LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20537, 11 April 1930, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The condition of Mrs. R. Williams, of 9, Bracken Avenue, Epsom, who received injuries and shock as a result of being knocked down by a motor-car in Upper Queen Street on Wednesday, is still regarded by the hospital authorities as serious, 'l'he Rev. C. W. B. Selon, vicar of Otahuhu, who collapsed in church on .Sunday morning, is making good progress toward recovery.

Dense clouds of black smoke rose from the asphalt at the corner of Victoria and Kitchener Streets yesterday afternoon, arid flames burst through the pavement, to the accompaniment of a series of sharp explosions. On investigation it was found that a recently-laid underground cable had fused and the flames had spread for about 20ft. The fire was suppressed by the Auckland ElectricPowcr Board cutting off the current.

Supplies of fish are very scarce in Auckland. The decrease, is due partly to the change of season, and also to the unfavourable conditions caused by north-easterly gales in the Bay of Plenty last week. It is expected that there will be ample stocks after Easter. Flounder and hapuku have decreased slightly in price.

No increase in rates is likely to arise if the proposed £115,000 drainage loan is approved by city ratepayers at the poll on April 30. The town clerk, Mr. J. S. Brigbam, said the view expressed by a correspondent in yesterday's Herald was erroneous. The city had to strike a rate of 15-16ths of a penny as security for the loan in terms of legislative requirements, but the probability was that the rate would never be collected. The striking of the rate was purely a precautionary step to safeguard the debenture-holders.

With the object of obtaining the full use of apparatus for children in the public parks on Sunday, a petition is to be circulated by the Rationalist Association which recently wrote to the City Council asking it to remove the restrictions placed on apparatus. A reply was received last evening stating that it was decided to adhere to the present arrangements. The circulation of a petition was agreed' upon by the, association, and it was resolved to solicit the support of sports bodies.

There is excitement, ftnrl elation just now among the Dalmatians who are pioneering the sardine fishing industry of the Hauraki Gulf over an occurrence which they describe as rare in their calling—the taking in the nets of what is known in their own country as a "mother sardine," which is about double the size of the largest in the ordinary catch, and yet bears all the characteristic marks of the species. They state that in the Adriatic fisheries there is seldom more than one "mother sardine" caught in the course of a year, and when it is captured it, is considered by their countrymen to be the harbinger of a very successful season—hence their present rejoicings. Mr. F. S. Petrie. head of the expedition, purposes presenting his prize to the Auckland Museum, as a curiosity.

The Waikato Hospital Board collected £20.456 from all sources during its financial year. This represents an increase of £2705 compared with tITc total for the previous year.

A compilation, from the monthly totals furnished by the Railway Department, giving the tonnage of goods trains running through the Otira tunnel from Westland to Canterbury, of the aggregate traffic for the year ended March 31, reveals one or two interesting facts. Rv comparison with the 12 months preceding, when the total was 579,316 tons, the total shows an increase of 65,468 tons. Outshadowing all other factors in producing such remunerative returns for the department was the mining deadlock .in New South Wales, which caused a welcome flow of orders for West Coast coal, not only from consumers in the rest of the South Island, who had hitherto used imported coal, but from Australia itself. The latter orders, of course, were shipped from Greymouth, but the others made a difference of many thousands of tons in the goods traffic on the Midland line.

"If a boy peels potatoes in the back yard, under the present definition of kitchon work lie must be classed as a kitchen hand, and all the cooks' wages increased accordingly," said Mr. S. E. Wright, in stating the case in the Arbitration Court in Wellington last week for the employers in the tearooms and hotel workers' dispute. "Under a recent decision ot this Court if a pantrymaid washes up meat plates from the dining room she must be classed as a kitchen hand, and again the cooks' wages must bo increased because of the increased kitchen staff. The mistress, if on occasions she lends a helping hand in the kitchen, lias just the same effect of increasing the cooks' wages. Thus we find that in such cases the relieving of cooks of work automatically increases their wages, which, to say the least of it, is an anomaly."

Clocks always make a very acceptable present, but the timepiece which was being presented in Wellington the other evening to Mr. A. Dicker, of the Island Bay Life-saving and Surf Club, upon the occasion of his transfer to Auckland, was of the chiming variety and was the cause of an amusing situation. The club captain, Mr. D. Hunter, at the conclusion of his remarks, was about to make the presentation, when, at an inopportune moment, the clock chimed the hour. Mr. Hunter remarked that that had "rather let the cat out of the bag," and to the accompaniment of much laughter handed the clock without moro ado to the guest of the evening.

In a letter in the Church News, Bishop West-Watson comments on the fact that the country parishes are likely to find difficulty this year in balancing their budgets, particularly where their dependence has been placed on a few big subscriptions. 110 advocates small contributions through an envelope system. The bishop says lie considers that the Church is feeling the results of the failure to make religion a real factor in the lives of its young people, and should concentrate more on its youth work. "At tlio same time," continues the letter, "we should realise that new discovery and knowledge have car ried people a little off their feet and created a vague wonder whether religion is not 'optional,' and not a necessary part of man, or whether there may not be some more up-to-date form of it than orthodox Christianity. 1 think people will discover that the root problems of conduct and character are very little affected by the growth of knowledge."