LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18730, 9 June 1924, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

An amusing diversion "was provided for many people sheltering in Queen Street from the heavy rain at noon on Saturday. A butcher's cart was proceeding tip the street, "when a large leg of mutton become dislodged and fell on to the roadway, unknown to the butcher. The joint was immediately caught tip by the stormwat-er and carried swiftly down the road in the gutter. Loathe to see such an excellent piece of meat unclaimed, a man on the footpath stooped down as it. '.vent rushing by and unconcernedly salvaged it from the flood. He then tucked the meat under his arm and, obviously pleased, went on his way.

The police are anxious to find owners for four coats and three travelling rugs, which have been recovered after being stolen from motor-cars in the city. Last week a man appeared before .the magistrate, and was remanded, on a charge of stealing a lady's cloak and a rug. When in custody he gave information in regard to the other coats and nigs, stating when they had been stolen and where they were pawned. On May 5 a rug and raincoat were stolen, about May 14 a second raincoat was taken, and on May 16 a rug was purloined. On May 22 a serge overcoat was added to the list, and about May 24 a brown " British-warm " met the same fate. A day later the third rug was stolen. The recovered property is in charge of plain-clothes Constable Sutherland.

An outbreak of fire at three o'clock on Sunday morning destroyed the southern end of the Ponsonby Rugby Football Club's training shed in Dignan Street, Ponsonby. The shod, which is a wooden one, is also used by the Defence Department as a drill hall. The burned portion conipri-ed the club's dressing rooms and a storeroom used by the department for storing a number of rifles and sports equipment. The alarm wps given to the Western Eistricts Fire Bugade from an alarm box at- the Three Lam;*" by a passer-by who noticed the glare of the flames. When the brigade arrived the southern wing was blazing furiously and the whole building seemed doomed. Prompt action by the brigade, however, was instrumental in preventing the fire from spreading and it was soon extinguished. Neither the shed nor its contents was insured, but the damage is not expected to exceed £100. The cause of the outbreak is not known. It is stated that a social gathering was held in the building until a late hour on Saturday evening.

An accident, which was not without its humorous aspects to the onlookers, occurred about mid-day 011 Saturday, as the cargo steamer was berthing at the Northcote vehicular landing. During the exceptionally heavy downpour, a young man attempted to pass an empty perambulator from the .vessel to a male companion on the wharf. He overbalanced, however, and, with his burden, fell over the side of the Sparrowhawk ,into the harbour. The man struck out and swam to the wharf, and was little the worse for his immersion. The perambulator was not recovered. Two well-filled Main Trunk expresses left Auckland last evening. The first consisted of seven passenger cars and three sleepers, while the. second was made up of nine passenger cars. About 600 passengers travelled by the two trains. Steady progress continues to be made with the work of reticulating with electricity the suburbs of Mount Albert and Mount Eden. Operations in the former district have extended rapidly. On both New North Road and Edendale Road extension has been fairly rapid. In Mount Eden the work is being pushed on quickly along Balmoral Road, while miles of poles in other localities give promise of an early linking up.

The autumn this year has been one of the best ever experienced in the Wairarapa, states a landholder from that district at present in Auckland. There has been plenty of moisture, the weather has not been severe, and the result is that there is plenty of winter feed. In the Wairarapa, as in the Auckland province, stock are in splendid condition and should emerge from the winter in much better state than was the case last year.

An employee of the Fletcher Construction Company, Limited, Mr. Charles Morgan, of Drury, aged 43, sustained a fracture of the right leg while working on the new university building on Saturday morning through a large piece of stono falling on him. He was taken to the hospital. Although the actual construction work in connection with the new Kingsland railway overbridge was recently completed, the road approaches to the bridge still remain to be finished. Steady progress, however, is being maintained with these operations, both approaches from New North Road and Clark Street being well under way. This important link in the new tramway extension of Edendale will also serve as an outlet for general traffic from the city to the outlying suburbs. Approximately 200 appeals are to be heard by the Post and Telegraph Appeal Board at its next sittings, which will commence in Wellington to-morrow. Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., will preside.

In view of the carelessness of theatre patrons with regard to the observance of the National Anthem when played at the close of performances—a matter which was referred to by Bishop Averill a few days ago— Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Navy League is approaching the managers of the picture shows in Christchurch with a suggestion that the Anthem be played at the commencement of the programmes instead of the conclusion. It is believed that such a procedure would do away with the unseemly rush for coats and hats that takes place at present during the singing of the Anthem.

The unemployment list supplied by the Departmerit of Labour in Auckland for the week ended last Saturday showed a slight increase on the previous week's applications for employment. Applicants fit for heavy work numbered 147, while those classed as fit for light work only were 44. There were 22 men placed in employment during the week.

"For the workers" was the burden of a deputation's plea on Saturday morning in asking for additional trains to stop at Croydon Road. But a requ-est slipped in that the last trains on Wednesdays and Saturdays should also stop. The Minister for Railways put in a sly query: "For the theatre this time, I suppose?" "Yes, or the Tabernacle,was the grave response.

A party of Opunake pig hunters recently went to Mangaminga and killed two fine boars. They report that wild pigs are very plentiful in the district, large numbers having been destrojid during the : year. The wild pig menace is a matter of concern to sheepowners, one near Mangaminga stating that his loss was in the vicinity of 2000 sheep yearly.