LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20387, 16 October 1929, Page 12

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Tho tramstop at tho intersection of Mountain Road with Khyber Pass is to bo removed from its present position to a site higher up Khyber Pass Road, just above tho corner reserve. This step has been decided upon by tho Auckland Transport Board as a result of representations by tho Automobile Association. It will bo given a six months' trial.

A donation of £2l 16s was received by the Auckland Hospital Board yesterday from tho Kwong Cheu Club, of Hobson Street. The chairman, Mr. VV. Wallace, said it was gratifying to know that the Chineso community of Auckland appreciated tho benefits received from tho hospital. It was a notable fact that tho Chinese of Pukekohe had not failed to sond an annual donation to the board since tho epidemic of 1918, in appreciation for tho services rendered by the board at that time. A donation of £lO was also received from the Colonial Sugar Company, the chairman remarking that both sums would carry a subsidy.

Warning advices regarding tho approaching mosquito season were received from the Department of Health at tho mooting of tho Mount Roskill Road Board last evening. The use of koroseno was strongly advised, not only for ■stagnant water, but also for water-tanks. It wa3 emphasised that this would not injure the water for domestic purposes, as the thin film remained on the surface, and would not be drawn off. Iho letter was recoived.

The two whitebait canning factories on tthe Waikalo River, one at Tuakau and one near Te Kohanga, are now well on with the season's operations. Considerable quantities of whitebait are being dealt with each day, and tho pay-out to whitebait fishers on tho river has topped £IOO for a day.

An explanation of tho attitude of the Postmaster-General, Hon. J. B. Donald, regarding an increase in wages in the Post and Telegraph Department, and a reduction in service charges, was given in a letter received by the executive of the Auckland Provincial Farmers' Union last evening. Tho Minister said that thero had been no avowal of intention to increase wages, but simply a promise of investigation. The letter was received, Mr. F. Colbeck stating that it was a fair reply to representations mado by tho executive for a lowering in the cost of services prior to increasing wages. Advice that tho party of 25 Tasmanian farmers which arrived at Bluff on Sunday on a visit to New Zealand would be in Auckland on October 31 and November 1 was received by tho executive of the Auckland Provincial Farmers' Union last evening. Arrangements for entertaining the visitors were left in the hands of tho chairman and secretary.

"I have heard of commercial travellers going into small towns and clearing £7O by selling patent medicines," said Dr. E. Marsden, of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, in a lecture last evening on "Avenues of Waste." He added that the inferior quality of some of the patent medicines involved the country in tremendous waste if the loss was aggregated.

A note of humour was introduced into the Baptist Conference yesterday when a message was received from tho president, the Rev. J: W. Kemp. Mr. 3£emp is at present in hospital, having recently undergone a serious operation. Tho letter read: "The Rev. Joseph W. Kemp sends his love to tho brethren and says Joseph would have made himself known to his brethren but for being in prison."

"I do not see why tho Government should rent houses in our borough and not pay any rates 'on them," said Mr. W. G. Russell, at a meeting of the Mount Albert Borough Council last t evening. Mr. Russell said he understood that a large number of houses in the borough had fallen back on tho Government's hands through the mortgagees failing to keep up their payments. When the Government assumed ownership the houses were exempt from rates. Mr. Russell said ho had heard that the Government Avas renting the houses. The town clerk was instructed to investigate the matter and to report to the council-in-committee.

The notoriety that New Zealand attained abroad as the result of the last South Island earthquakes was mentioned at the sitting of the Auckland Diocesan Synod of the Church of England yesterday by the Rev. ,W. kW. Averill. In speaking on the work of the Church of England Immigration Society, Mr. Averill said that in the month following the earthquake there was not a single English boy applying to emigrate to New Zealand under the Church scheme. However, as soon as it was learned that some of the accounts in the English press were greatly exaggerated there was a renewal of applications to such an extent that many boys wished to come out during the summer months. However, it was held that this was inadvisable, as most farmers desired to take on boys in the winter in time to give them some elementary knowledge of their work. An opossum which had fallen down a chimney in tho kiosk at Point Erin Park was discovered hiding in a corner of the kitchen by tho caretaker's wife yesterday morning. The animal dropped to the foot of the flue and in its efforts to extricate itself broke a portion of the top of the range, while tho room was littered with debris. Tho opossum was sent to the zoo by tho carotakcr.

"You had better warn your client that this is tho sort of thing I will take licences away for," said Mr. E. C. Levvey, S.M., in tho Magistrate's Court in Christchurch last week, when a motorist was convicted of nogligcnt driving. Evidence disclosod that the defendant was driving a big, fast motor-car, and failed to slow down at an intersection, and an accident followed. Mr. Lovvoy added that somo motorists drove wildly across intersections and cared nothing for tho weight of their car, simply because they wero driving a heavy car. It was that sort of thing licences ought to bo cancollod for.

Blasting operations aro at present being carried out to remove tho top portion of Sentinel Rock, near tho Beachavon Wharf, in ordor to allow a free passage for soaplanos to tho Hobsonvillo air base. Tho first charge was fired on Sunday afternoon under tho supervision of Lieut.Colonel J. E. Duigan. An outcome of tho explosion was tho stunning of large quantities of fish which wero collected from a number of boats. Further charges will bo fired at intervals until a clear fairway is provided.: