LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18888, 22 December 1924, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The second express which left Auckland for Wellington last evening was an unusually heavy one. In addition to a postal and a luggage van and the ladies' car, it contained two sleepers and three first and twelve second-class ordinary carriages, a total of 20 vehicles. The train was practically full, and a large crowd gathered outside the barrier to witness its departure.

A collision between two motor-cars occurred at the corner of Fairfax Road and Gillies Avenue, Epsom, at about 8.30 p.m. on Saturday, One car, driven by Mr. Buxton, was proceeding along Gillies Avenue toward Newmarket and the other, driven by Mr. Smith, was turning from Fairfax Road into Gillies Avenue. No one was injured, but both cars ■were considerably damaged.

A waterside worker, Mr. John Malley, aged 65, suffered the loss of one finger of his right hand and the fracture another finger as the result of an accident while working on the steamer Mahana at the Queen's Wharf on Saturday afternoon. His hand was crushed between the ship's side and a heavy steel bar which was being swung into position. Mr. Malley, who resides at 6, Sale Street, Freeman's Bay, was admitted to the Auckland Hospital. A youth named William McAulisse, aged 18, residing at 246, Ponsonby Road, fell from a bicycle near his home on Saturday afternoon. He was admitted to the hospital suffering from a fractured arm and facial abrasions. '

A petition in bankruptcy has been.filed by Leonard Edgar Mead, a builder, of Balmoral Road, Mount Eden. A meeting of creditors will be held on January 26.

The Auckland Grammar School cricket team, which scored a decisive win against the Christehurch Boys' High School eleven in the contest for the HeathcoteWilliams Shield in Christehurch last week, returned to Auckland by express yesterday, bringing back the coveted trophy. There have now been 15 shield matches, of which Grammar have won eight and the Christehurch boys seven. The Auckland Plunket Shield team, which is to play Canterbury in Christehurch this week and Otago in Dnnedin next week, will leave for the South by the limited express this evening. Mr. E. C. Beale's touring team, which is to play a series of matches in Canterbury and Otago, will travel by the same train.

The weather at Auckland was unsettled during the week-end, but fine weather prevailed, although the sky was dull and threatening at times. The moderate southwest wind tempered the heat on both days. The unsettled conditions are reflected in the barometer, which has been below normal for over two weeks. During the week-end the readings varied between 29.65 in. and 29.80 in., the latter being the reading last night.

Regarding the demand for telephone connections, Mr. Shrimpton remarked that the new charges had had the effect of increasing the number of applications for connection. In seven years, which included the war period, the number of telephone subscribers was doubled, and if the present demand continued it was likely that the present number of subscribers would be doubled in five years. A little later on in Canterbury it would be difficult to find a farmhouse that was not connected. by telephone.

About 1000 passengers will arrive at Auckland from Australia at the beginning of this week. The Royal Mail steamer Niagara, due early this morning from Sydney, has about 385 passengers for this port, as well as through passengers for Vancouver. The Ulimaroa will arrive from Sydney to-morrow morning with another 320. No passenger steamer will arrive at Auckland from Sydney next week.

The Royal Mail steamer Maunganui, which was due at Wellington from San Francisco this morning, has been delayed, and will not arrive until to-morrow. In consequence her letter mail cannot reach here before Wednesday, while her second-class mail matter will be correspondingly later in coming to hand.

A burly sea cook, employed in the coastal trade, made it clear in the Arbitration Court on Saturday that he did not want to bo associated with the ordinary work of the seamen. In case of emergency he would, he said, lend a hand for the ship's safety, but when asked if he over took the wheel, ho said he did not know anything about it, and didn't wish to know. Asked to draw a comparison between the work in two named vessels, the cook replied : "It's all the same to mo; you've got to work whei-ever you go." This caused Mr. Justice Frazer to drily remark, "so have we."

"We certainly want the roads, but wo cannot afford to pay these prices for them," commented a motorist on Saturday apropos of the new scale of charges adopted by the City Council. "Public men seem to overlook the fact that we motorists pay jjther heavy taxes and rates. It would be something like a fair proposition if the Government Mere to subsidise what we did give."

Thero was a slight increase in the number of applications for work at the Auckland office of the Department of Labour last. week. Applications totalled 119, as compared with 113 for the previous week. Those classed as fit for heavy work numbered 97, and those for light work 22. At the head of the list were labourers with 41 applications, and next came gardeners and handymen with 12, and engineers, fitters and turners with nine. During tho week a total of 48 men, including 37 labourers, were placed in private employment.

A diversion was created in the Magistrate's Court at Hokitika recently whon Chinese witnesses in an assault case ivere being handled by opposing counsel. Tho complainant, who stated that he was 82 years of age, bore with patience his cross-examination by counsel for tho defendant for several minutes, but ultimately ho stepped down from the witness-box with tho exclamation, "You talk too much!" Ho was persuaded by tho Bench again to face cross-examination, but convulsed the Court by protesting volubly at every fresh question asked.

"Do you understand English ?." asked Mr. Wyvorn Wilson, S.M., in tho Christchurch Magistrate's Court, of a Chinese whose faco was quite expressionless. "No," answored tho celestial. "I thought you did," said tho magistrate. "It's a wonder to mo how thcso Chinese pass the languago tost and then say they can't understand. I'm suro this fellow undorstauds all right."