LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20620, 19 July 1930, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

While disembarking from a Dcvonport ferry boat at the city wharf yesterday afternoon Mrs. Katlierinc Carrick, aged 54, of 3, King Edward Parade, Devonport, slipped and received a fracture of tho Icp. She was taken to tho Auckland Hospital by the St. John Ambulance.

Slight damage to the floor-hoards of n tram car was caused by tho fusing of an electric wire under the car in Eden Terrace about 5.40 yesterday afternoon. Tho minor outbreak of fire which resulted was suppressed with chemicals by the city fire brigade. After a delay of about five minutes the car resumed its journey to Dominion, Road.

Although difficulty had been experienced in the driving of tho piles, fair progress is now being made with the construction of the new ferro-concreto bridge over tho YVaiwera River. A report to this cflect was made by the county engineer at a meeting of the Waitemata County Council yesterday.

The first shipment (his season of Norfolk Island oranges will bo brought to Auckland by the llikuraugi on Monday, hut. will not bo a largo one. '1 ho Cook Island oranges brought by tho Waipahi on Thursday wcro of a good quality, although there was a considerable proportion of waste. Tho steamer also carried a quantity of tomatoes. Both lines of fruit 1 " sold fairly readily at tho Auckland City Markets yesterday.

Ski-ing enthusiasts will welcome the news that there has been a heavy fall of snow at the National Park. Owing to tho mild weather experienced during .Juno snow conditions there have been rather poor for winter sports, but latest reports state that the snow is now in excellent order.

With the issue of rate-notices for 1930-31, many Auckland City householders have found, possibly to their surprise, that tho J.d in the pound added to the municipal rates this year has been more than offset by a temporary reduction in water rates and charges. 'lho latter are levied this year over a period of 11 months only, in order to bring the water rating year, which formerly ran from July 1 to June 30, into step with the ordinary rating year, which is from June 1 to May 31. On a typical small house property assessed at a rental value of £54 a year, the municipal rales have been raised this year from £lO 13s 9d to £lO 16s, but the water rates and charges have been reduced from £3 7s to £3 Is sd. Thus an increase of 2s 3d is met by a reduction of 5s 7d, and the householder is 3s 4d to the good.

" 1 understand that tho bill is practically the same as the one brought forward last year," said the Mayor of Auckland, Mr. G. Baildon, yesterday, when ho was asked if the City Council intended to take any action with regard to the Auckland Provincial Water Board Bill, which various suburban bodies propose to have introduced in the present Parliamentary session. " All I can say at present," ho added, " is that the council will take whatever steps are necessary to protect the interests of the city in the matter."

A rumour that members of tho teaching service were to be expected to accept salary reductions as part of the Government's economy proposals was given au emphatic denial when it was referred to the Minister of Education, tho lion. 11. Atmore. Ho said the statement had no foundation in fact, as no salaries would be touched, nor had such a proposal even been discussed.

The Cabinet lias granted authority for the expenditure of £BIO toward tho maintenance of the Edyvean orchard, Nelson, to he utilised for a research programme under the direction of the Fruit Research Committee, comprising representatives of tho Department of Scientific Research, Department of Agriculture, the Cawthron Institute, the Fruitgrowers' Federation and the Fruit Control Board. The orchard has an area of 'lO acres, of which 20 are in fruit trees, and it can produce a substantial amount toward the annual costs. The Empire Marketing Board offered £2OOO toward tho capital cost and £ISOO a year for five years toward maintenance. Tho Fruitgrowers' Conference recently approved an expenditure of 11250 un tho scheme.

Tho incident in tho recent Rugby match between Britain and South Canterbury when Prentice, captain of the tourists, was alleged to linvo been bitten by an opponent, was amusingly commented on by Mr. J. S. Wauchop at the dinner given to the teams at tho conclusion of the match at Gisborno. Mr. Wauchop said tho Canterbury player must have found the British captain rather tough, but he assured Mr. Prentice that he would be free from similar attacks in tho Test matches, as tho speaker understood that tho All Blacks were so old that they played without their teeth.

An interesting paragraph in Superintendent J. J. Salmon's monthly report on the activities of the Dunedin fire brigade referred to tho cause of several fires which had occurred during the past few weeks. Tho superintendent stated that six fires wero caused by the very dangerous but common practice of placing hot ashes in wooden boxes. Persons leaving ashes within 10ft. of a building were liable to a penalty under tho city by-laws. Three fires wero caused through fau tv building construction, and two tljrough persons smoking pipes or cigarettes while in bed.

Significant of the excess of supply over demand in the labour market at the present time are the figures regarding applications for minor positions at the university, referred to at a meeting this week of the Otago University Council. An advertisement calling for an assistant dispenser at the Dental School at a salary of £6O per annum attracted no fewer than 100 applicants, who presented themselves before Dr. Dodds at the Dental School. There were 147 applicants for the post of junior janitor at the Museum, and an advertisement for a temporary clerical assistant was replied to bv 83 persons. For the three positions, there was a total of 330 applicants.

In tho course of a discussion on straying stock at a meeting of the Elthain County Council tho other day one member stated that recently one of the conn cil's roadmen in one riding discovered that a watercourse had become blocked, and on investigating the matter found the bodies of a bullock, a cow. and a sheep. Evidently, it was stated, the annuals had died ou the road, and the settlers concerned had made use of the drain to dump them into and had covered the remains.