LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18890, 12 December 1924, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The holidays to be observed at the Auckland Libraries and Art Gallery during the Christmas and New Year period were fixed by the City Council last evening. It was decided that the main library close on December 25 and 26, and on January 1 and 2. The lending department and the branch libraries will also close on these dates as well as on December 27 and January 3, while the Art Gallery will close on Christmas Day only.

To be stuck in the mud in the back blocks is quite a common occurrence, but people hardly expect that experience in Auckland, within a few yards of a concrete highway. This occurred, however, on Wednesday evening, when several motorists attempted to negotiate Campbell Road, Onehunga, where road works have been in progress for about a week. Practically tho whole surface has been taken off, preparatory to forming it with bitumen on a new grade, and after the heavy rain during tho day a canoe would have been a safer conveyance than a motor-car. Little sympathy was felt for the motorists, seeing that tho road was closed, and that they actually had to dodge round a notice to that effect, but many hands made light work, and they were all extricated.

No cases of infantile paralysis are reported in Auckland. The health authorities are watching the position, lest tho present outbreak at Wellington should spread to Auckland.

Improvements to the Stanley Bay ferry service were sought by a deputation from the Stanloy Bay Ratepayers' Association, which waited on representatives of the Devonjwrt Ferry Company yesterday. Three additional trips were asked for. On behalf of the company, the Hon. E. W. Alison promised that an additional trip at 11.25 p.m. from Auckland should be granted, while the others would be carefully considered.

A recent remark by the Prime Minister that the exchange position was aggravated by the Dominion having to pay £1,000,000 for Australian wheat was taken up by the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Tourist League. It wrote to Mr. Massey, that, at the Tourist Bureau's estimate of average tourist expenditure, which is £100 a head, it would require only 10.000 Australian visitors to .square the balance-sheet. It was suggested that a campaign be instituted at once, with a view to attracting Australians to the Dominion from the end of January to April when the resorts are not so crowded by local holidaymakers. An acknowledgment from Mr. Massoy has been received, stating the project has been placed before the Minister in charge of the Tourist Department for his consideration.

Two members of the Wanganui police force, who recently proceeded ,to Mangamahu to recover human remains found on a bank of the Wangaehu River, had an arduous task. They had to strip and wade waist-deep across a ford in the river, the undertaking being a difficult one on account of a strong current and many snags. The return journey with their burden was even more difficult. The remains were found at a place that was regarded as almost inaccessible.

Different methods of remedying a defect revealed themselves somewhat humor ously at a recent meeting of the Riccarton Borough Council. Finding that, as a result of the use of the council's mower, grass 1 had fallen-into some of the street channels and blocked the gratings, one councillor made complaint'on the subject. "Oh, that ies so," dryly remarked another member, "but it sometimes happens that people who live near the blocked gratings clear the grass away!"

The Timaru Borough Council has met a long-felt want by attaching a go-cart carrier to one of its buses. It is understood that this is an experiment, and that, if satisfactory, a similar attachment will be put on each of the council's singledecked buses.

A statement with reference to the policy of the Government in regard to the payment of rates on Crown lands was made by the Minister for Lands, the Hon. A. D. McLeod, in reply to a deputation at Clyde, Otago, last Saturday. The deputation had referred to the way in which county councils were affected financially by the non-payment of rates on areas held by the Crown, and had asked the Minister to use his influence in securing assistance to provide for road maintenance. Mr. McLeod stated that when he took office as Minister for Lands he made up his mind that in cases where the Government was farming its own lands on a commercial basis it should be responsible for the payment of rates. He added that he would not go so far as to recognise such a liability with respect to Crown lands in general. That wouM open up too wide a field, and would establish a very dangerous precedent.

" New Zealand is not well known to Londoners,' declared Mr., C. A. Wilkinson, of Eltham, in an address on a recent trip to England. "Apparently New Zoaland is not known to the average Londoner," he said. " We, in New Zealand, have the idea that we are well known, but that is not so. Only about two In every hundred Londoners knew about New Zealand, and if you asked them what it did in the war they would not know." When dairy produce matters were being discussed at a recent meeting of the Carterton branch of the Farmers' Union, Mr. H. W. Kempton remarked that he considered individual farmers could assist materially in improving the quality by exorcising cleanliness in their sheds and care in the transit of milk to the factory. He related that he noticed a lorry load of cheese passing along the road recently almost completely envoloped in dust. Ho considered these loads should have some cover. "If we don't do our bit this end," said Mr. Kempton, " how can we expect to placo a first-class article on the London market?''

When a county council receives a request from a back-blocks settler it is usually in regard to either a road or a bridge. That there are exceptions was proved at a meeting of the Waitotara County Council this week, when a settler made a request for a boat. It was explained that he paid £80 a year in rates, was beyond reach of any public road and that a ioat was necessary for crossing the Wanganui River at Koriniti, the past arrangement of seeking the loan of a canoe being by no means satisfactory. The council voted £10 toward the cost of a boat.

The people of Waikokopu aro very anxious for someone to take away the schooner War Lord, which, stranded well up on the foreshore at that place, is becoming an eyesore to the inhabitants. It is said that the vessel, although firmly beached, is quite undamaged. x