LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20720, 13 November 1930, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Four of the machines owned by the Auckland Aero Club made a flight to Te Aroha yesterday under excellent conditions. The pilots were Flying-Officer D. M. Allen, who had Mr. L. G. Godfrey as a passenger; Mr. J. C. Paine. Mr. R. A. Kirk up and Mr. P. C. Lewis. Leaving the Mangere aerodrome at, 11.30, the machines made a fast trip to Te Aroha. arriving at the Wailiou landing ground at 12.5. There was a large gathering of residents and the visitors were met by the Mayor, Mr. R. Coulter. The visitors were entertained to luncheon by members of the Te Aroha Aero Club and they also inspected the racecourse. The return trip was commenced at 3.30, Mangere aerodrome being reached at 4.15. A record number of 92 undefended divorco petitions has been set down for hearing in the Supreme Court to-morrow, which is the quarterly day set apart for these cases. The most common causes of action arc failure to comply with decrees for the restitution of conjugal rights, mutual separation and desertion. Permission to construct a miniature golf course on private property in Devonport, between Oxford Terrace and Cheltenham, was granted by the Devonport Rorough Council last evening, subject to conditions to be laid down by the council. The deputy-mayor, Mr. J. Ilislop, said there was very little noise associated with the game and it could hjirdly constitute a nuisance, although it was in a residential area. The inauguration of a business reply card and envelope system in the inland postal service is contemplated by the Post and Telegraph Department, according to a statement by the PostmasterGeneral, the Hon. J. R. Donald, yesterday. The Minister said the system wis one which would enable business firms to enclose in correspondence posted by them an addressed postcard or envelope for the reply and to pay the postage on the replies delivered to them. To recoup the department for the extra work involved in dealing with sucli correspondence a fee of one halfpenny, in addition to the postage, would be chnrged on each article delivered to the original sender. It was considered the system would be, of convenience to the business community. The giving of evidence in a Supreme Court action is a greater strain on some who are unaccustomed to it than those who are familiar with the Court atmosphere can readily understand. Yesterday counsel in a civil claim found that one of his witnesses was so unnerved by the prospect of appearing in the witness box that he had to ask for an adjournment to enable, her to recover her composure. "She is not in the best of health," counsel said, "and the rush, and hurry of preparing for trial has upset her." An adjournment of an hour was granted and later in the day the witness gave her evidence. An application to -remove two yards of shell from the. beach in front of the Devonport Roiough Council chambers was refused at a meeting of the council last evening. The applicant stated the shell would not be used commercially and he was prepared to pay the usual royalty. "We must preserve our beaches," said the deputy-mayor, Mr. J. Hislop, in moving that the application be refused. The motion was carried unanimously. The preparation of Christmas parcels for returned soldiers in the back-blocks, children in country hospitals and local institutions is now being carried out by members of the Mayoress* War Memorial Library League. An appeal is issued for suitable books to supplement the Christmas parcels and the Mayoress will be pleased to receive contributions.

Two bulls, one of them infuriated to the point of madness by the efforts made to recapture it, caused a considerable stir at Port Ahuriri, Napier, last week when they escaped from the railway yards. One of them spent tlie remainder of the afternoon'and a considerable portion of the night in the front garden of a resident, terrorising the occupiers of the house and a number of other people. The other bull, which caused a sensation in the normally peaceful suburb of Port Ahuriri, is dead, either as a result of heart failure or strangulation by the ropes with which it was lassooed.

A juror who arrived at the Supreme Court in Wellington on Monday, after being fined £1 Is for failing to be present at 10.30 a.m., appeared before Mr. Justice Rccd on Tuesday mbrning, Ho expressed regret at having caused inconvenience to the Court. On Monday, ho said, he was moving into now offices, and he t]iiit« overlooked the date and the hour he was required to attend. "It is very important, you know," said Mr. Justice liieed to the juror, "that you see that those summonses arc complied with, I accept your apology, of course, but I am afraid. I cannot remit your fine."

I'almerston North easily led the principal centres of tho Dominion, outside of tho four chief cities, with the value of its building permits for September. Reaching a total of £24,761, they were double those of Inyercargill, while Wanganui city's total of £2849 looked insignificant in comparison. There were 17 permits issued for new dwellings at Palmerstori.

A Riverlon correspondent of the Southland News writes: —'T was out deep-sea fishing recently, and observed the ocean literally alive with whale feed, and during the 30 years that I have been in Foveaux Strait. I never saw tho mutton birds so numerous before. They were in hundreds of thousands feeding on the whale feed. These are some of the signs by which I judge the mutton bird seasoji each year. Next season promises to be another very good otifl owing to the abundance of feed."

Cross-examination of a witness in a caso in the Supreme Court in Wellington on Tuesday had turned to the value of rear red reflectors on bicycles, and Mr. W. Perry, counsel for the defendant, referred to the movement being made to compel cyclists to havo their rear mudguards painted whito. The witness was frank, and said what he thought about tho proposal. "I think they aro rather silly," fio said, "because nine out of ten bicycles do not have mudguards. They will first have to introduco a regulation making it compulsory for cyclists to have mudguards on their bicycles."

Thirty-eight very young pullets wore killed and slacked away in the, larder of a big grey rat which had been hunting among the hen coops in Opawa, Christchurch, before his activities were discovered. The rat was eventually killed.