LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19031, 30 May 1925, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Over 400 passengers, a largo number of whom were immigrants, arrived in Wellington yesterday morning by tho Rotorua. Those en route for Auckland left by the ordinary express, and will reach hero early this morning. The prompt arrival of the City I'ire Brigade prevented an outbreak of firo in a two-storey wooden building in Wellington Street from causing serious damage about noon yesterday. The brigade, by means of chemicals, confined the blaze lo one corner of the building, which is occupied by Mr. L. Williams, cabinetmaker, and tho flooring and walls were charred. The building and contents are insured in the Commercial Union office for £ISOO. An intimation has been received that delegates from the management of the Iloyal Show will arrive in Auckland next month to inspect the showgrounds of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association. So far 78 entries have been received for the world's butter championship to be competed for at the Auckland Winter Exhibition to bo opened on August 20. The latest arc 10 entries from Ireland, cabled by tho High Commissioner for New Zealand, another from Alberta, Canada, and another from Minnesota, United States. The Irish exhibits will be shipped by the Remuera. A number of Australian exhibits arrived by tho Maunganui and are being kept in cold, storage in Auckland. Ministers of the Crown are really not Ministers at all just now, but arc only " carrying on" as if they were, according to a remark by Sir Maui Pomaro at the opening of the hospital nurses' homo yesterday. His resignation, he said, had gone in a few days ago. The new Prime Minister must have a free hand in choosing his Cabinet, and his late colleagues were ready to serve under lfini with equal loyalty as Cabinet ministers or private members. An inspection tour of the waterfront works now in progress was made yesterday by tho members of the Auckland Harbour Board, who travelled in the launch Waitemata. The' slipway at St. Mary's Point, the operations for tho lifting of the debris of the collapsed portion of the Western Wharf, tho Calliope Dock, tho dredging at tho eastern reclamation, and the Prince's Wharf works were in turn visited, and various points of interest in the progress made were noted. Twenty-three trucks of fat bullocks were despatched from Rotorua to West field this week. The trucks contained over 200 head. "A Court without a Bible!" was the way Mr. Justice Frazcr described the Arbitration Court in Christchurch on Wednesday morning, when it was found that tho customary volume for tho swearing of witnesses was missing. " I suppose nobody has got a copy in his pocket. A Court without a copy of the Scriptures is a bad state of affairs," remarked His Honor. "We have sent out to borrow one from another Court." " Apparently," said Mr. van Asch, " this is a Court where there is no lying." " I hope so," said His Honor. The witness was permitted to proceed with his evidence, His Honor stating that it could be sworn to afterwards. A largo number of Napier businessman mot last week for tho purpose of deciding whether or not another Shopping Week should be held in Napier this year. After some discussion, in which it was pointed out that such functions in tho past had been attended with great success, it was decided to hold Napier's fourth Shopping Week at the end of August. The question of deciding on some name other than "Shopping Week" was left to a committee. It is stated by the. Rotorua Chronicle that vague and very unsatisfactory rumours are abroad with respect to wholesale poaching of game and fish. "It has been stated that netting is carried on in the lakes," says tho paper, "and that traffic in fish is taking place on a largo scale." " I have been twenty years at the Bar and I have been looking for the wicked policeman, but have never found him," said Mr. Justice Alpers in tho New Plymouth Supreme Court, when dealing with a suggestion by an accused that the action of a constable had been improper. "The wicked policeman exists only on the films; anyway, he does not exist in New Zealand," His Honor added. A fine sample of green peas, nine peas in a pod, was picked in Nelson last Monday by Mr. J. if. Bird. It was taken from a row planted in February last. Tho row is still in flower, and will go on producing for some time. A Maori debtor under cross-examination at tho Napier Magistrate's Court the other day said that he could not afford to pay his debts because he had no money. "Have you tried to got- any money?" queried a persistent counsel. " Oh, yes," drawled Hori, " 1 wrote to my solicitor and asked him to advance mo some money." " And what did your legal advisor say to that?" asked counsel. " Advised me to got another solicitor," was tho prompt reply. When tho question of tho scarcity of grounds for football was being discussed at a meeting in Wanganui an enthusiastic member asked if the union, had over considered the possibility of electrically lighting a ground and playing some matches during week-nights! Another member remarked that ho had seen football played at night with a white ball in Queensland, and it was a decided failure.