LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18763, 17 July 1924, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Prices for beef at the Westfield fat stock sales yesterday were slightly lower than those at the previous week's sale.. Extra £ioice ox realised £1 8s per 1001b., other grades from 18s to £1 7s, according to quality. Sheep values also dropped slightly. Prime wethers realised from £1 17s to £2 3s 3d, ewes 21s to £1 14s 6d, hoggets up to £1 lis. Pigs, especially porkers, showed an improvement on last

week's prices. Bacon pigs and choppers brought from £3 6s to £4 lis.,,

The weather at Auckland yesterday was dull and threatening, with a freshening breeze from the north-east and occasional rain showers. The barometer, which had been practically steady at 30.45 in. on Monday, began to fall steadily after noon on Tuesday and last night the reading was SO.lOin.

The mention of St. Anne's Bridge, near Otahuhu, at a meeting of ratepayers held at Mount Wellington last evening, brought .an int-eresting comment from one of those present. He humorously stated that he did not know that Anne had been canonised. She was only an old lady who used to live in one of the caves in the locality.

The adoption of a uniform method of construction and of subsequent control has been suggested by the Main Highways Board to the Great South Road Association, which has taken up the matter of having that section of the southern highway between Otahuhu and Franklin boundary paved with a permanent surface. The chairman of the association, the Rev. W. C. Wood, has communicated with the local bodies concerned, including the Manukau County Council, suggesting that a conference be immediately called, with the object of taking advantage of the Highways Board's recommendation.

The proposed reduction of classes of over 60, and consequent extensions to school buildings, were dealt with in a memorandum received yesterday by the Auckland Education Board from the department, with a request that the board deal at once with cases on the most urgent list. The communication was .received with satisfaction by the board, it being decided that recommendation be made to the department that classes should be limited to 45. The senior inspector and architect were authorised to deal with the matter.

A curious coincidence, not pleasant for those directly concerned, has taken place in connection with the New Plymouth Harbour Board's dredge, states the Taranaki Herald. The chief engineer was laid aside by illness recently. Before he was able to resume duty, the second engineer also became ill, with the same complaint —appendicitis.

The warning bp lis afc'the railway crossings, in the opinion of a Wangamii motorist, are unwisly situated, being only a few yards from tlw rails. Consequently, he says, one was almost upon the line when he heard the bells proclaiming danger. He suggests that these alarms should be situated two or three chains from the rails in order to give motorists sufficient warning of impending danger; so that they might be able to pull up and avert the possibility of an accident. "He contends that if this were done railway accidents would be reduced to a minimum.

"Where there is smoke there is /fire," is an old saying that rings true, as a Wanganui resident discovered the' other day as he was cycling leisurely home froim work. He was proceeding steadily clown the main street, relates the Chronicle, when a pedestrian drew his attention to the fact that smoke was issuing from his clothing. He hurriedly dismounted and, unbuttoning his coat, found that his shirt was burning merrily. He quickly extinguished the fire, the cause of which he attributed to a spark from his pipe.

The Dunedin Boy Scouts have already started to prepare for a great "jamboree" daring the exhibition. Funds will be wanted for the purpose and the boys have a scheme for raising the money, not by begging or using influence, but by downright hard work. The idea is that each boy shall set out with a book of coupons £hat are saleable at small prices, and that each coupon shall be honoured by so much work—cleaning windows, blacking boots, minding the baby, running an errand, and so on. The principle is to work for whatever is given.

For the past three years the coalmine at Chamberlain, in the Albury district, South Canterbury, has been burning furiously. In the daytime dense volumes of smoke may bo seen rising from the ground, and at night flames are to be seen at intervals as the fire burns away the coal in its slow career along the underground workings. The earth,, formerly supported by the coal, has caved in, and huge craters are forming in the paddocks above the mine.

Wattle figures prominently in many Wanganui gardens at present, and in some homes it is used extensively for floral decoration. But there are some of a superstitious mind, who would not have the golden blossom in their homes lest they be visited by misfortune. What have the wattles done to deserve this ? asks the Wanganui Herald.

Word has been received by Mr. H. S. Cottrell, of Napier, from England, that a Maori carving design originated by him has been accepted for reproduction on chinaware. Samples will shortly be on display at the Empire Exhibition.

Two jars of raspberry jam from berries grown during the winter have been exhibited in Blenheim. Raspberries seem to have flourished in more than one locality in Marlborough during the mild winter.

The collection at a recent communitv singing gathering in Dunedin amounted to £10 3s lOd, made up of four florins, 17 shillings, 120 sixpences, 300 threepences and 526 pennies. The greater part of the attendance comprised workers who attended during their lunch hour.

"It is unfair to ask employees to return to work after an exciting football match," stated Mr. H. Croucher at a meeting of the Palmerston North Retailers' Association, when members were discussing the proposal to close for the All Blacks' match. "Will they be too excited to serve'! asked the chairman. The meeting thought not, and decided to bring the employees back.

The foundation of a huge steel switching tower which is to be erected at the Buunythorpe power sub-station, and which will be 180 ft! high when completed, has been laid. It is expected that the tower will take two or three months to construct.