LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19144, 9 October 1925, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The Mount Eden gaol is now overcrowded. <>n Wednesday the accommodation was slightly more than fully taken up, the number of prisoners actually being two above the maximum for which there was accommodation. Yesterday, the gaol population was increased by 107 seamen from the Matakana and Waimana, so "hat the authorities were in difficulties about the placing of the men. Last night men were sleeping wherever they could be placed, many being in the passageways, while some took their repose in the gaol chapel The contention that more classical music has now to be played by orchestras at picture theatres and other evening entertainments was advanced in the Arbitration Court yesterday as a reason why the salaries of the performers should be increased. Mr. Justice Frazcr remarked that he thought jazz still reigned supreme. Mr. C. Renn, for the Performng Musicians' Association, said that classical selections by composers whose names he would not attempt to pronounce had now to be played. Mr. Justice Frazer: "You do not suggest that the difficulty in pronouncing the composer's name increases the difficulty of playing the music, do you ?" A comparatively rare operation as far as Waihi is concerned, that of transfusion of blood, was recently successfully performed by Dr. J. M. Cole, medical superintendent of the Waihi Hospital. Before a suitable donor was found the blood of about half a dozen persons had to be tested, and remarkable as it seems in this case the individual selected was a man aged 79, while the youngest of those tested were in their thirties. From this elderly man no less than a pint of blood was drawn find immediately infused into the patient. Half an hour later the patient experienced some little inconvenience, but the donor, to use the doctor's words, "never turned a hair." The inconvenience felt by the patient was of brief duration and since then he has made a rapid recovery. A motor-truck, driven by Mr. A- Kendall, of St. Heliers Bay, crashed through the plate-glass window of the Glen home cookery shop, opposite the Remuera post office, early yesterday morning. The truck was proceeding toward the city, when the accident occurred. The window was valued at about £2O. No damage was done to the truck, and the driver escaped injury. A six days' " refresher" course for officers and non-commissioned officers of infantry units in the northern command is in progress at Narrow Neck camp. About 30 officers and 100 other ranks are taking advantage of the course which concludes to-morrow. Major W. C. Finnis, N.Z.S.C., is camp commandant.

An opening for a new line of enterprise, that of catering for the accommodation and guidance of Southern holidaymakers who come to Auckland for seafishing sport, was pointed out by Mr. H. W. Hudson, at the luncheon of the Chamber of Commerce yesterday. He said that Southern visitors anxious to fish off Auckland archipelago or along the coast, were at a loss to know where to hire a suitable craft, also to find productive fishing grounds. There was scope in summer for half a dozen mot or - launches, suitably equipped with bunks, which could carry fishing parties as far afield as Mercury Bay. Mr. A. H. Messenger, representing the Government publicity office, said the Publicity Board was considering the provision for sporting visitors generally, say, by the opening of a bureau at which the officer in charge could give inquirers full information.

The new dental clinic at Blockhouse Bay will be officially opened at half-past two to-morrow afternoon by the Minister for Education, Sir James Parr. Members of the Auckland Education Board will also be present The clinic, which is on a fine site adjoining the -school and overlooking the Mannkau Harbour, is a wooden building erected at a cost of £4OO. The money was raised from district contributions assisted by a Government subsidy. The clinic is intended to serve the South Avondale district

| Opotiki is endeavouring to stimulate the Government to a vigorous policy of roadmaking between its own town and the East Cape district, with the view of connecting up with the road down the east coast to Gis borne. A letter asking for I support toward the movement was read | at the lnncheon of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce yesterday and the vice-presi-dent, Mr. M. Stewart, commended the matter to the attention of any members who might be able to exercise influence in the direction desired. A second seal called in at Caroline Bay, Timaru, last week. It had apparently come in with the high tide, for it was well up on the beach, some 50yds. from the water's edge. Later in the day it found its way back to the sea, and was seen in the afternoon cruising round the bay. The seal which was on the Rowing Club's slipway a few weeks ago, appeared to be unwell This one, however, was quite healthy and a fine specimen. 'The invigorating climate of Southland —not too cold but healthy and bracingmakes its daily and yearly stamp on the rising generation," said Sir Joseph Ward in a speech at a hockey dinner in Invercargill last Friday evening. "I could not help being struck," he said, "with the difference in the appearance of children I visited at a large school in the North Island and one in Southland, the comparison certainly being in favour of the Southland children. Our climate tends to produce healthy and sturdy men and women." Sir Joseph is seeking the suffrages of the Invercargill electors. An Ashburton motorist bad an unpleasant shock while on a country road recently. A road roller appeared in front of him, going in the same direction, and he accordingly slowed down to pass it, blowing his horn vigorously. A man who was walking ahead of the roller throwing the big stones out of the way, however, failed to notice the approach of the car, and as it drew level, calmly tossed a big lump of road metal through its windscreen. The fact that the smashed glass cut his wrists did not tend to sweeten the driver's temper, and some hot words were ex changed before the knight of the road proceeded on his way. Condemnation of the practice of replacing willows on the banks of the River Avon with poplars was expressed at a meeting of the executive of the Christchurch Pilgrims' Association. It was stated that the willows ware originally brought to the city by French settlers from the tree that grew by Napoleon's first burial place at St Helena.