LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19416, 26 August 1926, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The motor-car belonging to Miss Gill, of Remuera, which was unlawfully removed from Norana Avenue, Remuera, on Tuesday evening, was found abandoned near the top of Victoria Avenue yesterday morning. The car. was not damaged. A chimney fire in a fruit shop at 429, Mount Eden Road, occupied by Mr. F. Buckingham, was responsible for a call to the Mount Eden brigade early yesterday afternoon. The brigade also received a false alarm to Marsden Avenue, about eight o'clock last evening. Both the Parnell and Remuera brigades turned out to a rubbish fire on the property of Mr. J. W. Kinder, 61, Arney Road. The outbreak was quickly suppressed without any damage being done. The expresses which left for the south last evening were well filled. In addition to the ordinary number of passengers there were parties of 31 Flock House boys, 12 youths for farm work brought out under the Salvation Army scheme, and 26 domestins. The domestics and farm workers are all going to situations in different parts of the North Island.

A contention that because his car was fitted with four-wheel brakes it did not present a danger to pedestrians, was advanced by a young man in the Police Court yesterday, when charged with dangerous driving. "Oh," remarked Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., "people will step off the footpath, see a car almost on top of them, and with ,great relief, say, 'lt is. all right. Thank God it is a .' " (Laughter.) A fine of £1 with costs was imposed.

That English was fast becoming the universal language was stated yesterday by Sir Roderick Jones, manager of Reuters, Limited, who is passing through Wellington on a world tour. He said no other .language was taught in the schools of the United States and that English was in general use in India,,. China and Japan. When the Germans sent out their propaganda they did so. not In German, but in the English language. hat, in itself, \sis significant of' its universal nature.

The water supply of the North Shore boroughs from Lake Pupuke and the effect upon property-owners of the Health Department's restrictions on building on the lake watershed -will shortly be investigated by a commission.' Advice wus received by the Takapuna Borough Council last evening from the Director-General rtf Health that it had been definitely arranged that a commission would shortly sit in Auckland to consider these matters among others.

" Shall we call it the Old Thames Girls' Reunion?" asked Mrs. Woolley, chairman of a preliminary meeting held yesterday to consider the holding of an annual reunion of the ladies of .the old Thames clan. A little ripple of laughter passed found the room as the chairman put the question with a slight emphasis on the "girls." " Well, wouldn't, th?; Thames Old Girls be better?" asked one elderly matron doubtfully, but an emphatic chorus of " Noes!" left no doubt as to the feeling of the majority of those prespnt. It was decided the reunion should be held next Thursday in Scots Hq.ll, a small committee being appointed to arrange 'details.

, .It. i» expected the railway overhridge ' in- Victoria;.<.Orescent,VNewmarket, h*> completed in about five weeks. A progress report on the work was last evening submitted to the Newmarket Rorough Council by .the borough engineer. He stated that in ord.er to facilitate the deposit of tilling at Short Street intersection it would be necessary within" ,the' next fortnight to close Victoria Crescent to traffic/ The portions of the approaches - likely to settle should be left to consolidate for another winter. The council t authorised the engineer to proceed with, plans and specifications for work in Short Street, Victoria Street and the northern to the bridge at Carlton Road and to call for tenders. !

There is a small boy in Patea who should mate his v, r ay in the world if resourcefulness counts for anything. Faced with the problem of. carrying a number of bottles which he \vas selling for pocket money, and also at the same time retaining control of an old motor tyre that he prized as a hoopi he was suddenly struck \yith a brilliant idea. Placing the bottles inside the tyre and wedging them in tightly, he gaily trundled the lot in approved hoop fashion, arriving at, his destination . promptly' and with his load intact.

When hearing evidence at Whangarei one, day this week. Mr. F. H. Levien, S.M., was interrupted- by. a' noisy motorcyclist outside the Court: He was about to .-.speak when the', engine. q{ " the cycle started up' in ar manner reminiscent of machine-gun' fire at. close quarters. The magistrate jiskeal if . the borough traffic inspector was about. The police took the hint and a sequel to the occurrence will be the appearance at the next Court of the offending cyclist. The effect on the( cable services of the progress made in wireless telegraphy were referred, to yesterday by Sir Roderick ■Jones, manager of Reuters, Limited, who ■is in Wellington, in the course of a world; tour. ..'He,.saidthat in, the course, of five or 10 years wreless was going to have an enormous influence in the world's .inter-communication- services. Bo convinced had Reuters, become of this that they had a department of experts, who watched and "studied the progress of wireless and .the direction of that progress. There-, was ;no question. of supplanting . cabin: services.*' which—were absolutely indispensable ' and would become more ,and more ko, _as . they " were being improved in ; efficiency every year. The most that one could say with confidence concerning l wireless services was that they would supplement the cable services. Some particulars 'of the progress made by the prisoners at the Panama Prison at . the school -that has been established there are given in the annua! report on the'' institution. 'The' "'report states: — ■ " The aim.of the school has been to work up to the standard of proficiency certificate in 'the"'"primary"-schools, - and during the'hear ten reached this standard. The previous attainments "of those entering the class for the year were much before those of former years—the majority not being beyond Standard 111. -Though some were poorly equipped educationally to meet the needs of every-day life, progress was fairly rapid in arithmetic, geography and English. Two in the class who made the [post progress were a Maori and a Chinese. The Maori- advanced from Standard 111. to Standard VI., and the Chinese from Standard I. to Standard IV. A pleasing feature of the work was-that the interest was well maintained, and the men looked forward to the school work as a pleasant chango in their prispn life."