LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21333, 7 November 1932, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

Slight Damage by Fire A minor outbreak of fire at the premises of Dehydrated Products, Limited, Cross Street, Newton, was responsible for tho City Fire Brigade receiving a call at 5 p.m. on Saturday. Tho fusing of an electric wire caused slight damage to tho wooden trays and lining of a dehydrating machine. Northcote Catholic School Tho new Iloman Catholic School for Northcoto is now taking shape, good progress having been made with tho foundations and the erection of tho exterior walls, while tho roof is nearing completion. Tho building, which will bo ready for opening early in tho new year, will bo divided into three classrooms, with a corridor and a teachers' room. White Heron at Marton An unusual sight was witnessed at Marton last week when a rare visitor, a whito heron, sottlcd for a time on tho roof of business premises in the main street. A Southern paper recently reported that a whito heron had made its appearance about the lower reaches of the Waimea River, in tho Nelson district. Hawcra had a similar visitor a few days ago. More Porpoises in Harbour For tho second time in less than a week several porpoises were seen in the harbour near Stanley Point last evening. Instead of disporting themselves in their usual leisurely manner, they appeared particularly vigorous, threshing the water with their tails and even leaping completely out of the water on occasions. Several schools of porpoises were seen by yachtsmen in the gulf at tho week-end. Direct Mall to England Mail for Great Britain and Ireland will be despatched by the New Zealand Shipping Company's motor-ship Opawa, which is to sail for London on Thursday morning. The mail closes at seven o'clock on Wednesday evening and it will be a further opportunity to send copies of the Christmas number of tho Auckland Weeicly News to friends and relatives in Great Britain at the direct postal rate of twopence a copy. The mail is scheduled to reach London on December 15. Farm Labour Shortage That relief camps continue to have a stronger appeal than farms is still apparent from the number of advertisements in tho Herald calling for farm labour. In the camps a single man can make up to 15s a week net, after paying for food, for 48 hours' work, and hence they are more attractive than farms where a man has to work much longer to earn about the same money. It was mentioned again on Saturday that until tho camps are made less attractive farmers will have to go short of labour. Mails from Overseas Three mails from overseas will reach New Zealand this week. The Mariposa will arrive at Auckland from Los Angeles this morning with 1222 bags of English and American mail for New Zealand, including 380 bags for Auckland. To-morrow morning the Zealandia will arrive at Auckland from Sydney with 498 bags of Australian mail, including 105 bags for Auckland, and ,the Mataroa will arrive at Wellington from Southampton on Thursday morning with seven bags of English mail and 333 bags of parcels for NewZealand. Anniversary of Raid The 69th anniversary of tho raid by Maori rebels on the old signal station at Manukau Heads falls to-day. Intense fighting took place round Drury in 1863 and all the regular troops were needed to resist the attacks of the Maoris, so that the defence of the signal station, which stood on Paratutai Island, was left to a band of volunteers. The rebels, led by Te Pani, landed from canoes and destroyed the flagstaff and a boat, but did not molest two women living at the pilothouse. After removing two other boats, the Maoris sailed for Awhitu, where they terrorised the settlers for a time.

Evading Customs Duties "Auckland is a very clean port so far as attempts at evasion of customs dues are concerned," said the collector of customs, Mr. J. Mcintosh, yesterday in commenting on the questioning of a Chinese, who admitted having sold cigarettes on which duty had not been paid. The Chinese was a member of the crew of thesteamer Ilaleric, and in an endeavour to gather a few pence he had disposed on the wharf of some cigarettes from the issue mado to the crew. In exercise of the powers conferred on him by the Customs Act, Mr. Mcintosh dealt with the man, who had been detected by an officer of the department, and imposed a small fine. Another Scots' Story

An amusing story illustrative of the Scots' reputed closeness in money matters was related by Envoy Queree, of the Salvation Army, Christchurch, in a talk last week on his travels in Great Britain. "A Salvation Army lassie was collecting in Aberdeen, when she approached an aged native. 'Will ye gi'o a little for tho Lord V she queried. 'How old are you ?' came tho reply. 'Seventeen.' 'Well, lassie, I am 75, and I'll see the Lord before thee, and when I see Him I'll give Ilim all I have.' " Tho Envoy discounted the story, however, by adding that at nearly all tho places at which ho had stayed in Scotland his hoard money had been refused.

Early Birkenhead With the death last Friday of Mr. B. T. Hawkins, all the members who comprised tho first Birkenhead Borough Council have now passed away. The Mayor was Mr. C. E. Button, afterwards a Supremo Court Judge, the councillors being Messrs. T. Hadfield, B. T. Hawkins, 11. G. Hill, J. G. Kay, Albert F. Porter and Edward J. White. Tho town clerk was Mr. Thomas Seaman. The initial meeting was held in the Zion Hill schoolroom on May 12, 1888. Tho revenue for that year approximated the modest total of £250, but it has grown during the intervening period to more than £12,000 annually. Tho ferry services at the inception of tho borough wero also of a primitive character.

An Original Guy Fawkea Economic difficulties no doubt contributed to tho keen competition and the considerable originality shown by boys in their representations of Guy Fawkes this year. Shoppers in Karangahape Road on Saturday morning were intrigued by a very diminutivo boy, who, no doubt well aware that it was race day, appeared in the guiso of a jockey, with a well-known name in large letters on his jacket. The habit of representing celebrities, rather unkindly, considering the nature of the festival, was carried even further by another Newton boy. lie carried a placard bearing the name of a Cabinet Minister, whoso designs on Parliament would be strangely foreign to those attributed to tho Guy Fawkea of history.