LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21118, 27 February 1932, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

First Supreme Court. Very early in the history of Auckland, exactly 90 years ago to-morrow, the first Auckland Supreme Court was opened. It occupied a site at the corner of Queen and Victoria Streets and was used as a courthouse until the present building in Waterloo Quadrant was completed in 1867.

Bar Again Workable. Owing to the wind having moderated and changed to the south, tho weather on the West Coast yesterday improved and the Manukuu Bar was again workable. Tho motor vessels Ronaki and Hokianga, which had been bar-bound at Onehunga since Thursday evening, sailed for Hokianga yesterday morning.

Children Injured by Swings. Two children were injured yesterday afternoon through being struck on tho head by swings at tho Onehunga School picnic at Tamaki Estuary. The first child who was injured, Joyce Rowlands, had to have several stitches inserted over the eye, while tho second, Howard Armour, received a painful wound on tho scalp. Condition of Accident Victim.

An improvement occurred yesterday in the condition of Air. llngli Paul, apjed 45, of Northall Road, New Lynn, who was injured in a. collision between a motorcycle and an omnibus early on Thursday morning at the corner of Dalo Street and Great. North Road. His condition last evening, however, was still fairly serious. Income Tax Payments.

Tho 21 days allowed for the payment of income tax after the due date of payment, February 9, will expire next Tuesday, March 1. Those who hnvo failed to make their payments when (ho time expires on Tuesday afternoon will be liable to a penalty of 5 per cent. Already the last-minute rush to make payments has set in at the various post offices.

Express Departure Delayed. Very heavy bookings on the limited express last evening made it necessary to add a third sleeping car, delaying the departure of the train by .12 minutes. Thq additional car brought tho train up to tho limit for the first express, eight cars, and when it left the station every seat was occupied. It is usual for Friday's trains tc bo patronised more than those on other days of tho week. Strawberries Still Available. Although tho strawberry season proper finished about the middle of last, month a few chips of the fruit arc still being sent to tho City Markets by growers in the Birkdalo district. 'I lie berries are of good size and a very fair quality and they arc selling in tho shops at about 2s a, chip. Large quantities of mushrooms aro coming forward, the retail prices for the best, quality ranging from lOd to Is 3d a pound.

Interest in French Art. The transfer of some of the treasures formerly displayed in the Auckland Art Gallery to the War Memorial Museum has made available at the gallery a certain amount of space that can now be devoted to the legitimate requirements of that institution. As an instance, the room formerly occupied by tho Mackelvie bric-a-brac has now been set aside for the purpose of holding occasional exhibitions. At present the room is being used to show a particular range of Medici prints. In this way an endeavour will be made to link up tho gallery with matters of current interest in art. The Medici collection is being shown to synchronise with the exhibition of French art now being held at Eurlington House, London. Fire in Transformer. A flip, believed to have been caused by tho fusing of electric wires at the back of a switchboard, broke out. in the Thames Valley Power Board's transformer at Paeroa yesterday morning. The Raeroa Fire Brigade was quickly in attendance, but was unable to do anything to combat the, fire for over 20 minutes until the mains on three different circuits were made "dead." Huge volumes of smoke were thrown off by the air burning in llie transformer. When the wires were mado "dead" tho brigade quickly suppressed the fire. Power was off in Paeroa for a short time, but before midday it had been restored by the use of alternative circuits of current. An effort is to bo mado to induce the Power Board to remove the transformer to another site away from tho main streets. Shark Caught at Takapuna.

A particularly fine specimen of a sharpfinned whaler shark, a species uncommon in New Zealand waters, was caught by two residents of Thome's Bay, Takapuna, Messrs. A. C. Green and 11. H. Edwards, off the rocks there about seven o'clock yesterday morning. The shark was in splendid condition as compared with the majority of those caught in the nearer waters of the Gulf, and measured 9ft. 3in. in length, with a girth of 53in. The shark was hooked on Thursday, but carried away 12ft. of chain, so a night lino, with 20ft. of steel cable was set. At full tide yesterday morning residents noticed a great commotion in the water beyond the rocks, and investigation showed that the shark was well held by tho cable. It was promptly brought ashore. A cast of the shark will bo taken for the War Memorial Museum.

Aero Club's Income Tax. .> Amusement mixed with indignation greeted a statement made by the secretary of the Canterbury Aero Club at the last meeting that a demand for payment of income tax had been received by the. club. "This," aaid tho secretary, Mr. P. P. Climie, "is tho first time that we have received such a demand. It is only for a small amount, but, of course, i(, is unprecedented." The chairman, Sir Francis Boys, expressed the opinion that the demand was unwarranted in that the club was doing educational work, with a direct servico to the community. "Surely they are not going to commence taxing the schools," he said. "We, as an organisation, must bo delegated a definite function. Either wo are to bo regarded as fulfilling an educational function, training pilots for the future; or else as fulfilling a defence function." The Canterbury Aero Club, however, was doing definitely educational work, he said. Other members "debated whether the club actually did any commercial flying or not, and it was emphatically affirmed that none whatsoever was done. The discussion began and ended with the secretary's assertion that the demand had been made, and that ithad never been made before,.