LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19748, 22 September 1927, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Suffering from severe scalds, Edwin Dubi, the three-year-old soil of Mr. Christian Dubi, of Te Hana, was admitted to the Auckland Hospital yesterday afternoon. The child was reported to be in a serious condition at a late hour last evening. The up-to-date fire-fighting equipment of the City Brigade has been further improved by the addition of a large Eng-lish-made engine, which arrived by the Middlesex this week. The new machine, which weighs nearly seven tons and has a rating of 50 horse-power, possesses the latest appliances, including a special centrifugal pump. The brigade now has a total of 13 fire-engines. Lambing has been proceeding satisfactorily throughout the Morrinsville district and in most of the flocks the percentage will be just over 100. There is a considerable increase in the number of farmers grazing sheep. However, there has been a heavy mortality among ewes, the percentage being heavier than for some years. Building in the One Tree Hill district is still progressing at a rapid rate. During the last fortnight 15 permits, involving £15,017, have been issued. This amount includes £4400, the value of the proposed new Salvation Army Home, which will replace the building destroyed by fire some months ago. On the ground that school children suffered an unnecessary setback, the use of schools as polling-booths was objected to by the Auckland Education Board yesterday. Mr. S. B. Sims said about 26 schools would suffer the loss of a day in connection with the forthcoming Raglan by-election. In many cases, such as Taupiri, Pukemiro and Te Kowhai, it was not necessary to use the school. It was decided to protest to the Minis'or of Education. "If people want to go 'sweetheartiug they should not walk on the concrete roads," said Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., in t.he Police Court yesterday during the hearing of a charge against a motorist of negligent driving. Evidence was given that a man and a girl were walking along the left-hand edge of a concrete road when the man was knocked down by defendant's car. The magistrate dismissed the charge. A meeting of Maori elders was held in Wanganui last week to formulate evidence to place before the Native Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives when the matter of compensation in connection with Maori fishing rights in the Wanganui River is being considered. Some interesting data have been gathered as to the number of patunas on the river in years past, and the number of eels taken. As many as a thousand eels have been taken from a single patuna in a night. The necessity for the construction of a bridge over the Piako River near the Kaihere landing on the Hauraki Plains to afford settlers an outlet from their settlements in the winter months was urged by Mr. A. C. T. Bryan at the meeting of the Thames Chamber of Commerce yesterday. He said a metalled road was deteriorating for lack of traffic, because there was no bridge to serve it, and it was necessary to travel via Morrinsville to reach any centre of the Hauraki Plains, Patetonga, Mangawhero or Kaihere. A road deviation now being constructed would considerably reduce the distance from Patetonga to Thames, provided a bridge was built near Kaihere. The chamber decided to make inquiries. Apparently a conviction for poaching or illegal methods of taking opossums does not carry an automatic prevention of the issue of a licence to the convicted person the following year. The Wellington Acclimatisation Society has decided to make the recommendation to the Minister of Internal Affairs that no person convicted should be granted a licence for two years, and not then until he came before the council of the society and showed reason ! why a licence should be issued. A thief with a knowledge of horticulture has been robbing greenhouses in the West Plains district, near Invercargill. Armed with a hammer he has opened the doors of various greenhouses and selected with nice discrimination the best plants, frequently taking pot and all. One resident of West Plains who had taken such pains in growing cinerarias in her greenhouses as to get up every morning at two o'clock to replenish the oil in a lamp burning to maintain the correct temperature, was dismayed to find that her choice plants had been stolen." The meteorological branch of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research is acting in conjunction with the horticultural division of the Department of Agriculture in an investigation into the incidence of frosts and the efficacy of combative methods against frost damage in the orchard districts of Central Otago. 1 his is a problem which has been engaging scientists in other parts of the world, and it is anticipated that much valuable assistance will be given to orchardists as a result of the inquiry. There is considerable demand for land in the Wanganui district and land agents state they have a number of inquiries for farm lands, but cannot find owners who are willing to sell. The fact is that many farmers would be willing to sell, but, having bought at a high figure, are obliged to hold on in the hope of eventually winning oat. In the meantime the outlook for farming is so bright that a good demand has set in for small farms. Those responsible for the maintenance of law and order in the Dominion have at times to utilise the resources of science in their detection of crime. This is exemplified by the annual report of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research which says: "Ten series of exhibits were examined for poisons at the direction of the Superintendent of Police, and in four cases cyanide, veronal, strychnine, and sod.um arsenate were respectively found. Medicine, ointment, naphtha, and various liquors were also analysed." What steps were taken after the results of these analyses ; were made known to the police the report does not state. "In view of the fact that one may expect that the Daylight Saving Bill will soon he on the Statute Book and operative this season, there should be s large increase in the number of cricketers," said the chairman, Mr. M. F. j Lcckie, at the annual meeting of the Wellington Cricket Association. He said be himself was thinking of tailing up practice, and he was sure there were others who would "coae out" again.