 1 concerning the licensing of heavy motor traffic, was voiced during the hearing of a case at the Magistarte's Court yesterday before Mr. W. R. McKean, S.M. The owner of a heavy motor-lorry using this portion of the road stated that if each of the nine local bodies concerned enforced its particular heavy motor traffic ' by-law, it would cost him approximately £105 yearly for motor registration fees.

Five days a prisoner in a German submarine and 19g months interned in Germany was . the war experience of Captain R. G. Sprague, master of the Canadian Challenger, which arrived at Auckland from Halifax yesterday afternoon. Captain Sprague was master of the steamer Pontiac, which was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean, on April 28, 1917. Only Captain Sprague, the chief engineer and two of the gunners carried by the Pontiac were taken aboard the submarine, the remainder of the crew drifting about in the boats until they were rescued by a passing vessel. Captain Sprague and other prisoners were taken through Austria to Wahmbeck, on the Weiser, Germany, being interned until the armistice was signed.

Yesterday was the fourteenth anniversary of the coronation of King George V., who was crowned on May 6, 1910. In honour of the occasion a royal salute of 21 guns was fired at Fort Cautley, and H.M.S. Philomel was dressed with flags.

To-day is the ninth anniversary of the sinking of the Cunard steamship Lusitania by a German submarine off the south coast of Ireland, while on the voyage from New York to Liverpool. The vessel, which . was carrying ' 1313 passengers and a crew of 665, was struck by two torpedoes and sank within half-an-hour. A total of 1198 lives were lost as a result of the outrage.

Four dressing pavilions, two at St. Heliers and two at Kohimarama beaches, are to be erected and ready for use at the commencement of next summer. The work was authorised in recent loan proposals submitted to Tamaki West ratepayers. It is proposed to design the buildings in as ornamental a manner as possible.

When Mr. Justice Frazer failed yesterday to recall the name of counsel who addressed 'him in the Arbitration Court he had a good explanation to give. "So many young counsel have," ho said, "grown up since I left Auckland, years ago, that I have lost track of them. But I used to know all the old hands."

A resolution was carried at a recent meeting of the Otago Drivers' Union protesting against "the practice of employers of drivers hving allowed to employ drivers to 1 drive two one-horse-drawn vehicles with only one pair of reins, as it is most dangerous to the drivers and to the public in the case of a runaway, and , cruel ■to the horses." The union has also written to the Minister for Justice requesting that the Police Offences Act be amended to make it an offence for. drivers to be in charge of horses unless they have a pair of reins on each horse.

It is reported that two residents of Otaki Beach are -at present suffering severely from bites from katipo spiders. 'The spiders are said to be very plentiful in that locality.

Seldom do so many people attend the Supreme Court as was the case yesterday. The explanation of the large attendance was the fact that the criminal sessions were opened and that the Arbitration Court was faced with the monumental task of dealing with applications by nearly 100 shopkeepers, a .number of whom attended in person. Another unusual feature was that three separate Courts were sitting. The criminal business all came before Mr. Justice Stringer in the main Court, Mr. Justice Herdman was engaged the whole day in connection with a land compensation case, and Mr. Justice Frazer had a full day's business in the Arbitration Court. A large number of counsel were in attendance, the majority being engaged in Arbitration Court matters.;

A case of furs, valued at nearly £400, has had an extraordinary trip from Wellington to Wanganui. The consignors, a Wellington firm, despatched it some time ago, before the railway strike started. It did not come to hand, and after many anxious inquiries the case turned up at Waipawa. It transpired that it had been transferred into the wrong train at Marton. Once more the case started for Wanganui, but again it went astray, and after another search was located at Hawera. Consigned once more it finally reached the consignees in Wanganui.

"Is she a married , woman ?" asked the magistrate at the Gisborne Magistrate's Court in regard to the defendant in a civil action. "She is described as a widow," stated the clerk of the Court, but the plaintiff interpolated: "I think she married again, sir. At least, if she's not she's doing her best." The magistrate smilingly remarked that he could not accept such a statement as a definite answer to his query.

A conciliation council/ to deal with the builders' labourers' dispute will meet at 10 a.m. to-day. The dispute of the Waikato coalminers will be considered by a council on May 16. Adjournments sine die have been made in regard to the disputes of the boilermakers, moulders, engineers, sheetmetal workers and Waihi engineers.

"I am glad," said Mr. N. P. Green at the annual meeting of the Dannevirke Golf Club, "to notice that the 'groyne' is wiped off the balance-sheet at last," referring to an item for the erection of this protection against river erosion which had disappeared from this year's balance-sheet. "Yes," rejoined Mr. W. L. Roberts, "the groyne has gone—wiped out. because the river has changed its course. But,", he added amid the laughter of members, "it has given the club another six or seven acres, so though we've -lost; the groyne we've got the land."

"Can you tell me what is meant by luncheons, etc., £160? The 'etc.' part is puzzling me," said a member of the Wanganui Agricultural Association at a meeting of that body, when the annual balance-sheet was under review. The secretary remarked: "Perhaps the gentleman who asked the question may be able to supply that information himself. If you want the matter explained, however, I will do so!" Cries of "No!" and laughter followed the retort*