LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20893, 8 June 1931, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Recently Ngaurnlioe bas been active at intervals and daring the week-end there was considerable activity, the mountain emitting large clouds of smoke and steam. As there has been a heavy fall of snow in the National Park region Ngauruhoe presents an exceptionally picturesque picture at present.

Repairs to tho coastal steamer John, which put back into Port Waikato on Tuesday with engine trouble, were completed in time to enable tho vessel to leave Port Waikato again for Wellington on the high tide at mid-day on Saturday. The mishap to the engine thus involved the vessel in a delay of 5i days.

A further slight improvement in tho condition of the boy Leonard Gee who was seriously wounded in a shooting accident at Northcote last Wednesday was reported last evening from the Auckland Hospital. His condition is, however, still fairly serious. An improvement was also reported in the condition of Mr. Cyril Henderson, of Pukekohe, who received injuries to the back and legs as a result of falling from a train near the Parnoll tunnel on Friday evening. His condition last evening was satisfactory.

A Chevrolet motor-truck which was stolen from Maungaturoto on Friday was seen to pass through Waipu on Saturday, heading in the direction of Auckland. The vehicle belongs to Mr. Edward Cullen, of Maungaturoto, and its registered number is 29-060. When recognised in Waipu it was noticed that the truck carried new number plates, but owing to the fast speed of tho vehicle the numbers were not definitely ascertained. Tho truck has been converted from an old passenger motor-car, and tho body is not painted. At a late hour last evening no further information regarding the vehicle's movements had been received by the city police.

No advice has been received by either the Harbour Board or the City Council from the Unemployment Board regarding the completion of tho approach to St. Mary's Bay boat harbour. The. Harbour Board deferred tho question of proceeding with tho work until notification was received from the Unemployment Board whether the completion would be subsidised under tho No. 5 scheme, but an assurance in this direction, which was considered likely, has not been given yet. A fine display of tho slipper orchid (cyprepedium), which has not before been made public at the Domain, is now being admired by visitors to the cool house. Cyclamen and primulus are already showing their choice colours, and will be at their best in about a week. In the tropical hous9 poinsettias are making the most show, but cattleya orchids are also in bloom and are well worth seeing. Tropical paw paw trees are fruiting and bananas are making very good growth. Te Oha, one of tho carved storehouses in the Maori collection at the War Memorial Musium, once contained tho body of a victim of cannibalism, said Mr. V. F. Fisher, in the course of a lecture in the museum library yesterday afternoon. Tahuri-o-Rangi, the son of Manawa, the craftsman who carved the storehouse, was in a party led by Haere Huka, who murdered a Ngati-Haua chieftain named Hunga in 1835. The body of Hunga was cooked and placed on tho verandah of the building. The outrage caused warfare between the Ngati-Pikiao and the Ngati-Haua, the hostilities lasting until 1860.

"If we had used the first past the post system of voting we would have wiped the Citizens' Association out of existence," said the Rev. J. K. Archer at the Labour Representation Committee's social in Christchurch. " However, with proportional representation we have got a majority on the council, and that is the main thing." Mr. Archer's views were opposed by Mr. J. McCombs, M.P., who said that only by including the votes of Mr. A. E. Armstrong could the Labour Party claim that it secured the majority of votes cast at the election. " I am very glad there is not a blackboard here," said Mr. E. J. Howard, M.P., "or we would have our friend ' Jimmie ' McCombs proving definitely that nobody won! You can prove almost anything with proportional representation."

A shelter to accommodate 150 men is to be opened by the Wellington City Mission The shelter is urgently needed to houso single men and youths from 17 years of ago and upward, who are homeless and unemployed. A novel maintenance scheme is to be tried. Books of tickets arc being issued to people who are prepared to assist, and each ticket will entitle a man to a bed and two meals at the shelter. When the holder of the book has disposed of the tickets, he will pay the City Mission £2 10s. This system, it is thought, will appeal to people who are being constantly approached by destitute men. The use of the tickets will obviate the tendency to give cash to unknown callers, and when any man tells a story which rings true, he can be given a ticket with the assurance that the possession of it will gain him a bed and food. " What is going to be done about these congregations which have not paid their assessments?" asked Mr, J. D. Smith, at the Presbyterian General Assembly in Wellington. Ho said the congregations which had not paid their assessments amounted to per cent. " You can't take the breeks off a Hielander," remarked the Rev. Dr. J. Gibb. The Stratford Mountain Club, under the supervision of Mr. T. R. Anderson, has completed the erection of the Manganui Gorge Hut on Mount Egmont. The work was practically completed by a working bee last Wednesday. The hut, which is 12ft. by 12ft., is set on substantial concrete piles dove-tailed into the scoria Bolts long hold the flooring plates. Through the generosity of Mr. Anderson a telephono has been placed in the hut and connectod with the Stratford Mountain House.

Tho straying cow is a danger to traffic but is not always unwelcome to backstreet residents, according to an incident that occurred at Stratford one night recently. A motorist pulled up near bis home and in tho darkness saw an object some distance away, while unusual sounds were heard. Stepping across the road, the form of a cow loomed up and as be drew closer a woman holding a tin billy rose from the ground on the far side of the animal and scuttled away into the darkness.