LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21404, 31 January 1933, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Injured Broadsiders Satisfactory progress toward recovery is being made by the two cinder-track riders, E. J. F. Bay and D. G. Mattson, who were injured as a result of a collision at Western Springs Speedway on Saturday evening. They were admitted to the Auckland Hospital suffering chiefly from concussion. Wandering Albatrosses A full-grown albatross, a bird rarely seen on land, was found by Mr. R. Buiek in his garden at Kahutara, South Wairarapa, lrst week. The bird, which bore no shot marks or wounds of any description, appears to bo quite healthy and fairly tame. It id understood that Mr. Buick is offering it to the Wellington Zoo. Another albatross was found a few days ago at Appleby, Nelson.

Special Oars for Farmers In order to provide for tho conveyance of the party of Victorian farmers, who returned to Auckland from Rotorua yesterday afternoon, and later left on the Monterey, three cars and a van were added to the Rotorua express. The train was thus an unusually long one, and, apart from tho 77 members of the farmers' party, was well patronised. The scene ori tho arrival platform of the station as the passengers alighted was an animated one.

Ladies and their Ages "Do you know all the signatories on this petition ?" inquired Mr. F. W. Aicken, of the Railways Department, of Mr. J. Gibson during the hearing of an appeal before the Transport Appeal Board in Wanganui last week. "Yes, I do," replied Mr. Gibson. "And I suppose they are all over the ago of 21 ?" asked Mr. Aicken. "Yes," answered .Mr. Gibson. "Except the ladies, of course," remarked Mr. Justice Frazer. "They never are," he added with a smile.

Stolen Bicycle Reappears When he was near the Supremo Court buildings in Christchurch the other day, a newspaper reporter saw a bicycle which seemed familiar to him, and on making a close examination he found it was one he had lost 18 months ago. After a few minutes a man came out of one of the buildings and prepared to ride away on the bicycle. When the owner ran after him the man jumped off and escaped. The police confirmed the fact that the bicycle recovered was the one that had been stolen. Unemployed Teachers From a discussion at a meeting of the Wellington Education Board last week it would appear that unemployment in the teaching profession during 1933 is likely to be as acute, if not slightly more so, than last year. The Wellington district will start with a surplus of 103 teachers, and from this figure it is estimated that about 1000 teachers throughout New Zealand will be unemployed on February 1. At the end of the last school year only eleven teachers, it is stated, were actually unemployed in the Wellington district.

Shirt-sleeves in Court. Clothes do not make the man, it is said, but when the plaintiff in a civil action appeared in the Christchurch Court last week in his shirt sleeves, prepared to enter the witness-box, the law had to object. So plaintiff looked round for a coat to cover him while he took the oath. One of his witnesses surrendered his coat and the shirt-sleeved plaintiff was duly sworn in in his borrowed plumes. The owner of the coat next had to take the stand. He was bundled back into his own coat by the plaintiff and entered the box pulling on the garment. In Search of the Huia

Some authorities on New Zealand bird life, as recently stated, express the belief that the huia is not altogether extinct and may possibly be found in localities far from the haunts of man. It has been suggested that these birds might still exist in the Kaimanawa Ranges, where they were fairly plentiful in 1905. A member of a Wanganui party that recently went into the ranges from Utiku said that it would require a wellorganised party to remain there for at least a month if an extensive search for the huia was to be made. The country was so formidable that an expedition could not hope for success in less than that period, Kumara's Mild Gold Boom

There is a mild gold boom at Kumara, Westland, and several claims have been pegged out. One section of about an eighth of an acre lias been purchased for £SO. The land adjacent was worked some years ago. The activity is attributed to the satisfactory gold returns that some of the miners are securing. The difficulty in the town to-day is the want of water for mining, as the water race which, in the past years, belonged to the Government, and supplied all the water necessary for goldmining, has been purchased by a company for developing electricity for farm power and lighting purposes. The company has not sufficient to assist mining, after its own needs have been supplied.

" Auld Lang Syne " An appeal that lovers of Scottish song should preserve the dignity of the great Burns' work, "Auld Lang Syne," was made in Dunedin last. Wednesday by Mr. W. Wood in the course of an address on the Scottish nationaj. poet at the Burns anniversary gathering. " 'Auld Lang Syne,' " Mr. Wood said, "is the most- abused song that has ever been written. There is never n carousal at a street corner at which it is not sung. 'Auld Lang Syne' was not written for such a purpose, it, was written to bind together Scottish men and women in good fellowship, and I appeal to-night in all seriousness to the members of the Dunedin Burns Club to rescue the song from such abuses."

Cornwell Oup Enthusiasts Of two hundred children, ranging from four lo 10 years of age, who watched ilie Cornwell Cup contest last Friday, says tlio Christchurch Times, at least 199 had apparently determined to represent Lyttolton at some future contest, judging by the keen interest they took in the racing and the expressions overheard, which created considerable amusement for the adult bystanders. There is no doubt that if the Lyttelton skipper had acted upon their wishes the local boat would have been "heme and diied" almost before the other contestants had started. It was a sad disappointment to the boys when Auckland won the race in the morning, and about 50 misguided youngsters hooted heartily as the victor crossed tho line. They made up for thati incident, however, by cheering the Auckland boys when they won again later in the day.