LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20901, 17 June 1931, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

A sharp fall in the retail price of eggs has been recorded in Auckland over the past week. Best grade hen eggs, which wore selling at 2s 9d a dozen a week ago, were selling yesterday at 2s 3d. The price of duck eggs has fallen from 2s 6d a dozen to 2s 2d. Increased supplies are coming forward. The City Fire Brigade received a false alarm of fire to the shop of Milne and Choyce, Limited, shortly after 10 o'clock last evening. The call was duo to a defect in the automatic alarm system in the building.

The fine weather at Auckland yesterday was followed by boisterous conditions jn the evening, when a strong wind was blowing from the north-east accompanied by heavy rain. The sudden change in the conditions was reflected by the barometer, which was steady at 29.95 during the morning, but was falling rapidly after mid-day. Later in the evening the barograph line was nearly perpendicular, the reading at midnight being 29.65.

The condition of Joseph Frederick Mayne, infant son of Mr. and Mrs. John Mayiio, of Taylor Street, Avondale, who was admitted to the Auckland Hospital on Monday suffering from scalds on the head and shoulders, is no longer regarded as serious. The injured child received the burns at his homo on Saturday.

Many former members of the First Battalion of the Auckland Regiment attended a parade in the Drill Hall last evening, when they were addressed by Major N. L. Macky on the objects of the new system of voluntary military training. One hundred of the men submitted their names as volunteers. This is regarded as an excellent response. The battalion already had received a number of names, including those of about 30 officers.

Confusion lias apparently resulted from the recent decision of automobile associations throughout the Dominion to advise pedestrians to walk on tlic right-hand side of the road, facing the traffic, when thero is no footpath. Pedestrians are familiar with the local regulation that they must keep to tho left on footpaths, except on Grafton Bridge, where they arc required to walk on Iho right-hand footpath and faco the traffic. Mr. 0. 11. Hogan, chief city traffic inspector, said yesterday that so far he had received no communication from the Transport Department as to the side of the road on which pedestrians should walk when no footpaths are provided.

"It may be doubted whether a wife nowadays is under any duly to obey her husband. At any rate, a husband is very ill-advised to try to assert his authority in the way defendant did. Nevertheless, a wife has duties to perform and should stand by her husband in times of stress and difficulty and not add to his anxieties and irritations." These remarks were made by Mr. W. H. Woodward, S.M., in giving judgment ill a separation case 111 Wellington. Tho wife based her claim on the grounds of her husband's persistent cruelty, failure to maintain and habitual drunkenness. The magistrate held that none of the allegations had been proved and refused to make an order.

Mutton-birders who roturned recently to the mainland of Southland from the islands off tho southern coast brought back the interesting news that the mysterious liakawai was frequently heard this season. As usual the bird was not sighted, though several people watched for it. Hakawais seemed particularly plentiful on Solomon's Big South Cape and Poutama Islands, a group covering a scope of several miles; and on these places the weird sound was generally heard early on moonlight nights. The noise begins with a booming at a great height and this increases in volume as the descent is made until the air vibrates with it. At the end the sound changes to a noise such as is mado by the chain on a small craft when the anchor is let

The diseases of golden scale and green aphis are gaining ground rapidly on British oak and silver birch trees in the reserves in Christchurch. "The disease is very thick in tho birch and oak trees in Victoria Square and Sydenham Park," said the superintendent of city parks, Mr. M. J. Barnett. Growth was being stunted and in time the trees themselves must be seriously affected, said Mr. Barnett. An insect named habrolepis dalmani had been liberated in the Domain to control the golden scale, but this could have no effect on the other pest. With a good spraying machine they could cope with almost all insect pests, but at present there was no suitable equipment at all.

An unusual point- was argued at Timaru last week between counsel for a Mosgiel resident charged with using an automatic shotgun to kill native game, and counsel for the South Canterbury Acclimatisation Society. Tho issue was whether or not a Winchester repeating shotgun was an automatic weapon. One solicitor contended that the gnn was nonautomatic, as the human agency had to be introduced and only one shot could bo fired without reloading, which was done by pulling back the hand-piece under tho barrel and pushing it forward again, which ejected tho spent cartridge and reloaded the gun. He quoted Webster's dictionary to support his argument that the gun was not automatic. Opposing counsel argued that even if the gun were not automatic it was auto-loading. The society's ranger admitted that ho was not an authority on guns. In dismissing tho information, Mr. C. R. Orr Walker, S.M., said that even though the gun was auto-loading, it was not automatic and aim had to be taken with each shot.

Through falling while skating at tho Wellington Winter Show on Saturday night, Mr. A. E. Nelson, of Riddiford Street, received a, compound fracture to the fourth finger of his right hand. He was admitted to tho hospital.

"The seventh man's not shaking tho bag properly," called out one of tho spectators at the drawing of the Golden Key Art Union in Wellington on Saturday evening. Ho repeated a romark to the samo effect shortly afterward, and was invitod by the man who was holding the bag to come up and see if he could do bettor himselt. This he did not do, but continued to grumble at the way tho bag was being shaken. Finally Sergeant Bonisch, who was present for the Police Department, rose to his feet. "Just be quiet," he said threateningly. I'll come, mind . . At ibis the man relapsed into silence.