LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19405, 13 August 1926, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

A painful accident befel Mr. C. Davis, a_ waterside worker, while unloading motor-car cases from the Trebartha at Prince's Wharf yesterday. Three of his fingers were crushed between a motortruck and a case which was being lowered on to the vehicle. On examination at the hospital it was found necessary to amputate the fingers. As the result of some molten metal splashing over him while engaged in cleaning a pot at Messrs. H. M. Warner, engineers, Quay Street, yesterday, Mr. Albert Evans, of Birkdale, employed as a furnace man, was admitted to the hospital suffering from burns to his eyes and body. He is reported to be in a fairly satisfactory condition. Long-term investments, with a large return- as compensation for the wait invoked, do not appeal to Mr. Justice Stringer. He mads that clear in the Supreme Court yesterday during the progress of proceedings in connection with an application for an injunction. At the mention of afforestation and flax bonds His Honor became reminiscent. " I once thought of investing in afforestation bonds," he said, " but when I remembered that I would be in the next world when the bonds matured, the investment did not appeal to me. Even flax bonds, I am afraid, would be too remote," His Honor added, with a cheerful smile. Auckland listeners-in last evening had the privilege of hearing Mr. Alan Cobham, the aviator, speaking at station 2FC, Sydney. Remarkably clear reception of his speech was xeported by Mr. F. Roberts, Ivimberley Road, Epsom. Mr. was entertained at a smoke concert at the broadcasting station. Several speeches were made in his honour and a song specially composed concerning the recent flight was rendered. Mr. Cobham gave a detailed account of his experiences during various stages of the flight and described the tragedy which befell Elliott, his mechanic, in Irak. The Australian station was broadcasting on a wave-length of 1100 metres. * A six-cylinder Studebaker motor-car. registered number 1800, was taken from the garage of the owner, Mr. W. J. Parker. Schofield Street, Grey Lynn, some time on Wednesday night. The car is painted black and was used on the Mission Bay service. Its sizs. prevented the garage doors from being closed, but it was locked with a Yale key and the benzine was turned off. Unfortunately for Mr. Parker there was nine gallons of spirit in the tank when he left it. It is the owner's policy always to leave his car in condition for a 200-mile run, and undoubtedly this policy has the full approval; of those concerned in its removal. A five-seater Essex motor-car, No. 20-783, painted blue, and belonging to Mr. I. Black, of Matamata, was unlawfully removed from Elliott Street, between 8.25 p.m. and 8-30 lqst evening. An unusual incident- occurred outside the Town Hall at about' half-past one yes'terday afternoon. Men were at work on the scaffolding surrounding the clock tower, and one had evidently taken an overcoat with him to act as a guard against the sudden showers. A gust of wind blew the ccat down and it fell across the tram, wires in -the middle of the street. The motormari of a passing tramcar saw it just in time to pull up before the trolley-pole struck it, and he clambered on to the, roof of the car where, heedless of live wire?, ho secured the coat. The days when the original surveys were made for the Main Trunk railway between Auckland and Wellington were recalled at the smoko concert tendered last evening to the delegates to the surveyors' conference. Mr.' C. D. Morpeth, the Dominion secretary, paid a high tribute to the initiative, grit and determination of the late Mr. James Rochfort and his brother, the surveyors who mapped out the route of the railway in 1881. Pioneering through the bush, facing the perils of floods, fires and hostile Maoris, they completed in four years the surveys for a lino, which could now be traversed in a few hours. The Raurimu Spiral was one of the most wonderful engineering feats in the world, and a most remarkable surveying achievement. During the past two days the Railway Department has been holding an inquiry into the railway accident at Pokeno on the evening of July 29,- when 17 waggons attadhod to the Auckland-Wellington goods express were derailed. Mr: J. K. Lowe, district engineer, is chairman of the board of inquiry. Over £2OOO to help in the erection of a tower and the purchase of bells for St. Mary's Anglican Church, at New Plymouth, has been provided for in the will of the late Mr. J. Lashbrook, of Vogeltown. Mr. Lashbrook's wife died some years ago, and there are no children. After the payment of a few small legacies to relatives the balance of the estate will be devoted to the purpose mentioned. The wreck of the steamer Tararua in 1881 is recalled through the death of Mr. John Cochrane, of Moeraki. With his father he purposed proceeding to Australia for the shearing season. They secured their berths, but while waiting for the vessel to sail he went ashore at Port Chalmers, returning to the wharf to find the Tararua had sailed. A waterman was engaged, but the attempt to overtake the vessel was unsuccessful, so he proceeded to Bluff by train. The vessel was wrecked on Waipapa Point, his father being among the 130 persons who perished on that fateful night, ",It is gratifying to note that on the New Plymouth beaches not one person was drowned during the 1925-26 season, chiefly owing to the promptness of the various life-saving teams which were practically always on the beaches during the season," states the annual report of the Taranaki head centre of. the Royal LifeSaving Society. " Evidence of the high standard of these, teams may be noted from the fact that at the Strandon-Fitzroy beach ten rescues were effected." The establishment of wireless classes for Hamilton residents was proposed at a meeting of the board of managers of the Hamilton Technical High School and members voiced their approval of the suggestion. Permission will be sought from the Education Department for the establishment of classes, which it is proposed to hold at the school, next year. It was stated that in a year or two wireless classes would probably become a feature of technical schools throughout the Dominion. A Saturday morning instruction class would be appreciated by farmers, but the difficulty would be to obtain a competent instructor who was willing to give his services for th;* purpose.