LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19924, 18 April 1928, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

A suggestion that the area at the corner of High Street and Chancery Street, which is now being cleared by the demolition of buildings, should bo preserved as an open space to relieve a very closelybuilt area was approved by the executive of the Auckland Town-planning Association last evening. As the establishment of a post office on this site is believed to be projected, it was decided to communicate with tho Government and the Auckland City Council, recommending that the areas should be reserved for public use.

An invitation to purchase from it a wreath at a cost of £5 ss, to be placed on the Cenotaph on Anzac Day, was received by the Mount Roskill Road Board from tho Returned Soldiers' Association last evening. Mr. L. A. Tozer expressed his sympathy with the principle, but said the sum requested represented more than one-tenth of tho board's unauthorised expenditure for the year. It was decided, in lieu of buying a wreath, to donate £2 12s 6d to the funds of tho association.

A gold medal awarded by the Royal Horticultural Society, London, was received at a meeting of the committee of the Auckland Racing Club yesterday, and was presented to the president, Sir Edwin Mitchelson. The medal was in special recognition of a fine collection of flowers exhibited by the club at the Auckland Horticultural Society's Show.

Many matters of vital importance to the Church of England in New Zealand will bo discussed at the General Synod to be opened in Wellington to-morrow. The Primate, Archbishop Averill, will preside, and (he Bishops of Waiapu, Christchurch, Dunedin, Wellington, Nelson, Waikato and Polynesia will attend. The only bishop who will not be present will be Bishop Steward, of Melanesia, but he will bo represented by his assistant-bishop, Bishop Molyneux. Each diocese is entitled to three clergymen and four laymen to represent it at the Synod. One of the questions to be discussed is that of a Maori Bishop, and another is the much more important one as to the position in regard to tho fundamental clauses of the constitution.

Tho Panmure-Howick highway has been showing signs of wear and tear, due to the increase of traffic using this route, to such an extent that, in the words of a report presented to the Manukau County Council yesterday by tho engineer, Mr. J. R. Page, "the day is not far distant when a mere macadamised road will not serve, economically or practically, upon this route." The report added the road was becoming costly and difficult to maintain by ordinary surface-dressing methods, and work with team and drag or grader required to bo almost continuous in order that the road might be kept in reasonably fair condition. Motor traffic was particularly heavy on the route during the Easter holidays, with proportionately severe effects.

A valuable greenstone tiki, which was recently found by Mr. J. Cullen in a slip in tho neighbourhood of the Tauranga public baths while he was engaged in repairing the pathway, has been purchased by Mr. W. E. Goffe, native land purchase officer. Mr. Goffe, who is an authority on Maori antiques, says he believes the tiki was carved by a Ngapuhi artist. The work is of a very high standard and will form a splendid acquisition to Mr. Goffe's collection of Maori antiques, which is one of the best in New Zealand.

Preliminary arrangements for the organisation of a flying club in Auckland are being made and a canvass of sponsors of aviation is being made. Definite proposals will bo placed before a meeting to be held on Friday, April 27. It is expected the rules of the club will allow any person to make flights as a passenger after tho payment of associate membership fees. In tho caso of those actually taking instruction in flying age-limits will have to bo imposed. Members between the ages of 18 or 19 and 40 will probably be eligible to fly as pilots or to receive instruction.

The complete skeleton of a moa has been found in tho bush some forty miles from Tuatapere, Southland. Somo men were well back in the bUsh on a sightseeing expedition when they found the skeleton. It is said that the skeleton is in a wonderful state of preservation, and though a few of tho bones have been dislodged, thero will be no difficulty in pieoing them together. The find is being taken to Invercargill.

"Apart from the spiritual, there is no question of more vital importance to tho Maori people to-day than that of medical supervision," declared tho Rev. F. A. Bennett, addressing the Maori gathering at Pakipaki, near Hastings. "Wo are a small people," ho said, "surrounded by all sorts of epidemics, and wo must look to the Health Department for greater help and more practical assistance." It was impossible for one man in chargo of Maori hygiene to do more than scratch the surface, seeing that tho Maori population was approximately 60,000. His suggestion was that thero should be at least three medical officers in tho North Island, one in each of tho three Maori electorates, but the great obstacle to this would probably be finance. Sir Apirana Ngata said that tho question was a difficult one. "The present position of the medical man in charge of Maori hygiene," he said, "is like tho fifth wheel in a coach, and I do not hold out much hope of getting anything done when the outlook of tho Health Department on Maori problems is such as it is at the present time."

An unusual sight for Taranaki has been witnessed frequently of late in tho shape of motor-lorries heavily laden with bags of chaff making their way along the coast towards New Plymouth. Tho chaff has como from tho Okato district, which is eminontly suitable to thg growing of grain. One coastal farmer, Mr. K. A. Andrews, this year harvested tho splendid averago of 52 bushels to tho acre from a crop of 40 acres of wheat, which has been saved in perfect order.

A Timaru lad decided to make a wireless set for a friend who was having his 21st birthday. He put up an aerial to test it on his own property. He gave it to his friend, but an inspector saw the wireless aerial and tho'lad was charged with having an unlicensed wireless set. Accused, who was little more than a boy, pleaded guilty before Mr. E. D. Mosley, S.M. Sub-Inspector Fitzpatrick said that an inspector visited defendant's home and found a ground wire and aerial. Defendant said ho had only put up the aerial and laid ground wires to test the set. The magistrate asked; "Was there nothing there but an aerial and ground wire?" The sub-inspector replied that "tho Act says that any part of a wireless set mußt bo regarded as a set." "Oh, well, defendant is convicted and discharged," was the magistrate's rejoinder.