LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21112, 20 February 1932, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Intruders In Grafton Properties. Tho repeated visits of intruders to private properties on the Grafton side of Grafton Gully has led several residents to erect barbed wire fences as a barricade. During the past summer, many fruit trees have been stripped and valuable plants and ferns damaged on residential grounds and householders have been put to great difficulty in protecting their property. Tree Planting at Howick. A decision to embark on an extensive tree planting scheme in the reserves of the township was reached by the Howick Town Board on Thursday evening. It was agreed to secure 3000 young trees from the State Forestry Department, which had offered to supply them at transport cost. The principal planting will be done on the Marine Parade. Children at Seasids. A thoroughly enjoyable fortnight's holiday was spent by 26 juvenile inmates of ' The Nest," the Salvation Army's Hamilton home, at the Port Waikato Children's Camp. The children greatly benefited in health as a result of the holiday, and the condition of several delicate babies showed a marked improvement on their return. Old Musket Presented. An old flintlock muzzle-loading musket has been presented to the imuseum section of the Carnegie Free Library, Onehunga, bv Mr. ,T. Kelly, of Te Kuiti. It has been in the possession of Mr. Kelly's family for more than 100 years. Tho stamp on tho butt indicates that it was in use in the times of one of the early Georges, but the lettering is rather indistinct. Giant Sunflower. A sunflower, measuring 20Jin. in diameter, was exhibited at the. Morrinsville Horticultural Show yesterday by Mr. A. G. Yardley, of Morrinsville. The stalk measured through. Mr. Yardley's exhibit is claimed to be a world's record, for it had a diameter 3in. larger than a sunflower grown by Mr. H. ! ranks, of Bell Block, Taranaki, which previously held the. record. Elusive Motor-car. A small motor-car, which has twice disappeared from different parts of the city, is proving elusive to the city police. The car was removed from outside Oliphant Chambers, High Street, on Wednesday evening and was seen in Kenyon Street, Parnell, on Thursday afternoon. It disappeared again and has not. been traced. The car is owned by Mr. Harold Denton, garage proprietor, of Newmarket. Sound oi Gunfire. The sound of the practice firing carried out by 11.M.5. Diomede off Tiritiri Island, in the Hauraki Gulf, on Tuesday evening, is reported to have been heard in the Waerenga Valley, near Te. Kauwhata, and about 45 miles south of Auckland. It is stated that, the shots from the cruiser's six-inch guns were heard distinctly and that loose windows rattled. Several residents of the district thought it was an earthquake. Waterfront Accident. While ass : sting to unload a scow at Julian's Wall early yesterday afternoon Mr. Albert Victor Thompson, aged 42, a motor-driver, was struck by a sling of tea-tree and thrown heavily, his right thigh being fractured. The injured man, who resides at 30, Surrey Street, Grey Lynn, was taken fo the Auckland Hospital by tho St. John ambulance. His condition was reported to be satisfactory at a late hour last evening. Bananas Exceptionally Plentiful. Bananas were sold at. the City Markets yesterday at the lowest, rates for years. 8s to 9s a case for first quality fruit and 4s to 6s a case for second quality and medium fruit. At tho sales on Tuesday the two grades sold up to 16s and from 8s to 12s respectively. Largo quantities of the fruit have been landed recently and the market has been heavily supplied for some time. During the past eight days 30.000 cases, or over 2,000,0001b., of bananas have arrived in New Zealand. Retail rates range from ljd to 3d a lb., although a few extra choice lines command better prices, both wholesale and retail. Yacht Vileehi to Sail. The. owner of the American auxiliary yacht Vileehi, Mr. Hiram T. Horton, of San Diego, has advised those on board that the yacht, which is now anchored off Mechanics' Bay, is to be ready for sailing upon his arrival in Auckland by the Mariposa from Los -Angeles this morning. No particulars have been received of the yacht's destination or whether Mr. Horton is accompanied by his wife and daughter, Miss Lee Horton, with whom he arrived from Suva in the yacht on October 24, in the course of a cruise of the world. They left Auckland not long after their arrival to spend Christmas at home. Since, then the Vileehi has remained at Auckland and a few weeks ago went on the slipway for cleaning and painting. Valuablo Rams Last. The bursting into flames of n lorry containing. a number of valuable rams purchased at the Hawko's Bay Ram Fair at Tomoana, caused the deaths of the larger portion of the consignment and the loss of the lorry on the. Napier-Wairoa Road. The. lorry was owned by Mr. Bat.v, of Wairoa, and was conveying to the Wairoa district a fairly large consignment of rams bought at the fair. At Waikoau the occasion arose to fill the tank of the lorry with benzine, and when this operation was in progress the vehicle burst into flames. The men on board had time only to release a few of the rams from the top deck, the sheep in two lower decks being destroyed, as was also the lorry, a heavy two and a-half ton conveyance. There was £6OO insurance on the vehicle. Nihotupu Water Supply. The Auckland City Council auxiliary water supply from Nihotupu—the first supply from the ranges—was turned on 30 years ago to-day. For some time before this anxiously-awaited event in the summer of 1902 dry weather had caused a serious shortage of wafer in the city, the Western Springs then being the sole source of supply. Not only was the use of hoses prohibited, but the supply of water for lifts had been discontinued, while the entire service was cut off at night. The water was turned into the new pipe line at the source in the morning and owing to unforeseen delays, caused chiefly by air-locks, it did not reach the Western Springs, which were to serve as the storage area, until seven o'clock in the evening. At this time the water in the pond at the springs was 39in. below the overflow and it was falling at the rat 6 of an inch a day.