LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19889, 7 March 1928, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

An electrician,, Mr. John Samuel Jepson, who lives at S, Sentinel Road, Herne Bay, was burned about the face and arms yesterday morning while carrying out electrical work, but his injuries are not serious. A clerk employed in the office of John Court, Ltd., Miss Gretta Shirley, of 61, Clonburn Road, Repiuera, caught her foot in a lift yesterday afternoon, having it slightly qrushed. The injury is not extensive.

A visit of inspection to the Manukau harbour works was arranged for members of the Auckland Harbour Board yesterday. Owing to the rain the visit had to be abandoned after the party had inspected the new Cornwallis Wharf.

No attempt has been made to refloat the yacht Constance, which grounded in Murray's Bay on Saturday evening. The heavy seas running yesterday made salvage work impossible, but efforts will be made when the weather moderates. The yacht is stranded well up on the beach, and it is understood it will not be affected by the rough weather.

Following the recent rise in the price of hides a dull period is now being experienced. Prices have fallen everywhere, and at yesterday's Auckland sale of hides and skins, hardly a bid was received for lines usually popular. Sheepskins were slightly better, but tallow was very slow of sale. It was necessary to dispose of stocks by private sale.

The policy of the New Zealand Manufacturers' Association in seeking further tariff protection for secondary industries, was endorsed yesterday by delegates to the New Zealand Federated Ironmasters' Industrial Association of Employers. Delegates said further protection would enable them to employ more workers, thus helping to overcome the problem of unemployment.

"I cannot say I am sorry the weather is not better for you,"- remarked the Mayor, Mr. G. Baildon, in . welcoming delegates to the annual conference of the New Zealand Federated Ironmasters' Industrial Association of Employers yesterday. "In fact," he added, "I am very pleased it is raining, because we want it badly here."

Carrying between them over 30,000 tons of New Zealand produce, the steamers City of Winchester, Port Sydney and Surrey are reported to have reached London from New Zealand last Sunday. The City of Winchester was despatched from Port Chalmers on January 18, the Port Sydney from Lyttelton on January 21 and the Surrey from Wellington on January 25.

A church service on the slopes of Mount Egmont is an unusudl occurrence, but one was held last Sunday evening at the northern hostelry. The preacher was Mr. R. A. Laidlaw, the prayer was offered by Mr. E. L. Stewart, and the pianist was Mrs. Bradstreet, all of Auckland. At the conclusion a collection was taken up and realised £1 Is 6d, which is to be given to the New Plymouth unemployed fund.

A giant blackfish, about 18ft. long, was washed ashore at Haumoana, Hawke's Bay, a few days ago. It showed itself very much alive, staying ori land for several hours. Eventually, however, a crowd of residents decided to give the visitor a chance for freedom, so they pushed it back into the surf. The monster appeared to appreciate this move, for, after playing about in the surf for a few minutes, it was seen to make a dash seawards. The next morning, "however, the fish was found back in the same spot on the beach washed up high and dry, and this time it was dead.

A stringhalt disease among horses, which gives a peculiar lift of the hind legs, has made its appearance in the Poverty Bay district. So far only about half-a-dozen cases have been reported, but one of the horses afflicted has died. The disease is not contagious, but there was a serious outbreak in Canterbury a few years before the war, and endeavours are being mado to prevent a similar outbreak. Little is known of the cause of the disease, but it is thought that some weedy growth in tihe pastures might be responsible, and investigations are being matfe

Is Wellington over-building ? This question has been asked by not a few recent visitors to the capital city, where a number of large and pretentious buildings are in course of erection, including half-a-dozen costing anything from £150,000 to £250,000 apiece. Local people, however, express confidence in the future, and say they consider that the present activity in building will be followed by even greater development. Recently several big manufactories have been established, mostly in Fetone, and at least six English firms have bought land in the industrial area in eastern Hutt for the purpose of establishing works of more or less importance.

A small black kitten effectively held up the Wellington tram traffic on Monday opposite the Government Buildings. A tram had just stopped when the kitten sauntered across the road and proceeded to explore the under-carriage of the tram. Visible agitation on the part of several women on the pavement caught the attention of the molorman, who alighted to see what was the trouble. To see was easy enough, but to remove the animal was quite another thing, for the kitten chose the most inaccessible of the many inaccessible spots to be found under a tram. Its tail, however, proved to be its salvation, for by that appendage it was finally pulled out tj* safety protesting vocally and with claws and teeth.

In order to ensure the safety of the traffic on Mount Egmont roads motorists desirous of returning are required to first get permission from the custodians, who are in telephonic communication with the gatekeeper. On Sunday a visitor to the northern house took French leave, and speeded down the road, encountering on the way no fewer than four cars, one or two of which had very narrow escapes from a collision. This disregard of the regulations and the rights of others may be followed by a prosecution.

The sole maintenance expense upon the Hutt Road since the pavement was laid down has been upon the maoadam at either side of the bitumen track, and of that expense, about £IOOO per year, the greater part hail been in filling in the grooves that are worn where macadam* and bitumen meet, caused by cars running off the track, generally when passing other vehicles. Hitherto the grooves have been hand-filled, a couple of men shovelling out a little here and aflittle there from a dray and patting the filling down. The local Highways Board has decided that that is too expensive altogether, and very soon a motor-driven scraper-grader will be on the road, doing the whole job in two straight runs, out to Pctone on one side and back on the other.