LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20199, 8 March 1929, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

A fast trip by aeroplane from the Hobsonville aerodrome to Hastings in one of the Aucklan3 Air Survey and Transport Company's Moth aeroplanes was made yesterday by Mr. T. E. Clark, of Auckland, whose daughter living at Hastings had become ill. The machine with Mr. Clark and a pilot left the aerodrome at 11.45 a.m. and arrived at Hastings at about 2.30 o'clock, thus making the trip of about 240 miles by. air in two and three-quarter hours. A motor-cyclist was rescued from a painful predicament yesterday on . the main highway near Waitakere by Mr. J. Scow, assistant service officer of the Auckland Automobile Association. While inspecting a "greasy" section of the road Mr. Scow came on the rider and his machine lying in about three inches of soft clay. The unfortunate man was pinned with his legs beneath his heavy mount and was unable to extricate himself. When he was assisted to his feet he found that he had escaped with a sprained ankle.

Deciding to adhere to its usual practice, the Auckland City Council last evening declined to permit the screening of a picture programme on Good Friday. An application was received from the manager of the Prince Edward Theatre, who stated a suitable programme would be screened. The condition of Mr. Albert Boldero, farmer, of Takapuna, who was injured in a street accident in Christchurch on February 21, is improving steadily. Mr. Boldero, who is in hospital in Christchurch, sustained serious injuries. "I would rather teach religion than anything else that is right in our schools and colleges to-day," said Dr. C. H. Laws, principal of the new Methodist Trinity College, at a college function last evening. "It is the deepest and profoundest of all subjects. I cannot think of a more interesting subject for the teacher who thinks freely and speaks freely." An improved postal delivery in the Point Chevalier district is to come into effect on Monday, according to advice received by Mr. J. S. Fletcher, M.P., from the acting-chief postmaster at Auckland. Mr. Fletcher has been advised that oil Monday two postmen will be on the district delivery, and that the question of an afternoon delivery is under consideration.

"The magistrate told us that he was not going to close the boiling-down works for the sake of a few fish," said Mr. J. Anderson, Hawke's Bay delegate to the hatcheries' conference in Wellington when referring to a judgment in an action brought by his society against a factory owner for pollution of a creek. Mr. Anderson described how he took a bucket of fry up to where the offal from the works entered the water and submerged them in the liquid. Two survived for 40 seconds and one lived 90 seconds. Mr. A. E. Hefford, chief inspector of fisheries, said that an appeal against the magistrate's decision would probably have succeeded. Pollution was contrary to the law and a serious offence.

" I look forward with expectancy to the time when Presbyterian and Methodist authorities will join in the training of their men," said the Rev. D. C. Hcrron, speaking at a function at the new Methodist Trinity College last evening. He said it was a long way for Presbyterian students to go to Knox College, Dunedin, for training, And he suggested that there should be a Presbyterian professor at Trinity College and a Methodist professor at Knox College. Nothing, he believed, would quicken Church union more. He felt the things that divided them were small and the things that united them were great indeed.

A dog collar, issued by the Ashburton County Council in 1884, was handed to the county clerk recently by one of the rangers. The leather was in a good state of preservation, and was hand-made, the stitching also being done by hand, which says much for the workmanship a«id quality of material supplied in those early days. Records show that in ■ that year 2750 collars were purchased at a cost of each. At the present time the council's annual output of. collars is 2900. The price is approximately 9d each, and the great majority of the work is done by machine.

What the Rev. H. Van Stavcren described as "very near the millennium" was proposed at a meeting of the Wellington Hospital Board recently by Mrs. J. K. Preston. This was a suggestion that the Government should establish a State farm of 100 acres, upon which the physically unfit who were at present a burden upon the State could engage in farming pursuits, dairying, tree-planting, bee-keeping, poultry-raising, and like pursuits, and thus inculcate a spirit of sturdy independence. Some criticism was launched against the board. One member said he was afraid that 100 acres would prove all too small for a communal State farm. Other speakers said (hey considered that the last place for physically unfit men was a farm, and Mrs. Preston's motion only found the support of herself and her seconder. "There is nothing more Scotch than the preface 'Mac' to a Highlander's name, and it should be spelt m-a-e and followed by a capital letter," said a speaker at the St. Andrew's Scottish Society's meeting at lnvorcargill last week. "The ' Mc' is Irish," he continued, " a true Highlander spells his name with ' Mac.' " This last remark led to an indignation meeting being held by representatives of the Fraser, Douglas, Sutherland and Campbell clans, and a motion of censure was unanimously passed upon the speaker for excluding these clans from the Highlands. "It is all very well to assist the farmer on the land, but there is another aspect of production which must not be neglected by the new Government—the aspect of giving people access to the land," observed Mr. J. T. Hogan, M.P., when opening the Marton Agricultural and Pastoral Show last week. There was no question about there being a land hunger, lie added. He had been almost overwhelmed with correspondence from men anxious to get on the land and anxious to know what the Government's proposals were. Every announcement by the Government brought its fresh batch of letters, but he had no information to give. Still, it was a very healthy indication that people were not afraid to go on the land, and he hoped the Government would give opportunities to those who. at the present time, did not have thom.