LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20960, 25 August 1931, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The equipment for the flood-lighting of the War Memorial Museum is expected to arrive in Auckland shortly, and it is anticipated that the work will be completed in about two months. The equipment is being provided and installed by the Auckland Power Board.

" It is not every person who goes into the witness-box who will confess that ho has a bad memory when his own interests are at stake," remarked Mr. Justice Smith in the Supreme" Court yesterday, when an elderly defendant in a civil action volunteered to his own counsel that he had no memory for dates. " You are entirely honest in tin's matter," added His Honor with a smile.

Increased demands continue to be made upon flic resources of the Auckland City Mission shelter. In addition to the men provided with beds and meals a large number of meals are provided to men who secure shelter elsewhere, and the number of casual meals given in. this fashion is very much larger than formerly. From May 1 to August 24 this year 20,990 beds and 55,885 meals have been provided. The average nightly admissions over the same period is 181.

By forcing a window at the back of the Point Chevalier premises of the Self-Help Co-operative Stores early yesterday morning thieves gained entrance to the shop. Bacon, groceries and cigarettes, valued at £6, were stolen.

No fewer than three different spellings of a not uncommon word were offered confidently in the Supreme Court yesterday when " spalls" (chips or splinters of stone) for filling in a roadway were mentioned. The solicitor who was first asked to assist the Judge's associate with the spelling ventured " spall," but brother solicitors promptly corrected him with suggestions of " spaul" and " spavvl." Reference to Murray's New English Dictionary shows that preference is given to " spall," although the other two spellings, and indeed further variations, are used.

Motorists travelling on the Great South Road have been caused little inconvenience by tho concreting of the overhead bridge at Westfield, which is at present in progress. The bridge is open to northbound traffic, while vehicles travelling south are required to make a short detour, as there is available at present only a one-way road over tho bridge. Good progress is being made with the work, which should be finished shortly.

Reporting at a meeting of the Auckland Power Board yesterday on the recent conference of engineers at Wellington, the general manager, Mr. R. H. Bartley, said that many amendments to the draft electric wiring regulations were recommended by the conference. Ho felt that in their new form the regulations would be acceptable to all supply authorities.

While standing in a city office building yesterday, where he had gone in search of employment, a destitute man from the City Mission shelter found two pound notes lying on the floor. He immediately took them to the central police station. Subsequently advice was received at the shelter that the owner of the money had been discovered. It was a woman visitor from Wellington, who left on tho train for the South last evening. The man was asked to communicate with an address in Wellington, when-he would be rewarded.

" A boy's chances of learning a skilled trade have been reduced to a minimum and it is quite possible that before trade revives sufficiently to enable more boys to be taken on many of them will be too old to be apprenticed," states the annual report of (he Auckland Provincial Employers' Association. " From the point of view of parents and their boys the position is unjust and cruel, but, owing to the attitude of the workers' unions and the restrictions put on apprenticeship by the Arbitration Court, the hands of the employers arc absolutely tied so far as any betterment of the position is concerned."

Surprise was expressed at yesterday's meeting of the Franklin County Council at a refusal by tho Health Department to make a 10 per cent, reduction in the amount the council is required to contribute annually toward the salary of tho district health inspector. The council decided to reply asking that the matter be referred to the Minister of Health, the Hon. A. J. Stallworthy, for decision, as the refusal to allow a 10 per cent, reduction was counter to the Government s policy regarding salaries and wages.

Since tho introduction of a threecourse lunch for Is by one restaurant proprietor, something approximating a price-cutting " war " has followed in Christchurch. This is now being carried a stage further by one caterer, who announces that he is offering hot pie, pot of tea and bread and butter for 6d at any time during tho day except between 12 and 2 p.m. The initial Is lunch move met with considerable success, so much so that several restaurants- quickly announced a similar meal, although others have continued to charge their previous rates. "A three-course lunch can be had in Wellington for 9d," remarked one mati. " And it is a good meal, too. With reduced incomes people have to cut their expenses, and a saving of 3d or bd a day on tho mid.-day meal is an important point."

" With all their faults the old wooden schools were the better ones for making medical examinations of the children,- because there was always a room with a fireplace in it," Dr. E. S. Bakor-McLaglen, school medical officer, says, in a report to the Canterbury Education Board. Tho report says that tho modern schools seldom have any provision, and none adequate, for securing warmth or the appearance of warmth necessary for undressing children in cold weather. "In the new schools one is constantly in a state of anxiety lost some child should be, or should think itself to be, or its parents should think it, cold. An electric point with a good big radiator would be something if wo got it, but not nearly so soothing to the nerves of school medical officers or anxious parents or apprehensive children as tho open fire."

A consignment of over half-a-miliion feet of timber was discharged at Lyttelton from the Norwegian motor-ship Ternerairo tho other day. This constituted the largest quantity of jarrah timber discharged at the port for a long time. A considerable part consisted of cross-arms for the Telegraph Department. Tho balance was imported by a timber company. The timber was loaded at Bunbury. In addition, the vessel unloaded some 2000 bags of concentrated wattle bark, which was loaded at South African ports.