LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20137, 24 December 1928, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Tliero will bo no publication of tho Kebald to-morrow (Christmas Day). For tho convenience of advertisers tho Queen Street office will bo open to-morrow night between the hours of 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. Similar arrangements will be observed on New Year's Day.

Heavy holiday traffic on tho Great South Road necessitated the hurried opening of (ho new overhead bridge at Westfield yesterday. For somo months vehicles have been using a narrow detour alongside tho bridge, but when congestion was threatened on Saturday the engineer in charge of tho Westfield deviation railway, Mr. E. A. Gibson, made emergency arrangements for metalling tho approaches and directing one-way traffic. The touring manager of tho Auckland Automobile Association, Mr. It. E. Champtaloup, reported last evening that a number of motorists wcro not displaying sufficient caution on the approaches to tlie bridge. A man engaged iri controlling traffic had actually been struck by ono

Through tho thought tilness of tho new Government tho Leader of the Opposition and Into Prime Minister, Mr. Coates, had a Ministerial carriage placed at tho disposal of himself ami his family on their journey from Wellington to North Auckland at the week-end. It is a coincidence that Mr. Coates passed through Auckland on his way to enjoy tho Christmas holidays on tho West Coast on tho same day of tho year on this occasion as ho did last December.

The fortieth anniversary of (ho ordination of Archbishop Avcrill to tho priesthood fell yesterday. Tho Archbishop mentioned the fact casually at tho social gathering held on Saturday evening in honour of Archdeacon Mac Murray, who that day completed 50 years' ministry. Tho Archbishop was asking that Archdeacon Mac Murray should be specially remembered in tho prayers of thoso present, and he modestly added a similar rerjuest on his own account.

Although arrangements for tlio reception of motorists at tho ramping groiiQd at tho Epsom Showgrounds aro complete, littlo 11 so of tho facilities lias been made rluring tho past week. About 14 cars have visited the camp since it was opened, and at present three parties are on the ground. However, largo numbers aro expected to arrive within tho next few days. Bunks have been built in a Shed for men and shower-baths and cooking arrangements aro available. There is also ample room for tho erection of tents.

So largo havo been the bookings for accommodation at all tho leading Auckland hotels that many prospective visitors who took the precaution of seeking reservations at the beginning of December have had to bo disappointed. With the arrival of many visitors to-day all tho hotels will be crowded, and in sorno instances tho managements have had to arrange for extra accommodation for guests in other quarters. Some present guests will bo required to vacate their rooms to-day to make way for visitors who booked accommodation for Christmas and New Year several weeks ago. The influx of visitors, drawn chiefly by the racing carnival opening on Wednesday, promises to equal any previous record as far as tho hotels aro concerned.

The two bridges across the Waikato River at Hamilton are to be illuminated at night during the holidays by festoons of lamps. This work will be carried out by tho electrical department of tho Borough Council and an attractive colour scheme will be used.

" Wo havo had too much humbug about meetings in committee," said Mr. E. H. Potter, a member of the Auckland Transport Board, on Saturday, when tho chairman, Mr. J. A. C. Allum, said it would bo advisable to hold some future meetings in camera. Mr. Allum said certain questions would have to be discussed during the early meetings of tho board which would be dealt with better in confidence.

" I will give no undertaking whatever regarding committee meetings," said Mr. Potter. " 1 intend to bo quite candid with the press, 1 want thai fully understood by tho board. There are certain matters, such as officers' salaries and possibly questions of finance, which it may be necessary to tako in committee, but apart from that the public is entitled to the fullest information in regard to the board's operations.

The Hamilton Cheer Germ Club, an organisation of young people, designed to assist poor people at Christmas, has distributed groceries and other goods, valued at £SO to 40 families. Gifts of tnoncy havo also been made.

Thirty-one candidates wcro presented at tho annual confirmation administered in St. Matthew's Church yesterday morning by Archbishop Averill. The vicar, Canon Grant Cowen, and the Revs. Carew Thomas and G. R. Monteith assisted at the service, which was attended by a large congregation.

Thousands of moths, having the appearand of a large cloud, were seen at Riverside, Otago, recently. A motorist passing through tho district at about halfpast seven said the mollis extended over a distanco of about thrco miles above the road and surrounding paddocks. The cloud of insects was more dense in the vicinity of trees, and appeared lo lie travelling toward the sea. Several of (hem ilew into tho motor-car. They were each about an inch in length and white in colour.

Fortunately, not a great number of bay crops in Poverty Bay have been lying cut in tho paddocks, but the persistency of the rain has been tho cause of preventing thoso farmers who had grass cut at tho beginning of last week from carrying on with harvesting operations, As a result, decoloration of tho hay has taken place in somo cases, and even rotting lias commenced. Ihe making of ensilage has been slowly growing in favour in tho district, says tho Poverty Bay Herald, and no doubt tho wet harvesting period this year may cause many moro fanners to seriously consider the saving of surplus feed in this manner.

Tito necessity for insisting upon a limited number of co-operative street collection days in New Plymouth was emphafised at a meeting of tho Borough Council this week by a councillor, who said tho present comparative frequency of collection days was undoubtedly a groat drain on the retailors. He thought a scheme should bo evolved whereby two or three days a year should be. set aside for co-opeialive efforts. Owing to the multiplicity of street collections it was time the council took a stand. Tho Mayor said that an endeavour was being made to spread the collections more evenly over the year.