LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19717, 17 August 1927, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

" There were 620 patients in the Auckland Hospital last week, the largest' number on record,"- said tho chairman, Mr. William Wallace, at a meeting of the Hospital Board yesterday. There wore 30 cases of diphtheria, which was unusual. The hospital has 650 beds.

A Ford motor-car, belonging to Mr. C. McDonald, of Henderson, was removed from the parking area in Albert Street, between 4 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. yesterday. No trace of the car had been found at an early hour this morning.

A satisfactory settlement in connection with the damage caused by fire during the progress of the Winter Show at Central Wharf last month has been arranged between the Harbour Board and the Winter Show Committee. The committee has offered £350 in full settlement of the damage, and this offer was accepted by tho board yesterday. It was decided that in future, when any sheds on the wharves are let for any purpose, the board will insist on their being insured, or will insure them itself, and add the amount of the premium to the rent.

Our tramways undertaking has reached a stage when it has got to increase," said Mr. J. A. C. Allum, m an address yesterday at a luncheon of the Auckland Advertising Club. "If it does not go forward, something else will. If the necessary money is refused to the people's representatives, then private enterprise will find the money and we will soon get back to the slate we were in two years ago."

Two camels, presented to the Auckland Zoo by Smith, Wylie and Company, Ltd., are at present being accommodated at Taronga Park, Sydney, preparatory to being shipped to Auckland at an early date. The animals will be the first of their kind to be housed at the Auckland Zoo.

Resolutions passed at a recent public meeting, urging tho preservation of Ilobson Bay, in view of a suggestion that the area might be used for commercial purposes, were read at yesterday's meeting of the Auckland Harbour Board. On the motion of the chairman, Mr. H. M. Mackenzie, the matter was referred to the board in committee.

As a protest against the depletion of local fishing grounds, the Coromandel County Council passed a resolution that the Government be asked to close the Hauraki Gulf to all power-driven nets. This, in tho opinion of the council, was the only remedy which will safeguard the fisheries.

The producers of the Te Kooti trail film were approached by legal representatives on behalf of the Ringatu Maori Church, the natives seeking an injunction to restrain the filming of a representation of their prophet Te Kooti, states our Whakatane correspondent. Finally the difficulty was overcome by the producers assuring the natives that the characterisation of To Kooti contemplated would not in any way affect his standing as the founder of their church. The artists who are taking part in tho drama arrived at Whakatane yesterday morning and were accorded a public welcome. The first of the bush scenes were filmed yesterday at White Pine Bush under ideal - weather conditions.

A start has been made with tho planting of pinna radiata and ornamental trees at Waihi Beach Reserve, which is steadily growing more popular as a seaside resort owing to its fine surface, bathing facili

ties and magnificent stretch of ocean beach. Several new cottages are being erected on the reserve, the owners being mainly residents of the Waikato district. By the Christmas holidays it is anticipated that there will be about 150 cottages at Waihi's seaside resort, with still about 100 lots available for building purposes.

The relief committee of the Auckland Hospital Board considered 114 new cases during July, compared with 209 in June, and 99 in May. Cases revised totalled 215 in July, 283 in June, and 250 in May. There was a considerable decrease in the number of applicants who went before the committee on account of unemployment. Unemployment cases considered in July totalled 145, compared with 232 in June, and 144 in May. The Chfistchurch City Council has approved the principle of tho amalgamation of local bodies. Tho council this week carried a resolution that in tho opinion of the council, having regard to the many pnblic improvements in hand and contemplated, the time was opportune to effect the amalgamation of the local bodies concerned, as such action would be in the best interests of the city.

in a case at the Dannevirke- Magitrate's Court, in which a defendant—a boarder at an hotel—was charged with supplying liquor after hours, counsel for the dofence submitted that as the accused was in tho backyard of tho hotel and tho man supplied was on the street at tho time, tho charge could not be upheld. Mr. S. L! P. Free, S.M., in convicting accused, said it had been held that tho backyard of an hotel was just as much licensed premises as the har or the front door.

A prominent Napier citizen, who visited Masterton recently, has been paying rates on a section of land there, and he took the opportunity to look at his asset while in Masterton After visits to the street in which he expected to tind his section, he failed to locate it, but after making full inquiry from tho local borough authorities ho ascertained that tho "asset" is now covered by tho Waipoua River Tho section was near tho intersection of two streets, and the river has gradually eaten away the land until the site is now practically all under the stream. The owner took his loss all in good part, but said ho thought he should not pay any further rates on his " land," which is the third or fourth section that had disappeared in tho locality through the Waipoua altering its course.

The discovery a few days* ago in the dense bush at the back of the Howard settlement, on the upper reaches of the Buller Eivcr, of the skeleton of a man is believed to throw light upon the fate of Mr. Duncan Stalker, of Blenheim, who has not been heard of by his relatives for ten years. A man named John Knight discovered at Maude Creek, in the bush, seven mile.* from the Howard, the roniains of a prospector's camp, and, lying on a bed of bark, long since overgrown with roots and moss, found a skeleton. The dead man's camp had been dug in at the foot of a fallen tree and a tent fly appeared to have been erected. The skeleton was found lying on a bed of bark, overgrown with roots and moss. Only a small part of the kneo of a pair of riding breeches, with brass eyelets, was found. There was no trace of any blankets. Several old tins and a frying pan were also found. The earth in" the vicinity was dug up and resulted in the remains of two pairs of green hide boots being unearthed, together with two pipe stems, two tingle shillings and a bixpence.