LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19412, 21 August 1926, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

A passenger- on the Corinthic, Mrs. E. Diggory, aged' 54, died' from heart failure on August 13." according to a wireless report received by the Auckland agents. The liner is en route from London and Southampton with over 500 passengers, and is due at Auckland next Tuesday evening. The fact that.' war injuries may manifest themselves after a lapse of many years was 'mentioned in the Supreme Court yesterday by a witness who is a member of the National War Funds Council: He stated that there were genuine cases of men who fought in the South African War now breaking down. Mr. Justice Stringer; That is also the experience of the Pensions Appeal Board. Witness: We lately received an application from a Crimean War veteran aged 95. The season for whitebait has so far been very poor, only small supplies having been received in Auckland. . About 1601b. came in this week and found a ready sale at 4s a lb. The Ruapehu Ski Club will hold its annual sports at the Tongariro National Park next week. About fifty members are assembling at the park to-day and will spend ten days altogether at the Whakapapa huts. The ski-ing events will take place next Saturday;

It was the sixty-sixth anniversary yesterday of the arrival at Auckland of the ship Persia with passengers from London. The vessel' was the largest ship to visit Auckland up to that time and rather than risk .the shallows in the Waitemata, Captain J. H. Smith anchored the ship three miles out in Rangitoto. Channel, whence the passengers were conveyed to town by lighter. The voyage from England was abnormally stormy, the mainsails being blown to shreds and the lifeboats, smashed in. No call was made en route'until Van Diemen's Land- was sighted.'; Most-of the ship's livestock died on the voyage and the passengers .iiad an unenviable experience as far as food was concerned. Owing to a shortage of eooks trouble arose with the crew, with the result that two men.were placed in irons.

■>, Auckland residents bought more tickets in the 1 art union promoted by the Southland Amateur. Sports Trust than were sold in the whole of- the South Island. This statement was made last evening by Mr, T. Meredith, chairman of, the trust, in. presenting the Southland* Shield' to the Auckland Rugby Union in appreciation of the contribution made by the province toward the campaign, which resulted; in. a profit of £20,000. Mr. Meredith- mentioned that no; prizes were won by AUcklanders.,

. Early r last month the Auckland City Council approved the use of the section in the south-western corner of the reserve adjoining the Jewish Cemetery, in Karangaliape Road as a site for a woman's rest , room. The council has now confirmed ' the decision and - plans are being prepared I for a suitable ' building; The matteT of framing conditions under which the rest-room will be available to . the public has been entrusted to the Parks Committee.- ■ i-V. V'< f.A'v

Six large overseas steamers are expected at Auckland during the next "few days. The Commonwealth and Dominion Line's motor ship' Port Dunedin will arrive this" afternoon from Liverpool, and duriag the weekend the American steamer- Dewey should arrive from Pacific Coast' ports and the Baron Kelvin from Montreal. On Monday the New Zealand. Shipping Company's steamer Opawa is due from Liverpool, and the A. and ! A."Line's chartered steamer Keelung i 6 due about the same time from New York. The sixth steamer is the Shaw, Savill and Albion liner Corinthic with: over 500 passengers, as well as a large quantity .'of mail and cargo. . Her,, latest; wireless * report states that-she will arrive on Tuesday evening. in the roof r of a moulding, shop"in the: Newmarket i railway workshop shortly after three o'clock yesterday , morning was suppressed by, the Newmarket Fire Brigaded The damage was only slight. It is officially announced that 'Sir W. G. Armstrong,. Whitworth and Company, Limited; the contractors for the construction- of the, railway from Wairoa River rto Tuapiro, whose headquarters have been at Taurariga for the past twoyears, will ■ remove, their. clerical and engineering staff to' Abngatete next month. and staff accommodation are in course of erection.

' A. social service that is much appreciated ,is that being • carried out by the Auckland Bands' Association. On alternate Sunday, afternoons throughout the year it has been arranged to ehold band concerts at the Auckland Hospital and Infirmary To-morrow the Temperance Guards' Band will play at the hospital and tho Watersiders' Silv.er Band at the infirmary. "Was it a regular Donnybrook ?" counsel asked a witness in the Police Court yesterday. Senior-Sergeant Edwards objected that the Court had. no definition of a Donnybrook. The magistrate, " Mr. Poynton: "Oh, we can take the common meaning of a Donnybrook. If you are at a fair and you see a head, hit it!" Traffic was hole! up for - about ten minutes at the foot of Queen . Street yesterday afternoon as the result of one of Winstone's waggons, which was carrying logs, becoming locked when turning from Quay Street into Queen Street. When the waggon 'came to rest ■ the logs stretched almost directly a crops Quay Street. The desirability of Auckland having a botanical garden is being urged by the Auckland Horticultural Society, which suggests the City Council should set up a committee to consult with other bodies in the matter and come to- a decision as to a; suitable site. The' Auckland Institute decided yesterday to lend its support to the proposal. - A ' V ' " ' ' :- . ... ''■ .

For the second time in the History of Palmerston North, a fire bell is now tolling from a church ; belfry. The first occasion was when All Saints' Church was equipped with the bell which the brigade had discarded in favour of a larger and jnore far-reaching fire alarm. Now St, Patrick's Church is possessed of the second bell, which on this occasion, has been succeeded-by the. fire. siren. The bell was placed in position last week, and was rung for the first time on. Sunday.

What might be termed adding insult to injury is the action of residents in a certain county adjacent' to Timaru where a' private bus has commenced in opposition, to the raflway. Not content with railing their luggage to Timaru. -and travelling themselves in the bos,- they also avail themselves of the comfort of the raflway waiting-room fire pending the appearance of the bus. A railway employee wjas heard to remark: " This is making.it a bit too hot." '