LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21110, 18 February 1932, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Diomede Returns To-day. After carrying out gunnery exercises in the Hauraki Gulf H.M.S. Diomede is expected to return to port this afternoon. The warship has been away for four days. Lady Yule's Yacht. After a week's stay at Russell Lady Yule's yacht, the Nahlin, will return to Auckland on Sunday. The vessel is to go into dock on Monday for cleaning and painting. Appearance ol Mushrooms. Mushrooms are beginning to make their appearance in the districts near Auckland. Following the recenL warm rain some have already been obtained this week at Pukekohe and elsewhere. A Thousand Police Court Oases. Since the beginning of the new year a particularly large volume of business has been transacted in the Police Court in Auckland. More than 1000 cases, in addition to those commenced but not finalised in 1931, have been disposed of by the Court.

Boy Struck by Cycle. Knocked down by a cycle near Victoria Park at about mid-day yesterday, Thomas Reed, aged 16 years, suffered concussion. He was taken home, but later was conveyed to the Auckland Hospital by the St. John Ambulance. The boy lives with his mother, Mrs. Charlotte Reed, at 142, Wellesley Street West.

Search for Two Sailors. The police are searching for two members of the crew of the Finnish full-rigged ship Grace Harwar. The men have been absent since Sunday, having left the vessel before she went into the stream. It is hoped to locate them before the Grace Harwar sails for Australia about the end of this week.

Power Board Charges. "The Auckland Power Board's charge for street lighting is very much higher than that of any other local body in New Zealand," said Mr. S. Gray, addressing a meeting of Mount Eden ratepayers last evening. "The charge is £6 for a 100 candle-power lamp, instead of £3 15s, as it is elsewhere. We should get Id in the pound reduction in rates if a reasonable charge was made by the Power Board." Proposed Road in Domain.

The council of the Auckland Institute and Museum was advised yesterday by the City Council that its. protest against the proposed formation of a road through the Domain reserve had been referred to the Parks Committee. The Museum council resolved to forward another protest and appointed the president, Mr. A. G. Lunn, Professor F. Worley, Professor A. P. W. Thomas and Messrs. C. R. Ford and A. T. Pyecroft to constitute a deputation to wait upon the City Council. Australian Skiers.

A team of Australian skiers, headed by Mr. Tom Mitchell, a silver medallist, who represented Australia at Murren, in Switzerland, two years ago,, will come to New Zealand for the winter sports in July. Mr. Mitchell stated at the conclusion of his last visit to Mount Cook that the Tasman glacier compared more than favourably with Switzerland, and at some time in the future big ski-ing meetings would be held at Mount Cook. The visit of the Australians will do much to improve the standard of the sport in the Dominion.

A Crowded College. Over a thousand pupils—ll23 to be exact —have enrolled for the day classes at the Wellington Technical College this year. This is 119 more than were attending tho school last year at this time, and accommodation will be severely taxed. The director, Mr. 11. G. Ridling, stated at a meeting of the board of governors that the congestion at assembly was serious and the laboratories had to be used as classrooms. This was regrettable, as (he importance of laboratory work in the curriculum was so great that the usefulness of the school must be impaired unless conditions altered. Valuable Maori Carvings. Two richly-carved Maori feather boxes, known as wakahuia, have been donated to the Auckland War Memorial Museum by Mr. R. Ogle, of Rangiahua, North' Auckland. Tho specimens were found by Mr. Ogle in a cave at Rangiahua about" 40 years ago. Although there are older specimens of wakahuia in the museum, special value is attached by the museum authorities to the latest acquisitions on account of their perfect state of preservation. The majority of the other Maori feather boxes in the museum were found in damp caves and consequently their appearance had deteriorated. Another beautiful wakahuia, obtained in Auckland in 1865, has been presented by Mr. C. D. Husband.

Large Passenger Liners. Two large passenger vessels, the Royal Mail motor-liner Aorangi and the Matson Company's new liner Mariposa, will be at Auckland on Sunday. The Mariposa, from Los Angeles, left Suva for Auckland yesterday. She is due on Saturday morning and will resume her voyage to Sydney on Monday morning. The Aorangi will arrive at Suva from Vancouver at seven o'clock (his morning and will continue her voyage to Auckland early this afternoon. She is scheduled to arrive at Auckland on Sunday afternoon and to sail for Sydney at noon on Monday. According to Lloyd's Register the Aorangi is 17,491 gross tons and her dimensions are:— Length, 580.1 ft.; breadth, 72.2 ft.; depth, 43.4 ft. The registered particulars of the Mariposa are:—Gross tons, 22,000; length, 604 ft.; breadth, 79.3 ft.; depth, 30.5 ft.

Challenge by a Bull. A fierce challenge by a bull as to the freedom of a country road in the dark was the sensational experience of a Dunedin resident, who was driving a motorcar homeward at about 10 p.m. The clash occurred between Evansdale and Waitati. The motorist, who had three friends with him in the car, suddenly saw a strange object ahead. It had, he thought, the figure of a monster dog. Deeming it wise to reconnoitre, he brought the car to a standstill, and it was immediately rushed by a bull, the impact leaving deep marks on the radiator and bonnet. For a moment the driver thought it would be a simple matter to give the beast the slip, but every time he started it made another rush and the position resolved itself into inanueovring, with repeated forward and backward movements of the car and check actions by the bull, until, catching a chance, the motorist used the accelerator to escape from a predicament which would have been ridiculous had it not involved danger.