LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19235, 26 January 1926, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Tho four victims of the motor-bus accident on the Great North Road on Sunday, who were admitted to tho Auckland Hospital, were reported last night to be making satisfactory progress. Miss V. Shanks, who was injured in a motor accident in Edendale Road on Sunday evening was in a less serious condition. There was no improvement in the condition of Miss Alice Olsen, who was injured at Papakura on Saturday morning.

Very little is left of what was once the barque Retriever., The remains of her hull had rested in shallow water at Pine Island for a considerable period, but during tho holidays she was set on fire by some picnickers and all the woodwork of the hull above water was burned. The fate of the Retriever is of more than passing interest as she is the vessel referred to in Peter B. Kyne's novel "Cappy Ricks," which is being presented as a play in Auckland. The Retriever was a vessel of 548 tons and was built at Seabeck, Washington, United States, in 1881. After being condemned for sea service she was used for a long time as a coal hulk in the Auckland Harbour, and was subsequently towed to I ine Island, where she was stranded.

A delegation from the Auckland Rotary Club left last evening on a short visit to Whangarei. About 20 members are making the trip, and they will be entertained at a Rotary luncheon to-day. It had been intended that the guests should witness the firing of a charge of 13 tons of gelignite at the Wilsons Portland Cement quarries, but owing to the bad weather it will not be possible to complete preparations for the charge by today.

The abolition of the system of premiums for certain subjects was recommended by the Finance Committee at the meeting of the Auckland University College Council yesterday. It was suggested that medals should be provided for the successful students. The Hon. G. Fowlds, president of the college, said that premiums of £3 3s had been provided for a number of subjects in the past, but no provision existed for premiums in a number of new subjects. He considered the adoption cf a universal medal system would be much more satisfactory. The suggestion was adopted, subject to the approval of the Professorial Board.

Members of the Leys Institute troop of boy scouts, accompanied by AssistantScoutmaster L. S. Abbott, returned to Auckland by train last evening from the jamboree held in Dunedin in connection with the exhibition. Their stay was a most pleasant one, and the boys were successful in obtaining places in a large number of the athletic events held at the jamboree. They performed particularly well in swimming, winning the relay race between all the troops.

Parnell is one of the most central areas of the city that has been left behind in the improved street lighting scheme the Auckland Power Board is carrying out. The delay was attributed at yesterday's meeting of the board to the Post and Telegraph Department, which had not yet effected certain necessary rearrangements. "For five years," commented Mr. S. I. Crookes, "I have been trying to get my* address altered in the telephone directory. I have written to the chief postmaster and the chief telegraph engineer and have had personal interviews with them, all, to no effect. If this board can get the department to move in five yeirs I will congratulate it!"

Further donations are being made to the recently-formed reserves in Mount Eden. On behalf of the subscribers to the fund for providing children's play apparatus, Mr. W. J. Hammill proposes to present au ocean wave and a horizontal ladder, at a total cost of £6O, for use in Potter's Park, making this reserve, an a member remarked at last evening's meeting of the borough council, "one of the most modern children's playgrounds in the Auckland district." Mr. E. J. Brittain, who is erecting the apparatus in Nicholson Park, is donating a swing for the Belle Vue Road reserve, while work valued at pver £SO has been performed gratuitously at Nicholson Park by Mr. J. Williamson,' the contractor, who is preparing the children's playground. The council decided last evening to thank these donors for their generosity and public spirit.

The prejudice of a native woman against orthodox medical procedure necessitated the health inspector for the Ohinemuri district obtaining police assistance to remove tho woman's daughter from Whangamata to the Waihi Hospital last week. Tho patient was believed to be suffering from an infectious disease and. her mother had expressed dislike for the pakeha methods of healing. The inspector, Mr. Martindale, with Constable Dalbeth, of Waihi, had to force the door of the house. The mother offered violent opposition and had to be held by the constable while the patient was removed. The night was spent in Whangamata as a heavy sea prevented the launch putting to sea. The next day the patient was landed safely at Bowentown and transferred to the ambulance.

An interesting explanation of the reason for the formation of the curious cave cut in tlxe soft stone of the hillside at Putiki, Wanganui, has been given by Mr. J., Aylmer, of that town. It was excavated by the Maoris of the pa at the foot of the hill, under the direction of the Rev. Richard Taylor, a pioneer missionary, who went to Wanganui in 1841. He wished the Maoris to have Bibles but knew they would not value them if they were given them free. He, therefore, set them the task of making the cave to earn their Bibles,

" The dryness of the season has been evidenced in the damage done by the small bird nuisance in the fruit gardens," remarked a member at -a meeting of the Pobangina County Council. " The absence of rain pools has driven the birds to the gardens where they eat the fruitto quench their thirst," he added.

Dunedirj is truly Scottish in spirit, and even the younger members of the community are canny as far as matters of finance are concerned. A northern visitor recently had occasion to use a slot telephone, but a search of his pockets failed to reveal a penny. The. nearest person in the vicinity was a little girl of 12, so following the policy of "any port in a storm," the visitor asked her if she could give him three pennies for a threepenny piece. "I am sorry," replied the girl, "I have only two pennies." "Well, that- will do," said the visitor. But the little girl was incredulous. "Is it & good coin ?" she asked.