LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19508, 11 December 1926, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The Ulimaroa sailed from Sydney at one o'clock yesterday afternoon for Wellington. She is due ou Tuesday.

After two years and eight months service on the New Zealand station, H.M.S. Dunedin, flagship of the squadron will sail for England on January 27 to refit. She will travel via Panama, and is expected to return to New Zealand nest July. While the cruiser is in England the members of the crew whose time has expired will be replaced by a new draft.

The approach ,of ; was heralded in no uncertain: manner in Queen Street, last ; evening, when the Friday night crowd was considerably larger than usual. The pavements were thronged. In the shops, business appeared to be brisk, and judging from the number of childish noses pressed against window panes the question of how Santa Claus is going to fill Young Auckland's stockings is beginning to receive earnest attention.

Strawberries are now at their best and a high standard of quality should be retained until the new-year, when the season will be drawing to a close.' Berries were in excellent condition and realised from lOd to Is 5d a, chip at the Auckland City Markets yesterday. With this fruit there can be no stability of price owing to rapid fluctuation in supply and demand, but it is stated that prices will ease again shortly.

To.the rousing music of "Sons of the Sea," played with all the vigour "of which a ship's band is capable, a party of Jack Tars from the ships of the New Zealand division of the Royal Navy marched through the city yesterday morning. In columns of fours, .with rifles perfectly sloped, the men swung through the streets with the picturesque gait characteristic of the British sailor. In the beautiful summer weather they mado a fine picture, and an cccasiional cheer broke out from the crowds which lined Queen Street watching them on their way back to the ships. The route march was taken through Beach Road, Stanley Street, Domain Drive, Park Road, Karangahape Road, and then clown Queen Street to the Admiralty steps.

" This is one of the offences where they never coruo back a second, time," remarked Mr. F. Iv. Hunt, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday when dealing with a motorist who crossed the railway line in front of a train. "No we have aever had a second offender," said Mr. Gould, who appeared for the Railway Department. The magistrate explained the reason, stating that whenever a convicted motorist caught sight of a raiiway line he thought of his fine. Referring to the case under consideration he said he would impose , a fine of £3, adding " whenever defendant sees a railway line he will think of this £3."

Fishing in the Waikato River above the Arapuni hydro-electric construction works a few days ago a party of anglers landed 18 trout, all in good condition. Another pairty secured 11, nearly all of them on tlie fly.

A neat tribute to the commercial integrity of Auckland, was paid by Mr. H. L. Johnson yesterday afternoon, in replying to a presentation made by members of the tea trade, m view of his impending departure for South Africa. Speaking as one of the third generation of his family who had been interested^in tea in Loadon, M!r. Johnson said that since he arrived in Auckland 13 years ago, ho had never had a, draft turned down, nor a contract disputed. "You gentlemen belong to an honourable profession, and you have fully maintained its high traditions," he added.

The Magistrate's Court at Mercer is to bo closed and the final sitting there was taken by Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M., this week. In future casesi from the northern section of the Mercer district will go to Pukekohe, and cases south of the township will be dealt with at Huntly. "I very strongly object to being kept waiting," said Mr. Justice Reed when ho took his seat on the bench at the Supreme Court yesterday morning, ten minutes after the appointed time. "No Court has started at 10 o'clock since I have been here," His Honor continued. "In no othor part of the country docs this -happen. It, is not showing proper respect to the Court. If counsel had asked me I should have had no hesitation in giving judgment by default." Mr. A H. Johnstone, counsel for the plaintiff in the first case, stated that he had been ready in Court at 10 o'clock. Mr. J. J. Sullivan, for the defendants, said that his clients were Indians, and had supposed that they had to attend at the Magistrate's Court. He had been to blame, but not wilfully, and he wished to apologise.

The foundation-stone of the new Catholic school in Wellington Street will be solemnly blessed and laid by Bishop Cileary to-morrow afternoon. During his speech Bishop Cleary will make special reference to the Religious Exercises in Schools Bill from the Roman Catholic point of view.

" I think that a race meeting is the best way to entertain the Duke of York," said Mr. R. M. Macdonald, at a meeting of: the -Royal visit reception committee in Christchurch. Mr. Macdonald said a race meeting would be more entertaining for the Duke than a garden fete, and it would give more people an opportunity of seeing him. The Mayor, Rev. J. K. Archer, who presided, replied that the programme committee had already considered . and discarded the idea of a race meeting. After other speakers had expressed approval of the suggestion the question was referred to the 'programme committee for further consideration.

It has often been declared that New Zealand judges are over-worked. Mr. Justice Reed, in the Supreme Court yesterday, let fall some remarks which semed to support the allegation. Counsel expressed a wish to call a Wellington witness this morning, whereupon His Honor said that he did not propose to sit the next day. "I am not in favour of sitting on Saturdays," he explained "I am a strong believer in the five-day week, especially when one has to work on the sixth and seventh days to prepare for the others. Unfortunately it does not mean that one does not work on Saturdays." It was agreed that the witness should remain in Auckland until Monday.

The goods traffic by rail from the West Coast to Canterbury last week was a record, a total of 12,815 tons passing through the Otira Tunnel. Timber and coal formed the great bulk of the freight Compared with the figures for the corresponding period of last year there was a substantial decrease in the number of passengers carried.