LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19799, 21 November 1927, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

A live wire brought down by a tramcar in Symonds Street shortly after six o'clock on Saturday evening struck tlie road with a bright flash three paces behind a pedestrian. When the man's attention was drawn to the wire lying across the rails his leisurely pace changed. Tram traffic was delayed only five minutes. Ihe tower waggon was called out from the depot less than 100 yds. away and repairs effected. # The verandah outside the premises of George Fowlds, Ltd., was badly damaged when a motor-lorry crashed into it earl' on Saturday morning. Two of the posts were carried away by the impact and part of the woodwork was torn down. The lorry was turning into Queen Street from Fort Street, when it skidded into the wall of the safety zone. It then swerved into the verandah. The vehicle, which belonged to Messrs J. J. Craig, Ltd., was scarcely damaged, and the driver escaped unhurt. While crossing 'the Great South Road about noon on Saturday Carl Albert Tenn, aged 9, residing in Pitt Street, Ellcrslie, was knocked down by a motorcycle, sustaining a fracture of the loft leg and abrasions. He was admitted to the Public Hospital. Joseph Bending, aged 8 years, sustained a broken leg through being struck by a bicycle in Devonport last evening. The boy resides with his parents at 106, Vauxhall Road, Devonport. An ynusually bright meteor fell through the northern sky at half-past ten last evening. A resident of Onehunga, who was walking down his drive when the meteor fell, stated that his shadow was thrown distinctly on the white shell of the drive, although a street lamp was shining from the opposite direction. He turned round quickly and saw the meteor reach a height about 30deg. above the horizon, where it exploded and vanished. The concreting of Mount Albert Road, involving a stretch of two miles, has now been completed to the Mount Roskill boundary and the whole road will be thrown open to traffic before Christmas. Motorists are already appreciating the new condition of things on this important highway. The centre of the carriageway, which is to be put down in bitumen besides the footpaths, has yet to be constructed. Progress on the Edendale drainage scheme is being steadily maintained, the prevailing fine weather being a dominant factor. The Mayor of Mount Albert, Mr. L. E. Rhodes, states that during the last three weeks 71ft. of tunnel had, for the "main No. 1 sewer, been driven under St. Luke's Road and Troonville Avenue, the contractor working two shifts. Work at Cabbage Tree Swamp, preparatory to excavating and driving the east end of the tunnel, had been done, air and- water pipes and electric pump having been, installed.

In order that the public may not be victimised through the embezzlements of solicitors, a proposal has been made that every practitioner in New Zealand should pay a fee of £5 5s annually to establish a sinking fund out of which those people from whom money has been embezzled may be repaid. Originally the suggestion came from the Canterbury Law Society. At a special meeting of the Auckland Society on Friday, when Mr. J. B. Johnston presided over a large gathering of members of the profession, the proposal was almost unanimously rejected. A further reduction in fire insurance rates is to be applied for by tho Mount Albert Borough Council. Speaking on the subject on Saturday Mr. L. E. Rhodes, Mayor of Mount Albert, said that during the past three weeks an extra 900 ft. of 4in. cast-iron water mains had been laid. The reticulation ot the district with 4in mains was now almost completed and he considered the Bo ough Council would be justified in asking for a reduction in rates. The acclimatisation of Atlantic salmon in Lake Te Anau is now assured, according to reports of the success of anglers there. The latest report is from Mr. D. J. Middleton, of Northburn station, Cromwell, who, with a friend, spent three days fishing on the lake. The two rods secured 13 fish. the heaviest of which turned the scale at 101b. Members of the Waitemata ElectricPower Board will leave Auckland this morning foe Arapuni, where they will make a thorough inspection of the hydroelectric scheme in progress there. It is expected they will return to Auckland on Thursday. A fine specimen of mako shark was caught from Mr. A. Williams' launch on the Penguin shoal, between Mayor and Motiti Islands, last week, states the Herald's Tauranga correspondent. The first intimation the party had of the presence of the mako was a strong tug at one of the fishing lines. When the line was hauled in a large hapuku was hooked, but the lower part of the fish was bitten off. A little later the shark was hooked on a strong line. It fought strenuously, but after* about half an hour's work it was brought alongside the launch and harpooned. It was Bft. 6in. long and weighed 4421b.

The continuation of the concreting' of the Great South Road from, Papakura through the Franklin County was strohgly advocated at the monthly meeting of the executive of the Opaheko-Bom-bay-Karaka Ratepayers' Association. Reference was made to the recent traffic tally taken by the county council, which showed an increase of over 500 per cent, in the number of vehicles passing over this highway, compared with a tally taken .in March, 1924, and the president, Mr. R. Armiger, pointed out that the cost of maintaining the present metalled surface was now over £350 per mile per annum. It was resolved to congratulate the council on bringing to the notice of the Highways Board the position revealed by the tally and to ask the council to urge the Government, through tho board, to take over the road and have it concreted. The headmaster ol the Morrinsville School, in his report to the committee, states that this is the worst year as regards attendance experienced at the school for at least eight years. The roll number was 470. Three weeks ago the average attendance was 430 and last week it had dropped to 365 on account of an epidemic of measels. Tho position was worse than in the lust serious epidemic, when the schools were closed until May. The scholars were backward through the irregular attendance. Communications have been recehpd from various country schools adjacent to Morrinsville that they are against tho establishment of a consolidated school at Morrinsville, principally on account oE the travelling entailed for the children.