LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21132, 15 March 1932, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Stowaways on Steamer. Two stowaways aic on board the Union Company's steamer Wairuna, which is duo from Newcastle tomorrow morning. They will be arrested by the police on arrival. Clearing Lake of Snags. Good work lias been done by the Auckland Acclimatisation Society in clearing the Arapuni Lake bed of snags. When tho lake was filled previously tho snags were a source of annoyance to anglers, who frequently lost their tackle. Maori Youth Injured. Through falling from a motor-lorry at Helensville yesterday morning a l)laori cream cartel-, Richard Rapana, aged 17, received a fracture of the right leg, abrasions and shock. JTo was taken to tho Auckland Hospital by the St. John Ambulance.

Canterbury Wheat Yields. Seventy bushels of wheat to the acre have been threshed out on somo of Mr. J. 11. Grigg's paddocks at Longbeach, Canterbury, where over 700 acres of wheat have been dealt with this season. Three threshing machines were at work on the estate one day recently. Fishing at Raglan.

Soxno excellent catches have been made by fishermen on tho Raglan Harbour recently. During the week-end a party of five landed over 270 fish, including flounder, schnapper, kaliawai and gurnard. One schnapper weighed nearly 181b. and several others weighed over 121b.

Fog in the Waikato. An unusually dense fog for this time of the year was experienced in low-lying parts of the Waikato, particularly in the vicinity of Hamilton and along the Great South Road as far north as Mercer, on Sunday evening and early yesterday morning. Motor traffic was forced to proceed at a greatly reduced speed. The Yacht Restless.

The Wellington yacht Restless, which came to Auckland over a week ago on her way from Wellington to northern ports, owing to the illness of her owner, Mr. J. McLean, is still in port. Mr. McLean, who was suffering from complications following a severe cold, is making good progress at the Auckland Hospital.

Municipal Golf Course. \V ork at, the new municipal golf course at Chisholm Park, Dunedin, is being continued by about 20 disabled ex-soldiers, who are each receiving two days' work a week. Lupins arc at present b«ing cleared from the fairways, and next weekit is expected that grass seed will be sown on various parts of tho course.

Wellington's Two War Memorials. Wellington, in the near future, is to have two ceremonies in connection with the commemoration of those who fell in the war. On Sunday, April 3, the city's war memorial, near the Parliament Buildings, is to be dedicated, and on Anzac Day, April 25, Uie dedication service in connection with the carillon at Mount Cook is to take place.

Fewer Bananas from Fiji. Only about, half the usual quantity of bananas was brought from Fiji by the Union Company's Island steamer Tofua which arrived at Auckland yesterday afternoon. The smaller shipment was due to the fact that bananas recently have been selling af, very low rates on tho Auckland market and yielding only smail returns to the Fiji planters. New Number Five Scheme Idea.

" There are many homes going back for lack of paint, and if labour were provided under the No. 5 Scheme there are hundreds of people who would be willing to find the materials," said a member at a recent meeting of tho Waimairi County Council, in Canterbury. " Many tradesmen who are out of work would prefer painting to pick and shovel work," he added.

M.P.'s Dash for Train. A smart, sprint along (he Auckland railway station just enabled Mr. W. W. Massey, M.P., to catch the limited express for Wellington last- evening. Mr. Massey passed the ticket barrier just as tho train commenced to move and as it was quickly gathering speed he had some difficulty in boarding the last sleeping car. The guard took his luggage and then assisted Mr. Massey to climb on board. Broody Hen as Oar Passonger. A broody hen sitting contentedly on a nest of eggs on the carrier of a car was wen at Featherston last week, when a farmer drove into town. He said the car had been in a shed for some weeks, and while it was (here the hen had made her nest on the carrier. lie had had to go into town on business and did not, bke to disturb the hen, as tho chickens were due to appear in a day or two. Wreckage Near Suva Harbour. Considerable interest was caused in Suva last week by the discovery on the waterfront of a largo steamer's raft, consisting of threo cylinders painted light grey. There were no marks of identification on the raft, but tho opinion has been expressed in Suva that it' may be part of the wreckage from the Union Company's steamer Tahiti, which sank near Raratonga about 18 months agu.

Burglars in City. The tobacco and confectionery shop of Miss S. F. Hill, at, 309, Queen Street, was entered by burglars during the week-end, sweets, aerated waters and cigarettes to the value of £1 being stolen. Tho thieves, who ransacked the premises in search of money, gained entrance by forcing a door opening on to an alleyway alongside the shop and then climbing through a window, which was broken. Railwaymen Support Railways.

For many years members of the Auckland branch of the Railway Officers' Institute havo held their annual picnic at (ho seaside, but this year the outing was at, Waiuku, in view of the pressing need for increased railway business. The railwaymen set, tho example by taking their families into the country by rail. Over 500 people travelled on Sunday by the special train from Auckland to Waiuku, where a most enjoyable time was spent.

Bankrupt With a Motor-car. When it was suggested at a meeting of creditors in Dunedin last week, that the bankrupt's children, who were in work, should assist him, tho official assignee, Mr. J. M. Adam, said that they no doubt should do so, hut there was no law compelling children to assist their bankrupt parents. He knew of one case, in his opinion disgraceful, in which a bankrupt had been provided by his children with a motor-car. Ho wa s in a position to drive about tbe town and scoff at bis creditors, but, it was quite impossible to get any money from him.