LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18964, 11 March 1925, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The South-bound limited express was delayed 23 minutes at Frankton last evening as the result of a defective waggon containing mails having to be replaced by another van. The train, which was scheduled to leave at, 9.35 o'clock, did not get away until 9.58. The delay should not affect the time of arrival at Wellington. The accidental discharge, of a shotgun at Manurewa yesterday resulted in '.leola Thomas Gibbons, aged 17, sustaining a severely fractured right arm and injuries to his chest. At, the time lie was out shooting with a friend. The youth, who is a son of Mr. Ebenezer Gibbons, of Manurewa, was admitted to the Auckland Hospital, and his condition was reported last, evening as not serious. The City Assessment Court which was originally set down for to-day has now been postponed until next Wednesday, when objections to valuations fixed by the city valuer will be heard. A total of 172 objections was received as compared with 221 for the previous year, but the majority have since been settled, leaving approximately 50 for the Court to determine. " The Argentine Government is taking keen interest in the cheese-making industry," said Mr. W. Reynolds, of the, Argentine, yesterday. "Argentine cheese, which is turned out in various grades and brands, has an excellent market on the Continent, and most ot. it finds its way there." A quantity of canned New Zealand whitebait, is being shipping on the lekoa by the Department of Industries and Commerce, for the New Zealand section at the Wembley Exhibition. r I he whitebait, which was taken from the Waikato River, will no doubt be served at the restaurant at the New Zealand courts. An interesting point cropped up at the meeting of the Mount Roskill Itoad Board last evening, when the chairman, Mr. G. E. Tansley, mentioned be had discovert:! that the Tamaki Road Board was clcirg-ng 2s a yard for all scoria carted from Mount Wellington to St. Heliers Bay. "If it. is possible for one board to make a charge of this kind, it is surely possible for us to do the same," added Mr. lansley, "whereas at present we get nothing for all the damage that is done to our roads by carting scoria. In ad lit ion our charge at the pit is less than half what they pay at Mount Wellington." The legal position is to be investigated. Prize-winners in the Auckland Weekly News twenty-second annual photographic competition arc announced in to-day's issue of the journal. Over five hundred entries were received from amateur and professional photographers in all parts of the Dominion. The amateurs did extremely well, carrying off no fewer than nine out of thirteen prizes offered. Decision to accept nomination for another term of office was announced by tho .Major of Otahuhu, Mr. R. B. Todd, at a special meeting of the Borough Council on Monday. The Mayor said he hoped to witness the completion of the council's improvement work, costing £86,000, before his retirement, A pig hunt took place in the main street of Tiroaru last week. The pig, which had escaped from an auction mart, made its appearance in the slreet followed by a large band of pursuers. Dodging the passing traffic and resting a while underneath a stationary omnibus, the animal defied all attempts made to capture it. At last, attracted seemingly by some irresistible power, the pig made for a butcher's shop, where expert hands quickly succeeded in stopping further fligut and holding the animal pending the owner's arrival. In a speech a't the social tendered to the skipper and crew of the Sanders Cup winner loiia at Dunedin, Mr. W. J, Bardsley, secretary to the Otago Harbour Board, said that the board's employees were considering a proposal to build a 14footer to compete in the local trials toward the end of this year. The employees had intended to build for the last trials, but had left it too late, as when the project had been mooted it was found that the trials o,'ul already commenced. Without riving away any secrets, he would say that tlie pn ject wou.d be carried through this ye.v. " With all this talk about tarred macadam roads, the horse-driven vehicle seems to have been entirely overlooked," said a Napier master carrier last week. There are .-till plenty of horse-driven vehicles in use and it's woe-betide the poor horse if tarred macadam roads become, universal," he continued. " There are many cases on record of how horses have been unable to haul heavy loads over tarred surfaces on wet or frosty days, and a tarred gradient downwards presents a deadly menace to a horse attached to a heavy load, as it has nothing to grip its feet on to check the downward plunge of the heavy load behind it." It is reported that a rich auriferous find has been made by two Nightcaps .sportsmen while on a shooting expedition in the Southland district, The exact locality is not disclosed pending the securing of mineral rights. A sample of the find has been sent to a banking official, who declared it to be fine gold of high quality. taking all things into consideration," said a prominent Mawke's Bay landowner, the hay season for this province has been very good. Since the rough spell at Christmas, when a good deal of bay was spoiled, the conditions for gathering in a good crop have been excellent. Every farm has its complement of stacks made, and already the fields where hay has been are showing a good second crop. 'The earth has been well soaked, and the warm sunshine following has induced so much extra growth that in hay crops where clover is present the yield per acre lias been very considerably increased. It has been a great year for lucerne, and tliis fodder crop i* doing exceptionally well," be concluded. "The strongest competitors we have are unionists, who wort; 44 hours a week. They have so little time at their own trades that they can llood the market with bedding plants and compete with the nurserymen.'' That was an arument advanced by Mr. R. Nairn at a concilia tion council meeting in Chi istehurch against a suggested •14-hour week for gardeners. Open-air spaces are still increasing in Christ chin"eh, in spile of the city's already plentiful equipment. A new arid worthy addition in th>' near future will j If! St. .fames' Park at Papamii. The. I new pail; has an area of seven acres, and ' will be lilted up with facilities for foot- I ball and ciickct --possibly tounis as well, I