LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20480, 4 February 1930, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The first quarterly criminal sessions of the Supreme Court for the Auckland jodicial district are to be opened ' this morning before Mr. Justice Herdman and Mr. Justice Smith. Yesterday a number of prisoners who had pleaded guilty in the lower Court were sentenced by Mr. Justice Smith. ,

While haymaking at Waitoa yesterday a young farm worker, Mr. John McCrohan, fell from a haystack and injured his back. He was admitted to the Waikato Hospital. His condition is not regarded as sorious.

On February 4, 1880,' the sailing ship British Empire, with a passenger list of 350, arrived in Waitemata waters aftor a voyage of 89 days from Falmouth, 10 days of which, owing to calms and contrary winds, were occupied in sailing from the Three Kings to Auckland. The passengers were quarantined at Motuihi Island, thero being 18 cases of scarlet fever on board when she reached port, and eight deaths had occurred on the vessel. Arrangements are being made to hold a reunion this month of shipmates in celebration of the 50th anniversary of their arrival.

The Railway Department is still engaged upon the task of transporting the sheep which are arriving at Taneatua from the Gisborne district, and which are being distributed to various parts of the Auckland Province. Last week four special trains were run to cope with the traffic, and another large draft was railed yesterday. • The -sheep are still arriving at Taneatua in droves, and as about 15,000 have yet to be dealt with special trains will be run at intervals until the task is completed.

Primary schools in the Auckland education district reopened yesterday after the Christmas vacation. Yesterday new scholars were ■ being enrolled at the secondary schools, which will reopen today.

Vandals used a diamond on the plateglass window of seven shops in Oriehunga on Sunday night, disfiguring them and in some cases weaking them, but not sufficiently to enable replacements to be made under the insurance policies held by the owners. In some cases, the lines have been cut straight across the window and in others they have been looped and zigzagged. ' A tribute to the popularity of .the Auckland Weekly News comes from a young lady who lives at Booanga, one of the loneliest spots in the southern part of Western Australia. Miss Amy E. Baisjou writes to say that she has been obtaining the paper regularly for the past ten years, and has compiled five scrap-books, containing 649 pictures and 593 articles from the Weekly News, and only 100 illustrations and 40 articles from other papers. She has another scrapbook containing exclusively pictures and news of the Byrd Expedition since its arrival in New Zealand in 1928, all taken from the Weekly News. The illustrations collected by M'ss Baisjou include animal and nature studies, <many New Zealand scenes and a number of seascapes, mostly of sailing ships. " Beading is my greatest pleasure," Miss Baisjou says, " and the compiling of my scrap-books has given • me something to treasure all my life."

■Anxious that his child ..should have every opportunity of making a good appearance before the judge in a. juvenile jumping competition at the Wairoa Showthat other day, and realising that a little show of spirit on the part of her mount would not detract from her impression, a settler sought to rouse the necessary spirit in the horse by a few smart touches with a whip as it started on its way into the ring. The response was disconcertingly prompt, for the pony lashed out with both feet, and struck the father of the rider /ust about the solar plexus. The blow was sufficient to rob the parent of his interest in the jumping competition, though it was understood that his injuries were not serious.

The advantages' of school desks made wholly of wood, against those made of wood and cast iron, were discussed at a meeting of the Wellington Education Board this week, when members considered which desk would be the most suitable for school work. It was pointed out that the cast iron desk was more easily moved and was the more convenient article for country schools, but, on the other hand, the cast iron fittings broke, and the cost of replacements amounted io a considerable sum. It was stated, also, that desks which had a hinged writing top were responsible for a great deal of noise in large city schools. In addition, the cost was £2 7s as compared with £2 for the wooden desk. The. board decided to obtain the opinions of headmasters of the large schools beforo coming to a decision.

A "butterfly" fish was caught in one of the docks at Port Chalmers a few days ago, and a? nobody had seen a similar fish previously it was forwarded to the University Museum On each of its sides a fin resembling wings, extends at right angles, and these can be stowed away in a stot underneath the body. The fish has been identified as the young of the scaled tunny, an unusual visitor to these latitudes.

Fish are dying in the Manawatu River between Moutoa and tho sea qs a result of the stagnant flood-water polluting the stream. The river is dark brown iti colour and has an obnoxious smell. Fish are to be seen in many places washed up along the banks, while it is qpite a common sight to see trout and other fish floating down the river dead.

In tfn editorial comment on the result of tho Sanders Cup contests the Otago Daily Times remarks: —"It may be eurmiscd that it was with no great expectation of recovering the cup for Otago that the Eileen was sent to Auckland to take part in the'annual competition. For that reason the success that ha? been achieved by Eileen, through winning three out of tho. four races that proved sufficient for the decision of the competition, will be. all the moro gratifying. Otago yachtsmen will, however, prudently refrain from declaring that the result proved that their representative was the best boat in the contest." Tho newspaper says it has to be admitted, and it should be admitted frankly, that luck, always an element to be taken into consideration, entered a good deal into the first and third races, and that it was distinctly favourable to Otago. "In tho fourth race," it is added, "Eileen seems to have fairly won on her merits, and on the superiority of the judgment exhibited by her skipper."