LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19101, 20 August 1925, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Prices for beef at the Westfield fat stock. sale yesterday were two shillings per 1001b. below those of the previous week. Extra choice ox brought £2 per 1001b., and prime young cow. and heifer beef from £1 13s to £1 18s. Sheep were penned in small numbers and prices were higher. Extra heavy prime wethers sold from £2 7s to £2 12s 9d. Pigs were in average supply, with baconers selling at advanced rates. Heavy baconers realised from £4 4s to £4 17s, and heavy porkers from £3 12s to £4 Bs. Five sailors and ono marine of the American Fleet who were left behind in Melbourne during the visit of battleships there, arrived at Auckland yesterday by the Maheno from Sydney. They will rejoin their ships at Wellington. Owing to a perforation in tho casing of an underground cable tolephono communication at Otahuhu has been completely interrupted during the past two days, and no local or outside calls could be given or received. The damage was found to have occurred at the corner of Great South Road and Station Road. A repair gang is.at work and it is expected that the defect will bo remedied by this morning. While a knowledge of military or naval etiquette is not expected of civilians, it was certainly not apparent during the route march of the American sailors yesterday. There was not one man in a hundred who lifted his hat in salute as tho national and ship's colours wero carried by. Examinations for teachers' G and 1) certificates are being conducted at the Kowhai Junior High School. There arc no fewer than 680 candidates, 460 of whom arc women. Similar examinations aro being held at Aratapu, Dargaville, Hamilton, Pukekohe, Rawene, Taumarunui. Tauranga, To Kuiti, Thames, Waihi, Whakatane and Whangarei. The failure of the St. Heliers and Kohimarama buses to take passengers from Newmarket was again referred to at a meeting of tho Newmarket Borough Council last evening. In reply to a letter from the council the proprietor wrote asking for a copy of the council's by-laws, and stating he was unaware that he was breaking any regulations by not picking up passengers in the borough. He was always anxious to observe the by-laws of the districts through which his buses ran. "He is evading the point," said a member. The Mayor, Mr. S. Donaldson, said that if tho council did not liavo the power at present to prohibit the practico complained of, ho understood the necessary by-laws could be framed. A paviiion is to be erected by the Mangere East Tennis Club at a cost of £3OO, and the work is to be begun immediately. Croquet lawns are already being laid down, and an area has also been set aside for a bowling green. The land for the purpose was recently donated by Mr. S. W. House. " There is only one thing in which I entirely disagree vrith our American visitors," said the Rev. Jasper Calder iu the course of a lecture on snakes, last evening. " I was taking a party of bluejackets round our fair city, and I happened to mention my forthcoming lecture on snakes. To my astonishment a sailor, who did not know mo from Adam, suddenly said, ' Gee! I hear there's a parson bloke in Auckland who wanted to import some snakes to New Zealand. I reckon the fool ought to be hanged, don't yon ?' I regretted that I could not agree with him." With the arrival of the American licet the sale of chewing gum in Auckland has almost doubled. Several confectioners stated yesterday that inquiries for chewing gum were frequent. "Auckland is acquiring a considerable taste fov chewinggum," said one retailer, " and the habit, as far as I can see, is very much in vogue among the young women of Auckland since the fleet's arrival." Preliminary arrangements in connection with the establishment of a lending library and reading room at Newmarket are well in hand and it should be possible to opir the library to the public at an early dab, according to a report, of the Munic.pai Building and Library Committee sibmitted to the Borough Council last owning. With the finances at its disposal thar coinmittoo considered it possible lo pmrchase a thousand volumes of up-to-date fiction with which to start the lending portion of the library. It had been deto arrange the reading room so that a number of important daily papers from New Zealand and Australia, and one from London, could be received. The rest of the reading matter would be furnished by magazines. Tho committeo did not con-, sidcr it advisable to mako too ambitious a commencement. Tho appointment of a permanent librarian was not considered to bo necessary until there wero indications of the support tho library was likely to receive. The town clerk could in effect act as librarian. A motor-car caught fire on the Rugby Estate, Edendalo, shortly after half-past eight last evening. Tho Mount Albert Fire Brigade was summoned, but was unablo to prevent serious damage. The public hall for Birkdale, built by voluntary labour undor the supervision of Mr. M. R. Souster, has been completed. In addition to the site, which was donated by Mr. A. P. Hopkins, tho estimated value of the structure is £I3OO. The official opening is to take place on Saturday evening, and the Borough Council decided last evening to bo represented. Inquiries made yesterday as to the nature of the hitch in tho negotiations for purchase by tho Government of the Ilikurangi limestone rocks elicited tho statement that there was no hitch. It was stated the conveyanco of the land had been forwarded by tho Crown solicitor, to Messrs. Carter Brothers, the trustees, and that if the document was found to be in order it would be signed at once and the. money paid over. The trustees had never made any statement to the Government that tho land would bo withdrawn from sale, but had always taken a great interest in the matter. They were very anxious that this unique scenic reserve should bo preserved in tho public intrest and had done their best to facilitate matters in every way. Tho band of the United States battleship Maryland is to play at tho Evelyn Firth Home this afternoon,, Tho band is an excellent organisation and tho arrangement to play for tho inmato3 of the homo has been made through the courtesy of Captain T. T. Craven, of the Maryland. To-morrow the band will play a programme of music at tho Veterans' Home> Epsom. " '