LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18965, 12 March 1925, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

There was slight variation in the quotations for beef at, the West field fat stock sales yesterday. Extra choice ox remained firm at, last, week's price of 33s per 1001b- Prime young cow and heifer beef ranged from 25s to 50s. Sheep were penned in large numbers, and prices showed an easing tendency. Heavy prime wethers realised £1 19s 3d to £2 Is sd. Lambs were in average supply, heavy prime selling at from £1 .12s to £i. 14s 6d. Pigs continued firm at from £2 17s Gd to £5 for choppers, and up to £3 lis for baeoncrs. The number of applications for enrolment in the Auckland electoral district up to March 6 totalled 92.465, or 1548 in excess of the total of 90.917 on the main and supplementary rolls for 1922, less a number of erasures. The figures for the present, roll will be further increased when a supplementary roll is opened some time before the general election. Some electors are under a misapprehension regarding residential qualifications. They cannot be fined for failing to register unless they have completed three, months' residence in the particular electorate. The silent policeman, sometimes known as the "poached egg," placed in the centre of Upper Queen Street, near the Town Hall, was designated by a member of the council of the Auckland Automobile Association last evening as "an in. vitation to disaster." Its position was such, ho stated, that it was impossible to take a natural and easy curve into the intersecting streets, as its purpose was apparently intended. It, was decided to ask for the removal of the device, and the shifting of a similar one at the top of Symonds Street to a point nearer Khyber Pass Road. Several excellent booklets dealing with the scenic attractions oi New Zealand have iecently been issued by various organisations, the latest coming from the Union Steam Ship Company. This attractive. production is addressed chiefly to the tourist. What New Zealand has to offer is well presented in the letterpress and pielorially, while the industrial and sporting possibilities are given brief treatment. The booklet opens with a short historical sketch, and generally is just, .such a manual as should appeal to the prospective visitor to these shores. the ignition of a macrocarpa hedge on a property at 12, Victoria Avenue, Rermiera, led to calls being received by the Remuera and Parnell fire brigades yesterday afternoon. The outbreak was quickly suppressed. the provision of a night parking place for motor-cars near the Civic Square was mooted at last evening's meeting of the council of the Auckland Automobile Association. After some discussion, during which one of the members considered the suggestion was unreasonable, it was resolved to ask the City Council to allow the parking of cars at night near the Civic Square, on the west side of Queen Street, from Wellesley Street to tho intersection of Grey Street. An additional request will be to permit the night parking of cars in Shortland Street, from a point abovo tho intersection with High Street. Californian quail are now plentiful on tho Waitakcre ranges. A party proceeding to Te Henga recently saw many young birds, and they are surprisingly tame. Game should be plentiful, and somo good shooting should be had during the season. 'I he question of renewing the decking of the Khyber Pass overbridge was discussed at. a meeting of the Newmarket Borough Council last evening. A letter was received from the Railway Department, intimating that it, is proposed to vary out, the work during the ensuing year, and requesting the council to make provision in the estimates for its portion of the cost. Jhe council's share, onoIbird of the whole, was set, down at, £127 10s. Members expressed the opinion that this amount was far too high, and it was decided to inform the department that the matter would be considered when the estimates were framed. In the meantime the City Council and the department would bo consulted ' regarding the exact work to lie done. The law is a hard taskmaster. A defendant in a by-law case heard at the Wanganui Magistrate's Court last Monday was served with the summons late, on Saturday evening last at Waverley. In order to meet the demands of his country, the defendant, had to leave his home at 3 a.m. to' answu tho stentorian call of his name at 10 o'clock at the Court. The value of good roads is being rapidly recognised, but it is .still left mainly to the ratepayers to meet the expense connected with their upkeep. The Raglan County < ouncil, however, has just enjoyed tho nrnisual experience of receiving a donation of 15 to its funds from a user of the roads who is not a ratepayer. Tourists from Pi pi ri k i who arrived in Wanganui last, Monday reported that, the Pipiriki Wharf has been, during the previous two days, covered by 4ft, of water. This is explained by the fact that the inland country adjacent to Pipiriki has experienced very heavy rains of late. Advice has boon received by the Kawarau Gold Mining Company that tiie parts of the sluice gates to be built into the concrete piers of tho Kawarau darn will arrive in Dtinedin tomorrow. The parts will be immediately despatched to the dam site, and the work will be put in hand. There are still two shipments to tome, one of which will leave England next week and the following a short time later. The first shipment to leave England will consist of five of the 10 sluice gates, and the second shipment will consist of the remaining five gates and all accessories. One of Wanganui's new but little-known industries relates to; "squabs." These are pigeons of a particular breed, which, when fattened in the young stage, are regarded as admirable for such tasty things as pigeon pie. It is safd the "squabs" are worth 5s a pair, and that tho demand is good, several mom bora of the medical fraternity being particularly keen cm tho dainty. Rut for the fact, that he was of a hefty build and no light-weight, if is quite probable that much more severe injuries would have occurred to an employee at the Napier railway workshops, whose clothing was caught in a whirling lathe on Saturday bust. lie was passing the lathe when his clothing fouled the machinery, but, his weight prevented him from being drawn into the moving wheels and cogs. The man's clothing carried away under the strain, and lie was thus saved from what would undoubtedly have been a serious mishap. He, was severely shaken, and badly bruised round about the shoulders.