LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20641, 13 August 1930, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The outbreak of diphtheria at the Point Chevalier school has been checked and the school is open. - The first case was discovered on July 23, and since that date 15 children have been under treatment. On July 28 the school was closed for a week to enable it to be fumigated by the Health Department. Dr. J. Boyd, medical officer of health, who is in charge of the matter, stated yesterday that he considered the position to be well in hand. None of the cases.was serious, and, only two had occurred in the past.two weeks. Swabs were still being taken as a precautionary measure, but the work of the school was continuing as usual.

No notification has been receiyed by the police of the whereabouts of Mrs. Bridget Woods, aged 67,-who is missing from the home of the Little Sisters of the Poor, : in Shelly Beach Road, Heme Bay. She was last seen at the home last Wednesday.

The derailment of a tramcar at the intersection of Karangahape Road and Symonds Street shortly before 5.30 p.m. yesterday held up traffic on the outward line for over a quarter of an hour, during which time 10 cars accumulated. The tram was then replaced on the rails. Another derailment occurred just beforo midnight, when a car bound for the Gaunt Streot depot ran off the rails at the corner of Queen Street and Customs Street. Five other trams on the way to the depot were delayed for over half an hour before the tram was replaced on the line.

A statement in the annual report of the Defence Department that trouble had been experienced with the Fairey lII.F machines at the Hobsonville air base owing to, the bursting of petrol tanks while in flight was referred to the officer in charge of the baso yesterday. It was stated that .the matter had been investigated by a representative of the Fairey company and the defect had been remedied. The adjustments had been mado without the use of new parts.

Three stowaways were brought back to New Zealand by the steamer Canadian Cruiser, which arrived at Auckland from Montreal ,on Monday night'. One man, who had concealed himself on board the Canadian Explorer, which left Auckland on April 8, was landed at Montreal, where he was transferred to the Canadian Cruiser before she left for New Zealand. The other two men stowed away on the Canadian Conqueror before she sailed from Auckland on June 3. They were put ashore gt Panama and detained until Ihe Canadian Cruiser was passing through the canal on July 13. While on board the Canadian Cruiser the behaviour of the men was excellent and they worked as hard as any of the crew. So satisfactorily did they conduct themselves that no action was taken against them when the vessel berthed yesterday morning. ,

Plans for the beautifying of the quarry pit wells in Owaireka Park, on the sumfit of Mount Albert, are being prepared by the Mount Albert Welfare League and at last evening's meeting of the Borough Council it was reported that members of the league were engaged in preparing plants of. the climbing fig with which to cover the I?are, rocky sides of the excavation.

A deputation representing the Auckland Federation of Tobacco Growers left for Wellington last evening to give evidence before the Parliamentary Tobacco Committee, which is inquiring into to-bacco-growing in New Zealand. The deputation comprised Dr. W. H. Horton and Messrs. G. A. Green and C. P. Lock.

Capital punishment was -to have been discussed by the Auckland • Presbytery yesterday, but it was decided to defer the matter. The reason for the postponement was the desire to know the tenor of the report on the subject of the special commission of the House of Commons* which is about to be published.

A jocular note was struck by the Prime Minister when speaking at the New Zealand Rugby' Union's dinner in Wellington last Saturday night. "I had a particular interest in to-dny's game," said Mr. Forbes. "There is a little th'tig called the amusement tax, and I do not think I have ever seen such a happy gathering of taxpayers iu my life as wero present at Athletic Park to-day. Even the Budget was forgotten." Authority has been granted by MajorGeneral ft. Young, General Officer Commanding tho New Zealand Forces, for all ranks of the Wellington Regiment to wear tho black distinguishing patches as worn by the New Zealand Rifle Brigade during the Great War. Lieutenant-Colonel J. L. Saunders, D.5.0.. officer commanding the Ist Battalion, Wellington Regiment, states that the regiment prizes very highly the distinction in dress that has been conferred upon it, and that it is tho intention that battalion headquarters and the four companies of tho battalion will wear tho patches of brigado headquarters and tho four service battalions of tho New Zealand Rifle Brigade. The battle honours of the New Zealand Riflo Brigade wcro awarded to the Wellington Regiment and ore now emblazoned on tho regimental colour.

By the death last week in Wellington of Mr. Tom. Ford, at a very advanced age, is recalled serious injuries which happened to him in Wellington somo 70 years ago., The late Air. . Ford was a drover at that time and one day ho was takiug a mob of bullocks down Chow's Lane. Just as the wharf at the end of the thoroughfare was reached, one bulloeK turned and threw Air. Ford from his horse. He received injuries wlfuh left him stone blind and stone deaf for the rest of bis long life, with the loss of a limb in addition. Ln spito of this severe handicap, Mr. Ford led a very cheerful existence. Ho was very quick at understanding what was communicated to him by means of writing with the linger on the palm of his hand.

. A scheme for the erection of a hostel at Arthur's Pass on tho lines of the Chateau Tongariro was considered at a meeting of tho Arthur's Pass National Park Board of Control last Friday, when it was decided to seek legislative authority empowering tho board, to raiso the necessary loan with the Government's approval and from 0110 of tho Government's lending institutions, such as tlio Public Trust Office. The board, it is emphasised, docs not by this mov.e commit itself to any one man or to auy group of persons proposing to erect tho hostel. It is open to consider any scheme that may bo put before it, but a grant will, be mudo only on condition that an equal sum is offered by the promoters. The board was formerly asked to advance a larger proportion than half tho cost of this hostel. '