LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20362, 17 September 1929, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Tho Auckland-Tan en Iu a express arrived at Hamilton nearly an hour late yesterday. The delay was caused by a flange coming oil a wheel near Mercer.

Several houses in Ellis Street, Frankton, wcro endangered yesterday morning by a largo gorse fire on an adjoining section. The prompt action of tho Hamilton firo brigade in suppressing the outbreak saved the buildings.

Tho Auckland Aero Club has been advised that bonuses will not bo paid by the Government in respect to lady members who may pass tho tests for air pilots' licences. For tho encouragement of civil aviation tho Government undertook to pay a bonus of £25 for each pupil securing an "A" licence, tho grant being limited to a maximum of 20 pilots a year. It is now mado clear that tho clubs may not claim for any women fliers. Tho limitation will have 110 effect on tho income of tho aoro clubs, sinco all aro achieving results which indicate that tho number of pilots trained this year will exceed tho scoro and thcro will thus bo excess pilots who can earn no bonus for tho club. Tho Auckland Aero Club lias already trained 13 pilots and tho total of 20 should bo reached when tho next batch is submitted for the tests.

The fact that the floor of Nelson Harbour had inexplicably risen twice in the berth where tho dredgo Kaiono lies when pumping spoil on to tho reclamation was mentioned by tho chairman, Mr. H. R. Duncan, at a recent meeting of the Harbour Board. One morning tho Kaiono was unable to get to her usual position, and an 'investigation showed that tho bottom had risen slightly. This had happened twico. Whether tho occurrence was caused by the carthquako or was something to do witb tho reclamation work Mr. Duncan said ho did not know.

The fact that New Zealand is particularly suited to the development of aviation from tho aquatic aspect has been the subject of some comment by pilots who have experienced similar conditions in other parts of the world. Writing to the Auckland Aero Club, Mr. C. G. Grey, editor of tho well-known London journal, tho Aeroplane, says: "I do not sco any sign yot of what I imagino will bo the most common commercial development of flying in New Zealand—tho flying boat. Your big towns seem to bo around the coastline, and there ought to bo ultimately a great amount of business in flying around the coasts, hopping from one sheltered water to another."

Thcro has been considerable mortality among young stock in Taranaki during the past two or three months, duo to the wet and cold weather. Many farmers report their lossos as high as 10 per cent. Lambs liavo also suffered during the past few weeks, as the result of the unfavourable weather conditions.

"It is becoming a serious matter, this continually meeting cars on tho roads when driving stock," said a member of tho Sheepowners' Union at a meeting in Christchurch. "Mind you, I cannot speak too. highly of the car drivers. I have not met ono yet who is not most considerato; but tho fact remains that there is an immense amount of interruption, and the continual stopping cannot do tho sheep any good, as well as causing a most annoying waste of time to motorists themselves. I move that the Automobile Association bo approached with a view to finding out if anything can bo dono about tho definition of separate stock routes." It was decided to ask the South Island Motor Union to inquire from tho Main Highways Board tho practicability of instituting stock routes in order to enable drovers to travel with a minimum of inconvenience.

To havo his car caught up on the rear bumper of one of the municipal buses and carried for nearly 20yds was the unusual experience which befell a motorist in Gisborno. It is the custom for certain bus drivers to turn their vehicles in a wido sweep almost opposite the Post Office in order to draw up at the stand. Whilo dne driver was in the act of doing this recently a light car, which was proceeding up the street, drovo into the back of tho hus, and was held fast through tho bumper catching on to tho front bumper of tlio car. Tho bus completed its turn and came to a standstill before the driver was aware of tho other man's unfortunate predicament. With tho assistance of several amused onlookers tho vehicles wcro separated, and tho car drovo away undamaged.

Judging by the muddy slato of the Buller llivcr, which has not run clear smco the earthquake, as every shower of rain brings moro streams over mud-strewn fields, thero will be no need for tho Government to declare a close season for whitebait fishhig, says a Westport paper. Almost any whitebait caught so far has been by blind stabbing. Many fishers who usually by this time havo a few pounds in pocket havo not this season earned a penny from tho industry.

A start is to be made this week with the installation, of a new organ for tho Dunedin Town Ilall. When completed tho organ will rank as ono of tho finest in the world. According to information supplied by tho builder to tho Dunedin City Council, it contains four manuals, and the specification of stops has been tho result of minute care and attention to the acoustics in tho new hall. Tho organ was originally built for tho stadium of tho British Empire Exhibition, 1924, at Wembley. Tho stadium was capable of seatiiig approximately 100,000 people. When tho exhibition closed in 1924 tho organ was removed to tho manufacturer's factory and stored. To adapt tho instrument to tho Dunedin Town Hall it has been necessary to make many drastic alterations and additions to tho specifications.

"It is no good saying tlio shags do good —thoy aro tlio bust poachers -wo have in tho North Wairarapa," stated tho curator of tho Mastorton hatchery, Mr. T. G. Miller, in a report to the Wellington Acclimatisation Society. "I received a shag shot on tho Waingawa River, near Mastorton," ho said. "Tho bird contained ono trout, 15Jin. from nose to tail. Shags are hard to get. People say that they do moro good than harm by eating up tho eels—well, they don't seem to caro about tho Wairarapa cols as long as wo provido tasty "food for them. There is a big mob of shags at work on tho Waingawa nearly every day, but the open country makes it, hard lo get them." Tho chairman, Mr. L. 0. H. Tripp, said arrangements woro being mado for an invcatigatioa regarding tho food of shags.