LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20384, 12 October 1929, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Through falling from the step of a tram in Mount Eden Road early last evening Mr. James Pettie, a widower, aged 71, of 4, Orchard Road, Mount Eden, sustained concussion. He was convoyed to the Auckland Hospital in a St. John ambulance, and lato in the ovening was reported to be in a serious condition.

Several attempts at burglary in the Parnell district on Thursday ovening have been reported to the police. An attempt was made to enter the assembling stores of Messrs. Seabrook, Fowlds and Company with a jommy, but the attempt was apparently futile. The office of an oil store was broken into and the place was ransacked without result. An attempt waiS made to enter the Farmers' Co-operative stores, but without success, and an entry was made into the assembling plant of Dominion Motors. Tho promises appeared to have been thoroughly searched, but nothing was taken. "Is that objectionable word 'Anglican' necessary?" asked a member of the Church of England Diocesan Synod yesterday when the term was read in the preamble of a bill. "Can we not either omit it or refer to it as the Church of the Province of New Zealand ?" The suggestion was greeted with applause, but it was pointed out that tho alteration could not bo made as tho term was being incorporated in tho bill in a clause appearing in a deed of trust not to bo changed.

Two men stowed away on board tho Shaw, gavill and Albion steamer Tairoa at Liverpool and were discovered tho day aftv.r the vessel sailed for New Zealand. Tho Tairoa reached' Auckland on Thursday night and yesterday morning the two stowaways were handed over to the police. To judge from something seen on a road near Hamilton this week, horsemanagement is quicklv becoming ono of tho lost arts. A baker's delivery-man was on his usual round when his horse fell down. The man decided that the first thing was to separate it from the cart, but how to do this puzzled him, for tho animal was lying on one of the shafts. Then he had a bright idea. Going to a near-by house, he borrowed a saw and sawed the shaft off. The rest was easy.

A wandering pukeko, far from its native swamp haunts, was seen in Napier on a recent evening. The bird was seen fluttering about in a street apparently bewildered, and after flying against a fence for some time it finally rose to some height and with some considerable force dashed up against the wall of a nearby house. The force of the impact was such that the bird fell to the ground stunned, but by the morning it had apparently recovered sufficiently to make its way elsewhere, or else had been picked up by someone. There are few Maoris nowadays who write in their native language, but a document which was received by the Kaikoura County Council at its last meeting puzzled the members. Apart from the address, the whole of it was in Maori and the council could not deal with it for the very good reason that no one could interpret the letter, which came from Waikawa Pa, Picton. After the letter had been received it was humorously suggested that as ■well as .an official newspaper being appointed the council should appoint an interpreter. The letter was held over to enable the clerk to obtain a translation.

Excellent progress has been made with (he building of the new Courthouse in Anglesea Street, Hamilton. The greater part of the foundations has been completed and gives an indication of the commodious nature'of the block. Practically no delay has been caused by wet*' weather and an average of 16 men has been employed on the site during the last six weeks. The bricklayers are now working on the walls of the two Court rooms and a start will be made next week on the granite foundations. It is expected that, a great part of the building work will be completed by Christmas.

An' increase of approximately one-third was shown in the number of criminal cases dealt with in the Hamilton Magistrate's Court during the quarter ended September 30 compared with that for the corresponding period a year ago. Adults charged totalled 403, against 302 in the 1928 quarter, including 19 females this year and 12 last year. Juvenile offenders numbered 39, against 18. In 348 civil cases tried £4545 was claimed «ind £4229 recovered. The figures for the September quarter last year were:—Cases, 362; amount claimed, £7293; recovered, £6955.

At the meeting of a certain body in Wellington recently much discussion took place on the question of appointing vicepresidents. The point at issue was whether a large number should be appointed from a revenue-producing standpoint or whothor a limited number should have the honour conferred upon them for services rendered to the club. One member expressed surprise that anyone elected as a vice-president should consider the position anything else but an honour conferred upon them. The chairman, who happens to bo a vice-president of practically every club, society and association in tho district, quickly disillusioned the speaker, stating that in a large number of cases the position carried nothing else but the right to contribute a guinea to the funds of the club. He personally resented an appointment to vice-presi-dency along with 150 others. A docision was reached to limit the number to six.

BeptJrts from southern Hawke's Bay say that pigs are coming down from tho ranges on to tho sheop country adjoining the bush on tho hills, probably after tho spring grass. It is rather disquieting to find these animals among tho sheep at lambing time, as they follow the ewes and dovour the young lambs. Good percentages of lambs can bo seriously reduced by their depredations.

A return showing tho cost of the Palmerston North Central School, concerning which there has been some controversy, was presented to Parliament this week. It was shoiyn that the cost of tho buildings, including architects' fee, cost of supervision, fencing, improvement to grounds, etc., and also including a new roof and alterations to windows later found necessary in the main building, was £49,386. That amount included £672 found by local* residents for "ground improvements, and £SOO found from tho board's maintenance fund toward the cost of the new roof. The cost-of the school baths was '£l3oo, £llOO of which was found by local residents. The cost of tho land was,£32l2, including £2548 obtained by tho disposal of the old site, £lB5 found by the Education Board, and £l5O found by local residents toward the cost of additional land for the bath site.