LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20868, 9 May 1931, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

When the Union Company's steamer Maunganui was leaving Queen's Wharf for Sydney yesterday afternoon a woman passenger, who was leaning over the ship's rail, dropped her handbag overboard. Tho bag floated on the surfaco for some time, but it sank before it could be recovered by some men in a boat.

In spite of the chilly wind yesterday three boys and three girls gave a demonstration of diving arid swimming when the new open-air swimming baths attached to the Teachers' Training College were opened by the Minister of Education, the Hon. 11. Atmore. So cold was the water that they stayed in only for a few minutes, but were warmly applauded by the shivering spectators.

Tho essential parts of the additional plant at King's Wharf power station have been installed, but owing to certain alterations desired by tho manufacturers the plant will not be ready for use until the middle of noxt week. The last of the new plant arrived by the Westmoreland from Liverpool yesterday. The existing plant of 26,000 kilowatts has been taxed to its utmost since the breakdown at Arapuni, but the position will be relieved by tho addition of tho now 15,000 kw. plant. As far as tho present plant is concerned there has been little trouble, although the anxiety has been considerable, and tho firo bricks in some instances have been reduced to 2in. in thickness from the usual Bin. The new plant will allow a sufficient margin for an overhaul where necessary to the old plant.

Considerable indignation was displayed by two women at tho Auckland railway station last evening when they were refused permission to go on to the departure platform shortly beforo tho limited oxpress left for Wellington. " You cannot slop us," they said to the official at tho barrier. " Hero are our platform tickets which we got from the automatic penny-in-the-slot machine." The women, in their hasto to say a last farewell to travelling friends, had mistaken the purpose of a woighing machine in the station concourse.

On board the Union Company's, steamer Narbada, which arrived at Auckland from Calcutta last evening, are four monkoys and a number of small Indian birds. '£he monkeys are for Wellington and the birds will bo landed at Auckland. Six monkeys were put on board at Singapore, but two of tho animals and also some of tho birds died on the voyage.

The scarcity of men with moustaches was commented upon by a detective when giving evidence in the Supremo Court yesterday in a case in which a clerk was charged with theft, from three suburban houses. Counsel for the defence, Mr. Noble, asked Detective Allen whether accused was the only person in an identification parade at the police station who had a moustache. Tho detecth'e said he believed ho was and added that " men with moustaches are hard to find in these days." " That rt; so," said Mr. Noble. " I believe accused and the Court orderly are the only ones with moustaches in this Court."

A very satisfactory crop of field pumpkins was grown at the Huakura State Farm this season. The crop averaged 50 tons to the acre, and individual specimens turned the scale at 1801b.

The crashing of seven largo stones through the windows of Mr. CI. G. McKellar's homo at Lower Hiccarton on Tuesday night caused alarm to Mr. McKellar's aged mother. The motivo behind the destruction is not definitely known, but Mr. McKellar, who was a candidate for the Christchurch City Council at the elections the following day, believes that the action was the result of some person or persons confusing Ins remarks on tho wage reduction question with those of another speaker, also a candidate.

A conference to consider present-day economic problems is being convened by the Waikato executive of the Farmers' Union and will be held in Hamilton on May 22. Members of local bodies, chambers of commerce and Rotary clubs in tho district aro being invited.

A resident in ttie vicinity of Invercargill is still enjoying his Sunday strawberries and cream, for he has at present a splendid crop of tho fruit in his garden. The berries are quite full size and this second crop is said to bo equally as good as the earlier one of January last.

Those who aro interested in the natives of the Sudan aro familiar with tho extraordinary manner in -which the Nuba people plaster their hair into balls or sausage-shaped bumps. This is generally accepted as tho expression of tho native idea of adornment. Mr. D. N. MacDiarmid, of the Sudan, who is at present in Auckland, states that there is among somo tribes a vory practical purpose behind this custom. It is on his head that the Nuba man carries what tho soldier would term his iron rations. The plaits of hair aro knotted together with <i mixture of oil, flour, and sour milk; and if a nativo on his travels runs short of food it is a fact that ho can subsist fairly comfortably for a week or so on what he carries on his head.

A number of City Council officers, who will be paid for acting as poll-clerks at the municipal elections in Christchurch, have expressed a dosira to hand over their pay to the Christchurch Unemployment Committee, provided that the total amount is subsidised and tho work of those employed is done on the officers' premises. The matter will be considered by the Unemployment Committee.

After serving on the Canterbury Diocesan Synod for 57 years as representative of the Knmara district, Mr. G. Mclntyro has announced his retirement. He is 88 years of age. This term is probably a record for a lay synodsman, says tho current number of Church News, which adds: " Synod will miss his acute criticisms and accurate knowledge of Church law and synodical procedure."

Found 28 feet below the surface, indications of a buried forest are creating considerable interest in the Kakaramea district, near Hawera. Wood was first found at this depth during the sinking of a well at the local cheese factory. Pieces of bark and punga were hauled up in the bucket. At a farm about a mile from tho factory another well was sunk, and a blade of flax was found 21 feet below the surface. Tho discoveries are extraordinary in that it is supposed that the West Coast was open country except for flax, fern and tutu. It is assumed that the land was buried by seismic action as the strata from the top down are not volcanic,