LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20623, 23 July 1930, Page 12

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

No information concerning the whereabouts of- tho' missing Dcvonport resilient, Mr. William Davidson Munn, bad been received up to a late hour last evening. Mr. Munn was last, seen leaving 1110 Dcvonport Wharf on Thursday cven-

The condition of Mr. Charles Turdy, who was admitted to the Auckland Hospital On Saturday evening suffering from severe head injuries, is still serious. Mr. Piirdv received his injuries when the motor-cycle ho was riding collided with a motor-car in I'itt Street.

Burn's to the face and hands were suffered by Mr. Norman Smith, aged 26, an electrician, when a fuse blew out in the Auckland Harbour Board's electrical works on the Prince's Wharf yesterday morning. Mr. Smith, who lives at 22. Dcdwood Terrace, Ponsonby, was admitted to the Auckland Hospital, his condition being regarded as fairly serious.

A motor-car, owned by Mr. J. R. Robertson, of Queen Street, was removed from Lome Street between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. yesterday. It Had not been recovered at a lato hour last evening.

The derailment of a tramcar at a curve just below Morningside shortly after 5.30 p.m. yesterday interrupted traffic on the Mount Albert line for over half an hour. During that time 15 cars were held up.

The new tram route to Point Chovalier Beach will he opened on Sunday morning. The tracks have now been constructed as far as Dixieland Cabaret, and the first tram will run at 7.53 a.m.

Following (lie satisfactory preliminary te.sl of the fire-pump installed in the tug To Awhina (ho Auckland Harbour Board's firefloat has Ijeen put out of commission permanently and placed on moorings in St. 'Mary's Bay. All tlie equipment has been taken off tlic vessel, and tlie question of bee disposal has been referred to tlie Purchasing and Stoics Committee of the board.

Most people looking at the facade of the new Auckland railway station assume that it is perfectly symmetrical. This is not really the case, but the departure from symmetry has been so adroitly camouflaged that only the most observant are likclv to notice it. There arc two more windows on (lie left side than on the right, and four very small windows o.i one side of the three main arches arc at different levels from the corresponding four on lhe other side. The inequality has been hidden by placing (hem in tall vertical grooves or recesses.

A proposal to place "safety-first" notices in (he (ramcars was made (o the Auckland Transport Board yesterday by trie City Council, which is considering the advisability of undertaking a campaign designed to reduce the number of street accidents. The suggestion is to be reporied upon by the manager.

A decision (o create another ward in the Mount Albert Borough was made at the meeting of (he council last evening. The .Joint Committee's recommendation that (he A Ward, comprising very largely the environs of the mountain, should be divided into two was adopted without discussion. The division would lie made by striking a line through Alberton Avenue (o Mount Albert Road, thence via Mount Albert Road to Vincent Road. The change is to come into effect at the next election of the council.

Two Auckland fishermen, Messrs. M. and ,J. Janovich, had a narrow escape from drowning while fishing near Cape C'olville on the last trip of the launch Busy Ree. While releasing a Seine net over the stern of the launch Mr. J. Janovich's fingers became, entangled in the nresli. and ho was dragged overboard. As the wing of the net. passed across the stern the wooden spreader was caught between the legs of the other fisherman'and lie was also thrown into the. water. Both men are good swimmers, and although a heavy sea was running at the time they were able, lo get clear of the net and regain the launch little the worse for (heir experience.

The removal of the tram shelter at tho rnrner of Rcmuera. and Upland Roads to the. intersection of Kelvin and Rrmiuera Roads, on the Meadowbank tramway extension, was urged upon the Transport Roard yesterday by a Remuera resident, Mr. G, 11. Edmonds. He pointed out that (lie shelter is seldom used, as the shop verandahs in the locality provide adequate protection from flie rain. The letter was referred to a committee which is dealing with the placing of train shelters.

Evidence, of the existence of old Maori burial grounds which are unknown to many Maoris was provided in tho Native Land Court yesterday. An application was being heard in which a Maori woman wished to partition some 400 acres of sand-duno country near Waiuku. An elderly Maori who had seen the notification of the application in tho Maori Gazette gave evidence that the foot of a sandhill in the property was an old burial ground, the applicant's grandmother having been inferred there in 1883. The coinniissioiiei for the Waikato-Maniapoio district, Mr. E. P. Earlo, who presided, granted the application, but reserved from sale tho old burial ground. It is stated that, in olden times the Maoris often placed the dead at the foot of a sandhill, and by walking on the hill covered the bodies with sand.

Traffic in Queen Street was held up for about 15 minutes about one o'clock yesterday, when a collision occurred between a motor-truck and a motor-car, with the result thf,t the two became jammed together across the inward tram-tracks. The scene of the. collision was near the foot, of WyndJiam Street, and the vehicles interlocked as a result of the fender on the car pene(rating the mudguard of the lorry. It, was found necessary to remove the fender of tho car.

"We have had one or (wo complaints of the defence being stated simply in the terms of a general denial." said Mr. Justice Frazer, during tlie hearing of a compensation claim in (lie Arbitration Court, yesterday. "1 think it is desirable to draw attention to the fact that these general denials are deemed under (he Supreme Court code and under our rules to be an evasion.'' In (lie case before the Court a, general denial was followed by the alternative defence that the accident was due to the plaintiffs alleged "serious and wil. ful misconduct." "That is an absurd defence," said His Honor. Mr. Sellar, who represented a Wellington legal firm for the defendant, said he was prepared to withdraw that. "It would not be (enable in any case." replied His Honor. Mr. Sellar explained that, the defence had been prepared before the solicitors concerned were in possesion of all Uic facts.