LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20900, 16 June 1931, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Suffering from scalds on the head and shoulders, Joseph Frederick Mayne, infant son of Mr. and Mrs. John Mayne, of Taylor Street, Avondale, was admitted to the Auckland Hospital yesterday afternoon. It is understood that the child, whose condition is regarded as fairly serious, received the burns at his home on Saturday.

A shooting star of exceptional brilliance was observed from Tlemuera in the western sky at 9.15 p.m. yesterday. A bright trail left by the star was clearly defined.*

Just before disembarking from (he liner Rnahine, which arrived from London yes terday morning, Mr. John Forsyth, one of the passengers, fell down a stairway and fractured his right leg, the bone ol which had been weakened by a war wound. The injured man was taken by the St. John Ambulance (o tho Auckland Hospital and is progressing satisfactorily. Mr. Forsyth, who resides in Ranfurly Road, Epsom, has been visiting Britain.

The telegraphist, Mr. R. Can.bie. who won the first prize of £2OOO in the Golden Key art union, resides at 19, Glenbervio Terrace, Wellington. He is 29 years ojd. Mr. Cambie was stationed at the Auckland branch gf the Post and Telegraph Department for about, nine years. He was transferred to Wellington about 13 months ago.

The distress which prevails in Auckland is indicated by the fact that during the period of 41 days from May 1 to June 10 6767 beds and 17,826 meals were provided at the Auckland City Mission's night shelter in Hobson Street. Those figures give an average of 167 beds and 435 meals daily. Except for a move to larger quarters earlier in the year the shelter has not closed its doors since the beginning of May last year. On the new premises is sleeping accommodation for about 240 men. The great need at the moment is for blankets.

A fast passage from Vancouver to Honolulu was made by the Royal Mail liner Niagara which reached Auckland yesterday morning. The vessel left Vancouver on May 27, but was detained at Victoria the same night to wait for mail which was late. She cleared Victoria at 7.30 a.m. the following day, llj hours behind schedule. To make up for the delay the Niagara's speed was increased to nearly 17 knots. She picked up 10 hours on the passage to Honolulu, which was reached only one and a-half hours behind schedule, and she cleared the port for Suva and Auckland on her usual sailing time.

The much-criticised destructor of the Waitemata boroughs at Takapuna was visited yesterday by the members of the joint management committee, in view of the repeated complaints of residents in the neighbourhood. After inspecting the works and seeing them in operation, tho committee decided that they do not cause a nuisance. No alterations of the plant are therefore considered necessary.

"Silent policemen" at street intersections throughout the borough of Mount Eden are to be moved and placed on tho street alignments. The danger of having these traffic guides outside the street alignment was pointed out by members of the Mount Eden Borough Council at a meeting last evening, and it was decided to proceed with tho work immediately.

According to advice received in Auckland yesterday there was a considerable fall of snow during the week-end in the Tongariro National Park. Conditions for ski-ing are said to be good.

Finality is being sought by the Auckland Tower Board concerning the board's supply of coal. The chairman, Mr. W. J. Holdsworth, and the general manager, Mr. R. 11. Bartley, will leave for Wellington this evening to interview the Prime Minister, Bight Hon. G. W. Forbes, in the matter. The Glen Afton Collieries, Limited, has agreed to supply the coal provided it can obtain a three years' contract, and this has been objected to by the Public Works Department.

Pertinent comment on the publicity methods of the New Zealand Government was made by Mr. Clutha Mackenzie at tho weekly luncheon of the Auckland Rotary Club. In the courso of an address on his recent visit to Canada and the United States, Mr. Mackenzie said he had found that everywhere there was tho keenest interest in the tourist attractions of New Zealand, but when big companies such as the Canadian Pacific Railway applied for literature on New Zealand they could obtain only a few hundred copies instead of. the thousands they required.

The possibilities of developing trade with Java were mentioned yesterday by Mr. A. F. Wright, a Christchurcb solicitor, who returned by tho Ruahine from ari extended tour, which included a stay in England. Mr. Wright, who was accompanied by his wife, said there was a big field for exploitation in Java, particularly in dairy produce and meat, commodities which (he Dominion could supply. His observations in Java showed him that there was urgent need of a pure milk supply and infant foods. Most of these came from Holland and Denmark, with a little from Australia. He thought New Zealand could enter this field with advantage.

A conference is to be held on June 26 in the Takapuna Borough Council's chambers to consider the problem of. the lake basin lands. Takapuna Borough has laboured under a grievance for some years, in consequence of the prohibition by the Health Department of tho issue of permits for tho erection of buildings on the walershod of Lake Pupuko, from which tho four Waiteniata boroughs draw their wafer supplies. The reduction of official valuations of land in the basin area by reason of tho Government restriction is estimated to cost Takapuna £ISOO a year in rate revenue. Seeing that the purposed the ban is to maintain the puritj of tho water supply it is claimed that this loss should be shared by the other three 'boroughs interested in the lake supply. The pending conference "lias been convened by tho Mayor of Takapuna, Mr. J. Guiniven, in the hope that some means of redress to the borough can be found bv general agreement. Failing that, it is probable that'a proposal will bo made that tho Government, bo asked to appoint a Royal commission to consider the posi tion.

Counterfeit shillings, which are a fairly good imitation, are in circulation in Timaru. One coin, which was paid into the Bank of New Zealand, had quite a new appearance, and was dated 1919. It was somewhat lighter than the genuine coin, and the milling was clumsily carried out.