LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20229, 13 April 1929, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The total enrolments of students attending classes of the Auckland University College this session has now relied 1112. This is about, 30 less than the number registered at the corresponding period last year.

Owing to the ptfivnlonce of dysenfrry. (he children's wards at the Auckland Hospital have been closed to visitors. Tho precaution has been taken to minimise t!je risk of infection.

There was a largo supply of Angora rabbits on (lie Auckland city markets yesterday. The sale was tho largest yet held, about 50 rabbits being offered. The consignment, which came from the Henderson district, sold at from 5s to 12s each. A smaller supply of about 30 Angora rabbits is expected to bo available next week.

The American yacht Wanderlust left Russell for Suva yesterday. The vessel spent two months in New Zealand waters. She was under overhaul at Auckland and sailed for Great Barrier and Russell on Good Friday.

Two large pine trees near the Albany Wharf were struck by lightning during tho severe thunderstorm on Thursday evening. One tree was completely destroyed, the other being split down the centre.

A detour will be necessary on the Hauraki Plains main highway next week owing to the closing of the Pipiroa ferry for the installation of moro powerful winch machinery. The ferry will be stopperl on Monday and at, least three days will be required for tho work.

Considerable improvements have been effected to the Mount Eden school during the past year by tho school committee. The buildings, which were in a dilapidated condition, have been repainted, and the interior has been changed to a bright and cheerful cleanliness, appreciated by both staff and pupils. The committee is now turning its attention to the grounds, which, although spacious, are made dangerous owing to their rocky nature. Considerable expenditure will be necessary to put the grounds in order, as a large amount of blasting will be required. It is the intention of the committee to bring the matter before the householders at the annual meeting.

The Arbitration Court, consisting of the President, Mr. Justice Frazer, Mr. G. T. Booth, employers' representative, and Mr. A. L. Monteith, employees' representative, will resume its sittings in Auckland on Monday. The first three days of the week will be occupied with compensation cases. On Thursday the stonemasons' dispute and an application to amend the Painters and Decorators' Award will he heard, and Friday has been set apart for the tailors' dispute and for applications concerning the Clothing Trade Award. The dairy employees' dispute will be heard on Monday, April 22, and the following two Heys will he devoted to the cooks and stewards' dispute. On April 26 applications will ho heard to add parties to the Freezing Workers' Award and to amend the Tallymen's Award. The week com mennng April 29 will be wholly occupied with apprenticeship matters, beginning with various appeals concerning furniture trade apprentices.

H M.P. Diomedo is now at Napier. She is to sail next Thursday for Wellington, where she is scheduled to stay from April 20 to May 9. Afterwards the warship will visit Oisborne and Tokomaru Bay, returning to Auckland on May 17.

While a large amount of fruit has been lost in Poverty Bay as a result of the recent, stormy weather and gale, most of the damage in this respect has been confined to a few orchards. Those, who lost heavily by the sudden storm on March 25 were a?ain the sufferers last week, but the remainder escaped lightly on both occasions. On the other hand, however, damage to thp trees has been almost general, and in most orchards there are trees with broken limbs and with a great, deal of foliage blo.vn off.

The difficulty faring medical men when they are called upon to attend rases in the more sparsely populated regions of the West. Toast, of the South Island was demonstrated a few days ago when Mr. .Tames Parkinson, a farm manager, at Kopara, became critically ill with appendicitis. There is no road to the farm, and another settler had to ride a long distance, after midnight, to the farm of Mr. P. Coates, who forded the Ahaura River and motored to Blackball. Dr. Bennett started immediately and reached the patient at 5 a.m. An operation was imperative, and with the aid of ;i veteran farmer as anaesthetist, Dr. Bennett operated, the patient being laid upon a table. Despite his fatigue after a hard ride on horseback, and the Jack of hospital conveniences, Dr. Bennett completed the operation successfully, and Mr. Parkinson is now recovering.

An amusing incident was recounted by Mr. T. Parker, who recently returned from a trip abroad, at a recent meeting of the Hawke's Bay Acclimatisation Society. When telling members, of a pheasant farm visited in England, Mr. Parker recalled the rather embarrassing generosity of the owner. After lunching at tho farm, Mr. Parker and a friend wero not allowed to leavo without accepting a Ijo.\ of eggs as a present. When tho narrator and his friend reached London, tho hox was opened and. found to contain 14 dozen eggs. Mr. Parker did not enlighten members as to tho eventual destination of the eggs, but ho assured an inquirer that pheasant eggs were highly edible.

"In my wanderings round the world." writes Mr. W. Barrington i\liller to a friend in Gisborne, "I have run into quite a number of New Zealanders occupying responsible positions—sometimes fortunately for me. At Port Said tha other day I found myself very short of cash ; 1 had two weeks to go, 10 places to visit, including Constantinople and Athens, and only £5 in my pocket. Taking my courage in both bands I walked into the AngloEgptian hank and boldly asked to see the manager. After waiting 10 minutes, which seemed an hour, I was shown in and straightway asked him it he could cash my cheque on London. He said it was a most unusual request and was afraid he could not do so. 1 thanked him and turning the conversation off money we talked of Egyptology, football, rowing, cricket and all sorts of things until he told me lie was a New and came from Ash burton and his wife from Pahiafua. He knew dozens of people I knew and had been in the Union bank with a man who joined in Gisborne. And so an hour soon passed. As 1 got up to go ho asked: How much was it you wanted ?' I told him and he said, 'Well, 1 think we can manage that.' "