LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21316, 18 October 1932, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

Injury to Labourer As a result of being accidentally struck on the head with his own pick, while on excavation work yesterday, a labourer, Mr. Thomas Walter Nicholson, aged 52, of 395 Upper Queen Street, was admitted to the Auckland Hospital at 3.15 p.m. yesterday suffering from head injuries. His condition last evening was not serious. A Fortunate Arrest " He owes a deep debt of gratitude to the police," said the magistrate when a first offender for drunkenness, who was stated to have had £770 in his possession when arrested, appeared before Jiim in the Magistrate's Court at Christchurch yesterday. " He was very lucky to have been brought into our care," remarked the senior-sergeant. Defendant was fined 20s. Child's Head Injuries A child who was knocked down by a bicycle on Saturday evening, Marjory Murphy, aged 6, of;l Cobden Street, Newton, was admitted to the Auckland Hospital yesterday suffering from head injuries. It had not been thought that the injuries were severe, but no improvement took place yesterday and it was consideied advisable to admit the child for observation. Japanese Lettering A handsome specimen of hand lettering executed by a Japanese was received by the Auckland University College Council yesterday as a gift from Mr. H. 1. Goldie. It was a copy of the official translation of the Japanese Imperial rescript on education, translated by the Imperial authorities and printed by Mr. Hirata, who hand-wrote the famous Portsmouth Treaty of Peace between Japan and Russia. A Profitable Return Keen interest was taken in an exceptionally fine sample of gold won from the Moonlight claim, which was on view in Gore last week. The total weight of the gold was 270 ounces, which at present-day values represents approximately £I6OO. The gold was fairly coarse and included a number of pieces weighing up to half an ounce. The claim is not a difficult one to work and the return represents the work of three men over a period of about three months. Dehorning of Cattle "If all cattle were dehorned production in New Zealand would increase," said Mr. C. H. Sorenson at a meeting of the North Taranaki executive of the Farmers' Union last week. He considered the opposition of pedigree owners was only because of custom and that it could be overcome. It was decided to adopt a remit from Mangorei that the Government be urged to make it compulsory for all cattle to be dehorned, including pedigrees. An amendment to exclude pedigree animals was lost. Down-and-Out Mission Repairs Jo the Down-and-Out Mission, in Albert Street, which was recently damaged by fire, have been completed. The work of the mission has been in no way affected as a result of the fire, although the cost incurred in repairing the damage has been a drain on the funds. The missioner, Mr. F. W. "Williams, stated yesterday that the mission would have been faced with a far more serious problem had not the Auckland Fire Brigade responded with such promptness to the alarm. There still, however, remained the problem of making good the cost of the repairs entailed. Iron Burns Through Table An electric iron left with the current switched on was the cause of an incipient fire shortly before six o'clock last evening in an eight-roomed house at 18 Arney Road, Remuera, occupied 'by Mr. N. A. Hepburn. Fortunately, neighbours saw smoke issuing from the windows and summoned the Remuera brigade, which was. able to suppress the outbreak before any damage had been done to the house itself. The firemen found that the iron had burned a hole right through the tabifa which was actually in flames on their arrival. Provincial Council Anniversary Seventy-nine years ago to-day, on October 18, 1853, the Auckland Provincial Council held its first session, under the Superintendent, Lieutenant-Colonel R. H. Wynyard. The session was important as the beginning of representative constitutional government in the young country. New Zealand had been given its own representative institutions by the British Parliament under the Constitution Act passed in the previous January. Each of the 24 members of the Council attended, and after Mr. T. H. Bartley had been appointed Speaker, the Council commenced the framing of rules 'for its guidance. Lake Coleridge Level An increase in the level of Lake Coleridge reported last week is the result of the heavy rains experienced, especially in the back country. According to the latest report the lake level is at 1662.6 ft., which is 9.3 in. higher than last week, when it stood at 1661.825 ft. The level at present is 9.4 ft. lower than the overflow level. It was in October, 1930, after the shortage in that year, when the lake level dropped 13ft., that the height of the water in the lake began to increase till by the end of that month it had risen one foot and continued to do so. It is anticipated that a similar state of things will be experienced during the approaching summer. Interference Wivh Wireless Advice that the opinion had been expressed at the recent executive meeting of the Power Board Engineers' Association that power boards should not be held responsible for the correction of troubles in wireless reception, apart from those which could be economically dealt with and which related to a board's own high-ten-sion wires, was contained in a report by Mr. R. H. Bartley, general manager of the Auckland Electric-Power Board, to a meeting of the board yesterday. He said certain emissions took place from every power line, which were a hindrance to listeners, but which were almost impossible to prevent on any economic basis. At the meeting, however, a general desire was expressed to help wherever possible. Duty on Electrical Appliances A request has been made to the Government by the New Zealand Power Boards' Association that electric ranges should be admitted into, the country duty-free, according to Mr. W. J. Holdsworth, chairman of the Auckland Electric-Power Board, in a statement at a meeting of the board yesterday. Mr. Holdsworth said it was considered that the Government, which had such a large sum invested in hydro-electric enterprises, should give the public an opportunity of obtaining electrical equipment as cheaply as possible. The Waitemata Electric-Power Board, at its meeting yesterday, received a request from a city firm asking that the board urge the Government to lower the duty on household electric refrigerators. It was decided to reply suggesting that the firm approach other trading interests and the Power Boards' Association in the matter*