LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19170, 9 November 1925, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The city and western district fire brigades were called on Saturday evening to a fire in a seven-roomed house at 32, Prospect Terrace, Ponsonby, owned by Messrs. Wallett and Finlayson, and occupied by Mr. G. V. Heighten. The kitchen was burned and two other rooms were damaged. There are 160 British seamen still in Mount Eden gaol for striking, according to a statement made by the chairman of the Labour meeting in the Strand Theatre lust night, also 285 " on the beach," 04 of whom were released on Saturday. In appealing for funds to help the "men, the chairman stated that many of them would be in need until they could lie deported. A request had been made to the Government to send them back to Great Britain as soon as possible. Collectors on behalf of the men were busy among the audience both before and after the meeting, but they did not appear to be reaping any very rich harvest.

Two boys, aged 10 and 11 years respectively, have been arrested at Newmarket on charges of stealing a number of switch keys from motor-cars. Motorists have reported the loss of no fewer than 40 such keys to the police during the past 10 days, and 17 have since been recovered. It is related that one of the motorists obtained the assistance of one of the boys to search for his key, and when the boy returned it presented him with threepence for his trouble. Other boys are said to be involved in the thefts.

Built into the pulpit of St. Paul's Anglican Cathedral, Dunedin, is a stone belonging to the historic lona Abbey, famous because of its connection with early Christianity. Interesting mention of this was made by Lady Alice Fergusson, when opening a sale of work in the schoolroom. It seems that the late Primate, Bishop Nevill, wrote to the Earl of Glasgow, asking him to get a stone from lona Abbey and send it to Dunedin to be embodied in the Cathedral building. The Earl acceded to the request, and now the :tone is built into the pulpit, with a little plate saying that it came from lona Abbey, and was the gift of the Earl of Glasgow. Lady Alice Fergusson remarked that its association with her father gave her quite an interest in St. Paul's.

The Government publicity officer has received advice from the Photographers' Association of America, with headquarters at Washington, that a dozen enlarged photographs of selected New Zealand scenes will be displayed in the association's pictorial exhibit at next year's annual convention. The association receives portrait exhibits from the Professional Photographers' Association of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Ontario Society of Canada, and is anxious to obtain a similar exhibit from the professional photographers of New Zealand. The publicity officer will supply further information to those interested.

The Auckland Racing Club's Spring Meeting opened on Saturday, when there was an attendance of about 13_,000 at Ellerslie. Several sharp showers fell during the early stages but the sun shone brightly later, and the day closed under pleasant conditions. The leading event of the programme, the Mitchelson Cup, was won by Mrs. W. D. Graham's five-year-old horse Te Monanui. The Great Northern Guineas resulted in a victory for Mr. R. B. Hines' colt, Eng Lu. The totalisator investments during the day amounted to £58,245, a decrease of £3515 compared with the corresponding day last year. It has, however, to be stated that then; was one race less this year.

In contrast to the rule for several weeks there was a sharp rise in the number of applications for employment at the Auckland office of the Labour Department last week. There were 201 applicants, of whom 165 were, classed as fit for heavy work, and 56 as fit for light work. Therewere 58 labourers, 21 cooks, hotehvorkers and stewards, 17 engineers, fitters and turners, 17 seamen and firemen, 13 gardeners and handymen, 12 motor-drivers and 10 clerks. Other occupations represented did not reach double figures. Private employment was found during the week for 31 men, including 23 labourers, three farm hands, two timber workers, a brush-hand, a canvasser and a kitchenman. A petition in bankruptcy has been filed by Leonard Robinson, contractor, Takanini. A meeting of creditors will be held at the office of the official assignee on November 17. Steps are being taken by the Tauranga County Council for the creation of a special rating district in portion of Ivatikati Riding for the purpose of raising a loan for building a bridge over the Wharawhara stream. The bridge is to give access to a number of farms and will carry a Government subsidy of £2 for £l. An unsuccessful Parliamentary candidate said at a meeting of the Lyttelton Harbour Board last Thursday that he had ridden the wrong horse. Another member, a successful candidate, said that he had ridden GJoaming. "Perhaps it was Windbag," facetiously remarked another member. The growth of grass in Taranaki during the past three weeks has been exceptional. That the grass is not without virtue is shown by the big increase in the butterfat returns, some of the factories turning out more cheese or butter than they were producing this time last year. It is quite possible, if the present favourable weathei continues, that the leeway due to the bad early spring will be made up by thy end of the year. A striking instance of the profit arising from the planting of trees is reported from the South Island. Between 35 and 40 years ago a runholder near Hamner planted sixty acres in pinus insignis. The mill has just completed its work in the forest, and the runholder's son, it is stated, has the satisfaction of knowing that the gross profit from these v .oes i a £35,000. Steps to improve the access to one of the more remote districts of settlement in the Dominion are reported. Iron work has arrived from England for a bridge of 300 ft. span across the Wailio River, near the Franz Josef Glacier. Tb<? bridge will provide access for settlors south of Waiho, where considerable stock raising is being carried on on the fringe of the wild country which runs down to the Sounds. Weasels and stoats are on the increase in Hawko's Bay, and are a great menace to quails and pheasants. One sportsman stated recently that for 18 years weasels had kept the pheasants down and prevented them from breeding. The birds as well as tlie oggs were eaten.