LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20086, 25 October 1928, Page 12

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

.An offer to endow two prizes worth about £5 each annually for the Auckland Grammar School and the Mount Albert Grammar School was received from Mrs. Margaret Shaw by the Auckland Grammar School Board yesterday. A cheque for £2lO for investment for the prizes was received from Mrs. Shaw, who requested that the prizes, lo be called the " Joseph Shaw Memorial Prizes," should be for science work. A suggestion has been made by the principals of the schools that the prizes should be given to the boys showing most aptitude in laboratory work during the year. Details were left in the bands of the chairman, Professor A. P. W. Thomas. It was decided to write thanking the donor. A member of the crew ot the Niagara, which left Auckland for Vancouver yesterday, narrowly escaped missing his passage. Ho reached the wharf just as the bowline had been cast off. and when the vessel had commenced to gather sternway into the stream. With exceptional smartness a sailor on board made a bowline knot in a rope, and lowered it over tho overhanging bow of 'the vessel on to the wharf. Harbour Board officials assisted the latecomer to sit in the bowline and ho was hoisted on board just as the vessel's bow cleared (he wharf. The man was carrying two copies of the Christmas number of tho Auckland Weekly" News and a package containing threo bottles of beer. IJc retained his hold of tho copies of the W ? eekly News, but the bottles of beer fell on the wharf and wero broken. The penalty of 25 per cent, placed by the Railway Department on parcels signed "to pay" will bo abolished from Monday, and it is expected tho innovation will be greatly appreciated by business firms. The effect of tho chango will be that all parcels will be treated alike, whether they aro prepaid or whether they aro to be paid for at the conclusion of the journey. The system of selling stamps to business firms for affixing oh parcels for railway transit will be continued as in tho past. I do not think wo need take notice of this for the present," said Professor A. P. W. Thomas at a meeting of the Auckland Grammar School Board yesterday, when notification was. received that under (he Education Reserves Amendment Act, 1927, tho board was obliged to obtain tho approval of tho Minister of Education in granting leases. Professor Thomas said complianco with this requirement would greatly hamper tho work of tho board. When it was stated no previous notification had been received, a member remarked that "perhaps the Education Department recognises tho board can be trusted, and it has not troubled." In guessing the number of beans in a bottle and similar bazaar competitions, the Mayor of Auckland, Mr. G. Baildon, is not likely, on his own admission, lo be a prize-winner. Tho difficulty of gauging the quantity of materials delivered on City Council jobs was being discussed at yesterday's meeting of the special investigating committee, and Mr. Baildon quoted an experience in his private capacity as a builder. A load of bricks, stipulated to be 600 in number, was delivered on the job, but Mr. Baildon suspected short measure. The lorry-driver was positive the load was up to specification. "We will count them," said Mr. Baildon. That was done and the number was ascertained as being 610. " That carter took tho ten odd bricks back," said the Mayor amid laughter. Subsidies of £1 for £1 have been granted by the Government for the following relief works at Devonpprt. Melrose Park, improvements, £100; King Edward Parade, levelling, etc., £117; Stanley Bay Park croquet lawn, £llO. Satisfaction with the grants was expressed at a meeting of the Dovonport Borough Council. Although the improved weather and the additional half-hour of daylight in the evenings have turned the thoughts ot many to holiday-making in popular tourist resorts the present indications point to a delayed start of the usual seasonal activities, says a Southern paper. A great deal of improvement has been effected ori the Milford 'track, but much more is still to be done, and, consequently. the opening of the track will be delayed. Bookings are already being made for Stewart Island and Quccnstown, and a considerable improvement over last season may bo expected in these resorts. An improved season is also indicated for Central Otago. Hundreds of thousands of tobacco plants preparatory to being placed in tho open are now being pricked out by growers throughout the Nelson tobacco areas. The seed is very fine indeed, and of necessity is thickly sown. It is stated that the acreage this year will show a considerable ificrease on 1927. In the Dovedale district and in fact all down the rich river flats of tho Motueka Valley considerable areas aro to be planted. On board the steamer Hertford, which reached Auckland from Liverpool last evening, arc 28 Angora rabbits consigned to Dunedin. This is tho third shipment which has reached New Zealand, the rabbits being for breeding purposes in connection with tho rabbit wool industry. Tho rabbits on the Hertford aro owned by Mr. R. S. Black, of Dunedin, who imported 68 Angora and chinchilla labbits by tho Turakina last September. .Fourteen Angora rabbits were brought to Auckland by Mr. W. N. Tangye on the Port Darwin on October 14. Thero is a scarcity of seed potatoes in Wangauui at present, all the best-known varieties having been bought up within tho past few weeks. "Thero has been a bit of a scare on, it seems," says a local merchant. Ho added that tho high prices at present obtained for potatoes in tho market has apparently induced many people to grow their own. In addition, the crops are being picked ovor much "harder" this season than usual, and, as u result, seed tubers aro scarcer than was usually tho case. A pastoral expert who has just toured Otago states that tho lambing is going on satisfactorily. Tho coastal cwe.s from Milton southwards had rather a bad timo during tho recent rains, but prior to that experience tho conditions were exceptionally favourable, so that tho loss in tho southern districts will not bo heavy. Tho coastal farms to the north of Milton liavo boon favoured by tho weather and the general result may be set down as a firstclass lambing season on the low lands. Tho lambing on tho high country has I only just begun, but tho present indications aro decidedly promising.