LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19976, 19 June 1928, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

'A smart trip from Suva to Auckland was mado by the Royal Mail liner Niagara, which reached Auckland from Vancouver yesterday morning. She travelled from Suva Reef to Rangitoto Beacon <in 69 hours 50 minutes, at an average speed of 16.4 knots. The condition of Mr. Alfred William Hegh, of 112, Grey Street East, Onchunga, who, while x'iding a motor-cycle in Manukau Road on Saturday afternoon, was involved in a collision with a motorcar, is stated to be still serious. A motor-car owned by Mr. H. I4riedlander, of Seaview Road, Remuera, was removed without authority from Broadway, Newmarket, shortly after four o'clock yesterday afternoon. It had not been recovered at a late hour last evening. A car owned by Mr. 11. F. Purnell, which was taken from Thames recently, was found in Day Street, Newton, on Sunday. A three-seater car -was taken from Arawa Street, Rotorua, on Saturday evening, and was afterwards found in a swampy paddock off the Ngongotaha Road, about two miles from Rotorua. Tracks showed where it had left the main road, crossed a ditch, broken through a fence and come to rest in the swamp. The recent rain is swelling the streams and rivers in the Waikato district and the Waikato River is beginning to rise. An Auckland Automobile Association patrol officer who inspected the flood area at Rangiriri yesterday reports the road is clear of water, and it is unlikely it will be affected for some time. On its initial run the Tauranga express, which left Auckland at 8.35 a.m. yesterday, was well patronised, about threequarters of the seating accommodation in the six passenger coaches being occupied. A largo proportion of the passengers consisted of those who would have travelled by the old Thames express now eliminated, but there were a score or so of bookings for the Bay of Plenty. The express from Tauranga arrived on time at 4.53 p.m. Officials stated it had been a good average train all the way, the traffic being heaviest from Waihi to Paeroa. " I think New Zealanders should know that Mr. Coates made a deep and very favourable impression in Great Britain and in Canada when he was at his first Imperial Conference and on his way home," said Sir James Gunson yesterday, when speaking of New Zealand's high standing in Great Britain. " Mr. Coates' attitude everywhere was correct, and his reputation in financial and commercial circles is a very high one. New Zealand should be grateful to him for the work he did, because, not only has be helped the finance of the Government, but he has been of the greatest assistance in the promotion of New Zealand business interests." The formal presentation to Mrs. White of the Royal Humane Society's certificate awarded in recognition of the gallant attempt mado by the late Mr. Percy White to rescue a boy from drowning at Cornwallis on January 30 last, was made by the Mayor, Mr, W. C. Coldicutt, at the meeting of the Onehunga Borough Council last evening. Mr. W. J. Jordan, 51, said the death of Mr. White was not solely due to his efforts at rescue, for he was still suffering from war injuries, and was actually receiving a pension. He disregarded his war disabilities, and they could claim that his life was given as a result of war services. Congratulations to Sir George Fowlds upon receiving a knighthood were extended by the Auckland University College Council yesterday. Replying Sir George said he had not sought the honour, but he had felt justified in accepting it. The justification, he thought, was in the worthiness of some of the work he was trying to do, and in the importance of education in the life of the Dominion. One of two friends whom he had consulted said it would probably have a psychological effect in helping forward the work which he was trying to do for the Dominion. "Credit is the basis of all trade," remarked the official assignee, Mr. J. H. Robertson, at a meeting of creditors at Hamilton yesterday, "and without it business would soon come to a standstill." Mr. F. A. Snell said there was something wrong with the law or commercial practice when a "man of straw" could obtain credit when insolvent. The official assignee admitted that too much credit was sometimes given in New Zealand, especially with motor-cars. A request made by the Rev. H. K. Vickery, of the Mission to Seamen, for the use of a sports ground for seamen visiting Auckland has been granted by the City Council. On the recommendation of the Parks Committee seamen from overseas ships who wish to play cricket or football have been given free use of a ground at Victoria Park on week-days, except Saturdays or when all the grounds are engaged. The question of cemetery charges was dealt with by the Dunedin City Council last week, when the resolution to introduce an increased scale of charges for plots and interments was confirmed. The minute placed before the council stated that the increased revenue was necessary in order to maintain the older cemeteries in reasonably good order. They ought to be self-supporting and had to be kept in reasonable order; and the only method was to increase the charges for sections and services. The revenue from the Anderson's Bay cemetery amounted last year to £1245 for interment fees, and £754 for the sale of sections, while the expenditure totalled £IBSO. The revenue from the northern and southern cemoteries amounted to £sll for interment foes, while the expenditure totalled £1215. The deficit on all cemoteries was £554. There is on view in a shop window at Bluff an object that has caused much interest at the port, and no little discussion as to its original use. It is a green glass globe, about the size of the ordinary Association football. It is airtight, and was found recently by a member of the crew of the fishing vessel Violet on West Ruggedy Beach at Stewart Island, where it had been cast up by the sea. At a casual glance it appears to have blown on the surface a German Iron Cross, but closer observation reveals that the mark is that of a shamrock. One resident has asserted that it is one of the buoys used by the Germans to mark the position of mines sunk by their ships. A seaman- with war experience confidently stated that the globe was identical with those used at Mudros Harbour as a float for submarine nets in boom defence. The most recent opinion expressed is that it is a float for a fishing net.,