LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20071, 8 October 1928, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

A motor-car owned by Mr. R. B. Lusk, of 11, Bassett Road, Remuera, was extensively damaged by fire yesterday morning. Tho outbreak occurred when the car was in the garage and the gearbox was being washed with bonzine. a. short circuit in the battery cables producing a spark which ignited the petrol vapour. The Reinuera brigade was summoned. The flames spread all over the car, winch was severely damaged. The garage was saved, the only damage being to the walls, which were slightly scorched. The car was insured in the Norwich Union Office lor £3OO. The Government steamer Maui Pomare, which arrived at Auckland from Norfolk Island on Friday night, brought 1000 cases of fruit and produce. Tho cargo included 200 cases of new potatoes. There was a considerable decrease in the number of unemployed men in Auckland last week, according to the returns of the Government Labour Bureau. The number registered on Saturday was 814, as compared with 356 the previous week. Of the total, 685 were classed as fit for heavy work and 129 as fit for light employment. .During tho week 65 men were placed in positions, as compared with 31 in tho previous week. Following the bright, sunny weather experienced in Auckland for a week, the conditions were very boisterous yesterday. During tho day there was a fresh breeze from tlio west and light showers fell at intervals in tho afternoon. The conditions were again fine in tho evening, tho wind having changed to tho south. The barometer was practically steady at 29.90 in. from mid-day on Saturday until yesterday afternoon. There was a rise last evening and at a late hour the reading was 30.00 in. An interesting arrival at Auckland from Montreal yesterday afternoon was the steamer Baron Inchcape, which has a full cargo of general merchandise brought to New Zealand at a flat rato of £1 a ton, due to the freight war between the New Zealand Shipping Company and tho Canadian National Steamships. Both lines are making an endeavour to capture the Now Zealand trade. Tho Baron Inchcape is under charter to the New Zealand Shipping Company and will discharge the remainder of the cargo at Wellington, Lyttelton and Dunedin. Another steamer, the Wirral, is under charter to the company and is en route from Montreal with cargo for Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton and Dunedin. Tho Canadian National Steamships has four of its steamers en routo from Montreal with "low freight" cargo for New Zealand, and another steamer, tho Eastmonr, has been chartered by tho Canadian National Steamships. She is loading cargo at Montreal at the low flat rate. "The term 'drugging girls' is often used when only a mixture of drinks has taken place," said the Rev. C. G. Scrimgeour, Methodist city inissioner, in an address at the Methodist Central Mission last evening. Regarding drinking by girls Mr. Scrimgeour said the pernicious habit generally began with the introduction of claret-cup at dances and parties, and very often the so-called claret cup contained two-thirds proof spirit. Eight bottles of brandy and whisky had been ordered for the claret cup at a recent function he had attended. A five-ton block of Coroniandel. granite, to be built into the proposed Australian War Memorial at Canberra, has been offered by Mr. R. R. Hunt, proprietor of tho Coroniandel granite quarries. Tho offer has been made to havo come permanent expression in the memorial of the close association between the Australian and New Zealand forces during the Great War. A bronze-winged cuckoo has made its temporary homo at the Memorial Park, Hamilton. The cuckoo was first seen by tho caretaker, Mr. W. A. Wallis, on September 28. It can be heard or seen daily by visitors to the park. Tnranuki opossum trappers have been particularly pleased with their returns for the season just closed. The average price realised by two New Plymouth men for their catch was about 15s per skim Blues made highest prices, varying from about 20s to 245. Many good catches of I rout were made at the Ashburton and Rangitata Rivers recently, more' especially at (he former, where one angler landed 25 and another one 17. Many smaller catches were made, and few of (he sportsmen failed to open their account for the season. Tho fish landed at the Rangitata were heavier and in better condition flian at the Ashburton. The popularity of the Aramoho Park, Wanganui, as a camping ground for touring motorists has led the Wanganui City Council to increase its amenities for this season. A plunge bath with hot ;ind cold water, washtubs and other conveniences are being installed. Mr. l'\ Hill, secretary of (he Wanganui Automobilo Association, said that other automobile associations in New Zealand had visited the Aramoho camp silo with a view to embodying somo of its best features in camping grounds to be established in other parts of the Dominion. It was the general opinion that the Wanganui site was one of the two best in Now Zealand, the other being at Hastings. Last summer (here had been 65 tents pitched in the park at one time, and this summer there would bo a. great many more. A member said that an Auckland visitor who proposed spending two days at the Aramoho camp, decided (o remain for ten —ho was so delighted with the location and facilities provided. Speaking to (he Canterbury Horticultural Society on spring-flowering shrubs, Mr. It. Nairn pointed out that, among tho specimens he had on tho table, there was not a single native of New Zealand. Ho said that Now Zealand was not absolutely bunkrupt in spring-flowering shrubs, but was very poor in them. At tho society's latest show the only natives in that class were the pomaderris, or Tainui plant, and the rangiora plant. On (lie other hand, Australia was well represented in tho specimens on the table. Among the Australians in tho collection were several varieties of acacia, tho Australian mint-bush, and*tho Boronia. Most of tho others came from China, Japan and other parts of Asia. Mr. Nairn complimented Protestant and Catholic missionaries to China on their work for horticulture. This led him to state that, after tho fall of the Roman Empire, the monks saved horticulture from perishing in Europe.