LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18814, 15 September 1924, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Auckland Rugby enthusiasts will be ~ pleased to learn that the Mount Albert y Grammar School's challenge for the e Moascar Cup has been accepted by New i Plymouth High School, tho holders of :1 the trophy, and the match will be played a at New Plymouth on Saturday, September s- 27. If the Grammar School fifteen, who t- are the Auckland secondary schools cham--3 pions, can reproduce their best form. b. their prospects of winning the cup are t- very bright. An unusually heavy Main Trunk exJ press left for Wellington last evening. The train was late in leaving on account of one of tho Westinghouso air-brake pipes . developing a defect just as the train was , du.c to leave, and about 10 minutes were , occupied before this was remedied. The train was made up of 14 passenger cars, I three sleepers, and the usual postal and guards' vans. It was estimated that „ about 550 passengers travelled'. These 0 included a number of golfers and the Cana terbury Association football team. The members of tho Auckland team accorded the footballers a hearty send-off. The fine weather which had prevailed 0 at Auckland since Tuesday continued 0 over tho week-end, when there was a - moderate breeze from the south-west; Tho s sky was diill anc? overcast . afternoon and evening, but no rain fell. - The barometer has been high since Thurs- . day, with the reading practically steady - at 30.30 in. The best bloom at the Hamilton Hortir cultural Spring Show was, in the opinion ' of the judge, a beantiful bi-colour daf- * fodil exhibited by Mrs. Selwyn Upton, of Remuera. The bloom was of immense size, cream and light yellow in colour. s The eighth anniversary of tho opening r of the battle of Flers, where the New Zea--3 land troops made their first dramatic y entry into the battle of the Sommo, falls i to-day. Tho New Zealand Division moved 3 out of the trenches against the village of . Flers at dawn on September 15, 1916, and f six hours later they wero reported by an 3 aviator to be cheering in tho high street ) of tho village, behind a tank. Every ob--1 jective was gained, and held in spito of . furious counter-attacks. On tho second - day, September 16, the New Zealanders 3 again pushed gallantly on and captured and held other German trenches, and were ready to advance oven further, but the general situation in the immediate vicinity did not permit this. i The former Gisborne resident, Mr. i Hughes, who missed his passage on the i Now Zealand Shipping Company's steamer , Ruahinc, which sailed from Auckland for , London last Wednesday, is to leave Wellington for England by the company's ' steamer Tokoa on Wednesday. Mr. 1 Hughes was to have travelled with his wife and baby on the Rualiine, but, believing that the vessel would not leave for some hours, came on shore on business, the vessel sailing in his absence with his wife and child aboard. Applications for employment received by the Department of Labour in Auckland last week showed an increase of six upon those for tho previous week. The i total was 179, of whom 40 were classed as fit for light work only. Labourers as usual predominated with 63 applicants, the next being motor drivers and seamen and firemen, 17 applicants, with 12 oooks and hotel workers, and 12 engineers, fitters and turners. During the week 26 men were placed in employment. Eight labourers were engaged by the Public Works Department, and 8 labourers, 4 farm hands, 2 carpenters, 2 gardeners, 1 bushman, and 1 handy man were placed in private employment. The conservator of' inland fisheries, Mr. F. Moorhouse, and his staff are busy at present sending trout fry from the Rotorua hatchery to various places. The following have been despatched:—Tauranga, 70,000; Waimarino, 50,000; Opotiki, 30.000. Those to be delivered are:— Auckland Society, 500,000; Tauranga, 30,000; Tourist Department, 100,000; Tongariro National Park, 200,000. Another stage in the development of the Northern Wairoa district should be reached at tho end of tho year, when, it is hoped, the ferro-concreto bridge over tho Northern Wairoa River at Dargaville will be completed. Tho last 12 piles to be sunk are now at Helensville, and should be at the bridge by Wednesday. Work has been in progress for nearly three years, but all being well the undertaking will be finished by Christmas. Tho bridge will bo 1500 ft. in length, with a double leaf lifting span, totalling 60ft., to allow for the passage of steamers. The difficulty of obtaining men for the auxiliary fire brigade staff in Christchurch is referred to in the report received by the Fire Board from its superintendent, Mr. C. -Warner. "Tho permanent staff has been kept ap to its full authorised strength, but it is regretted that more suitable men cannot be obtained for the auxiliary staff," says Mr. Warner. "This is attributed to the fact that single young men, with the ever-increasing picture .theatres, jazz halls, and other places of amusement, do not care to bo tied down to night duty, or any other form of discipline whatever. It has therefore been decided to increase the staff by three more permanent firemen." For many years the two tall destructor chimney stacks near Clydo Quay have been prominent landmarks in Wellington. ' These two 120 ft. high stacks stood out above any other structure in the vicinity when viewed from the harbour or from vantage points in the Hutt district, and some of the mariners entering port used ! them by getting both stacks in a line before they turned to mako the sweep up to the wharf. The older stack of the two is now being demolished. "In view of tho high prices at [ which most dairy farmers purchased their land, they must muko every post a winning post, and the export of pigs ( will place them on a sounder basis," declared Mr. T. Bloor at a meeting of the i South Island branch of tho New Zealand ] Pig Breeders' Association, held at Christchurch last week. Mr. Bloor emphasised the necessity of men with cows on dear land paying attention to the raising of pigs. Two firms in England had stated they were prepared to take 30,000 pigs ' annually from New Zealand, and if the price were 5d or 6d a lb., it would mean. r about £100,000 a year to the Dominion. A number of New Zealand bittern, so seldom seen nowadays, have been noticed a few miles out of Wellington. They are thought to be making preparations j for nesting. The district i.s not men- f tionod. says a Wellington paper, as there r are .collectors who would take fairly big r risks to secure spocimeus of any raro t bird&j i