LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 21029, 13 November 1931, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The 68th anniversary of the publication of the first issue of (ho New Zealand Herald falls to-day. The amalgamation of the Herald and the Daily Southern Cross took place on December 51, 1876. The Herald made its first bow to tlie public on a Friday as well as on the 13th day of the month. The coincidence of day and date recurs to-day.

There was no improvement, last evening in tho condition of Mr. Harry {tosser Strong, aged 51, married, who was severely burned and bruised as a result of falling into hot, coal ashes in a hopper at the King's Wharf power station on Wednesday. Mr. Strong, who resides at 23, Norman's Hill Road, Onehunga, was admitted to tho Auckland Hospital in a very serious condition. The boy, Malcolm Hugh Robson, aged years, who was kicked on tho head by a, horse at his father's f.irm at Ararimu on Monday, was still in a fairly serious condition last evening.

The light, rain that fell on Wednesday evening was a boon to strawberry-growers. Owing to the recent dry weather the. berries were slow in maturing and the quality was riot of tho best. Many growers hud been forced to water their plantations. The rain was also welcomed by orchardists as the fruit is now between tho stages of setting and stoning, when moisture is urgently needed. The rain was beneficial to gardens, but a further fall is needed.

After being laid up at Port, Chalmers since July, the Union Company's steamer Marama will resume in the intercolonial service to-day, when she will leave Wellington for Sydney. She will arrive at Sydney on Tuesday and she is due at Auckland on her return voyage to the Dominion on November 24.

Heavy fog was experienced by steamers on tho coast .on Wednesday night, and the Karetu, which was scheduled to reach Auckland from Fiji at 7 a.m. yesterday, was delayed and did not arrive until midday. The Inverbank, which arrived from Java a. short time afterwards, reported that she had run into heavy fog during the nig'it.

The 78 children from Napier who were sent, to the camp of the Community Sunshine Association at Motuihi Island on February 7, will leave on the return home on December 12. When the children arrived in Auckland after the Hawke's Bay earthquake they were taken in hand by the association and cared for by a doctor and staff at the camp. " They are quite different children to-day," said Mr. A. J. Williamson, a director of the Community Sunshine Association, yesterday. " They are all well bronzed by the sun and ha\V put on weight." The secretary of the Hawke's Bay Children's Home was so impressed with the physical appearance of the children that he announced his intention to carry on the same system of physical culture after they returned to Hawke's Bay.

The view that a large area of the hill country of the Coromandel Peninsula could be mado to produce at ihree-fold its present capacity if top-dressed was expressed yesterday by Mr. C. A. Saward, joint, owner of a sheep run on the peninsula. Five or six years ago, said Mr. Sawnrd. the area in which he was interested was covered with tea-tree and scrub, and would not carry a grown sheep to advantage. After spending about £2 an acre on top-dressing, over a period of throe years, it now carried at least two and a-half ewes to the acre. This year his wet ewes averaged 9 l-71b. of wool, compared with the average of about 71b. for the Auckland province. One ewe yielded 131b. of wool. The lambing percentage was 89. i

The Waikato Hospital Board yesterday received advice from tho Director-General of Health that (he department would not consent, to the expenditure of money by hospital boards on the purchase of radium except- in the four main centres. The board agreed with the department's views.

"New Zealand ha? Iho worst IMb and the best dentists in the world." This statement was made by the GovernorGeneral, Lord Bledisloe, in addressing the children at. the Selwyn House School, Christchurcb.

A farmer witness iri an action heard in the Supreme Court nt Palm erst on North the other day said that the Woodvilie County Council's rates were, very reasonable and as low as any in New Zealand. "Well, you had better not tell them that," observed Mr. Justice Blair.

A large plate glass window in the grocer's shop of Mr. ,T. F. Turnbull, in Hataitai, Wellington, was shattered at about. 7.45 a.m. on Saturday by a. run-away motorcar crashing into it' Tho car, which was a four-seater, had been parked some distance up the road, and commenced to move off down the hill at a fair rate of speed. Afler crossing the junction of Moxharn Avenue and Hataitai Road, the car jumped the kerb, just missing a telegraph pole, and crashed into tho window. On its way the car struck a pole in Waitoa Road, but straightened up and went on. Some crockery in the shop window was broken and the front portion of the car was damaged.

A youth, G. Lowe, narrowly escaped drowning at, Redcliffs, Sumner, on Saturday afternoon, when a dinghy in which he. and another youth, Basil Murphy, were drifting filled and sank. Only prompt action by Clifford Crawley, who, almost fully clothed, swam 50 yards, saved Lowe's life. Both occupants of the dinghy were, fully clothed and after supporting Lowe for a few minutes, Murphy was compelled to release, his hold. Lowe had gone under three, times when Crawley reached him. Crawley had to dive and bring him to the surface. Yachts belonging to the Christchureh Sailing and Power-Boat Club quickly reached the men, who were, assisted to the clubhouse. It was a. particularly smart rescue.

Two of the Christ church City traffic inspectors had a busy time for an hour on Monday night. Over 400 territorials were taking part in a march through the principal streets and the. traffic inspectors made great efforts to keep t ho, march uninterrupted by other traffic, at, the same time trying not to delay motorists and trams. As soon as they had one intersection cleared for the troops, they darted ahead on motor-cycles and cleared the, next. As a result, the parade did not- move forward in a series of leaps and bounds as is often the case and motor traffic was not unduly held up by a long line of troops on the march. The work of the two inspectors was appreciated by many ol those who watched them,