LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19659, 10 June 1927, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

To-day is the 21st anniversary of the death of tho late Mr. R. J. Seddon. He died on June 10, 1906, while on the voyage from Sydney to Auckland. The funeral took place in Wellington on June 21. _ On the same day a new Ministry under the Premiership of the Hon. W. Hall-Jones was formed. This Ministry held office until August 6, 1906, when Sir Joseph Ward, who was in England when Mr. Seddon died, first took office as Premier. Mr. Seddon was Premier for 13 years. Two reindeer may be presented to the Auckland Zoo under novel conditions. A city firm sought the permission of the City Council last evening to parade a pair of reindeer through the main thoroughfares of Auckland for about one week in December, after which the animals would be presented to the Zoo. The firm asked for a guarantee that it should be protected against any other firm using the animals for advertising, and that it should have tho option of using the reindeer at Christmas-time for the next three years. Permission was given to parade the reindeer for one week in December of this year only, on condition that the animals are then presented to the Zoo. In order to facilitate train running between Frankton Junction and Mercer, the Railway Department has decided that the stations at Taupiri, To Rapa and Rangiriri shall be worked full time in future. Previously these were known as " switch out " stations, and were not worked all night. Many spurious coins are apparently tendered to tram conductors in Auckland. An item in the tramways balance-sheet that claimed attention when the accounts came before the City Council last evening was, "spurious coins, £4 13s 3d." Fire caused extensive damage to a threeseater Oakland motor-car, owned by Mr. G. Urquhart, of Landscape Road, Mount Eden, yesterday morning. The engine was being repaired when it backfired, and the car burst into flames. Arrangements for sending two Dalmatian priests to New Zealand are being made by the Papal authorities at Rome! Advice to this effect has been received from Bishop Cleary, of Auckland, who is at present on a tour abroad. The priests will work among the Dalmatians settled in tho North. Third party accidents on the Auckland City Council's tram and bus system last year totalled 910, all accidents, however trivial, being reported. There were six fatal accidents, but no liability was attached to the department in any of them. Two of the fatal accidents were due to passengers falling from moving tramcars and subsequently being struck by other vehicles. Claims for compensation paid by the department totalled £1652 13s 6d. Employees of the department were concerned in 132 accidents, of which two were fatal. Owing to a lost tablet and delays at crossings, the limited express from Wellington was three-quarters of an hour late yesterday. The train was 22 minutes late at Frankton Junction, and tho tablet was dropped on the Frankton sido of Mercer. Further delay was caused in searching for it, and on account of running late the limited had to wait several minutes at crossings between Mercer and Auckland. The growth of the Dominion both in population and in importance is reflected in the increase in the volume of mail matter received from places overseas. Thirty years ago a total of 150 bags for New Zealand received-in an English and American mail was considered to be a very good mail, and ten years later a total of 500 bags was looked upon as a very fair mail. Nowodoys it is not uncommon to receive in an English and American mail a total of upwards of 3000 bags. v At a meeting of the Waikato Hospital Board yesterday it was decided to request the Auckland Education Board to provide teachers and establish classes for the children at the Waikato Hospital. Permission to erect a sky-sign on a garage in Manukau Road, Epsom, was declined by the Auckland City Council last evening. The city engineer. Mr. W. E. Bush, reported that as the street was still largely residential, he was of opinion that signs, of the nature proposed should not be permitted until the street became fully commercialised. The work of clearing the reserve of 12 acres at Point Chevalier, recently acquired by the City Council for the purpose of providing a park, has been completed, and the area has been ploughed. It is intended to grass the reserve, which is expected to be available for football next season. The Returned Soldiers' Association and the Patriotic Association have each agreed to' contribute £3OO toward beautifying the area. The City Council has also contributed £3OO, and the Parks Committee was empowered at last evening's meeting of the council to expend these amounts as was deemed advisable in the improvement of the recreation areas comprised in the reserve. An experienced angler, Air. Alexander Saddler, of Temaire, has reported to the Taumarunui Road and Gun Club that toward the end of the fishing season he and a young man were fishing near Temaire when an Atlantic salmon was caught on a small "Devon" minnow. The fish measured 6in. in length and was in very good condition. It was in the "smelt" stage and just turning to the silvery stage. The fish was returned to the river. Mr. Saddler has had many years' experience of angling both in New Zealand and Britain and is confident that the fish landed was an Atlantic salmon. The farmer is frequently accused of spending more of his time off the farm than is good for his prosperity. However, even lif this is the case, there are notable exceptions. One of the party of Canterbury farmers who visited Otago last weejt after a residence of 54 years in Canterbury, saw Dunedin for the first time, and it was in that city he saw a steamer for the second time. "Times have been too bad," he said, "to trip about much, and it is only this last year or two that one has been able to get ahead of it." Needless to add, few enjoyed all that was to be seen more than he did. The frosts experienced so far this season in the inner region of Central Otago have not been hard and continuous at Wakatipu, that being in the mountainous country, but the level of the lake is gradually coming down. The records at Frankton, at the Shotover, and elsewhere, are being carefully noted by the Kawarau Goldmining Company, in the hope of an early hardening frost that, will warrant the closing of the gate*.