LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19947, 16 May 1928, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The special sporting number of tho Auckland Weekly News, which has been eagerly awaited, is on sale to-day. With a magnificent collection of photographs it illustrates New Zealand's wonderful game-hunting and angling in a most comprehensive manner, and is regarded by experts who have seen advance copies to be easily the best publication of its kind that i:as been offered to the public. In view of the large number of orders already received for extra copies the publishers anticipate that the issue will be quickly 6ola out, although larger editions than usual are being printed. Intending purchasers are, therefore, advised to place their orders at once. A comprehensive report dealing with the engineering department of the Auckland Hospital, and prepared by Mr. Lloyd Mandeno, will be considered at a special meeting of the Auckland Hospital Board next Tuesday. "This report is very important, and it will take a long time to go through it," commented Mr. William Wallace, chairman of the board, yesterday. The report of the medical superintendent, Dr. C. E. Maguire, will also be considered next luesday. Green peas will no longer be for sale in about a week's time. No supplies were forthcoming at the field produce sale held at the Auckland city market yesterday. A fresh supply is expected to arrive on Friday, but that will probably be about the last. Most of the peas sold in Auckland come from Otahuhu, Westfield and Tamak ; , and the season was set back by the dry summer. When it came, however, it was a good one, and supplies have been plentiful.

The Auckland City Council has declined to negotiate for the purchase of Messrs. Laurie Brothers' brickworks in Hepburn Street, Waikumete. The proprietors, who offered the property, which includes 27£ acres of ground with plant, made the suggestion that if the council took over the undertaking it would be in a position to relieve unemployment in the city to a considerable extent.

Efforts are being made by the Mount Albert Borough Council to relieve in some measure the danger at the Argyle Street railway crossing, where several fatal accidents have occurred. At the meeting of the council last evening, the Mayor, Mr. L. E. Rhodes, said he had received a telegram from the Prime Minister, Mr. Coates, stating the provision of a "wig-wag" signal at the crossing was under consideration. It was stated by Mr. J. H. Langley that trees on properties adjoining the crossing obscured the view, and the council decided to ask the residents to remove the trees.

It was stated by Mr. A. Menzies, chairman of the management committee of the Auckland Football Association, at a meeting last evening, that the great majority of the people of Auckland held the opinion that Blandford Park was anything but an ideal football ground. The very heavy rains experienced lastseason converted the ground into a quagmire, but a large amount of money had been spent this year in improving the drainage system. The playing area, in spite of the recent heavy rains, was in first-class order, he said, and only a few hours would be necessary to rid the ground of storm water after a downpour.

The condition of the main south road between Rangiriri and Hamilton has been greatly improved during the past fortnight. Metal chips are being deposited in the holes on the metalled portion and mechanical graders have been actively employed le%'elling up the stretches of the road which have a sand surface. The road is being widened at Ohinewai. When the maintenance work in hand is completed motorists should have little to complain of regarding the condition of the road during tho winter months.

Tho Dannevirke Chamber of Commerce has passed a resolution that the Associated Chambers of Commerce be written to urging that representations be made in those cases where Government departments wero leasing or letting portions of their premises in competition with the local ratepayers, and suggesting that the departments in question should pay local rates.. It was pointed out that in Dannevirke both the Post Office and the Public Trust were letting portions of their buildings, in competition with ratepayers, smd were paying only a special water rate.

" I trust the time is not far distant when we will have a proper midwifery course for nurses at the hospital, so that nurses will be able to go through every department of their training at the institution," said Mr. William Wallace, chairman of the Auckland Hospital Board, yesterday. A midwi/ory department, he said, was badly needed.

Inadequate provision for telephonic and telegraphic communication with Tokaanu from Taumarunui is a sore point with Taumarunui business men, and the matter was ventilated at the Taumarunui Chamber of Commerce meeting on Monday by Mr. R. F. Harris, who said that on a recent occasion a telegram had been unduly delayed and he suffered much inconvenience. Tokaanu was becoming more popular each year, and this sort of thing should not be tolerated. It was the same in regard to correspondence. The chamber resolved to send letters to the Auckland Automobile Association, the Tourist Department and the Ruapehu Ski Club, soliciting their assistance in bringing pressure to bear on the department in the matter of getting adequate communication by telephone with lokaanu.

A defendant who, when appearing in the Magistrate's Court at New Plymouth, was obviously chewing gum was rebuked by Mr. R. W. Tate, S.M., who said that by doing so the defendant gave the impression of being an irresponsible person. He put himself in an unfavourable atmosphere to start with.

A woman in Christchurch "recently found in a drawer some old papers and letters. These she burned, after retaining the stamps upon them. For a few shillings the old stamps changed bands, says the Wellington Post, ultimately finding their way into the possession of someone who really knew something about the value of old New Zealand stamps. He discovered among his purchase what every stamp collector dreams of discovering some day—a really rare stamp, in fact, a stamp hitherto not known to exist, a stamp which, now that its genuineness is proved beyond all doubt, is worth £SOO, or perhaps even more, to its lucky owner.