LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19502, 4 December 1926, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

While travelling in Parnell Road from the direction of Newmarket shortly be- I fore five o'clock last evening, a taxi-cab swerved sharply, to the left to avoid a car emerging from the Domain Drivo. The car skidded, turned completely over and came to rest with its wheels in the air. The driver was uninjured and although the windscreen was smashed there, was practically no other damage. The car was soon righted and was removed to a garage. The street appeal made yesterday by the Auckland Play Association for the purpose of forming a community club realised £292. The amount is not yet_ complete as seven returns have yet t.o come, principally from stalls on the North Shore. Mrs. N. E. Ferner, president of the association, in expressing pleasure at the result of the appeal, said the arrangements had been well carried out and thanks were due to the volunteer workers who had so willingly assisted the association. Shipping in Auckland will be busy during the early part of next week. To-mor-row the Omaria is expected from Australia and the Trewdrlas from Naw York. On Monday the Niagara is due from Vancouver, the Tongariro from London and the Canadian Scottish from Napier. On Tuesday the Marama will arrive from Sydney, the Otaki from Dunedin and the Waipahi from Southern ports. Later in the week, the Dewey will arrive from Pacific Coast poH.s, the Foreric from Texas, the Canadian Spinner from Halifax and the Tainui from South. A' gift of £SOOO has been made to Wellington by Mr. George Shirtcliffe for the purpose of equipping children's play areas. The City Council decided to submit proposals to Mr Shirtcliffe for the laying out of a play area with suitable apparatus in Grand Road reserve at a cost not exceeding £1501), in Central Park at a cost not exceeding ,£IOOO, and in the Basin Reserve at a cost of £SOO The remaining, £2OOO is to be retained for subsidising, £ for £, any money raised , by,, district associations for equipping play areas in their districts, every such. application to be approved by Mr Shirtcliffe, and no association to receive more than £SOO. A fire in the chimney of a sevenroomed house at 40, Epsom Avpnue, Epsome, owned and occupied by Mr. H. Kirk, was responsible for an alarm being given to the Remuera Brigade early last evening. The outbreak was subdued ' before damage resulted. Poor patronage was extended the special excursion train which left Auckland! for Rotorua at 10.20 last evening. There were only 14 passengers, including four in the first-class, and several of them wore, for intermediate stations. Week end excursion fares were offered by the Railway Department in an endeavour to tttract patronage. The train is due at Rotorua at 5.50 this morning and will leave on the return journey at 10.30 tomorrow evening, arriving at Auckland at 5.46 on Monday morning. The excursion is an experimental one to test the probable i traffic on the route. The opiriipn has been expressed that the present is not the most suitable opportunity for. testing the scheme, as, owing to the near approach of the Christmas holidays, many people would not be attracted by the excursion until two or three weeks hence. The first supplies of apricots this season brought high prices at the Auckland city markets yesterday. Plums suitable for cooking were eagerly sought by buyers, although the dessert variety was not available in large quantities.. Coloured plums sold up to 14s a case. • 'There was also a good demand for local cherries, which are coming in more freely. When trolling in Rangatira Bay, Taupo, the launch Sunbeam caught 44 fish:with three rods in one day. The launch Whizbang caught 24 fish in two hours at the mouth of one of the streams running into the lake. The service, officer of the Amrkiaucl Automobile-, Association telegraphs from Rotorua that the Maniaku Bush Road is now dry/ there being oat? mile of the new formation without a hard surface. The contract/?- u, working overtime to complete the work before Christmas, Motorists are advised to keep off the road if s»y j rain falls. "People seem to be under the impression that owing to the exceptionally large shipment of bananas brought by the Tofua this week prices will fall shortly," stated a prominent Auckland importer yesterday. "As a matter of fact, the 25,000 cases landed will have to meet the demand for the whole of New Zealand until well over Christmas. A few small shipments may arrive, but these will not affect the market price. Furthermore, a large proportion of the new importation is still green and will, be stored;"' The question of permitting picture theatres to .be open on Christmas Day was taken to a division by the Wellington City Council, Mr. Meadowcroft remarking that he wished to test the feeling of the meeting on a recommendation by the by-laws'committee that authority, should be granted for theatres to be open subject to the programmes' being approved by tie town clerk. Pictures on Christmas Day, he said, had" been rejected in ! one of the other cities. , The amendment to the motion for the adoption of the clause was defeated by 13 to 2. Since the commencement of operations the .Wellington Acclimatisation Society has distributed a large number of trout fry in the streams in its district, and the total released will shortly, reach 1,125,000 brown trout fry and 75.000 rainbow trout fI T- . .. The salving of the old . W.iiapa Bridge, at the Tikitiki Crossing, Waiiapu County, which was washed away : in the big flood which occurred some years ago, has been attended with excellent results Approximately £SOOO worth of hardwood timber has been recovered, in addition to a con siderable quantity of iron work, and the material ia>. now. being uised for ~-fehe bridging of smaller streams m the Waiapu County The salvage operations entailed a good deal of heavy work, as some of the spans had' been carried down to the mouth of_ the river. •'Parliament is a most curious place," remarked the Minister of" Education, Hon. R A Wright, at a gathering of women m Wellington on Tuesday evening. "You ladies who have taken seats in the s;a)lery have probably noticed when you j;o in at 2.30 that Mr. Speaker opens the Hoire with praver. You are allowed in to hear at, but the men are excluded. I once 1 inquired the cause of this distinction and I was told—l do hot assert it myself—that the reason was that Mr Speaker believes that the tallies f fsew Zeaiaftd need the < prayers o!i tie House more than the gentlemen!". j