LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19119, 10 September 1925, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Prices for beef at the Westfield fat stock sales yesterday were maintained in the superior grades, but rates for poorer quality beef were easier. Extra choice ox sold to £2 2s per 1001b., and prime young cow and heifer beef from £1 15s to £2. Prices for sheep fell off by 3s to 4s a head, extra heavy prime wethers selling from £2 6s to £2 9s. There was a smaller yarding of pigs and prices rose. Heavy baconers realised from £4 16s to £5 Is, and heavy porkers from £3 12s to £4.

A reprehensible practice on the part of certain motor-bus drivers was mentioned at the meeting of the, council of the Auckland Automobile Association last evening. Cases were reported of motor-buses being driven straight at oncoming motor-cars which were showing undimmed headlights at night. In ono case a collision was narrowly avoided. A motor-bus came diagonally across a country road and charged a motor-car driving slowly on the extreme left-hand side, the bus . driver shouting out: ."Dim your lights or I'll drive you off the road!" It was stated by one member that a fine of £2O had been imposed in the South for this offence.

Tho. proposal to, augment the water supply from , Lake Takapuna by drawing upon the Wairau Creek will be discussed at a special meeting of the North Shore Boroughs Water Board on Monday evening. The chairman, Mr. T. Lamont, has invited the members of the four North Shore borough councils to be present so that the proposals may be placed before them in detail.

A mixed consignment of animals and birds for the Auckland Zoological Gardens is being brought by the steamer Sussex,. due from Calcutta this evening. The animals include. 24 rhesus monkeys, one female leopard and one pair of nilgai or Indian antelope, while the birds comprise a pair of monals, three pairs of peacocks, eighty chukors and three pairs of flamingoes. The monals are a gorgeous type of Himalaya pheasants and the chukors are the Indian hill-partridge.

Mr. Zane Grey, the American author, who intends visiting Auckland early next year, and will spend about three months fishing, in northern waters, promises in a letter to the editor of the Weekly News, to bring tackle with him that will be amazing and enlightening to New Zealand fishermen. Mr. Grey will arrive in Wellington' on January 18, and will later • bring his own launches from America for a second extended cruise among the deep-water fisheries. It is Mr. Grey's intention to avoid as much entertainment as possible, and he does not intend to tie himself down to dates.

The University Commission Has great hopes of future Auckland benefactions for university purposes. Dealing with the suggestion that four separate universities would benefit'more by private gifts than four federated colleges, the commissioners say:—"The Otago University seems to have enjoyed from the very beginning steady local support, due, no doubt, to the fact that it was establishes not by the central Government but by the'original settlers' who brought with them to the new Edinburgh the old Scottish tradition and passion for higher education. At Christchurch and Wellington we heard little Tthat •would lead us to expect an outburst of local generosity following the establishment of ; a local .university. It is in Auckland that we think most could be .looked for. Auckland is now by far the largest city in the Dominion and is still growing very rapidly.. There has been developed an intense local pride in the city and its institutions, and moreover owing to many causes incidental to the history of the Dominion Auckland has fewer of the privileges of university education than any of the .other cities. Under these circumstances there may be reason to expect more from Auckland than from any other centre should four septate universities be decided upon." The industrial dispute between the Tailoresfies' Union and the Auckland .Wholesale.. Clothing Manufacturers will come before a Conciliation Council today. A new agreement between shirt and underclothing manufacturers and their employees will be sought to-morrow The dispute of the Dressmakers' and Milliners' Onion in relation to wages and conditions of employment is set down for hearing next Monday. Next Thursday the claims of the dairy workers in Taranaki will come before a Conciliation Council ai; New Plymouth. The New Zealand carpenters and joiners' dispute will come before a Conciliation Court in Wellington on October 14.

The month's campaign on behalf of the League of Nations' Union conducted in Auckland by the Dominion organiser, Mr. T. Buxton, has been eminently successful. Mr. Buxton -said his experience in Auckland convijiced him that 90 per cent, of the people supported the objects of the union when they were made aware of what it was doing. Business men who gave donations looked on them as an insurance against war, and everywhere he had met with kindly interest and ready support. The organisation in Auckland had now been placed on a proper basis and branobes and committees had been formed in the suburbs and provincial centres. Mr. Buxton said he would proceed to the organisation of Canterbury encouraged by his cordial reception in Auckland.

■ A jl decision-to" contribute'- £SO tdward the Auckland Provincial - Court at the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition in Dunedin was made by the Devonport Borbugh Council last • evening. It was suggested that a relief map embodying Devonport and Takapuna should bo exhibited in the court. The sphere of usefulness of the Auckland Automobile service officer is being extended. The council of the association gave him authority last evening to render legal aid to motorists who suffer collision. He is empowered to obtain evidence on the spot as to measured distances, and similar particulars, for the assistance of Civil and Criminal Courts. Ho was also granted faciliiies to supply telephone information,* from his residence or bureau, regarding the'condition of roads, at any time of the night and day. Two loan proposals of the Waiteraata County Council were carried at the polls yesterday. One proposal was to secure a park at Castor Bay and the other was for construction of a road to shorten the access to Kumeu railway station. # The Mount Albert Borough Council has instructed the Auckland, Electric Power Board to proceed with Hie lighting of all streets in the borough. It is expected the work will be completed in about five months. A new type of lamp with special radiating powers has been tes;ed md found to be very satisfactory and will be installed throughout the borough.