LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20924, 14 July 1931, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

On the arrival at Auckland on Sunday of the Royal mail liner Monowai from Vancouver it was expected that the reduction of 10 por cent, would be applied to the wages of the cooks and stewards on board, the men being on New Zealand articles. To avoid the possibility of a dispute which might detain the vessel and cause inconvenience to passengers the Union Company decided to defer the reduction of the men's wages until a later date. The Monowai sailed for Sydney late last evening.

A malicious false alarm was given by telephone to the City Fire Brigade at 8.38 last evening. In response to the call two engines proceeded to the ]• remises of A. J. Entrican and Company, Limited, Customs Street East, but everything was in order there.

Trouble with high-tension wires at North Shore caused a breakdown for about half-an-hour in the electric light supply of part of Takapuna and the adjacent east coast townships between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. yesterday. The borough engineer had the lighting restored before very much inconvenience had been caused.

" 1 am afraid she has not been telling the truth about her age," said DetectiveSergeant Kelly in the Police Court yesterday, when a young woman accused was stated to be 24 years old and not 18, as thought by the police. " It is a feminine falling, > you know," remarked the magistrate, Mr. F. K. Hunt.

A letter expressing appreciation of the board's reduction of charges for power was received by the Auckland Power Board yesterday from a city business firm. The letter stated that the benefits were greater than the board realised. "We will get many more letters yet," remarked Mr. M. J. Bennett.

" It is not often this Court has to take note of the veracity of witnesses, but there has been a lot of trimming of evidence given here to-day," commented Mr. F. H. Levien, S.M., in the Otahuhu Police Court yesterday, when two men were charged with breaches of traffic regulations. The charges arose out of a collision between defendants' cars at Otahuhu. Reviewing the different versions given by witnesses, the magistrate said it was impossible for him to say how the accident happened. The informations were dismissed.

" It is interesting to note the quality of British goods in connection with the King's Wharf station plant," said Mr. W. J. Holdsworth, chairman of the Auckland Power Board, at a meeting of the board yesterday. He had seen an old machine in use afc the station that morning which had been built 20 years ago. It was carrying a bigger load now than it was estimated to carry when it was built. Mr, M. J. Bennett remarked that they were making better goods 12 years ago. " What is happening is that we are not getting the same margin of safety," said the general manager, Mr. R. H. Bartley. "You now get from British firms what you pay for. It is a matter of commerce. The margin of safety has been cut down to enable British firms to contend with competition from America and the Continent."

There was an exceptionally heavy list of cases heard in the Otahuhu Police Court yesterday, which necessitated an all-day sitting. The majority of the 56 cases disposed of were breaches of traffic regulations, and fines varying from 5s to £3 were imposed. There was one indictable case, in which the accused was committed 'to the Supreme Court for trial.

The difficulties backblock settlers will surmount in order to visit friends even as many as 50 miles distant are described in a letter received from the South yesterday. Two farmers in the Lake Wanaka district, Otago, having been invited to spend the week-end skating at the property of a friend, covered a distance of about 50 miles by various means and in spite of torrential rain. Setting out in a .downpour, the two men travelled the first six miles on horseback. It was necessary to walk for the next nine miles, then 33 miles were traversed in an exposed motor-truck and the final two miles on foot. Rain fell continually during the trip.

A novel method of securing supplies for relieving distress in Wellington was adopted by the Wellington City Corps of the Salvation Army on Sunday. The adjutant invited those who attended the Salvation Amy Citadel to each bring a potato with them. At the door receptacles were provided and the potatoes so received will be handed to the Samaritan officers to be used by them in helping their many needy cases.

Iri an effort to re-establish quail in the Manawatu and adjacent districts the Manawatu branch of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society is raising several thousands of the birds on the society's game farm at Paraparaumu. The difficulty at present is in procuring stock, but a determined attempt is being made to bring about a large increase in this game bird. The society is also rearing several hundred pheasants.

An unusually large number of eels as well as several trout have been taken from the water-races and storm-water channels at Isleworth settlement, near Ashburton, by the men engaged in the new irrigation work. Well over 100 eels were thrown out on the banks of the streams within a few hours.

"It is a nonsensical proposal," said a former sea captain, when asked in Christchurch last week for an expression of opinion as to the suitability of Clifford Bay as a terminus for the South Island Main Trunk railway. Ho said he had made many trips round Capo Campbell in sailing vessels, and had anchored in the shelter of that point, and while he recognised that Clifford Bay was protected from the south-west, northerlies or rior'westors would send in a big '"jobble." The inlet did not provide good holding ground for anchors, and 'frequently, after a short stay there, ships sheltering from a storm made for Port Underwood. A harbour, of course, he added, could be made anywhere if sufficient money was spent.

A statement that he had heard criticism from several sburces ivas made by a member of the Scots College Old Boys' Association at the annual meeting in Wellington recently, when speaking of the practice of referring to old boys in the annual publication of the college by the "nick-names" by which they were known in their school days. In some cases reference was made to clergymen, and the "nick-names" did not correspond with their present walk in life. The headmaster had stated that it might be advisable to check the use of these names.