LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19601, 1 April 1927, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

* All Fool?'. Day, popularly regarded, asi the one day in the year when perpetrators of practical jokes .are allowed unrestricted licence, will be celebrated today. Tradition has it, however, that noonday is the time-limit fixed for the cessation of all hoaxes, the originators of any after that time being regarded as " the greatest fool of all." I . ' ' '>?•*., •'.«? . • V >' Fewer peoplo arrived at Auckland from overseas last month than during March of last year. The arrivals last month totalled 1340, compared with 2701 in March, 1926, a decrease of 1361. Departures were also fewer, 1899 people leaving the port for overseas last month, compared with 2002 in March of last year, a decrease of 103. The demand for motor-drivers'' licences at tho city traffic department has kept seven clerks busy this week. Yesterday as many as 30 applicants were at tho counter at once, and some feats of caligraphy resulted. Those who could not find room at the desks supported application forms ori walls, windows, or the back of some agreeable neighbour. The application ; formdemanded details of, every Police Court conviction .relating to, speeding or negligent driving. . These indisqre-: j tions naturally became general knowledge amppig those,, using,; the, ~.community inkWell. The City Council will not enforce the law in respect to drivers' licences for at least a week.. The Takapuna case before the Transport Appeal Board will be the only one' taken 'at the present sittings.' Mr. Justice Frazer, president of the board, stated-yes-terday that he. had to leave for Palmerston North at the week-end. The remaining appeals would bo heard at the close of the Arbitration Court's next Auckland sessions, which will begin on April 26. The women's rest room, which has been erected, in Karangahape Road by . the City Council will be available for use in about ten days' time. The council decided last evening to appoint -two lady 'attendants, one of whom will be on duty, from 9 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. and the-other from 3.30 to 10 p.m. The furnishing of the rooms is to be carried oiii bysub-committee of the council and a committee of the Women's National Reserve. The reserve has donated £l5O toward .the cost of. the furnishings and the expenditure of the council is to be limited to ' a similar amount. An attendance of 20,794 persons was recorded at the Hamilton municipal baths during- the season winch closed yesterday. Of this number 2739 adults and 15 ; 568 .children paid for admission. The remainder were school children who attended in classes and w ere admitted 'free. The anomalous position of the Auckland City Council as tramway owner and licensing authority under the Motor Omnibus Traffic Act was '.again indicated yesterday, when Mr. V. R. Meredith, counsel in two appeal's fry/li.' if.'Keys, proprietor of the St. Heliers buses, respecting the council's Remuera, feeder bus service, suggested to the Appeal Board that as the council was respondent in the appeal it was appropriate that, someone other than Mr. A. Thompson, chairman of its Tramways Committee, sit as its nominee, on the board at the hearing., The president, Mr. Justice Frazer, remarked that the appeal could not. be Bjaard for some r weeEs, 1 -and "that 'the .matter, was 1 one for "consideration by the council. ". A statement that motor-car owners were not paying adequately; for the use of the roads was made by . Mr. F.f A. Snell at a meeting of the Hamilton Borough .Council. Mr. 1 Snell said that unless a 'tyre or petrol tax was introduced he did not know how local bodies could maintain the roads at a reasonably good standard.; Mr. O. R Farrer agreed with Mr. Snell, and said he thought the Government should be reminded that the Main Highways Board had only' expended half its available funds. He considered- that the board should take over all main roads through towns. It '<&aßdecided to approach the Government, expressing the views suggested by the speakers. Some amusement was caused at the meeting of the Auckland Presbyterian Office-Bearers' ? Association last -evening, when . the chairman, in explaining that tho annual subscription was 2s 6d, said he thought 5s would not be too much. "You seem to have left it open • for members to pay mora if they desire," said one member. A laugh went round the assembly, 1 which was composed mainly of Scotsmen. ■'Members should remember that at present I have'' absolutely nothing in hand," said tho newly-elected treasurer at a later stage of the meeting when the question of financing a large social function came up for discussion. Amid laughter a neighbour promptly put his hand into his pocket and thrust half-a-crown into the bewildered official's hand. A letter addressed 'to the "Thames Comedy Clnb" was'this : week placed in the post office mail box of the Thames | County Council. | Hearty congratulations on the manner in which he had carried out his duties while the Duke of York was in Christchurch were extended to the Mayor of Christchurch, Mr. J. K. Archer, by the Prime Minister," Mr. Coates, this week. "Yon made quite a; name for'yourself and I appreciate thoroughly what you did," was the Prime Minister's concluding remark. > ' ~' The life of a Prime Minister is strenuous, and oftentimes tiring, and in tho tour ot parts of Otago undertaken last week by Mr. Coates and the Hon K S Williams Thursday was -tho most arduous day. That moriling the party left Queenstown at 9 o'clock by motor ,ca.r Visits were paid to the Kawarau dam, and thereafter to Arrowtown, Pombroke, Ardgour, Cromwell, and Clyde, and at the majority of these places deputations were received it was not until a quarter past.that Clyde was gained. Shortly after 8 p.m. there was. a banquet to ~ celebrate the jubilee of the Vincent County Council. Speeches followed—26 in number—interspersed wish musical items, and it was half-past one on the .following morning when the assembly L rose, in an atmosphere'thick with smoke, to sing the National Anthem. Then the pr-rty went to Alexandra, and it was a thoroughly I tired and listless lot that sought a few hours' rest before setting out at 8.50 a.m. on a tour of the ' chstnct to ' the east i Mr. Coates and Mr. Williams stood up ! well to this test of endurance—indeed, i I the Prime Minister was among the first to appear m tho morning, looking none the worse lor his many exertions of the previous day.