LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20669, 15 September 1930, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

An improvomont has boen shown in the condition of Miss Jcssio Baverstock, aged 24, of East Tamaki, who was admitted to tlio Auckland Hospital at a laic hour on Friday Buffering from injuries to the head received when she fell from the pillion of a motor cycle. Her condition now is not serious.

Many visitors attended tho Mangere aerodrome on Saturday and yesterday, when the club aeroplanes were making Ilights. On Saturday another of tho club's pupils, Mr. E. Paton, made his first solo flight. In spite of the threatening weather yesterday afternoon, there was a considerable amount of flying, and the chief instructor, Lieutenant D. M. Allen, entertained visitors with an exhibition of stunt-

A legacy of £3OO has been bequeathed by tho lato Mrs. .Annie Curl, of Christchurch, to tho Jubilee Institute for tho Blind. This sum has been paid over by tho executors.

A patient at the mental hospital at Avondale wandered away from tho institution during Saturday evening. Tho missing man, who is aged 55, is sft. 7in in height and is of medium build. He has grey hair, a ruddy complexion and blue eyes and is clean-shaven. Ho was wearing a dark grey suit, black shoes, a checked shirt and a tweed cap.

Secondary and private schools in the Auckland province, which have been closed for the second term holidays of three weeks, will reopen to-morrow morning. The primary schools opened last Tuesday.

A very large cargo of Now Zealand prorltico will be carried by the liner Rangitiki, which leaves Auckland for London to-morrow. Besides considerable quantities of wool, frozen meat and tallow, the ship will take 54,500 boxes of butter and 7000 crates of cheese. Of these totals 42,493 boxes of butter and 61.11 crates of cheese come from the Auckland Province. The Rangitiki is duo to arrive at Southampton on October 18.

A report on an examination of tho country for several miles round Tanmaruntii to ascertain any likelihood of tho presence of oil pools is published in tho annual report of the Department of Scientific ami Industrial Research. The report states that several strong salt springs which issue in the Taringamotu Valley cannot be taken as 1 evidence of the existence of oil. Irridescent films on the surface of stagnant water at many points are iron oxide and are not indications of oil. The observations did not indicate that the geological structure is favourable for the accumulation of oil, and the prospects of obtaining oil in the Tailmnninui district arc stated to be decidedly poor.

'flic occupants of a motor-car, en route from Hawera to Wanganui, had a nervewracking experience when passing through Waverlcy last Tuesday evening. They encountered a whirlwind, which ripped off the hood of the car and almost overturned it. the driver for the moment imagining that a serious collision had occurred. Temporary repairs were effected, a rope being brought into requisition to tie down the hood till Wanganui was reached.

The Wellington War Memorial on Lambton Quay moves slowly toward completion, but the bronze piece to surmount the marble and concrete shaft will not. arrive until November. For the past month the contractors have been ready to hoist the bronze horse and figure symbolic of the death defying aspiration of youth into position at the top of tho shaft, but word lias been received that one of the legs of the horso was broken rather badly when the piece was being handled in tho courtyard of Burlington House, London. Tho repairs appear to be occupying more time than was anticipated. The latest advico is that the horso is not due until early in November, by which time the rest of the work in connection with the memorial should be completed.

An aerial survey of the fishing grounds of Manawntu Heads, l'oxton, has been made by Mr. Madge in a Commercial Airways Simmonds Spartan machine, piloted by Lieutenant J. Buekeridge. 'U,o machine Ilew four or five miles out to sea. and covered a strip down the coast. Although conditions were not altogether favourable, an excellent view was gained trom a height, of 7000 ft., and Mr. Madge was able to learn much about the drift of currents and was able to pick out snags and shallows.

Consternation reigned in the house of a Waipukurau family last Wednesday when it was discovered that the sum of £lB in bank notes was missing. Tho lady of tho house, for safety sake, had some time previously deposited the money in the too of her husband's boot, which was out of action for tho tirno being. On going to the placo where the treasure bad been left, tho owner Svas horrified to find that tho boot and tho £lB had vanished into thin air. An inquiry elicited tho fact that tho boot in question had, with its mate, been taken some days boforo to a hoot repairer. With no regard to speed limits a dash was made to tho bootmaker concerned. Tho thrusting of a hand into tho boot resulted in the satisfactory discovery of the £lB.

Legal opinion has been received by the Waitotara County Council on tho question whether the owner of a horse which was being impounded by the county ranger was liable for a dog which the animal kicked. The dog had to bo destroyed. The opinion was that, the- owner was not liable. It. was decided to approach the Counties' Association and endeavour to have the law amended so as to make owners of stock liable for damage done by animals roving roads.

Somewhero in Christchurch thero is a depot whero stolen bicycles are dismantled and disguised. That is the conviction which has been growing in the minds of police officers, who for some timo now have been faced with an everincreasing number of thefts. It is slated that 011 tlio average forty bicycles a month are stolen. Of this number a percentage is recovered by the polico, but tho greater number disappear entirely. If they reappear at all they do so as parts of other bicycles. Whether tho thefts aro organised or not has not been discovered, but tho large number taken indicates that even if tho thefts are not organised, thero is some receiving depot whero the stolen bicycles are dismantled and rebuilt. Some of tho thefts, it is believed, aro tho work of men and boys whose own bicycles are in need of repair and who steal more to obtain a part of tho stolen bicycle than the full machine. This theory is borne out by tho number of bicycles which are recovered by the police with somo part missing. All tho thefts, however, cannot bo blamed to this cause. They are too widespread and too numerous for that.