LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21109, 17 February 1932, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Body Washed Ashore. The body of Mr. Walter Gates, of Taupaki, who was drowned in the surf near the mouth of the Waitakere River, 011 the West Coast, on Sunday afternoon, has been recovered at Muriwai Beach, about 12 miles north of the scene of the accident. Mr. Cates was 55 years of age and married. Albert Street Repaving. After an interval of some days, work has been recommenced on the resurfacing with metal of the middle unconcreted portion of Albert Street. The remaining portion, between Wyndham Street and Wellesley Street West, has been scarified and repaving should be completed in a few days. The concreted portion of Albert Street ends at Wcllesley Street West. Proposed Domain on Mount Victoria. Endeavours are being made by the Lands and Survey Department to have the portion of Mount Victoria which is occupied by gun-pits made available for use as a domain. The Auckland Harbour Board has been approached with the request that the signal station, which has now been discontinued, should be used for the same purpose. At a meeting of the board yesterday the matter was referred to the board-in-committee. Pigs Escape Flames. By a lucky chance several pigs owned bv a farmer in the Manawahe district, Whakatane county, escaped being burned in the recent bush fires, although the sty in which they had been housed was destroyed. The settler took his cream to the main road and was unable to return to his property the same day owing to the fires. He later found that the pigs had left the burning sty and were sleeping quietly beside the smoking ruins. A Candid Witness. Unusual candour was shown by a motorist when giving evidence in the Supreme Court yesterday in a case arising out of a collision between two motor-cars. Cross-examined, the witness admitted he had driven his car on the wrong side of a traffic dome. "Had I seen a traffic officer or anyone else in authority I certainly would not have passed the dome on the wrong side," he added. Another witness said the dome was situated at a bad intersection and was missed by a large number of motorists. "Fixing" the Barometer. The discovery that some of his pupils had tampered with the school barometer in order to produce a high reading and gain a half-holiday 011 account of the heat was made by the teacher of a suburban school last week. In their overeagerness, the children breathed too much 011 the barometer, making the reading so high that the teacher became suspicious. His inquiries revealed that children had gained an unwarranted halfholiday a few days previously by similar means. Hospitals and Relief. The opinion that the Hospital Board should be concerned solely with the provision of medical treatment and the care of the infirm, and that a separato board should be created to deal with unemployment relief, was expressed by Mr, C. H. I'etrie at a meeting of the Otahuhu Businessmen's Association on Monday. The following resolution was passed: " This association views with alarm the possibility of an increase in the hospital levy and urges local bodies to promote legislative amendments which will ensure the economic administration of hospital board relief." Gunfire in the Gulf. Full calibre practice with the 6in. guns was carried out by H.M.S. DiomHe of! Tirittri Island in the Hauraki Gulf between 9 and 10 o'clock last evening. The reverberations from the shoot Were heard as far away as Manurewa, Mount Albert, Onehunga and Heme Bay. Earlier in the day there was anti-aircraft practice with sub-calibre guns and two torpedoes were fired. This morning there is to be low angle pom-pom firing, with anti-aircraft full calibre practice in the afternoon. The cruiser is to return to Auckland to-morrow. Animal Devotion. An instance of devotion between animals was observed in the Mount Eden district during the week-end. A Cocker Spaniel dog, which was killed about 9 a.m. 011 Saturday through being knocked down by a motor-car, was attended for 39 hours by a Pomeranian dog, belonging to the same household. The man who eventually managed to remove the dead dog 011 Monday had great difficulty in approaching it owing to the savage devotion with which the Pomeranian guarded the remains. The incident attracted widespread interest for the dog kept its watch 011 the main road. Exciting Boat Trip. Four young men had an exciting, if short lived, journey down the basin of the Otago Harbour the other afternoon when they set out in a home-made, flatbottomed boat with the intention of rowing to St. Leonards. Their confidence in their craft proved not altogether wellfounded, for the choppy sea which was met with was rather too much for the seagoing qualities of the '-'flattie," which turned turtle, throwing all four occupants into the water. Luckily for them a launch was in the vicinity, which speedily went to tho rescue. The youths were taken from the upturned boat and put ashore none the worse for their wetting. Flight to the South. A flight to Invercargill in a Gipsy Moth aeroplane belonging to the Auckland Aero Club was commenced yesterday morning by Mr. E. R, Boucher, club captain, and Mr. Colin Lewis, of Tuakau, another member. They will take turns at the controls of the machine. It was intended to travel as far as Blenheim yesterday, making calls at New Plymouth and Palmerston North on the way. The pilots are expected to be at Invercargill for an aerial display to be held in that city on Saturday. The aeroplane is due to reach Auckland on its return to-morrow week. Captain L. H. Brake, of Wanganui, who lias spent somo timo in the North in his Avro machine, has returned to Auckland Heavy Cargoes for Auckland. Inward cargo unloaded at Auckland during January totalled 69,089 tons, compared with 68,490 tons in January of last year, an increase of 599 tons, according to figures presented to the Auckland Harbour Board yesterday. It was stated that 11 overseas ships were due at Auckland in tho next 13 days, bringing tho number to three above the average for February. The secretary, Mr. H. B. Burnett, said the decrease in the total inward cargo during October, November and December amounted to 33 per cent., compared with the previous year, but over the four months, including January this year, the decrease had been reduced to 23 per cent., compared with the last corresponding period.;