LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19417, 27 August 1926, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

After an absence of four months, H.M.S. Laburnum will return to port this morning from ,Suva. The warship left Auckland on April 26 and has cruised extensively in the Pacific Islands. During the earlier part of the trip she acted as escort to the steamer Tutanekai with the Governor-General and party on board. No trace has been found of Mr. -Archibald Winstanley, aged 22, who left his home in Campbell Road, Royal Oak, at 7 o'clock on Tuesday evening. It is thought Mr. Winstanley may be suffering from loss of memory due to overstudy, as he was stated to have been missing for a, short while under similar circumstances in Whangarei about a year ago. \ . . . An optimistic view of the state of New ■ Zealand's timber trade is taken by Mr. L. Macintosh Ellis, Director of Forestry. "It is gratifying to find," said Mr. Ellis yesterday, "that the trade, while not quite as buoyant as last year and in previous years, is substantially and fundamentally sound. Recent trade statistics show the diminution in production is very small compared with the same period of last year. This is an indication of individujd confidence in our own native timbers which are without question infinitely superior to anything produced outside the Dominion." A chimney fire at the residence of Mr. E. Strong, in New North Road, resulted in the Mount Albert fire brigade receiving a call at 6 o'clock last evening. The fire was quickly suppressed and no damage was done. When describing the hardships he had to face in some of his missions Gipsy Smith mentioned in his address last evening that he had been away from his wife for 15 years out of 20. "Keep it up, sir," shouted a voice from the back of the hall. Quick as a flash came the reply: "I would if I had a wife like yours."' ■ ■ ■" ' 1 ■ v 1 Fears that the New, Zealand League football team which is to tour England would be temporarily held up in Canada have been allayed by receipt of a cablegram stating the team sailed by the Minnedosa from Montreal for England at midnight on Wednesday. A five-valve wireless receiving set and loud speaker has been presented to the Jubilee Institute for the Blind by Wade and Company, Limited. The set has been ejected in the men's quarters and several programmes from the Auckland and Australian stations have been heard. V' • . : , The system of nominated passengers from England has been responsible for a great many cases of unemployment and hardship, states the annual, report of the Overseas Department •of the Auckland Y.W.C.A. Many people gaily nominate friends or acquaintances from the Old Land without realising that by so doing they take on themselves the responsibility of finding employment for . these people, often with the result that there is a considerable period of unemployment for t'ha new arrivals, and, what is often worse, the creation of a spirit of grumbling. However, the Government is now tightening up the regulations regarding nomination, and is, insisting on the right people fading the responsibility. '' " ' A contract for planting 30,000 pinus insignis trees on the open lands on the Kaitake Ranges immediately, adjoining the forest reserve has been let by the Egmont National Park Poard. The preparatory work was started by the contractors this week, and it is hoped to complete the clearing and planting early in October. The diamond jubilee of St.* Cecilia's Convent, Church Street, Otahuhu, will be celebrated to-morrow. The building was erected in 1866 .and in those days was used as a parish school for boys and girls. Since then it has been added to considerably and is'now used as a convent for girls. The number on the roll is 150 and the teaching staff comprises six sisters.: a .. The annual report of the New. Zealand Golf Association states that during the past year 17 clubs joined and three resigned. The membership at the close of the year stood at 123, as against 109 last year and 101 in 1924. A theft, which for bare-faced impudence would be hard to equal anywhere, was committed at Masterton the other 'night. A car-owner, -.on entering his garage, was amazed to find that the rim and tyre of one of the front wheels of his car had been removed.' Further examinated revealed that the wheel had been lifted by means of a jack. The thief was evidently of a fastidious turn of mind, for he left untouched the spare rim and tyre on the back, of the car, which was a bit the worse foV wear, in preference for the one he'-took, which was practically new. An Ashburton tobacconist discovered the other morning how easy it might be for some. unwelcome visitor to unlock the front door of his shop during his absence and help himself to whatever valuables he chose to take away. Rather breathless after a hurried breakfast and walk to his place, of business, the tobacconist found that he had left his keys at his house. Rather vexed with himself, he informed a customer who was waiting on the footpath that he have to return for them. " Try mine," sai4 the wouldbe purchaser of cigarettes, as he drew from his pocket a key which he handed to the shopkeeper. It slid into the lock easily and to the surprise of both the door was thrown open in a twinkling. A Foxton resident met with a startling experience the other evening. Being unaware of a leaking gas pipe in one of the rooms of his residence, he went in search of something with a candle. An explosion followed which resulted in his receiving head injuries. The window of the room was blown out. A wily Maori, with an ingratiating smile, which hid a more or less unscrupulous nature, did a roaring business at last Saturday's Ranfurly Shield match at Napier, says a Napier paper. Taking his stand near the main entrance gate he told a tale of woe to all likely-looking victims. He had no money and had walked miles into town to see the match but could not get in. To those sporting the Auckland colours he inferred that nothing would please him so much as to see the northerners take away the shield with thein, while to those sporting the popular black and white, Hori was vehement in patriotic assertions. The scheme was successful and the artful Maori garnered in quite a,harvest of shillings and florins.