LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20236, 22 April 1929, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Twenty-four boys arrived by the Rotorua from England yesterday to take up farming in New Zealand. They came out under tho Salvation Army's scheme and will proceed to the Army's farm at Putaruru. Also on board was a party of 17 girls who will commence domestic duties in various parts of the country. 1 Tho hard south-westerly wind experienced in Auckland on Saturday accounted for a number of yachting mishaps on the harbour. Competing in the Ponsonby Cruising Club's race for 18ft. boats, tho Scfcret carried away her mast just before reaching tho finishing-line off St. Mary's Bay. Hie 18-foot V class yacht Lcvcrett blew out her mainsail, and the 22ft. L class boat Valeria, winner of the Lipton Cup, broko her spinnaker boom off Judge's Bay. After a two months' cruise to Southern ports, H.M.S. Dunedin returned to Auckland from Wellington on Saturday morning. The warship is tc refit for her coming cruise to Australia. She will go into dock on Wednesday and will bo there about a month.

Further returns to hand from the sale of poppies on Friday bring the amount to £1598. Thero are still more returns to come, and the total sum is expected to be in tho vicinity of £2OOO, tho amount collected last year.

A resounding crash of splintered wood and shattered glass brought heads to every window in lower Wyndham Street about 10 o'clock on Saturday morning. The contents of tho large fruit stall at the Queen Street' corner, heavily laden for week-end business, were seen to be scattered in every direction, and beyond it the public telephone-box was overturned. A light lorry belonging to the Auckland Firo Brigade, which had been standing further up Wyndham Street, had broken away, and cannoned heavily into the fruit stall, which in its turn had forced tho telephone-box off its base. The stallowner was knocked over but was not injured. A lad who was in the telephonebox at the time was fortunate to escape unhurt. Friendly hands helped the stallowner to gather most of the scattered fruit, and eventually the battered stall was towed up the steep street by a taxicab, leaving behind a trail of rolling lemons and apples.

How keenly the illustrations in tho Auckland Weekly News are sought overseas is shown by the fact that when the copies posted regularly to a resident of Wichita, Kansas, United States, arrived at their destination, it was found that all the photographs had been carefully removed each week. After investigations had been made by the postal authorities in the United States the culprit was found in the Customs Department in America.

While investigating the reasons for a sudden stoppage of water at Kensington on Friday, the Whangarei borough workmen discovered an eel, 13in. in length, which had made its way into the pipe.

A male inmate of the Avondale Mental Hospital escaped late on Friday evening and for some time the authorities and police were unaware of his whereabouts. The patient returned to the institution yesterday morning after having been at liberty 36 hours.

Tho position regarding the Exhibition Drive at Titirangi has been rather puzzling to many motorists recently. Toward tfie end of last year the City Council, through whose pr6perty the greater portion of the drive runs, agreed that the road should be reopened to ordinary traffic. Since then the drive has been largely used by motorists, but as the notices forbidding its use have not been removed some drivers have been uncertain as to their rights, and unnecessary inconvenience has resulted. It was stated by Mr. W. A. Bishop in an election address at Titirangi on Saturday evening that the Waitemata County Council's engineer has received an assurance from the City Council that tho road is definitely open for traffic, the right to close it in the event of unusual circumstances being reserved.

Speaking at a social gathering of the Te Awamutu branch of the Farmers' Union at the week-end, Mr. W. J. Broadfoot, M.P. for Waitomo, said lands in England were not now rated for roading purposes, the necessary revenue being obtained by a tax of fourpenee a gallon on foreign motor spirit. He suggested that a similar innovation in New Zealand should be advocated by the Farmers' Union.

Tho success of a former resident of Auckland who has secured an important position in the United States at the age of 22, is described in a letter received from America by his parents at Tuakau. Leaving Auckland at tho age of 19, Mr. N. Meyenberg, after three years in the United States, now holds the position of chief inspector in tho engineering department at tho Swallow aeroplane factory at Wichita, Kansas, a position which requires him to inspect all the material brought into the company's stock, and also tho different parts of the machines before assembly. He has also to. look over tho completed aeroplanes before the test flights are made. Mr. Mayenberg also holds both pilot's and mechanic's licences.

As the result of a retiring collection taken at St. David's Church last evening, £36 7s was received. This will bo devoted to tho Chinese famine fund.

Rains which succeeded a dry spring in (ho New South Wales and Queensland dairying districts have stimulated production, which is being well maintained as the season nears its close. Mr. C. Wilson, a member of the Australian Dairy Control Board, stated upon his arrival from Vancouver by the Aorangi yesterday that the Commonwealth was now exporting 50,000 boxes of butter a week.

A Manawalu sportsman has secured a unique trophy. Whilo deer-stalking in tho Tararua Ranges rpcently ho brought down a fino stag. His surprise was great when, on examining tho animal, ho found a lino apparently growing out of the nock. Closer inspection, liowovor, revealed that, during a fight between two deer, tho nntler of ono had become cmbedded in tho other and had broken off. Tho wound had healed and the flpsh had closed round the antler. Other deerstalkers say they know of no parallel case to this one.

" Turn him out; you arc not obliged to keep him," said Mr. J. H. Salmon at tho Magistrate's Court at Wanganui the other day, when a man, who was being examined as to his means of supporting his wife, stated that a married son had quartered himself on him. Tho magistrate said that he could not make an order against tho respondent, who asketl what ho was going to do about his son. " I am not nero to give l.egal advice," said tho magistrate, " but your common sense will tell you that you are not obliged to keep your son."