LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19470, 28 October 1926, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The poll of ratepayers on the proposal to raise a loun of £175,000 —acquisition by the Takapuna Borough of the Takapuria Tramway Company's tramline and ferry fleet, and th© electrification of the tramline, is to be taken on November 26, or as soon after as practicable. A resolution to this effect was adopted by the Borough Council last evening, subject to the town clerk being able to arrange the date. It is unlikely that any additions will bo made this year to the Auckland Supremo Court buildings. This statement is made in a letter received by Mr. W. E. Parry, M.P., from the Hon. R. F. Bollard, Minister of Internal Affairs, on behalf of the Hon. K. S. Williams, Minister of Public Works. It had been suggested by a deputation on the subject of unemployment that work could be found for men on the proposed additions. The letter states: "It is not expected that steps will be taken this year to proceed with the erection of additions to the Supremo Court building, owing to the lack of funds and to the necessity for dealing with more urgent building requirements." Owing to the spread of Auckland's population to outlying districts the Police Department has found it necessary to open a station at Papatoetoe, and a constable has taken up his residence there. Superintendent Wohlmann states the new station has proved necessary partly on account of the increased traffic on the Great South Road, and it will supply a missing link between Otahuhu and Papakura. An important dedication to the Takapuna Borongh of foreshore land hitherto vested in the Auckland Harbour Board was received by the Borough Council last evening. The area transferred is the head of the inlet of Shoal Bay which runs up to the mouth of the sewage tunnel at the foot of Northborough Road, and also the fringe of foreshore which extends past the back of the cemetery to Bayswater. Under the townplanning scheme submitted last year by the borough engineer, Mr. A. Slinger, the land so acquired will in course of time afford a new short-cut approach to central Takapuna. "If I should be born -again, I should be a Zulu," declared Mr. H. A. 1 oung, S.M., in an address to members of the Canterbury Justices of the Peace Association at Christclmrch. They had no wants, he explained, and were convinced that civilisation only increased tine's wants. By eating plain foods and li v 'ing a natural life they enjoyed splendid health, had no need for dentists and lived to a ripe old age. The young men sometimes entered the service of Europeans with a view to earning sufficient money with which to buy cattle, which was the sole means of wealth in Zululand. The young women also worked for white people at times. In every case, however, when they returned to their own people they went back to their original habits. M r - Young, said he had never come across an insane Zulu. The natives lived a natural life and did not allow marriage between blood relations. Many matters of interest to those responsible .for the management of museums will be ventilated at the forthcoming conference of museum curators and others, to bo held in Wellington next week. Representatives of 12 museums will be present, as well as representatives from the Board of Maori Ethnological Research. Ideas will be exchanged upon museum management and an agreement reached, it is hoped, on the question of the exchange of Maori curios. What is desired is some arrangement under which the larger museums will not send _ Maori curios out of the country for exchange with other museums until they are satisfied that other New Zealand museums do not require the specimens. " The board even refused to provide a cupboard for the headmaster to house some pictures used to illustrate the lessons," said Mr. A. Brockie at the householders' meeting at Brixton Road School on Tuesday evening. The headmaster's room resembled more a second-hand shop owing to the lack of a very necessary cupboard. The hoard had stated the schedule did not provide for picture cupboards. Five stewards belonging to the steamer Manuka were apprehended by the police at Bluff one evening last week as they were proceeding from the wharf toward the town carrying some packages. A search revealed a quantity of sandwiches, tea, sugar, milk and fruit. They were charg;ed with theft from the Union Steam Ship Company. It transpired that the goods were being taken to a social which the stewards had arranged to hold on shore. Three men were each fined £1 and the charges against the other two were dismissed. The district engineor of the Public Works Department, Mr. F. S. Dyson, lias advised the Bay of Plenty Development League that the matter .of improving th» Tauranga-Waihi main highway will be discussed with the Tauranga County Council and an endeavour will be made to \ have matters improved before next winter. "What have you in that book ?" asked Mr. Adams of the plaintiff in a compensation case at the Arbitration Court in Dunedin yesterday. " Oh, I keep in it a record of the accidents that I have had," ; replied witness, holding up a fairly large, and bulging notebook. Plaintiff certainly appeared to have had his fair share of misfortunes, but there was naturally a gasp of astonishment from the Court at the statement vouchsafed by this stoical witness, who seemed to regard accidents as merely normal happenings in the occupation he followed. "You are certainly a most industrious bookmaker," said Mr. Justice Frazer. Mr. Callan suggested that perhaps witness would hardly take it as a compliment to he referred to as "hookmaker." " Oh, I don't know," replied the Judge, with a smile. "I have been . taken for one myself." A consignment of 50 waxeyes, the small insectivorous birds common io New Zealand and Australia, is to be despatched by the Hinemoa next month to the Cook Islands. The order comes from the Cook Islands Administration and will be fulfilled by the Auckland Acclimatisation Society. The waxeye is a bird of dull greenish plumage and feeds largely upon tree blights, which is the reason it is being introduced to the Cook Islands. It is a New Zealand bird only by adoption, having come from . Australia about 1856. It first made its appearance near Stephens Island, where the Maoris named it the tauhou (stranger), and it was first noticed in 1 j the Auckland Province in 1865. J