LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19092, 10 August 1925, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

An unusually large crowd assembled at the railway station last evening in order to bid farewell to two visiting Association football teams from Wellington, one of which carried with it tho Brown Shield, the representative trophy of tho Association football code, and a Canterbury junior hockey team, Tho 50 platform passes allowed for each train wore sold long before the times of departure of the two expresses, and farewell songs and cheers reached the ears of pedestrians as far &way as Queen Street.

The weather at Auckland during the week-end was very changeable and unsettled. Tho wind blew freshly from the south-west and the conditions were noticeably cold. Intervals of fino weather were followed by heavy rain showers. The rainfall for tho 48 hours ending midnight as registered by tho Herald gaugo was .32in. Tho barometer is very unsteady. There was a slight rise since Friday night and last night tho reading was 29.80 in.

Tho Port of Auckland will bo exceptionally busy this woek with merchant ships as well as warships. Besides tho West Islip, which arrived from San Francisco on Friday, threo overseas vessels, the Hartfield, from Texas; the Canadian Miller, from Australia; and tho Remuera, from Tokomaru Bay, arrived yesterday. Another four, tho Tofua from Fiji, tho Turakina from London, the Atholl from Bunbury, and tho Waitemata from Newcastle, will arrive to-day. Tho Turakina will unload explosives at tho Motuihi anchorage and afterwards come into port. To-morrow the Canadian Britisher will arrivo from Montreal and on Wednesday tho Ruapehu, Wanaka and Kaituna will be duo from South. Later in the week tho Hollinsido will bo due from Bunbury, via Southern ports, tho Tugela from Antwerp, via Southern ports and tho Permorvah from Seychelle Islands, via Southern ports. Next Sunday tho Aorangi will arrive from Vancouver and about the samo date the Cowden Law is expected from Texas. Tho annual tournament between tho Auckland and Wellington Training Colleges will commenco to-day. The Wellington representatives arrived yesterday and, after breakfast and addresses of welcome at the college, they were allotted their billets. To-day's programme will include athletics at tho Domain and tennis at tho Birkenhead and Nortbcote courts. A concert and play has been arranged for this evening.

Pleasant memories of his yachting experiences in Auckland and of the annual prize-giving night of tho Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron evidently linger with Lord Jellicoo. A cable message sent by him from Ventnor, Isle of Wight, to Mr. A. E. Gifford, commodore of the squadron, was received too late to be read at tho annual prize night about a fortnight ago. Tho message' reads: " Ake, ake, kia kaha," which in Maori means, "Be strong tor ever and ever." The good wishes to yachtsmen expressed in an historical Maori phrase indicate a lively and sympathetic interest that will bo widely appreciated.

Applications for employment at tho Auckland office of the Labour Department continue gradually to decline, tho figures for last week being 190, as compared with 193 tho previous week, and 200 for tho week beforo that. Thoso classed a3 fit for heavy work numbered 150. Labourers headed the list with 54 applications. Next in point of numbers wero clerks 17, engineers, fitters and turners 15, cooks hotel workers 12, motor drivers nine, and seamen and firemen nine. During the week 25 men, including nino farm hands and seven labourers, wcro placed in privato employment. Work was found for ten labourers with tho Public Worlt3 Department.

An amendment to the Tensions Act is to be introduced by the Government to provido for the granting of pensions to six blind women, who wero precluded from benefiting under the blind pension granted last year because of the fact that they had lost their sight prior to coming to tho Dominion. The director of the Jubilee Institute for tho Blind, Mr. Clutha Mackenzie, has been advised by tho Commissioner for Pensions that as tho result of representations made by tho trustees of tho institute tho Government has readily agreed to this amendment to bring at least six blind persons within tho scope of the pension. Tho six women have been resident in New Zealand for periods ranging from 18 to 36 years. In making this announcement, Mr. Mackenzie said that the Government had sho\vn tho greatest consideration and promptitude in bringing tho pensions into operation.

A rubbish fire at tho premises of tho Parker Engineering and Foundry Company, Pattcson Street, Freeman's Bay, resulted in tho City Firo Brigade receiving a call shortly before threo o'clock on Saturday afternoon. Tho flames were extinguished without difficulty, no damage being done. A firo occurred in a heap of sawdust and shavings at the Parker-Lamb timber yards at Onehunga at about four o'clock yesterday morning. The Ofiehunga brigade put out the firo before much damage was done.

Two Judges will bo engaged at tho Supremo Court to-day, when two cases in which the juries disagreed on Thursday will be retried. Tho accused are Georgina Ellis Colnett, charged with the illegal use of an instrument, and Anthony Claudo Gumrn, alias Charles Grace, charged with receiving stolen property. The latter was charged at the first hearing with breaking, entering and theft, as well as receiving, and was found not guilty on the major counts, tho jury disagreeing on tho count of receiving. As the result of falling down the stairs of tho Strand Hotel, Parnell, shortly before midnight on Saturday, a boarder, Mr. Leo aged 57, sustained a frgctured thigh. Ho was admitted to tho Auckland Hospital.

The track to tho top of Mount Tc Arolia is receiving attention by tho Tourist Department. All tho growth is being cut well back and rails aro being placed to assist climbers over steep places.

Advice has been received by the Waikato Hospital Board that an officer of the Health Department will meet, the board at its meeting on Thursday next. It is not known at present what tho department wishes to discuss with tho board, but it is likely that matters pertaining to the Rotorua Hospital and representation on the board will bo brought beforo the departmental notice.

Heavy seas at Timaru last week resulted in d imago to the extent of £7O to tho haws :rs and of £SO to the fenders of shipping in port. Tho harbourmaster had an anxious time on Tuesday.