LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18942, 13 February 1925, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

A painful accident betel Mr. Edmund Sou tar, of 22, Logan Terrace, Parnell, at the corner of Takutai Street and Lichfield Road, yesterday afternoon. He Was cycling down Takutai Street, carrying several articles, when his bicycle skidded and he was thrown across the pavement into a fence. He received severe facial abrasions, but his first remark when he recovered was, " Is the gramophone record broken?" It was not, but it was discovered after he had been conveyed to his horno that his ann was broken in three places. There is little change in the condition of Mr. Joseph Salmon, who sustained a fractured skull through falling down a bank at the foot of Jervois Road, Herue Bay, on Wednesday evening. In addition to fracture of the skull, ho is reported to be suffering from severe injuries to the left eye. The postponement of the opening of schools has given teachers an unexpectedly long term of leave, but their prolonged holiday will shortly give place to a week's work. In accordance with instructions from the Education Department, the Auckland Education Board has arranged for refresher courses for teachers to bo held during the week, beginning February 23, at Auckland, Hamilton, Paeroa, and Whangarci. The courses will be conducted by inspectors, all teachers within a radius of 60 miles being required to attend at one centre. The department will defray the cost of railway fares for distances not exceeding 60 miles, but no other expenses will be paid. A peculiar accident befell a young man, Mr. Cyril Charles Palmer, aged 24, of 75, Williamson Avenue, Grey Lynn, in a city motor garage yesterday afternoon. On going to get his car he commenced to pump up one of the tyres, wlien suddenly the band used for holding the detachable rim in place flew up and struck him in the face. Apparently the band was not properly fastened. The injured man was taken to the hospital, where ho was found to bo suffering from a broken bone in the nose. The selection of the silo for the proposed Grammar School at the North Shore is to be left largely to the Auckland Grammar School Board. The Minister for Education, Sir James Parr, stated yesterday that ho was anxious to give all the North Shore suburbs a secondary school on a suitably central site, but ho would look to tho Grammar School Board to guide him as to tho ultimate 1. nation of the school. A central department could not be expected to be as fully acquainted with local desires and circumstances as the board and the school committees, .An unusual request was received at yesterday's meeting of the Waikato Hospital Board, a To Kuiti medical practitioner asking for payment of» an account due to him by a woman residing in the board's area. It was stated by a member that if tho board was to pay fees on account of its defaulting ratepayers and due to private practitioners there would bo little left for the upkeep of the main hospital. The request was declined. Live shell practice was carried out from North Head between the hours of 2 and 5 yesterday afternoon. Similar practice will take place during the same hours this afternoon. That misfortunes never come singly was brought home to a Timaru resident during the week-end. While motoring near tho Upper Pareora bridge, he was unlucky enough to have his car severely damaged by fire, and as it was insured ho left it on the road to enable the insurance agents to examine it on the spot. Upon their arrival tho first thing next morning, it was discovered that some person, or persons, had preceded them, and completed the loss by removing the magneto, generator, and spare wheel, practically the only articles of value left by tho flames. Two narrow escapes by bathers were reported at the week-end, writes the Greymouth correspondent of the Christcliurch Press. Mr. William Stubbs, a well-known commercial traveller, was surfing at Blaketown, and stepped into a deep cut which had apparently been washed out during the past few days. His companions saw him sink three times, but were not aware that ho was in difficulties or unable to swim. Mr. T. McKay saw Mr. Stubbs' plight, and rushed to his assistance, bringing him to the shore in an exhausted condition. A girl named Margaret O'Donnell stepped into a hole while bathing in the Cobdeu Lagoon. Fortu nately her companions saw she was in difficulties, and Nurse Malgoney, of tho Grey River Hospital, went to ' her assistance. With hor aid and that of Mr. J, Kilgour, tho bather was brought ashoro, where resort had to be made to restorative measures to bring her to consciousness. Two ladies who were bathing at Lyall Bay, Wellington, wcro observed to be in difficulties, and two members of the Lyall Bay Surf Club, who happened to be in the vicinity, went out and brought them in little the worse, though they would have had difficulty unaided. One had got into difficulties, and the other went to her assistance. Neither fortunately required medical attention. The Auckland Returned Soldiers' Association decided last evening to order 20,000 small and 3500 largo poppies for distribution on Poppy Day, in April. The following committee was appointed to make arrangements for tho day:—Messrs. E. W. Inde^(president), S. Reid, A. Carr, and the secretary, Tho allocation of proceeds from the sale of the poppies is to be decided at the next meeting. A Wanganui draper remarked last week that tho iufantilo paralysis epidemic was affecting business considerably. Parents with young children, ho explained, wcro refraining from visiting the city for tho purpose of doing their shopping, as it meant either taking their children about with thorn or leaving them, unattended at home. A resident of Aramoho is the possessor of a hen, which, ho claims, has established a record so far as chick raising is concerned. Tho bird, which is of the White Rock strain, brought out sittings of eggs in September and November, much to tho satisfaction of its owner. However, imagino the surprise 6f the latter when ho returned from his Christmas holidays and discovered that the hen had deserted its feathered friends, and was sitting on twelvo eggs that it had laid in a neighbour's backyard. He did not disturb her, and the result was that recently his flock of birds was augmented to the extent of eleven—making the third batch of chickens to be raised by the hen in tho course of five months,.