LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19718, 18 August 1927, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

A defect in the cable between Norfolk Island and Auckland has been reported to the Pacific Cable Board. Although definite instructions have not been given, it is understood the cable steamer Iris will leave' for Norfolk Island next week to effect repairs. The ordinary service is not in any way affected. The premises of tho Alva Mineral Water Company, Ltd., in Randolph Street, New.ton, were broken into on Tuesday night, but nothing of value was stolen. Supplies of whitebait have so far not been very plentiful. Tho season commenced about a fortnight ago, but not moro than 2001b. to 3001b.- of tho fish daily are being handled on the market. Fish merchants stated yesterday that the fact that at this time supplies are short indicates the season will not be a good one. Advertisers are requested to note the new telephone number of the Herald advertising numbers do not now connect with the Herald Office. * Fifty-two undefended divorce petitions have been set down for hearing at the current quarterly sessions of the Supreme Court. Several of these have been dealt with already, but the great majority will be heard before Mr. Justice Herdman to-day. In. 30 cases the woman is the petitioner, and in the remaining 22 the man. Ten of the petitions are for restitution of conjugal rights, and the remainder for dissolution of marriage. Of the latter, 13 are based on the ground of mutual separation, on desertion, which is sometimes combined with drunkenness and cruelty, seven On adultery, seven on non-compliance with an order for restitution flf conjugal rights, and two on judicial separation. The Sanford trawler Thomas Bryan, which reached Auckland from England yesterday afternoon, is one of a large number of similar vessels which were built for rninesweeping during the war. Many of the trawlers of her class were called after men who served with Lord Nelson on tho flagship Victory, the names having been taken from a record of the Victory's crew list. Two other trawlers at Auckland named after the Victory s men are the Thomas Currell and James Cosgrove. With *a succession of hakas and cheers many times repeated the Wellington Training College tournament team was farewelled at the Auckland railway station last evening by the Auckland students. The two parties arrived together and forming a long "snake," marched down the platform to reserved carriages at the front of tho train. Here hakas and "war cries" were exchanged until the express began its journey. As the train pulled out from the station it took the efforts of half-a-dozen porters to prevent exuberant Wellington representatives from falling from the carriage platforms as they reached for a last handshake with Auckland friends. "The position is very satisfactory," said Mr. J." W. Williamson, Mayor of Takapuna, at a meeting of the Borough Council last evening, when it was stated that the bank overdraft, which stood at £11,794 at the end of July, had since been reduced by £6816. It was also stated that rates collected . to date amounted to £6902. The sum of £1509 had been collected on rates in arrears. It is understood that finality will shortly be reached in regard tp the contract for' the No. 1 tunnel on the Well-ington-Tawa Flat deviation. Among the tenderers for this contract were Messrs. Beban and Party, of Christchurch, who undertook similar work in connection with the Lako Coleridge hydro-electric scheme. A conference of representatives of the Malvern, Selwyn and Tawera County Councils, held at Malvern, decided that amalgamation of the three counties was desirable, states our Christchurch correspondent. The conference followed the suggestion of the Highways Board that tho smaller counties should unite for the purpose of expediting road improvement. "I can understand the Borough Council's attitude in this, as Dargavillo is about the heaviest-rated borough," said Mr. G. Brownlee at a meeting of the Auckland Education Board yesterday, when the council notified that the school committee had not sufficient funds to pay for water supplied, and it intended to recover from tho biSard. It was decided to writo for particulars of the school committee's position. A curious "find" has been reported by Mr. James Smith, of Omatane, says the Taihape Times. Mr. Smith said that when a huge bluegnm which had been cut down last week on the farm of his brother, Mr. H. Smith, of Maiton, was split at the sawmill it was found to have embedded in it a pack saddle. Mr. Smith thinks that possibly the saddle was placed in the fork of tho tree many years ago, and had been gradually enclosed by the growth since then. At a recent meeting of the Dunedin Officers' Club one of the speakers referred to the claim that the evolution of the submarine commenced in Otago Harj bour. Ho described a cigar-shaped boat that was constructed by the Otago Submarine Mining Company with tho object of securing gold from the Molyneux River. This craft was built 51 years ago, and was launched from the Rattray Street Wharf in December, 1873. A trial was mado and! with eight men enclosed the vessel was submerged. The air pumps worked well, but no means of talking to tho men below was provided. Matters did not develop satisfactorily* inside, and thcro was a delay of several hours in returning to the surface, tho craft being finally towed by a small steamer into shallower water and the crew released. Tho boat, which was named the Platypus, was never again submerged and lay for many years on tho foreshore. Slio was purchased in recent times for £lO by a man who had her cut into three sections and - sent to the Barewood Reefs, where at least one portion is used as a water tank by a local farmer. In tho last year over 30 motorists have gone off the road at the dangerous bend at tho bottom of the hill going into Waitotara from the direction of Waverley, and tho executive of the Wanganui Automobile Association has decided to write to the Highways Board asking that something be done to reduce the risk. It is stated that to the uninitiated the bend does not look remarkably dangerous, but tho 'Camber* slopes tho wrong way, and practically all who have come to grief at the point have been strangers to the road.