LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20888, 2 June 1931, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Burns to the face arid, arms were received yesterday by Mr. Alfred James Pearce, an employee at the Westfield works of R.. and W. Hellaby, Limited, when a hurst of flamo issued from a boiler he was stoking. He was admitted to the Auckland Hospital, where it was reported that his condition is not serious. Mr. Pearce, who is married, resides at 24, Park ' Road, Ellerslie.

Passengers by the 8 o'clock ferry steamer from Bayswater yesterday morning witnessed-the unusual sight of a school of porpoises in the harbour. There appeared to be about six of tliem swimming in tho direction of Stanley Point with a large flock of gulls in attendance. Porpoises are often seen iri (bo Hauraki Gulf, but it is seldom they venture so far into I lie harbour.

A versatility not usually displayed by a public lecturer was shown at the luncheon of (he Auckland Rotary Club yesterday by Dr. T. Z. Koo, vice-president of the World Christian Students' Federation, who addressed the gathering on the political and social developments in China. Prior to his address. Dr. Koo played a solo on a Chinese flute. The remarkably sweet notes of the unfamiliar instrument caused considerable comment, and tho applause which greeted the performance was an unstinted tribute to the skill of the player.

The new 15,000 kilowatt plant at King's Wharf power station is now under full load, and a ceremony in connection with its official opening, to be held on Friday morning, will be attended by the Gover-nor-General, Lord Bledisloe, and the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. W. B. Taverncr. Dealing with the King's Wharf extension in his recent report at the annual meeting of the Auckland Power-Board yesterday, the general manager, Mr. R. H. Bartley, said the estimated cost for the work was £150,000, and, from figures completed to date, it appeared that the work would be finished within this estimate.

About 500 or 400 black swans were seen flying off the beach at Waiau Pa, Manukau Harbour, at low tide on Sunday and yesterday. It is usual for numbers of these birds to frequent this locality at this time of the year, but sportsmen find them wary. Little cover is to be obtained near the beach and at the slightest disturbance the birds fly from range.

"If there is any danger for the future of the Empire at the present day it is from lack of discipline," said the Gov-ernor-General, Lord Bledisloe, at the opening of the new Scout Hut at Papakura on Saturday afternoon. "The parents do not now exercise tight control so that children must place discipline on themselves," he continued. If self-discip-line could be achieved, it would be much better than the old discipline could be. The Australian Rugby League football representative, F. W. Shankland, is a through passenger by the Monowai for Vancouver. He is proceeding to England to fulfil a three years' contract with the Warrington football Club, Lancashire. Shankland, who played for Eastern Suburbs, Sydney, stated yesterday that the terms of his contract with the Warrington Club were somewhat unusual. It was provided that he would be paid whether he played or not, his remuneration consisting of a weekly sum, in addi-. tion to the signing-on fee. Steamer passages for himself and his wife were paid both ways. Mrs. Shankland was formerly Miss I). Craig, of Auckland., On completion of his contract Shankland intends to take up professional golf, for which he has already served part of his apprenticeship.

Practically every local body and organisation in the Cambridge district was represented at a civic service held at St. Andrew's Anglican Church, Cambridge, on Sunday morning. The Mayor, Mr. C. 11. Priestley, and the newly-elected Borough Council were among those present. The service was conducted by Archdeacon G. Gordon Bell.

Tho stamp-vending machine at the Iluntly post office was rifled late on Saturday night or early on Sunday, morning and stamps and coins of a total value of about £2 were stolen. The thief or thieves removed part of the machine, thus putting it out of action.

"The practice of cyclists riding three abreast is ridiculous," said Mr. E. D. Mosley, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court in Christchurch. "The sooner we have a by-law in the city to stop it the better. We have so much fast traffic in tho city that it is dangerous. I have noticed it myself. If you sound your horn to ask for room, they turn round and scowl at you. It is both thoughtless and dangerous." In the 18 months during which his business had been in operation, 300 secondhand cars had been sold, declared a witness in tho Supreme Court in Christchurch. Another witness said that the second-hand trade was only moderate at present. It was stated by another man that a 20 per cent, rate of annual depreciation on cars was a conservative estimate.

On rare occasions muttonbirds tly inland a considerable distance from their coastal or island haunts and become separated ficm the flock or colony of birds. An instance of this was afforded when a bus driver found a full-grown muttonbird in the eastern district. He brought it into lnveroargill, says the Southland News, and, thinking that it might rovive and fly away, placed it by the Puni Creek. The bird, however, was apparently suffering from exhaustion, and was later found and taken to Mr. J. B. Thomson, lie kept it and fed it on pieces of fish and other delicacies suited to its taste. It appeared to regain strength and vigour, and Mr. Thomson proposes to release it from the wharf in the hope that it will make its way to the habitat from which it strayed so far,

" I am the oldest angler in New Zealand," declared Mr. G. F. Whiteside, in thanking members for his election as a life member at the annual meeting of the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society. Supporting his proud claim, he said that he first set a bait on July 16, 1862, and he got a bite and was quite sure, as all fishermen were, that it was the biggest fish that ever was missed. He (ired his first shot in 1866. It was an old muzzle-loader, and his father put in a small shot. He did not hit anything, but he discharged the gun. He first started fishing or poaching in New Zealand in 1882, and caught a trout. " I was brought up among a lot of poachers in the North of Ireland," he said. "I would not like to tell our poachers w>me of the methods used. I hav« bc?n a licensed angler since 1833."