LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20793, 9 February 1931, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

After the earthquake at Napier on Tuesday it was feared that damage might have been done to the lighthouse at Portland Island, Mahia Peninsula, which is on the coast between Napier and Gis'borne. The lighthouse apparently is undamaged, according to a report from the master of the Union Company's steamer Ivaimai, which arrived nt Gisborne on Thursday. She had passed Portland Island the previous evening, when the light was functioning as usual. A quantity of clothing was stolen from the residence of Mr. G. Pitcaithley, 17, Burwood Crescent, Remuera, which was broken into by thieves. The occupants returned at the week-end and found that the house had been ransacked.

A small party of police left Auckland for relief duty in the stricken area of Hawke's Bay by the second express last evening. The party, which comprises Sergeant Claasen and six constables, will proceed to Hastings. The unusual sight of a large swordfish was seen in the upper reaches of the Waitemata Harbour by a party of local fishermen, who were in a launch just off Hobsonville about mid-day yesterday. Ihe fish', which was seen to broach two or threo times, was estimated to be about eight feet long. There was a shoal of kahawai in the vicinity and this is considered to have been the cause of the unusual visitation.

Several people left Gisborne for Napier last Thursday by the Richardson Line motor-ship Pukeko, but they were not allowed to land at Napier when they arrived there on Friday. I' our of tho passengers who insisted upon going on shore did so under an armed guard. The remainder of the passengers returned to Gisborne by the Richardson Line steamer Pakura.

Owing to the low price of copra and tho slackness of inter-island trade in Fiji the 80-ton wooden auxiliary schooner Endeavour arrived at Auckland from Suva yesterday to be laid up. The vessel was built at Auckland in 1904 by Messrs. Bailey and Lowe. She was first used in tho Auckland-Whakatane cargo service, but for the greater part of her career she was owned by the Wilson New Zealand Portland Cement Company. In June, 1925, she was sold to an island firm and the following month she left Auckland for Fiji.

Traffic on the Hunua Gorge road and on tho Wairoa road to Orere was exceptionally heavy during the week-end. Tho former road has been widened by relief workers during the spring and is now more used as a scenic drive. Orere is rapidly becoming popular as a picnic ground.

The death occurred in the Wellington Hospital yesterday of Mrs. Christina McKccgan, as the result of injuries received when sho was knocked down by a tramcar at the corner of Cuba and Abel Smith Streets on January 24.

While the Lyttelton Harbour Board's dredge can cope with most things it finds at the bottom of the harbour it boggles when it meets a few fathoms of stout steel wire-rope, or chunks of iron. 'lhe board has approved a circular sent out by tho harbourmaster to the shipping companies, calling attention to disregard of the by-laws when such discards were thrown overboard. The dredge has been laid up on soveral occasions repairing damage to the pumps caused by these unexpected obstructions. It was decided to prosecute any offenders caught, and to press for the heaviest penalty. The harbourmaster said he was sure no master would be guilty, and he was sure it was due to the crew dumping the stuff in the harbour inste-id of taking it beyond the three-mile limit.

An appeal for union among farmers was made by Mr. W. J. Poison, M.P., at a rally of farmers at Matamata on Friday. Resolutions were passed urging the Government to reduce the customs tariff on necessities; protesting against the payment of 14s a day to relief workers; and urging the Government to provide easier finance for farmers. It was also suggested that all awards be temporarily suspended. A scheme for a qualified moratorium and the establishment of a system of rural credits was suggested by Mr. Polson, and was supported by the meeting.

The story of what is perhaps the only occasion in history when anyone has secured a "corner" in pennies was told by Mr. Gladstone Hill in Christchurch last week, in reference to a collection on behalf of tho Mayor's earthquake relief fund. In the course of the war period tho Wellington Patriotic Society, with the help of tho Commercial Travellers' Association, organised a street collection of small coins in wheelbarrows, which were taken round the streets by well-known public men. So successful were they that during the day they secured seven barrowloads of pennies, totalling about £l5O. Passengers on trams and everyone threw in their pennies. The tram passengers then handed the conductors silver coins for their fares and tho fat was soon in the fire. In the afternoon the manager of a bank grabbed tho telephono and got on to the Patriotic Society. "Farheaven's sake bring in some of your pennies," he shouted. "You have disorganised tho tram service." This wns actually what had happened. So many ponnies had found their way into the barrows that there was soon none left to be given in change on the trams, and it was somo time before the copper hoard was put into circulation again.

It takes more than tho failure of the electric lights to deter Taranaki farmers from the thorough enjoyment of relief, in tho shape of dancing, from tho arduous tasks of the day. At a ball at Wjtrea held recently the lights failed during tho second sitting of supper. The drtvers of two motor-cars quickly stationed cars so that tho headlights flared through the side and back doors of tho hall. Another removed a battery from his car and arranged a temporary light for the orchestra. This completed, dancing continued as if there bad been no interruption.

A scheme recently proposed by the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce for the assistance of farmers has borne fruit, according to reports. One of those interested stated last week that there had been several instances of the partial adoption of the scheme. Some of the stock agents had met farmers by writing off substantial balances and making a fresh start with them. In other the charging of interest had been suspended.