LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19892, 10 March 1928, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The weather conditions at Auckland are still unsettled, judging by the barometer, which is still below normal, and shows very little indication of rising. After falling to 29.45 in. on Tuesday morning, it rose to 29.80 in. by midnight on Wednesday. Since then it has been practically steady.

The warm rain at the beginning of the week has resulted in the appearance of mushrooms in country districts. As yet they are not plentiful, but the first gatherings of the season have been made.

Suffering from fracture of several ribs as the result of an accident at Narrow Neck military camp, a trainee, Mr. H. Porteous, of 95, Lincoln Street, Ponsonby, was admitted to the Auckland Hospital yesterday. His condition is not serious. Burns on the back were sustained by John Raymond Nelsbn, aged 19, of Arthur Street, Onehunga, while working at the factory of J. M. Mennie, Ltd. His condition is reported to be satisfactory.

While gathering driftwood on Buffalo Beach, Mercury Bay, on Thursday, a young man, Mr. Gordon Lee, was bitten by a katipo spider. He was fortunately able to reach the hospital, which is not far from the beach, and received immediate attention.. He suffered .great pain, and his condition yesterday morning was stated to show no improvement.

The stokehold hands on 'the AberdeenWhite Star Line steamer Herminius did not want the vessel to leave Auckland for Opua last evening because one of the stokers had missed his passage. In order to prevent the vessel's departure all the other members of the stokehold staff left and assembled on the wharf. The incident occurred just as the vessel was about to sail. The gangway had been hauled up so the stokers reached the wharf by climbing down one of the Harbour Board's crane 3. The trouble was only shortlived. When the men were - assured by one of the engineers thai the missing stoker would be sent to Opua to rejoin the vessqj they were satisfied and returned on board by means of the gangway, which had been lowered again. The vessel then took her departure. The Herminius had been 10 days at Auckland unloading over 6000 tons of basic slag from Antwerp, and also loading New Zealand produce for England. She has gone to Opua and other ports to complete loading.

Considerable interest attached to the Kale at auction of an eld homestead in Market Road, Remuera, by Messrs. T. Mandeno Jackson yesterday, The house, which has ten rooms, and is modelled in the style of half a century ago, was formerly occupied by the late Mr. J. Dilworth, founder of the iJilworth Institute. The building was sold for removal at £77 10s, but the leasehold sections on the site failed to reach the reserve.

Ninety-eight members of the crew of the stranded whaler, C. A. Larsen, left Wellington for Norway, via London, yesterday morning. They are travelling by the Shaw, Savill and Albiop steamer Arawa.

Although beneficial to farmers, the recent rain has not been kind to most fruiterers and orchardists. Peaches, in particular, bear evidence of brown rotwhich has set in since the termination of the dry spell. At the Auckland City Markets yesterday peaches were cleared at 6s a case, compared with 7s 6d earlier in the week. Apples, on the other hand, appear to have benefited by the drenching. They arrived on the market yesterday in large quantities and many varieties.

The northward progress of the quinnat salmon ia very slow, according to Mr. A. E. Hefford, chief inspector of fisheries, who is in Auckland. The South Island rivers are now plentifully stocked, and the salmon had in some instances worked their way across from the northern South Island rivers to the North Island, having been found in Lake Wairarapa and some rivers in the Wellington province, he said. It was still problematical how far north the quinnat salmon would establish itself. Questioned regarding the possibilities of the Waikato River, Mr. Hefford said the latitude might bo too northerly and the water too warm. The work of endeavouring to stock the Wanganui River with Atlantic salmon was still in progress. A lady motorist, residing in Vine Street, Heme Bay, had a narrow escape yesterday when her car skidded on the drive leading up to her homo and crashed through the wall of the basement of the house. A number of boards were shattered, the car making a large gap and wrecking the hood above the startled lady's head. Counsel was endeavouring to ascertain from a witness in a bookmaking case in the Hamilton Supreme Court yesterday how he would do business with an Auckland bookmaker. The witness said that if he knew the Auckland bookmaker and had done business with him before lie would deal with him direct, but if the bookmaker had an agent in Hamilton, he would deal with the agent. "I understand you have no bookmakers in Hamilton," remarked Mr. Justice Blair. The remark provoked loud ironical laughter in Court.

The Auckland sitting of the War Pensions Appeal Board, under the chairmanship of Sir Walter Stringer, was concluded on Thursday evening. Over 70 cases were dealt with since the sitting opened on January 16, and of these 46 were prepared and conducted by Mr. E. H. Sharp, secretary to (lie Returned Soldiers' Association, acting gratuitously on behalf of the applicants. Some of the men were making application for the first time, others were seeking increases, and there were several widows appealing. Of the oases taken up by the Returned Soldiers' Association 28 were successful, 13 were dismissed, and five were deferred for further considei-ation.

The forestry experimental station established by the Auckland University College on a reserve of 53 acres about one mile from the Swanson railway station will be opened this afternoon by the f resident ot the college, the Hon. George owlds. Much of the property is in virgin bush, and the remainder is to be utilised for experimental planting and for building up a collection of specimen trees. Camp buildings have been- erected for the use of students, and it is hoped to provide a laboratory when funds permit.

Thirteen candidates were nominated for 12 seats on the Hunt Committee of the Pakuranga Hunt at the annual meeting yesterday. The ballot resulted in two members polling the same number of votes for the twelfth seat. Each wished to retire in favour of the other, and the question as to who should be thirteenth man was decided in sporting fashion by the spin of a coin.