LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20481, 5 February 1930, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Proceedings in the Supreme Court yesterday afternoon were delayed for over an hour owing to tho non-appearance of a man charged with the theft of. two cows at Drury. Owing to difficulty with counsel it was impossible to proceed with other cases. Mr. Justice Herdman gave instructions for the issue of a warrant for tho arrest of the accused, but tho man arrived at the Court before its execution.

The dismissal of the number of men employed by the Transport Board in its motor-bus garages was referred to at a meeting of the board yesterday by Mr. E. J. Phelan, who expressed the hope that as many as possible would be given re-employment in the board's service. It was explained that as tho tram extensions were completed and moro buses were taken off the road, numbers of men would not be required, but every effort would be made to re-engage them in other directions.

" Tho church-people of tho Auckland district have responded nobly to the appeal for funds for home and foreign missions and tho fact that practically tho whole sum assessed should have been contributed in such a troublous year as 1929 says a great deal for their generosity, said the Rev. G. Budd at tho meeting of tho Auckland Presbytery yesterday. Tho clerk, tho Rev. D. cD. Scott, reported that of a total assessment of £5533 the churches in the Auckland district had contributed £5370 in the form of voluntary donations.

"The fact that tho Main Highways Board has approved the carrying out of earth-work on the Titirangi highway this year does not commit the board to granting approval for concreting the road next summer," said Mr. A. Murray, engineer to the Waitemata County Council, yesterday. "This does not mean that tho board has said that it will not do tho work, but merely that it does not wish to commit itself at the present time." Mr. Murray said that at the meeting of the Titirangi Ratepayers' Association on Friday one of the speakers had attributed to him a statement that the road would be completed this year. He had not made any such remark.

Tho Auckland sittings of the Post and Telegraph Appeal Board were commenced yesterday, Mr. E. C. Cutten, 5.M.," presiding. There is a very large number of casjs to bo dealt with, and yesterday tho beard was occupied chiefly with preliminary work.

Tho lives of four girls were in peril at the beach at Oakura, near New Plymouth, last Sunday. Tho girls were enjoying the buoyancy of an improvised raft when they discovered they had drifted far beyond their depth. Their cries were heard by bathers on tho beach and the life-saving reel recently placed on tho beach was rushed to the scene. The difficulty was to find strong swimmers to face the heavy breakers. Mr. Norman McArtney, of New Plymouth, quickly donned the belt and swam to the raft with tho line. Tho girls were towed ashore in a greatly distressed condition.

"We do not want to encourage tho chewing of gum," remarked Mr. M. H. Wynyard, chairman of the Auckland Harbour Board, yesterday, when an application for permission, to install automatic chewing-gum vending machines on the ferry and adjacent wharves came before tho board. The board was offered a payment of 25 per cent, of the gross takings for the privilege of a stand for tho machines but permission was refused.

A now school swimming bath will be opened at Leamington, Cambridge, next week. The bath, which is of concrete, is 75ft. long and 25ft. wide.

A fine of £1 and costs was imposed on a farmer in the Magistrate's Court at Manaia last week for failing to drive his motor-car slowly when, approaching and until past some cows being driven along the highway. The magistrate mentioned the responsibilities of motorists in meeting travelling stock.

The wages offered by dairy farmers for boys nowadays are fairly good as compared with those obtainable in general labouring. A speaker at a meeting of the Wairarapa Farmers' Union the other day quoted a case in point. Having lost the services of his employee through illness he advertised for a boy. The first applicant was a likely looking lad who had had a little farming experience and he was engaged. As he left to get his belongings he asked what the wages would bo and mentioned that he received 30s per week in a mill. "Well," said the farmer, " I'll give you that and board you too." " That'll do me," said the boy, " I had to pay 25s a week for board in town."

A Wanganui resident, when referring the other day to the price of wool and sheep, that 40 years ago he bought a lino of old owes at 5s per head. In those days it was spot cash before taking delivery at the yards, and he had to borrow 9s from a friend to make up the required amount. The owes were put on to fresh country and did well, and ho sold the fat lambs at 12s per head, and they were shipped to the West Coast. Later ho disposed of the ewes at 9s per head, and for tlio wool ho received 7£d per lb., despito the fact that it was well blackened through contact with burnt logs and stumps.

A queer sea snake was caught by Master Hoy Pomberton on the beach in tho direction of Welcome Bay on Sunday, states the Herald's Tauranga correspondent. It is three foot three inches long with a body that could bo passed through a seven-eighths inch ring. It is golden coloured on tho back and whito underneath. As far as can bo ascertained it is the first specimen of tho kind that has been seen or found in the Tauranga Harbour. It has not been identified and information will bo sought in Auckland.

Ragwort seems to be gaining ground in some parts of Tnranaki. A "year or two ago iL was confined to largely back country, where it was responsible for the reversion of many hitherto profitable farms, but unless local bodies and settlers take vigorous notion it will not be long before the open lands are also menaced. On the sides of the road between Patea and Waverley some healthy bunches with flowers ready to drop off and provide potential crops, aro to be seen, and some of tho lands in tho fertile Whenunkura Valley are dotted with the yellow flowers of the ragwort and Californinn thistle.