LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18762, 16 July 1924, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

A light Main Trunk express left for "Wellington at 7.10 p.m. yesterday. The train consisted of nine passenger cars, three Bleepers, and the usual postal and guard's vans. It was estimated that about 250 passengers travelled.

Casualties necessitating hospital treatment in Auckland' last month averaged eight a day. There were 241 patients, requiring 1351 treatments. The hospital ambulance was required for 150 cases.

A film advertising Auckland is being shown at the Empire Exhibition. Advice to this effect was received yesterday by Mr. P. Hay ward, president of the Auckland Advertising Club, from Mr. C. E. Clinkard, who is representing the club at the World Advertising Convention at Wembley., The picture was exhibited in Auckland before being sent to London, and "comprises views of the various scenic attractions of the district.

A director of a dairy company in the Wanganui district recently stated that at present the country was over-stocked with dairy cattle, and the price was accordingly kept down.- He believed that had it not been for the fact that this class of cattle was difficult to sell, many dairy farmers to-day would have turned their attention to sheep. The position was that, having bought cows at a high price,, say, up to £14, they did not care to sacrifice them at half or less that

figure. In second-class herds cows were being sold from 30s to £5.

Writing on June 6, our London correspondent mentions that in addition to some very attractive water colours of New Zealand scenery that have been on view for some weeks in the window of New Zealand House, in the Strand, there is at present a very pleasing display of pictures, taken chiefly from the Auckland Weekly .News. They are representative of phases of life and activity in the Dominion, and they are creating immense interest from the public who pass by. Their display is indeed a happy sequel to tbe happy inspiration which came from tho Publicity Office of the New Zealand Government (Mr. H. T. B. Drew). Each picture has been placed in a neat frame, and those who are interested are much struck by the beauty of the pictures, by the high quality of their production, and by their variety of subject.

Stimulants used in the Auckland Public Hospital last month included 2290 ounces of brandy, 872 ounces of whisky, six ounces of sherry, 951 ounces of port, 25 pints of ale, 190 pints of stout, 444 syphons of soda water,. 24 bottles of lemonado, four pints of champagne and 49 bottles of puriri water.

An amusing incident occurred in a Dunedin street last week, when a butcher threw away a piece of meat, which was immediately attacked by a cat, a dog, and a duck. The cat bit the meat, while the dog bit the cat, which stood in the road with a back resembling that of a camel. The duck then commenced to peck the dog, which soon ran away. Thus the duck became owner of the meat.

Building sites in Princes Street, Auckland, are rapidly increasing in value. It was mentioned at the meeting of the Hospital Board "last evening that its property next the Grand Hotel had been valued by Messrs. Samuel "Vaile and Sons at £4300 for the section, which has a frontage of 44ft. to Princes Street, but runs a considerable distance back to Bank Street. The cottage on the section was valued at £100.

Tiie revised price for table sugar in 701b. bags, as announced yesterday by' the Auckland Grocers' Association, is 22s 3d. The figure 23s 3d given yesterday was the price ruling under the May list, now superseded, so that the reduction in the price of the 701b. bag is Is.

The State Government of New South Wales decided some few months ago to adopt the New, Zealand Government system instituted by Mr. Massey as Minister for Finance; of having a commercial profit and loss account and balance-sheet drawn up for each department of State.

Extensive sheets of ice on the Ashburton Domain ponds on several recent mornings have cheered the hearts of many would-be skaters, who remember with delight the exhilarating exercise which hard frosts of other winters permitted on these spaces, states the Guardian. Although the ice does not cover all the water, it is considered that after several more keen frosts the ponds will bear weight. Skaters are concerned over the action of small boys, who, with sticks and stones, appear to take a delight in breaking as much ice as possible.

An application for permission to sell hot pies on the Napier football ground at Ranfurly Shield matches was received by theHawke's Bay Rugby Union Management Committee last week. The proposal met with little encouragement. "If the team did not play well they might be bombarded with pies," said one member. The application was not granted.

Travellers by horse-drawn vehicles are finding the bitumen roads in the Taranaki district difficult to travel on. During the summer there is dust on the road, which enables the horse to obtain something in the nature of a foothold,' but the wet weather has washed the road clean, consequently horses slip and fall when least 'expected.

The question of a revision of the Dunedin Sunday tram fares is under consideration. In connection with Sunday fares on the Roslyn and Maori Hill lines, and in view of the prospective heavy loss that ■will be entailed in the running of the present Sunday services on these lines as a result of the granting of double time for Sunday work to employees, the Tramways Committee of the City Council has recommended that tho up fare on Sundays on the lino be increased to 4d—3d on the cable.line to the junction, and Id on the electric line from the junction to Maori Hill. The present fare is 3d right through.

There has been an epidemic of clothesline robberies at Balclutha of late, and also a few instances of whisky and coal stealing. Dog poisoning has now been added to the programme of the miscreants, and the residents are becoming alarmed. Two valuable dogs have been poisonod while on the chain at their owners' properties. ' 3

To secure sufficient hardwood piles and totara timber for the completion of the new wharf at Now Plymouth within a reasonable time is proving a very difficult matter for the Harbour Board. The original coiltractoTH did not delivor the full, quantities within the specified periods, but, as some timber wus still being sent, to cancel tho timber contracts immediately and enforce the penalties was not regarded as wise. The Original contract for the piles was cancelled and the new contractors undertook to give delivery withia two months.