LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20307, 15 July 1929, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Showery weather prevailed in Auckland throughout the week end. For n few hours yesterday afternoon tlio skies cleared, hut again last evening rain fell at intervals. .Shipping was affected hotli at Auckland and at Onchunga,' but Snlururday's sports fixtures were played as arranged. Owing lo wet weather in Hamilton on Saturday afternoon nil outdoor sports were postponed. Heavy rain fell for several hours.

Klight damage was caused to a fivesealer motor car owned by Mr. A. Trihblc. of CI lurch Street, Onchunga, liy a (ire which bn.ko out when the emergency petrol tank was being filled al. a garage in Trafalgar Street, Onchunga, yesterday afternoon. The lire was kept in check l>y extinguishers, and tho Onehunga tiro Brigade prevented the flames from spreading to (ho adjacent petrol station. The car was insured.,

The Auckland division of the United New Zealand Political Party will meet in conference on questions of internal organisation and other matters in tho Chamber of Commerce this evening. Nineteen constituencies will bo represented, nn attendance of 33 delegates being expected. Mr. A. E. Davy, chairman of the party, and Mr. O. Moller, Dominion organiser, will be present. Mr. C. G. Black, M.P. for Motueka, will also attend the conference. To-morrow evening ho will deliver an address in tlio Town Hall on the recent earthquake havoc on the West Coast.

Anxiety is felt as lo the whereabouts of a schoolboy, aged 14, who has been missing from his home since last Monday. The boy is of a ruddy complexion with fair hair, and when lie left homo was wearing a navy bluo shirt and shorts, striped school cap and tan shoes. Anyone seeing tho boy is asked to communicate with the police.

Racing and sports bodies would be well advised to carefully study the calendar before arranging Easter fixtures next year. Mr. L. Cohen, of Wanganui, in speaking at the Trotting Conference held in Wellington last week remarked that he did not think he would be divulging any confidence when ho told them that the New Zealand Government had received word from the League of Nations to the effect that that body, after consulting the religious organisations of the world, had decided to make a fixed date for Easier.

Hemarque's much discussed book " All Quiet on the Western Front " is being " unofficially " circulated by the Thames Public Library, which is administered by the Thames Borough Council. The library, which was originally founded by the Carnegie Trust, is one of the largest brick buildings of its type south of Auckland and contains over 4000 volumes. Tho Mayor, Mr. W. Bongard, chairman of the Library Committee, which has not met for over a year,- states that a meeting will be called shortly to discuss the policy of the committee regarding the book.

The frost experienced in Cliristchurch Inst Thursday morning was the heaviest this year, 13 degrees being registered. Those people who had not had the foresight to leave their taps running a little over night were hard put to obtain water early in the morning. Several uncovered water pipes burst. The heaviest frost experienced in Cliristchurch last year was on August 3, when 14 degrees were registered.

"If the motorists of (he city wolild really loam to drive it would not be necessary to give them so much assistance," said the Mayor of Cliristchurch, Mr. .J. K. Archer, the other day in commenting on the proposal to introduce the four-dome system of traffic regulation at street intersections. Mr. Archer, who has been driving a car for about two years, said that ho was opposed to the idea. "What's tho use of having four things to go round instead of one ?" lie added. "It seems to me that the provision of four domes will lead to more confusion rather than less, and that it will tend t(. increase speeding and the dangers at intersections. One dome, in my opinion, is quite enough. The curious thing is that while some drivers ought to bo made to slow down, others should be made to get a move on. Indeed, it does seem sometimes that the biggest nuisance on the streets is tho driver who travels too slowly, lie's in everybody's way."

Motorists frequently complain of the unnecessary twists and turns in streets and roads and look in vain for the reason. In the case of one street in New Plymouth there was a very good reason for the twist that is in it. This is Queen Street, which runs from the post office to the Cenotaph. When this road was being laid out some 70 years ago, the twist had to be made because of the fact that a Maori chief of rank and his dog were buried on the straight line. A deviation had to bo made near the site of (ho brewery, as the Maoris objected to the burial plot of their chief being disturbed.

A large number of dogs have been poisoned in Gisborne lately. Though a large proportion of the- dogs may have been paying tho penalty for raids upon sheep pastures, it is claimed that several deaths have occurred under circumstances that indicate a deliberates scattering of poison-baits. The victim in one such case was a pet dog which had been under most careful supervision, but which exhibited symptoms of poisoning and died within a few minutes. The owner of the property on which the poison was picked up has offered a handsome reward for information which will lead to the discovery of the poisoner.

Since the last cataloguing, about 20 volumes havo been stolen from the reference section at the Cliristchurch Public Library. This fact was revealed last week, when tho books were being catalogued. Books on mechanics, business, advertising, home science, and other subjects havo disappeared. Ono book taken recently is Kingsford Smith and Ulin'i description of their Pacific flights. Another aviation book missing is an American textbook by Pago.

The traditional view that the pick-ami-shovel man who toils with his coat off and sleeves rolled up is the hardest worker in the community was challenged by tho Rev. D. Gardner Miller in an address before the Canterbury Advertising Club last week. He maintained that tho man burdened with the heaviest labour was he who had to sit down and plan business schemes in his office. He had to sweat his brains, meeting present difficulties, planning for the future and thinking of those who were to come after him. His burden was with him night and day, and be could never lay it aside. The courage of .some business men was astounding.