LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19510, 14 December 1926, Page 12

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The hospital authorities reported last evening that each of the seven patients admitted as the result of accidents on Saturday is progressing satisfactorily. No less than five persons were injured in motor-car mishaps within the city boundaries on that day. The intercolonial cargo steamer Omana, which was dama.ged when she collided with the Central Wharf on Sunday morning, will be temporarily repaired at Auckland to enable her to proceed to Sydney, where she will have her bow repaired in dock She is expected to sail about the end of the week for Opua to complete loading timber for Australia. Additional contributions to the building fund of the Auckland University College announced at yesterday's meeting of the College Council were sums of £250 from Hancock and Co., Ltd., £2150 from the New Zealand Insurance Co., and £1)0 from an anonymous donor. The council placed on record its appreciation of tlife : gifts. The New Zealand Shipping Company's steamer Eimutaka, which caught fire in the 'tween decks 11 days after she had left Auckland on October 26, arrived at London last Saturday. After the fire the master reported by wireless that considerable damage had been done to the cargo and insulation. Before the fire was extinguished some of the cargo had i to be jettisoned. "I recently learned that the superintendent of the State Advances Office did not prove a debt in bankruptcy, and that a petition in bankruptcy does not release a debtor from liability with respect to a State Advances mortgage," remarked Mr. V. H. Sanson, deputy-official assignee, during the examination of a bankrupt at a meeting of creditors in Hamilton yesterday. "That is so," said a representative of the Auckland Land Board. Housing schemes were the subject of brief reference in a report made to the Auckland University College Council yesterday by Professor C. R. Knight, professor of architecture, on the subject of his visit to southern centres. "This 'Js one of the first attempts in this country of housing the workers By means of a comprehensive housing scheme," he remarked, of the scheme undertaken by the Lower Hutt Borough Council. "The result confirms my belief that housing schemes designed and built as such are the economic, means of providing congenial homes at small rentals for the lower-paid workers in this country. I could criticise details of construction adversely, but tho fact remains that congenial, pleasant homes are provided at a rental of 25s a week, which pays interest and sinking fnnd on tho capital invested."- Professor Knight added that Auckland was undoubtedly erecting buildings at a faster rate than any other city, but much interesting building was going on in the South, particularly in Christcliurch. A further draft of 378 immigrants from England arrived at Wellington by this Mataroa yesterday. Ninety-five were booked for Auckland, 125 for Wellington, 29 for Lyttelton, 73 for Port Chalmerii and the remainder for various other partii of New Zealand. The 30 boys who arrived by the Mataroa for Flock House bring the number who have now been brought out under this scheme to 270. The district engineer of Public Works at Stratford, Mr. T. B. Ball, has reported that the road through Tongarakan Gorge, via Te Kuiti, Ohura and Whangamomona, which was! damaged by winter storms, is being repaired by the department, which has a gang of 16 men engaged. The latest advice was that the road would be passable in a week and should be in good order for the Christmas, holidays. There was a unique happening in the cricket match between Templeton and Marist Brothers in the junior city and. suburban match played at Templeton on Saturday, telegraphs our Chrishchurch correspondent. In Marist's first innings the " hat trick" was performed twice by different bowlers. There is no record in Wisden of this feat ever having been performed previously. An arrival at Auckland this afternoon, according to her wireless report, will be the French warship Cassiopee from the Eastern Pacific. She is coming for overhaul and refitting. On arrival she will anchor in the stream and will remain there until she goes into dock on Thursday morning. On December 23 she sails for Dunedin, where she stays for seven •days before continuing the voyage to Australia. That American workmen are content to give of their best because they know they are being paid the highest wages in the world, is the opinion of Mr. F. W. Luke, civil engineer, who has returned to Wellington from San Francisco. Mr. Luke said there was no restriction of output in the factories of America. The idea was to reduce manufacturing costs by large output and rely on the increased demand following low prices. "Strangely enough," said Mr. Luke, "I never heard a word against the capitalist, and I mixed with all kinds of men on my trip across the States." American traditions had much to do with the equality between master and men. The question of what to give for Christmas seems to be exercising people's minds earlier this year than usual, telegraphs our Wellington correspondent. At any rate, many shops are full of people making purchases which are usually deferred until much nearer Christmas Eve. While this may be due to the fact that people who will be travelling at Christmas wish to settle the seasonal gift problem before they go, the volume of trade already is such as to warrant a good Christmas from the shopkeepers' point of vi,ew. The pursuit of a rabbit by a stoat held the attention of a Wanganui motorist the other day. He had left his car and was standing under some trees waiting for a shower to pass over, when he saw the stoat start its chase after the frightened rabbit. The quarry foolishly did not run directly away—it could have outdistanced its pursuer in a straight race—but exhausted itself in dodging about. Consequently the stoat was finally able to seize it by the back of the neck and give it a quick despatch, A vote of thanks to all who have contributed to the dental clinic fund of the Grey Lynn School was passed at a meeting of the school committee last evening. Tenders for a somewhat larger building than originally planned were invited, and the committee undertook to raise an additional quota of the cost if further support is not forthcoming. The estimated cost of the building is £320, and the amount already subscribed exceeds £BO.