LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18994, 16 April 1925, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Tho first frosts of tho year -were experienced in Paeroa on Monday and Tuesday mornings. On both days tho ground was snow-white, and the effect of tho snap is now evident on the uncut paddocks of niai/.o and oilier crops which aro non-frost resisting.

Railway traffic returned to normal yesterday. The 1 p.m. and 8.40 p.m. expresses to Wellington were dispensed with, and tho limited express and tho 7.45 p.m. train, were adequate to meet tho demand.

A special meeting of tho City Council was held last evening for tho purpose of considering a consolidation of the by-laws. Tho main book of by-laws now in existence was compiled in 1917, but sinco that timo there have been many additions and aniendemnts, which have been printed in supplementary form. For some months the council's legal staff has been engaged on the task of incorporating the additions and the draft was submitted for the consideration of the council last evening. Considerable progress was made with tho huge task, and several questions requiring further attention were referred to a special committee for consideration and report to a later meeting of the council.

Although the weather was fine in Auckland yesterday thcro was a fall in tho barometer of nearly half an inch. Tho glass had been very high for some days, and on Tuesday at ternoon it registered 30.45 in. There has been a steady fall sinco then, and last night the reading was 29.90 in.

Tho blooming of the Christmas flower in mid-April is a somewhat unusual spectacle in Auckland, but it may be seen at the present time at St. Heliers Bay, where, in a sheltered little cove just beyond the beach, a pohutukawa is flaunting its crimson blooiq. This tree is evidently making the most of summer's brightness and warmth, for it bloomed early last November, and has now put forth its second crop of blossoms. The long-continued spell of warm, sunny weather has also greatly extended tho period of blooming of the rata, which readies its full beauty about the end of January, but which is still in bloom in certain parts of tho Waitakerc ranges and other tracts of native bush near Auckland.

A University student, Mr. Norman McDonald, sustained slight concussion as tho result of a fall from his bicycle in Symonds Street bust evening. The front forks of his machine collapsed. After receiving treatment from Dr. Horsley, Mr. McDonald was removed to tho Auckland Hospital.

Tho Northern Steamship Company, which for the past 15 or 20 years has been running its river steamers from Auckland to tho Puke Wharf, at Paeroa, has now transferred to the new wharf owned by tho Public Works Department at Ngahinga, about 200 yds. further down stream. The removal to the new wharf, for which the Paeroa Borough Council has appointed a wharfinger, will save the steamers having to pass tho Netherton Bridge, which has an opening span and which is very difficult to negotiate when the river is high.

Between midnight and 1 a.m. on Saturday the safe of tho Patumahoo Hotel was opened and £47 10s in money and jewellery valued at £35 was stolen. The safe was in tho bar. The door leading from tho bar on to the road was found ajar after the burglary had been discovered, while a window was also left open.

" I consider it an act of desecration," said Mr. Little at the meeting of the Devonport Borough Council last evening when authority was given to the resident engineer to remove tho trees growing in tho streets now under reconstruction. Several fine specimens of native trees have reached a stage of growth whereby they afford shade and add to the beauty of the borough, and it was against their removal that the remarks were directed. .

A hair-raising experience of two motorists on a 12ft. wide bridge on the Skeet Road, near Glenn Road, was mentioned at a recent meeting of the Waimato West County, Taranaki. Motoring at a fair pace irt opposite directions, the two met face to face across the narrow bridge. One afterwards said he did not know whether to closo his eyes and meet a head-on collision or to try to get past, lor both were going much too fast tu stop. In ;t /lash it was all over and both had negotiated tho bridge in safety. The total width of the bridge was 12ft. and that of tho two cars lift.

Certificates of naturalisation have recently been granted to 13 persons representing 10 different nationalities, according to a notice in the Gazette. The countries of birth of the persons affected are Dalmatia (2), America, Finland, Austria, Norway, Denmark, Sweden (2), Poland. Germany (2), and United States.

A swordfish was sighted near the Pigeons on tho south-west side of tho Great Barrier by a launch party lust, Saturday. Tho party comprised : Messrs. S. A. Carr,

A. Howdon, and J. P. O'Connor, and at the time they were fishing for lcawhai in the launch Odin. The swordfish was playing about in the school of hawhai and leapt from tho water on two or three occasions. The party followed it for thirty minutes and then lost sight of it.

While strolling across the estuary near Sumner on Good Friday Mr. P. Trolove saw what appeared to be a piece of a beer bnlile projecting. Something, he says, prompted him to stop, and a scrape with his foot revealed a Maori greenstone ad/.e, twelve inches long. A competent judge states that (he ad/.e is one. of the finest specimens of Maori craftsmanship he has seen. Mr. Trolove intends to present the ad/.e to the Christchurch Museum.

The Christchurch Tourist Office has reported that the bookings for the Easter holidays have been in excess of thoso of last year, which, however, were rather smaller than usual owing to the inconvenience of the railway strike. While bookings were being made for all tho resorts, Mount Cook was receiving the most attention, the reduction in the motor transport, fares inducing many people to visit, that resort.

A question as to whether there was any risk of railway services being discontinued on the branch line to Waiuku was asked by a settler at a meeting held in Pukek'ihe last evening to discuss railway matters with .Mr. Welsh, business agent for the department. Mr. Welsh replied:

"My dear man, business mi tho Waiuku railway this year is four times greater than it was last year."