LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20925, 15 July 1931, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The condition of Clifford McDonald, aged 11, of Runciman, who was injured in the capsize of a motor-bus at Drury on Monday, is reported by the hospital authorities to be still serious. The bus was carrying children to the Drury School. The Jubilee Institute for the Blind will reap a substantial benefit from the net proceeds derived from the takings at the two debnttss between representing the University of Oregon and the Auckland University College. At the first debate in the Town Hall last evening more than £6O was taken at the doors. The proceeds from the sale oi tickets have yet to be added. This evening's debate in the University College hall will be in aid of the same object. An outing in the city will be provided 10-day fcr the party of 70 children from the Hawke's Bay earthquake area who are being cared for at the Motuihi Island camp of the Community Sunshine Association. The children will visit the Winter Show this morning. In the afternoon they will be taken by motor-cars to the Museum and j fof a drive in the subuibs, later returning to the city for a picture entertainment. The party will return to the island this evening. The Chamber of Commerce at Los Angeles is forwarding by the captain of the steamer Sonoma an engrossed greeting commemorating the inauguration by that vessel of the Malson Line's new mail and passenger service from Los Angeles to New Zealand, ft is intended that this greeting shall be presented to the Prime Minister, the lit. Hon. G. W. Forbes. The Sonoma is due at Auckland from the port, via Honolulu, Pago Pago and Suva, on July 24. From here she will proceed to Sydney. After having' visited east coast and northern lighthouses the Government steamer Matai arrived at On'ehunga yesterday morning. Boisterous weather interfered with the visit to Cape Maria Lighthouso and the vessel was barbound for a day at Hokianga. She is expected to resume her trip to Wellington this morning. r l ho launch which formerly •was used by the harbourmaster at Hokianga was brought to Onehunga by the Matai and will be unloaded this morning. The transfer of the launch to Onehunga. is due to the fact that Hokianga Heads, signalling station is now under the control of the Hokianga Comity Council, the Marine Department having abolished the position of harbourmaster for economic reasons. Fifteen years ago to-day—early on the evening of July 15, 1916 —there occurred a spectacular fire at Government House, Auckland, which did damage to the extent, of about £4OOO. The fire originated in the upper storey, and eight rooms and two corridors were gutted, while several other rooms were seriously damaged, Ihe firo was first noticed by a passer-by in Waterloo Quadrant, and it had a strong hold when the brigade arrived. Driven by a strong north-east wind, it spread back from the point of origin through the vice-regal apartments, and down the main staircase. The flames enveloped the eastern wing, destroying three of the four rooms, and broke through into the lower floor, burning out the private secretary's office and considerably damaging His Excellency's private office. The greater part of 'the roof structure over the main portion of the building was destroyed. A handicap upon the tourist traffic between Australia and New Zealand was mentioned by the Mayor, Mr. G. W. Hutchison, at the opening' of the Australian travel exhibition yesterday. Mr. Hutchison . said that any member of the .Auckland Automobile Association was entitled to obtain a badge which would enable him to take his car all over Europe without any customs formalities whatever. If he wished to tour Australia in it, however, he had to deposit £BO to £IOO duty before he could land it. The same applied to an Australian motorist - visiting New Zealand. Such a state of affairs was a discouragement to travel and a stigma-on both countries. Shortly after the earthquake disaster in Hawke's Bay the Presbyterian Church of Ireland made a donation of £2OO for the assistance of the sister church in the stricken area. It was announced to the meeting of the Auckland Presbytery last evening that a further gift of £75, with the promise of more, has been received from the same source. The growth of missionary endeavour in China in the past 50 years and the manner in which small Christian groups have been established in every centre of the vast country were described by Dr. H. W. K. Mowll, Anglican bishop of Western China, iti an address last evening. "Al- ! though English is spoken by more people | than any other tongue in the world, at present more Bibles are being circulated in Chinese than in English," the speaker declared. No signs of whitebait have been reported on the upper reaches of the Wailcato River near Tuakau, which is the centre of the netting operations. Supplies usually are available about this time of the year and the season proper begins early in August. Limited stocks of local salt-water whitebait have been available in the city for some time. "It is curious that things which arc intangible and somewhat beyond the ordinary grasp have an unfailing appeal to the popular imagination," remarked Professor F. P. Worley in an address in the University College hall last evening. The speaker mentioned as an instance the extraordinary amount of publicity which had been given to the theory of relativity in order to meet the public taste. The point which seemed to have been forgotten was that the theory was not understood in tho slightest degree by persons other than experts, and the public, though excited by tho subject, could not have comprehended its significance. The sum of £448 has been subscribed in Hamilton in response to an appeal made by tho Waikato Social Welfare League on dufle 22 for the relief of distress. Sinco then a permanent relief officer has been appointed, and a depot, lias been established. A marked increase in the number of native birds in the region adjoining the Fox Glacier, South Westland, is mentioned by Mr. R. W. Marshall, district manager of tJio Tourist Department, Christchurch, who has just returned from a holiday on tho coast. Native birds were plentiful, ho said. Pigpons were at present greatly in evidence, feeding low down on the miro berries, though later they would seek tho high country.