LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19503, 6 December 1926, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

A case of infantile paralysis in Auckland has been notified to the Health Department, the patient being a boy aged eight or nine years, living in tho Parnell district. The case is not serious, one of the legs being affected. The boy is in tho Auckland Hospital and it. is considered there is every hope of his recovery. "There is no occasion for anxiety and this case is not at all significant," said Dr. T. J. Hughes, medical officer of health. "We are always likely to get sporadic cases of infantile paralysis." A motor-car, th« property of Mr. Hugh Wright, of 51, Remuera Boad, disappeared from Darby Street between 7.45 and 10.20 on Saturday evening. It was recovered yesterday afternoon in Surrey Stroet, Newton. It was undamaged, and had apparently been abandoned after about one and-half gallons of benzine bad been consumed. ■ A slight outbreak of fire occurred yesterday afternoon in the basement of a large wooden house in London Street, Ponsonby, occupied by Mr. F. J. Cooper. The city and western districts brigades succeeded in keeping the flames beneath the house and the only damage was the partial burning of th floorboards. Tho fire is thought to have been caused by a spark from a copper. The double railway track between Penrose and Otahuhu was used for the first time yesterday arid the new line proved quite satisfactory. As the result of the duplication the double track now extends nine miles from Auckland. The duplication of the line to Papatoetoe is now to be pushed ahead and is expected to be completed during the coming year. The duplication will ensure more regular services for both through and suburban trains. The weather in Auckland continues to be very changeable and unsettled. The wind during tho week-end was moderate to fresh from the south-west and occasional showers fell. During intervals on Saturday tho sky cleared, but yesterday the weather was boisterous, and after mid-day the showers were frequent, and the wind, very squally. The barometer was practically steady at 29. &oin. from mid-day on Thursday until yesterday afternoon. It fell then to 29.70 in., but in the evening rose again to 29.80 in. Inmates of the Jubilee Institute for the Blind will give a concert to be broadcasted from the Auckland Rftdio Broadcasting Station on Thursday evening. This is the first entertainment of its kind to bo broadcasted in Auckland and is creating considerable interest). Among the inmates of the institution are some very fine instrumentalists and vocalists. A feature of the entertainment will be the relay of organ solos played at St. Mary's Cathedral by the Rev. E. Chitty, tho blind curate of All Saints', Ponsonby. Special permission for the use of the organ has been obtained from Canon Percival Jame^s. Over 900 bags of mail from overseas will' be delivered in Auckland to-day and to-morrow. The Niagara will arrive from Vancouver this morning with a large amount of English and American mail, of which 505 bags are for Auckland. The Marama is due from Sydney to-morrow morning with 412 bags ' of English, Eastern and Australian mail, all for this port. The English mail is via Suez, and the southern portion will arrive at Wellington this morning by the Tahiti V

Owing to dissatisfaction with the manner in which the affairs of Northcote Borough have been conducted, Mr. F. J. Jackson has forwarded his resignation as a member of the council. Mr. Jackson intends .to contest the vacancy thus caused with a view to securing an expression ,of opinion from the ratepayers. He will contest the election on the single issue that the interests of the borough would be better served if the position of town clerk were filled by a clerk with engineering qualifications. The dressed weight of twelve fat bullock)! bought in the Te Awamutu district recently by a Taumarunui butchery firm averaged 10621b. This is considered a remarkable average for a line of twelve bullocks from one farm. Arrangements for the Westport diamond jubilee are progressing satisfactorily. says a Press Association message. A number of settlers who arrived in the district in 1866. are still there, while other 3 who were there about that time, and who are now in other parts of the Dominion, have intimated their intention of attending the jubilee. A slight decrease in the number of men seeking work is shown by the figures of the Auckland employment, bureau.* On Saturday the number on the roll was 605, compared with 613 .the previous Saturday. Employment was found for 43 men during the week. To-day is the ninth anniversary of the declaration of independence of the Republic of Finland. To celebrate the occasion the flag of the Republic will be | flown from the offices of the Consulate. An unrehearsed incident at last week's breaking-np ceremony at the Wellington Training College caused much amusement. Just as Sir John Luke was beginning an address to the students, the green baize curtains in front of the stage began slowly to descend as if giv- , ing a gentle hint that no more speeches were wanted. But the falling draperies were stayed before they quite obliterated the august personages on the stage. "Never yet in Wellington," said Sir John Luke amid laughter, "has the curtain been rung down upon J. P. Luke." "1 did not speculate on the relative severity of the weather here and at home till I saw, on Littlo Barrier Island, trees actually growing on a few yards of beach between the ocean and the cliffs," says Mr. Conor O'Brien, in "Across Three Oceans," the record of the cruise round the world of the yacht Saoirse. "Then 1 said in my ignorance of the Southern Ocean that there was nothing like the North Atlantic. Certainly the North Island of New Zealand is not like it; the ffiings that sail and steam and motor round the coast here would not be allowed to go oat of harbour at home." Modern cars are smooth running. A Wanganui car owner the other day placed his spectacles on the guard of his car, and forgot all about them. Subsequently he drove his car into the city from Aramoho, paid several calls, and then returned his car to its shed when he got back home. Later he remembered about the spectacles, and went out to find them still balanced on the steel guard of the car. > .