LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19452, 7 October 1926, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The back-firing of the engine of a fourseater motor-car, owned by Mr. H. Alexander of New Lynn, was responsible for the City Fire Brigade receiving a call to Ppnsonby Road yesterday afternoon. Before the arrival of the brigade the fire had been suppressed with the aid of an extinguisher. Slight damage was done to the upholstery and floor boards. The insurances are not available.

Dates for the Christmas vacation in primary schools wero approved by the Auckland Education Board yesterday. Schools will close on Friday, December 17, and reopen on Monday, January 31, providing a holiday of six weeks.

A total of 388 watches was found missing from a caso containing originally 538, which was delivered to Messrs. J. Yock and Company, indent merchants, Commorco Street, yesterday. The loss is attributed to the work of skilful pillagers. The case was shipped on the lonic at Antwerp and tho loss is estimated at £2OO. How the watches were removed from the case is a mystery. The 12 seals and the sealed ropo round tho box were apparently untouched. All the boxes from which the watches had been removed were neatly placed back again. Two large cobblestones had been placed in tho case with the idea of dispelling any suspicion of light-weight. The presence of theso stones leads to the belief that they were put there in Antwerp. Satisfactory progress is being made with the construction of the traffic bridge across tho Mokau River connecting the King Country with Taranaki, and it is expected that the bridge will bo available for use at Easter. In the meantime, the Public Works Department is keeping the ferry in repair, and tho convenience of the travelling public is being given every consideration. Entries received in Auckland for tho scholarship and free placo examinations this year show an increase over those received last year. At a meeting of tho Education Board yesterday it was stated that 1064 entries had been received for the junior scholarship, 89 for junior free place and 333 for senior scholarship examinations. Tho figures last year wero 959, 68 and 301 respectively. Thirteen grouso have arrived for liberation in tho Tongariro National Park. They were hand-reared under the personal supervision of Lady Liverpool and aro the gift of Lady Liverpool to the Prime Minister, Mr. Coates. Only one. bird died on the voyage and 13 arrived at the park in excellent condition. Mr. J. Cullen, honorary warden of the park, has taken charge of the birds and is very hopeful that they will acclimatise well. • They will be kept in captivity for a few days until they become accustomed to their new surroundings. The gates will then be left open at night and the birds will be able to escape at will. The handsome new club premises in High Street of the Auckland Commercial Travellers' and Warehousemen's Association aro to be officially opened on Saturday afternoon by the Hon. G. J. Anderson, Minister of Labour. It was hoped the Hon. Downie Stewart, acting-Prime Minister, would havo been able to perform the ceremony, but advice has been received that he is unable to come to Auckland, and that -Mr. Anderson will come North in his stead. It is likely that another member of the Cabinet, the Hon. O. J. Hawken, Minister of Agriculture, will also be present. The official opening will take place at 2.30 on Saturday afternoon, after which tho guests will be given an opportunity of inspecting the promises, and will.be ■entertained at afternoon tea. There will be a further gathering in the evening, when there will be a reception and social evening. A keen sonse of humour is possessed by the new Minister of Public Works, Hon. K. S. Williams. At Thames yesterday Mr. T. W. Rhodes, tho local member of Parliament and the Mayor of the borough, had expatiated on tho trials of the settlers of Hikuai, duo to lack of access, and he concluded by saying: "My heart bleeds for them, sir, every time I go out there. I hope you will do something for them, sir." With a twinkle in his eye, Mr. Williams replied: " I suppose if wo don't do something pretty soon you will bleed to death." The unfavourable weather which has marked the opening of the fishing season has militated against the success of anglers in the Auckland Acclimatisation Society's district, but some good sport is reported to have been obtained in tho Waipa River. One Auckland fisherman caught eight trout averaging 31b. each in the river on Saturday. Tho collection of £2400 in rates during the month of September constitutes a record for the Matamata Town District. This success is attributed in part to the offer of the 5 per ceut. rebato, which is made for the payment of rates within six months. An agreement in the grocers' assistants' dispute on all clauses except wages was reported in tho Arbitration Court yesterday. Mr. J. 11. Mortenson appeared for tho union, and Mr. S. E. Wright for the employers. Mr. E. W. Indcr applied for exemption for the storekeepers of Kohimarama and St. Heliors. It was explained tho main exemption sought by these shopkeepers was in respect of tho Saturday half-holiday, and that tho Court bad.granted it on the previous occasion. " I thought you had too much water on the plains," said tho Hon. K. S. Williams, Minister of Public Works, at Thames yesterday to a deputation from the Hauraki County Cotincil, when asked to expedite tho giving of tho consent required to enable the settlers to proceed with tho scheme of obtaining water for stock and domestic purposes from the Waitakaruru Stream. Tho deputation agreed that in some respects tho Hauraki Plains had too much water but it was not suitable for stock and domestic use, especially late in tho summer. Mr. C. J. Parfitt said tho settlers had given their approval to the raising of tho loan required. Tho Minister said ho would do what ho could to meet tho wishes of the deputation. Arrears of maintenance on« an order made some years ago were mentioned at tho Gisborne Magistrates Court last week in a case relating lo the separation of a man and his wife. Tho magistrate did not catch the amount mentioned by counsel. " How much, Mr. Burnard ? ho asked- " Nine hundred pounds," replied counsel for the wife in the case. Tho magistrate later made an order reducing the arrears to £SO, observing that if they made defendant liable for more " a million would not be less within his powor to pay." Mr. Burnard concurred m this view, and agreed on behalf of tho wife to a 25 per cent, reduction of the weekly payments.