LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20302, 9 July 1929, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Tho cargo steamer Katoa reached Auckland from Wellington last evening after experiencing very stormy weather, which prolonged the trip by nearly 24 hours. The vessel sailed from Wellington on Friday night and 011 Saturday she encountered a northerly gale and rough head seas off Portland Island. Afterwards she had difficulty in malting headway and the conditions became worse off the East ('ape, where the seas were exceptionally high. It took seven hours to steam against the gale from tho East Cape to Capo Runaway, a distance of about 20 miles. The stormy weather continued during tho trip across tho Bay of Plenty. After tho Katoa rounded Capo Colville tho wind changed to the south-west and a strong wind from that direction provailed in tho Hauraki Gulf.

Bequests of £IOO each have been made to the Jubilee Institute for the Blind and St. Aidan's Church, Remuera, by tho late Mrs. Claudia Mary Hall, of Bassett Road, Remuera. Mrs Hall died last May.

Permission having been granted by tho Government 23 Alaskan huskies belonging to the Byrd Antarctic expedition will bo transported to Mount Cook to-morrow to undergo training and to sledge material for the new hut at Malte Brun, says a Press Association message. Tho landing of the dogs from ,the quarantine station has been held up for months owing to protests by the Sheepowners' Association, hut the authorities have been convinced that every precaution will be taken to prevent the escape of the animals. It is said the greatest danger should a dog get loose is not that it would stray, but would attack others on chain for they are fierce fighters among themselves.

" It is the personal touch which has made our visit such a success," 6aid Mr. D. Dickie, an ex-president of the Southland branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, at a supper tendered to the visiting Southland farmers by the Auckland Exhibition Committee last evening. "It is the marks of friendship which leave the greatest impression," he added.

A motion to introduce Sunday play was brought before the annual meeting of the Island Bay Bowling Club in Wellington recently An animated discussion took place before the motion was put to the meeting. In the end tho proposal was heavily defeated by 43 votes to 15.

For a short period last evening the council chamber of the Mount Eden Borough Council somewhat resembled a picture theatre With official permission representatives of an English meter manufacturing company attended to explain their article, and then, with the aid of a short series of cinematograph films, they showed the processes employed in the construction of meters of various types. Councillors regarded this as an entertaining preliminary to the formal business.

The suggestion that Whangarei water had a tendency to corrode electrical elements was made at the Whangarei Hospital Board meeting yesterday, when it was reported that one of the services which had been most successful at first had deteriorated until its usefulness was practically nil. Board members quoted similar instances which had occurred in tho town. The Borough Council guarantees the service for a year, but the cost of replacement then falls upon l/he user.

The largest and most valuable consignment of poultry imported into Australia or New Zealand was brought to Auckland by the Port Dunedin last week. There were 60 birds in the shipment, all utility birds, comprising Sussex, Rhode Island Reds, White and Buff Orpingtons and White Wyandottes. The birds were consigned to Mrs. W. Warren, of Henderson, and the. value is stated to run into several hundred pounds.

A particularly impudent and audacious robbery took place in Christchurch last Friday evening. Mrs. M. C. Keane, widow of tho late editor of the Christchurch Press, was walking at the corner of Clare Road and Papanui Road • about eight o'clock when she felt a bump 011 her arm. Thinking it was a friend she turned round, relaxing her hold on her handbag, which was snatched by a man who had come up behind her. Sho struggled to regain the bag, which contained £l7 10s in money, antl called unsuccessfully for help. She chased the thief for some distance, but ho escaped.

Two accidents occurred during tho meet of tho Waikato Hunt at Cambridge on Saturday. Air. Arthur Harris* mount took off too far at a fence and came down, rolling on its rider, while Mr. Harry Clark, of To Awamutu, bad a fall when his mount rushed an awkward fence. Tho horso rolled right over its rider. Both tho riders wore convoyed to their homes, but fortunately their injuries were not serious.

The unsatisfactory state of the road leading to tho top of Mount Eden formed the subject of a letter from the Auckland Automobile Association read at the meeting of the Mount Eden Borough Council last evening. Tho Mayor, Mr. E. H. Potter, said that heavy sight-seeing buses had been in tho habit of using tho road, which was not meant for such traffic. Lorries used in connection with the present reservoir works were also partly responsible for the present condition of the road.

A somewhat unusual consignment was handled by tho parcels department at the Dunedin railway station last Thursday. This was a ribbon fish which was being sent to tho Otago Museum from Warrington, whore it had boon washed up on tlio beach. Tho fish, which belongs to tho family known as Trachypteridae, is 14ft. 3in. long, about 9in. deep at tho head, taporing to about 3in. at the tail, and is 110 moro than 2in. thick at any part. There is a continuous dorsal fin along tho back and a comploto absence of scales, while the mouth is very protractile. It is silvery in colour. Tho ribbon fish usually lives in very deep water. Consequently, when it comes into shallow water the conditions havo the effect of destroying its locomotive control and in this helpless state it is not unusual for the fish to bo washed up.

A consignment of two wekas, four pairs of black swan and two pairs" of grey duck will be sont on tho steamer Canadian Transporter this morning to the Toronto Zoological Park from tho Auckland City Council. Tho birds form part of exchanges arranged with Canada, which has sent to Auckland at various times bison, mountain sheep and beavers. Efforts are being made by tho council to obtain from one or two young bison bulls to replaco tho bull at present in the zoo.