LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20262, 23 May 1929, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The death of Mr. John William Cooko Campbell, aged 27, of 165, Great North Road, Grey Lynn, occurred at the Auckland Hospital last evening, following an accident which took place on Saturday, May 11. While helping a friend with tarring operations, Mr. Campbell was about to lift a drum of tar from the fire when the plug blew out, covering his head, shoulders and chest wfth hot tar. Mr. Campbell was immediately removed to the Auckland Hospital, but his condition grew steadily worse up to the time of his death. A stingray measuring sft. in length and 3ft. across was caught on a set line between Walker's Beach and Preston's Beach, Point Chevalier, last evening. On Sunday two sharks were seen in the samo locality and children fishing or canoeing in that vicinity should exercise care. Statements that the milk supply received at the Auckland Hospital was not subjected to regular examination were refuted yesterday by Mr. W. Wallace, chairman of the board. Mr. Wallace said that records showed 50 examinations were made last year, the milk delivered at the hospital being analysed almost once a week. The milk was found to be of a uniformly high standard. Every precaution was taken to ensuro a first-class supply. The first direct shipment of Island fruit to Auckland this year arrived t by the Waipahi from the Cook Islands yesterday morning. The consignment comprised 10.500 cases of island oranges, together with smaller supplies of mandarines, bananas, and island tomatoes. The remainder of the shipment included 40 tons of copra and 71 bags of cocoanuts. Most of tho fruit, which arrived in good order, is for Auckland, but some of it will be sent South. The supply of oranges will ease the scarcity of that fruit on the local market. The need of stricter control over Lake Pupuke, in view of tho recent drowning accident in the lake, was emphasised by tho medical officer of health, Dr. T. J. Hughes, in a letter to the Takapuna Borough Council last evening. He asked tho council if it would tako tho necessary steps to prevent boating, bathing and fishing in tho lake. It was decided to send a copy of tho letter to the North Shore Boroughs Water Board. The question of forming the One Tree Hill Road Board district into a borough was revived at a meeting of the board last evening. A report on the subject submitted -by the clerk was considered, and a committee was appointed to arrange for a petition of ratepayers with a view to a poll being taken. An assurance that two of the stations on tho Westfield deviation will be named in accordance with the wishes of residents of the district has been received from the Ministor of Railways, tho Hon. W. B. Taverner, by Mr. H. R. Jenkins, M.P. It was originally proposed by the department to name two of the stations Marama and Glen Innes, but objection was raised by residents on the ground that the names were unknown along the route and gave no indication of the localities or of their historial associations. 'These two stations will now be named Tamaki and Panmure respectively. A draft of the estimates of revenue and expenditure for tho current financial year is to be considered at a special meeting of the City Council in committee next Tuesday evening. Any action then taken will be placed on the order paper for discussion and confirmation at the ordinary meeting of the council to be held next Thursday. A little girl who was thrown out of a motor-car in Victoria Street, Christchurch, yesterday morning, had a narrow escape from death, says a Press Association message. Tho child fell on the road and narrowly missed being run down by two cars, whoso drivers, with presence of mind, drove on each side of the girl. Sho was picked up crying, but uninjured. An example of the multiplicity of the requests placed before Ministers on tour was given by the Hon. W. B. Taverner, Minister of Railways, in replying to a welcome given to him on behalf of the Auckland branch of the United Party yesterday. In a tour of three days in Otago Central, said Mr. Taverner, requests had been presented which involved a capital expenditure of £6,500,000. No Minister of Finance could hope to do onefiftieth part of what was asked. As far as his departments were concerned, added tho Minister, Auckland requests would get a fair deal. He repeated an assurance that the duplication of the railway between Papatoetoe and Papakura would bo done as soon as finances permitted, as he recognised tho work was essential to the efficient operation of trains. "I do not want to offend you, gentlemen, but whatever may bo the motive which prompts a man to offer his services on any other local body, there can be no doubt that every candidate for drainage board membership has an axe to grind in the form of drainage works he wants to see carried out to benefit "his own property," said Mr. F. A. Swarbrick, drainage board solicitor, at a conference of drainage board delegates interested in tho Woodlands swamp drainage scheme at Hamilton yesterday. Mr. Swarbrick was stressing tho point that in drainage matters community of interest was tho dominating factor. The laughter and remarks which greeted his observations indicated that tho truth of them was generally recognised. Both the express trains from Wellington wero lato in arriving at Auckland yesterday morning. The first express arrived at 7.50, one hour and ten minutes lato, and the limited at 9.40, . ten minutes late. Delays at Otorohanga and further north caused the late arrival of the first train, while in the case of tho limited the delays occurred mainly at T'e Awamutu and Pukekohe. The main industry of tho majority of Pacific Islanders is the production of copra, tho price for which has been steadily declining. Last y.ear it reached a very low figure, owing chiefly to keen competition from other products. Tho outlook, therefore, for the Islanders is none too bright. Mr. A. G. Burnett, secretary of tho Wellington Harbour Board, who has just returned from a trip round tho Islands, says that thero are already indications that some of the big planters are devoting their land to some purpose other than the production of copraj but it will take time before rubber or other plantations can become established, and the position in the meantime is not viewed with much optii mism.