LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19808, 1 December 1927, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The new schedule of fares and sections on the Auckland tramways is expected to operate from next Wednesday. The chief alterations are the abandonment of penny fares, the restoration of the old sections in force prior to October 1, and the issue of new concession-tickets on the basis of a discount of 25 per cent, on the cash fares. A series of bright lights which appeared in the sky near Tiritiri Island last evening was watched with interest by people in Auckland, many of whom were under the impression that they were caused by a severe electrical disturbance. It transpired that the flares were rockets sent up by the warships Dunedin and Diomede, which have been carrying out gunnery exorcises in Hauraki Gulf since Monday. The rockets illuminated the northern horizon for several minutes, and masters of vessels which were in the vicinity at the time state that the night was temporarily transformed into day. Investigation of a tramway pole at the corner of Armadale and Remuera,. Roads yesterday morning showed that the base was completely split as though it had been struck by a vehicle. Although in a precarious position the polo did not collapse and a repair gang was able to install a new pole without overhead wires becoming disconnected. Owing to the brittle nature of the wood many totara electric light poles are being replaced by Australian hardwood.

The playing of croquet on the Devonport Club's greens #is not without its danger. This was made clear at a meeting of the Devonport Domain Board last evening, when a letter was received from the club drawing attention to the driving of cricket balls on to the greens while play was in progress. It was stated that as many as seven cricket balls had landed on the croquet lawns during one evening, and a request was made that practice wickets should be removed to another part of the domain. Members of the board pointed out it was impossible to remove the wickets at present. However, it was decided to request the Auckland Cricket Association to use nets during practices. It was stated that Mr. E. H. Bovvley, the Auckland coach, had complimented the board on the fine condition of No. 1 wicket, but he had expressed the opinion that it was useless and da'ngerous to attempt any coaching work on the practice wickets availablo It was decided to inform the groundsmen of the complaint, with a view to having conditions improved.

A boy, Owen who was unable to swim, fell into the Dargaville borough baths on Tuesday. The caretaker, Mr. A. Randall plunged in fully dressed and rescued the boy, who was little the worse for his experience. The Whangarei-Waipu main highway has been closed for three and a-lialf miles south of Oakleigh to permit of bitumensealing. Motorists will be required to use a section of the old clay road, where deviation signs have been erected by the Auckland Automobile Association. The unmetalled road was in bad condition, but :t is being improved with a grader. Difficulties 'will arise if bad weather is experienced. Assurance is given that the main highway will be open well before Christmas touring commences. While riding a bicycle at Pukekohe yesterday afternoon, a Maori boy, Tiwi Walker, aged 14, of Aka Aka, collided with a motor-car and was thrown heavily to the ground. He was conveyed to the Auckland Hospital, where he was found to be suffering from a fracture of the leg. His condition last evening was reported to be satisfactory.

An indication of the strong feeling against German products that still exists in some quarters was given at a special meeting of the Mount Eden Presbyterian congregation on Tuesday evening. Tho subject under discussion was a locallymade organ which is at present installed in the church on trial. The instrument has been giving satisfaction but someone discovered that it was equipped with a blower of German manufacture. The maker used this because he considered it the best, blower available. A full discussion respited in a decision to keep the organ but to instruct the committee concerned to arrange for the installation of an English blower in place of the German one. The extra expense involved will be £2O, and the whole organ is costing about £4OO.

"People are saying that Takapuna is a nursing home for workmen and that the nurses are very capable," said Mr. J. Davis at a meeting of the Takapuna Borough Council last evening in opposing the allocation of £ISOO for maintenance work on roads. Mr. Davis said he believed the council was going beyond its limits in retaining the number of workmen it had at present. If they continued to let contracts at the rate at which they had been letting them during the past few months he could only foresee a serious financial position. The motion authorising a further grant for maintenance work km carried. One of the means by which the Wellington Free Ambulance Service is financed is by employees' subscriptions, all that is asked for being l£d a week or 6d a month. Although the campaign for the collection of the subscriptions will not be begun until early in the New Year, the first donation has been received. Sixpence a month may seem a trifling amount when the expenditure for the maintenance of the service is considered, but in Newcastle,. New South Wales, £4617 was collected by this means during the year ended June 30, A request to provide night express trains between Wellington and Napier, and between Wellington and New Plymouth has been refused by the Minister of Railways, on the ground that the traffic would be insufficient to warrant the heavy expenditure involved. The Minister stated the cost of running such trains would be heavy, as, in addition to the staffs on the trains, additional men would have to be employed, in consequence of the extension of working hours at stations, night rates of pay would have to be paid, and there would be further expense in the provision of sleeping cars. It was therefore not practicable to provide night expresses on these lines at present. In view of the fact that their study was broken by war service and that their efficiency was above the average, five returned soldiers in the employ of the Auckland Education Board as teachers are to be granted perpetual certificates. It. was stated at a meeting of the board yesterday that the men had not gained certificates.