LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20174, 7 February 1929, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The condition of Oliver Godfrey, who sustained injuries to tie head and body ia a collision in Khyber Pass on SuncLiy evening, was reported by the hospital authorities last evening to be still serious. A young girl, Joy Tippett, who was injured on Tuesday as the result of a fall, was reported last evening to be making satisfactory progress.

After having maintained a daily service since December 2, the daylight limited expresses between Auckland and Wellington will make their last ran this summer en Saturday. They will bo brought cn 3gain for the Easter traffic on March 26 until April 6. Railway officials stated yesterday the number of passengers using the train this season has been a little larger than in past years.

Figures supplied to the Auckland Education Board yesterday showed therjs were 68.976 scholars (56,253 boys and 32,723 girls) on school rolls at the end c>{ December, 1928. The average attendance was 62,924 (33,193 boys ar.d 29,731 girls). There were then 767 schools, including 52 half-time schools, in the district.

The Newmarket Borough Council, in accordance with its policy in refusing permits for fruit stands in Broadway, last evening declined to grant an / application from 3 man who described himself as a needy returned soldier with a wife and eight children. The man stated his son would help him to manage the stand, and offered to pay a rental of £1 for the right of using the street. On the motion of the Mayor, Mr. S. Donaldson, who said the council had never considered any applications, the request was declined unanimously.

Notification that a special investigation regarding the incidence of goitre among New Zealand school children was being carried out was received by the Auckland Education Board yesterday from the director of school hygiene. It was stated Dr. Shore, medical officer of health, would visit schools it. the Thames, Coromandel and Waihi area shortly.

Complaints. of overcrowding on the Onehunga trams were refuted by the tramways manager, Mr. A. E. Ford, at a meeting of the Transport Board last evening. Loading figures taken at Owen's Road, and relating to every car on the run, showed, he said, that the average number of passengers carried throughout the day was 24.78 inwards and 25.16 outwards, the seating capacity of each tram being 56. Heavy loading occurred only at peak hours. That considerable improvement might be expected in the matter of speeding up the running times of trams on all routes was indicated by the chairman, Mr. J. A. C. Allum, who' said that when the various extensions to the routes were effected in two to four years' time the full benefit of cutting out tram-stops would be felt.

"It is the business of counsel when he asks that witnesses be ordered out of Court to see that his witnesses are out of Court," said Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M., in the Hamilton Magistrate's Court yesterday, when a solicitor was opening for the defence in a prosecution. Counsel apologised for his omission, and the magistrate remarked that it was fortunate the witnesses had not heard anv evidence.

" I am astonished to hear many people, mostly ill-informed, advising tbeir mends to turn down city loans," said Mr. A. J. Entrican at a meeting of the Auckland Transport Beard last evening. " I have no hesitation in saying that every time the ratepayers have turned down a loan recommended by the municipality they have made a huge mistake. For one thing., we should have infinitely less unemployment than pre have to-day, and for another, ire should have one of the finest civic squares in either Australia or New Zealand. These loans are usually rejected on* account of some animus against a public man, but what the ratepayers fail to see is that they are only smacking themselves in the face. It i 3 time we all started to take a pride in our fast-growing city, instead cf continually throwing mud."

The headmaster of the St. Clair School, Dunedin, for the first time in his experience had occasion to enrol triplets, when the classes commenced again this week. Such an enrolment is believed to be unique in the history of Otago schools.

' Lambing conditions have been very favourable at Ruakura State farm this season. The 1100 ewes on the farm produced 1175 lambs, all of which have been fattened and sold in the paddocks at favourable prices.

Another bugbear on the roads at night, the motorist with only one headlight, was the subject of complaint at a recent meeting of the Hawke's Bay Automobile Association executive in Napier, one member remarking that in one evening he had met no fewer than four such cases. It was decided to refer the matter to the proper authorities. At the same meeting complaint was voiced by another member of motorists committing breaches of the regulations by driving at night with their parking lights, as well as their headlights, full on.

Signs of industrial activity arc in evidence everywhere in the vicinity of the Ratana settlement, states the Wangarsui Chronicle. The stacking of the wheat crops from the 600 acres put uncfer cultivation last year began recently, and for the first five days 54 stacks had been finished. The stooking was done by over 500 Maoris. From tho time when the cultivated area was first broken into use until now, when the first harvest has been lifted, the natives have shown great skill and care in ensuring the success of the cropping.

Two enterprising Christchurch swimmers arc making plans to attempt to swim from Sumner to Taylor's Mistake. The actual distance is only about three miles, says the Lvttelton Times, but great care will have to be taken to keep sufficiently far out to avoid the rocks that continue into the sea from Whitewash Head. Once there was plenty of kelp that showed the location of tho rocks that were close enough to the surface to bo dangerous, but the recent storms have cleared tho rocks of all vestige of that useful guide. It is generally understood that the general trend of currents immediately in that neighbourhood is in a southerly direction past the Lvttelton Heads, duo to tho eddy created in the corner whero Banks Peninsula meets tho mainland by tho main current from tho south. However, strong swimmers should ho ablo to negotiate it. Of course, in this instance tho swimmers will bo accompanied by a boat.