LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20977, 14 September 1931, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Drenching showers of rain fell in Auckland yesterday afternoon, the downpour being particularly severe for a period of about an hour in the city and most suburbs. A fall of .24 inches was recorded throughout Sunday, principally the result of the afternoon squall. No damage was reported, but several streets were temporarily flooded, particularly Mount Eden Road between Grange and Gordon Roads.

The southern members of the New Zealand Rugby football team, which defeated the Australian team at Eden Park on Saturday, left Auckland by the second express last evening. The players were accompanied by Mr. S. Hollander, of Christchuch, who rcfereed the match, and a sleeping car was reserved especially for their use. Cheers were given as the train departed.

Pupils of tho State secondary schools throughout New Zealand will resume work for the third term to-morrow, which is also the date for the reopening of Sacred Heart College, King's College, King s School and St. Cuthbert's College. The Diocesan Girls' High School will reopen on Wednesday, while pupils of Dilworth School will resume to-day. In most cases, the closing date for the third term has not yet been fixed, but tho University College will close officially on October 31, and the Training College term will conclude on December 4.

Two motor-cars were reported to the Auckland police as missing during the week-end. On Saturday afternoon a Buick touring car, owned Mr. T. Wilson, of 102. Upland Road, Remuera, was removed from Railway Terrace, Parnell. A Buick tourer was also stolen from outside tho Leamington Hall, Cambridge, on Saturday evening. Tlr.s car was owned by Mr. Albert Johns, of Eureka, near Cambridge. Neither of the cars had been recovered last evening.

Wet -weather and a gusty wind prevented extensive flying at the Auckland Aero Club's aerodrome at Mangere over the week-end. On Saturday afternoon flying was temporarily abandoned in favour of a Rugby football match between club members and a team from the Hobsonville air base, which resulted in a draw, and heavy showers yesterday afternoon gave opportunity for only a few flights to be made. Several visitors made short flights in the Puss Moth, and the instructor, Flight-Lieutenant D. M. Allan, gave a demonstration of stunting.

The control of the Kauri Gully scenic reserve of 24 acres has been vested in the Northcoto Borough Council for a second term of five years, according to a notice in the Gazette. Until five years ago the reserve was controlled by a board representing the Northcote and Birkenhead Borough Councils, with the commissioner of Crown lands for North Auckland as chairman. In recent months the Northcote Council has made various improvements to the property with relief labour under No. 5 scheme, principally in the way of tidying up the paths. The reserve contains several good kauri trees, and attracts many visitors, especially parties of school children.

Two interesting souvenirs of New Zealand in the study of the Chief Scout, Lord Baden-Powell, were mentioned by the Rev. G. E. Moreton at the Auckland District Association Scoulers' dinner on Saturday evening. One was a desk made of New Zealand woods, which was presented to the Chief Scout after the South African War in recognition of his services to tho Empire as a 6oldier, and the other was a sword presented to .him by a Dunedin regiment. Both occupied prominent places in Lcrd BadenPowell's study, said Mr. Moreton, and were among his most treasured possessions.

A historic incident in tho early days of colonisation in Canada was related by Bishop Brodie, of Christ-church, at the opening of the Mount Saint Joseph Home at Waikowhai yesterday afternoon. He said that among tho early arrivals were three sisters of the community of the Daughters of Charity, who went to Canada in 1639. Tho Governor issued a proclamation that all work should cease, and that all should unite in a demonstration of welcome to the sisters who had so willingly left their homeland to go to a new country and face all the difficulties of pioneering for tho noble and unselfish purpose of caring for the sick and injured.

Among the cases dealt with by the hospital board's relieving officer at Nelson recently was that of a man from the country. When the name was disclosed it was found that the man had been earning good money while the railways works were in progress and had purchased a new motor-car. Members of the board considered that no ono who owned a car should be in receipt of charitable aid. A suggestion was made that tho car should be sold.

"A fraud of this nature is a serious menace to tho community, especially nowadays that honesty is at a premium," said Mr. E. D. Moslev, S.M., in the Christchurch Court a few days ago, referring to an undischarged bankrupt who was convicted of obtaining credit without disclosing the fact of his bankruptcy. "Dishonesty," he "should be met with all the force of the law to try to discourage it. Trade honestly if you are going to trade at all."

"You aro on a higher level than the North Island," said Bishop Bennett, Bishop of Aotearoa, to the members of tho Christchurch Rotary Club, whose guest ho was at a luncheon the other day, when telling tho legend of Maui, tho fisherman. Maui, said tho speaker, went out one day to fish with some companions, and on being refused the loan of a hook produced the jawbone of his grandmother, which he used for the purpose, together with blood from his noso as bait. Presently he got a bite, but was unable to pull the "fish" up. With the assistance of his companions he managed at last to get the catch out of the water, to find that it was the North Island. Bishop Bennett added that the hook was left by Maui in the North Island, and it could bo seen on the map on the coastline batween Capo Mahia and Kidnappers, in the Hawke's Bay district.

A motorist, while driving at Okato, Taranaki, the other day, noticed what appeared to be a paper parcel jumping np and down on the road, rising no more than a few inches. Though somewhat dubious, and anticipating a hoax, fie stopped his car and discovered a minah inside a paper bag. Apparently the minah had been dragging the bag along the road, when by some means it became entangled in it.