LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19832, 30 December 1927, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

There will bo no publication of the Herald on Monday next, which is -being observed as the New Year holiday. The Queen Street office will be open on that day from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. for the receipt of advertisements for Tuesday's Herald.

The child, George Brittain, who was injured in the level crossing accident; at Morningside when his mother was killed on Saturday, is reported to be progressing satisfactorily in the Auckland Hospital. Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Shaw, of Titirangt, who were injured .at the same crossing a week previously, are also making a good recovery. Their son, Mr. Gilbert Shaw, the driver of the lorry which was struck by the train, has been discharged from hospital.

When the express trains left Auckland for the South last evening the departure platform presented a less busy appearance than has been the case every evening for the past week, when both trains have been crowded- Second-class seats on the limited were fully booked last evening, but there were 46 unreserved first-class seats. The second express left with a total of 18 coaches, and unreserved accommodation for over 100 passengers was' more than enough for requirements.

Bluejackets from H.M.S. Dunedin and H.M.S. Diomede, totalling about 400, yesterday commenced 14 days' leave. The period represents half tho amiug.l month's leavo for New Zealand ratings, who receive tho second half about Easter. Imperial ratings receive the accumulated balance of their full leave period on their return Home at the end of three years. About 50 of the men left Auckland by the expresses last evening for various destinations in the North and South Islands.

On two or three occasions recently the Auckland Hospital authorities have had to appeal for donors of blood for transfusion purposes, but the response has not been good. Blood transfusion is a measure often taken in emergency in certain cases of anaemia, where there has been loss of blood through accident, and sometimes as a preliminary to an operation. The hospital authorities are anxious to have an adequate list of donors in readiness to to a sudden call. They do have such a list, but ad yet it is far too small ipf- their requirements. Probably many people who would otherwise be willing to act are deterred by the belief that blood transfusion is a somewhat severe drain on the strength, requiring two or three days for recovery. This is not the case, and a donor can usually return to duty in ao hour or two.

The Jevel of the Waikato River has naturally hesn falling steadily at Mercer since the gates of the diversio.n tunnel at Arapuni were closed at the commencement of the holidays, and is now about 2ft. below normal summer level. However, communication between Port Waikato and the township is being maintained by the Roose Shipping Company's river steamer Rawhiti. The vessel arrived at Mercer early yesterday morning with a large cargo from Southern ports and Onehuriga. She left for Hamilton about noon, but the channel as far as Taupiri is very tortuous, and is likely to occasion considerable difficulty. As the river is now falling very slowly, the company hopes to maintain its time-tables. Apart from the question of navigation, the fall in the river has certain advantages for farmers with swamp lands, which are draining rapidly.

Motorists making holiday tours in the direction of Waiwera will find that the road to that resort via Dairy Flat is passable without tl.r necessity for using chains. Recently a stretch about two miles near 'aiwera has, in wet weather, caused some difficulty in negotiation, but a service car driver who traversed it last evening reporteid having experienced no difficulty vith unchained tyres.

In view of the reduction of the number of workmen employed at Arapuni from over 500 to 150, it has been decided to close the Arapuni police station, as from to-morrow. Constable J. Fleming, who has been in charge of the station, will be transferred to Hamilton. In future Arapuni will come within the Putaruru police district, in which two constables are, stationed.

Nearly 10,000 persons have visited the Zoological Park within the last seven days, but the Christmas rush did not equal the patronage of last year. Sunday was the best day, over 3000 passing through the turnstiles, and on Monday the total was been made particularly attractive for the holidays. Interest centres around the new monkey pit, which has already received about half its quota of animals, while several dozen monkeys destined for the enclosure are due in Auckland within a few weeks. The heavy rain yesterday curtailed the parading of the elephant and the camel. Bedraggled rabbits and sleek lions made for shelter, and the Polar bearb alone enjoyed the change.

Several people in To Puke showed alarming symptoms of food poisoning on Sunday afternoon, and since then additional cases have been reported. The actual source of the poisoning is not known. The matter will probably be investigated by the Health Department. There havo been no fatal cases. So far 33 loans have been granted by the Christchurch City Council under its scheme for providing workers' dwellings under which the council has been grauted authority by the Local Goverrnent Loans Board to borrow £50.000. The Mayor of Christchurch, the Rev. J. K. Archer, said yesterday that further allotments to provide dwellings would be made within two or three months. Many applications for advances had been received, and it was hoped to secure authority to borrow a further £25,000 in order to meet the demand for advances under the scheme.

Residents of Christchurch who make tho River Avon a dumping place for garden refuse are not a<- all popular with anglers. The subject was discussed by the council of the local Acclimatisation Society last week, when a letter was read from the Drainage Board stating that it, too, experienced great difficulty in keeping the Avon free from garden refuse and lawn clippings. It was pointed out that most of this matter was deposited in the evenings and on Sundays, and to catph the offenders would necessitate the employment of men at these times. A member of the council said that immediate action would have to be taken. He had been out night after night, but had failed to catch anyone in (he act of throwing rubbish into the river. In his opinion, most of the refuse came down tributaries to (lie river and if offenders were to be brought to 'hook a boat, would be necessary. No action was taken by the meeting.