LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19141, 6 October 1925, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

An important witness in » will case in the Supreme Court yesterday was the owner of the nursing-home in which testatrix was an inmate at the time of the execution of the document. Although the lady had been served with a subpoena, she was not in attendance when called. It had been understood beforehand that she wus reluctant to appear, partly through timidity, but also on account of a professional hesitancy to talk aboyt occurrences at her hospital. As her testimony was indispensable to the trial, there was a discussion between Bench and Bar as to the advisability of issuing & warrant to compel her attendance. A compromise was effected by one of the barristers sending his clerk to the nursing home with a message indicating that the Judge must take stern measures unless she came to Court voluntarily. Under this persuasion the witness attended after the luncheon adjournment, und the case proceeded smoothly. Authority for execution of the agreement taking in the Tamaki Road District was given yesterday by the Auckland Electric Power Board. The general manager, Mr. R. H. Bartley, reported that the agreement was ready for signing. A request had been nrnde by a deputation from the Road Board to the Finance Committee that the clause imposing an additional outer-area charge of 10 per cent, should be deleted, but this the engineer opposed on the ground that the additional charge was trivial to the individual, and it was not known what outlay would be necessary to bring the reticulation in the district up to the Auckland standard. Authority was given for the execution of the agreement and the general manager was instructed to act as the board's valuer. A quaint touch of dry Scots humour enlivened the address given to the Rotary Club yesterday by Mr. A. S. Boyd, whose recital of the first and only personal conversation lie had with Lord Leighton greatly amused his audience. The meeting occurre*! at some notable gathering in London, which was very crowded, an I in the crush the great artist collided rather violently with his lesser brother cf the brush. " I beg your pardon !" said the latter. "Not at all," remarked Lord Leighton, with great politeness. " That was all," commented the speaker. "No superfluous chatter, just a simple, dignified little conversation. I have thought since it would have been very interesting indeed if I hud stopped him and asked h.im his candid opinion of ' A Mother's Dream,' but unfortunately I had not sufficient knowledge of the future to take advantage of this unique opportunity." The apparently harmless toheroa is not to be allowed to climb over the tariff wall of Australia free, even if securely tinned in the shape of concentrated soup. A request was recently made to the Customs Department by the Auckland Industrial Association that arrangements should be made with the Australian Government to enable the article to be admitted free. A reply was received yesterday from the Comptroller of Customs stating that the matter could only be gone into when tariff negotiations were taking place between the two countries. The matter would be brought up for further consideration at the first opportunity. The proposal for erection of a winter exhibition building was referred to at a meeting of the Auckland! Industrial Association yesterday. Mr. J, A. C. Allum, president, said the solicitors had declared the association was not legally able to purchase shares in any corporate company. Certain suggestions were made by the solicitors concerning the formation of an exhibition trust. The financial position was sound, and he considered the matter should be referred back to the committee. This course was agreed upon. During building operations in George Street, Dunedin, a workman on a neighbouring verandah was using a large hammer, when the head flew off, and smashed a large plate-glass window front on the premises of Messrs. Schneideman and Sons, Ltd. The accident might have been more serious, as a number of people were looking in the window at the time. Fortunately, however, no one was hurt. Messrs. Schneideman and Sons have been unfortunate in the matter of windows, says a Dunedin paper, having had four broken during their six weeks' occupation of these premises. At the present time business is particularly quiet in Dunedin. ''People ought to be laying in stocks of summer requirements now," said the manager of one large drapery concern, "but instead of buying they are evidently at home nursing themselves over the fire." He estimated that a fine day meant a 100 per cent, increase in the takings. A remarkable coincidence was related to an Oamaru reporter by Mr. W. D. Burns, who was knocked off his bicycle by a motor on Saturday and rendered unconscious. Sonne years ago a son of Mr. Burns met with a serious accident. The first person on the scene was a Mr. Crombie, who conveyed the . young man to the hospital, where he died some months later. Another son met with an accident on his bicycle. Mr. Crombie was again th« first man on the scene and conveyed him to the hospital. He recovered. On Saturday, when Mr. Burns himself was knocked down, the person who picked him up and conveyed him to the hospital was Mr. Crombie. A total of 6040 boxes of butter graded at Wanganui was shipped by the Port Dunedin to the English market on Thursday, but there are approximately 2000 boxes still in store. So far this year no cheese has been exported from the district, and 1800 boxes are in cool storage. It is very probable that, but for the shipping strike, a due proportion of the latter would have been exported already. " Every New Zealander ought to know something of the terraces of Lake Tarawera, and of the great eruption that destroyed them," said Dr. J. E. Holloway in the course of a lecture in Dunedin at a meeting of the Overseas Club. There had been practically no signs of any unusual activity thpt would serve as a warning of an approaching eruption before the disaster, Dr. Holloway explained. A few weeks before a party of tourists, while on the lake, had noticed a little tidal wave, but had taken practically no notice of it. Jltißpehu had been smoking and steaming peculiarly, but no warning had been taken of those signs. Three days before, Guide Sophia had gone over the terraces, but everything had been normal. Then with great suddenness on the awning of June 10, 1886, the residents of Wairoa were awakened by the terrible eruption which is now a matter of history.