LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21471, 20 April 1933, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Child Struck by Car As a result of being knocked down by a motor-car in Dominion Road, near the Valley lioad intersection, shortly after 4 p.m. yesterday, an 11-year-old girl, Fay Gordon, who lives at 308 Dominion Koad, received a fracture of the right leg. She was admitted to the Auckland Hospital. Accident Victim's Condition Improvement took place yesterday in the condition of Mr. Edward Kennedy, secretary to the Cooks and Stewards' Union of New Zealand, who received concussion and other head injuries on Tuesday afternoon as a result of falling down a flight of stairs. Mr. Kennedy, who is a resident of Wellington, is no longer considered to be in a serious condition. Crowds at Whakarewarewa The thermal attractions at Whakarewarewa were a source of great interest to a largo number of visitors during Easter week-end when approximately 3000 persons made a tour of the sights. The principal geysers, with tho exception of Pohutu, were active during the greater portion of the period. The work already done at Whakarewarewa under tho beautifying scheme has enhanced tho appearance of the village,, especially in the vicinity of the bridge. Relief Workers in Newmarket " Such a position does not apply in our district," stated Mr. S. Donaldson, Mayor of Newmarket, at a meeting of the Borough Council last evening, in referring to a suggestion recently made in Auckland that, among some local authorities, regular employees had been displaced by relief workers. Mr. Donaldson said there could not be any contention- that such an advantage had been taken of the relief schemes in Newmarket. The council's staff was working full time, and the proper rates of pay were being received. Power Board Charges "Tho Power Boai'd is throttled by the palatial offices in Queen Street," said Mr. T. McNab, Mayor of Mount Eden, addressing a meeting of ratepayer 6 last evening. Everyone wanted to have his house lighted more cheaply, he said, but with the enormous amount of money "tied up in that building" it was not possible for the board to reduce charges. Mr. McNab said the ridiculous payment by the board of thousands of pounds to a coal company would debar consumers from receiving any reduction in electrical charges next year. Decreased School Attendances According to the annual reports of several school committees, the legislation preventing the enrolment at school of children under six years of age has had a noticeable effect on attendances. The roll at the Maungawhau School at the end of last month totalled 617, children, compared with 690 on March 31, 1932, tho comparative attendances at the Parnell School being 363 and 457. In each case the decreased attendance is attributed, at least in part, to the ing of the sehool entrance age. A considerable decrease in attendance is also reported by the Meadowbank School Committee. Disappointed Candidate

" Better late than never " is a precept of which a returning officer can take no heed on nomination day. An aspirant for a seat on the Auckland City Council discovered that fact to his cost yesterday. Tho prospective candidate, who, incidentally, had been a member of the council until unseated at the poll two years ago, arrived with his nomination paper within two minutes of noon, tho closing hour. Unaccountably, he had omitted to secure the requisite two signatures to his paper. In great haste he departed in search of nominators, and returned with his signed paper at five minutes past noon. Tho nomination was declined. Increased Railway Traffic An increase of £1282 was shown in the total revenue at the Morrinsville railway station for the financial year ended on March 31 compared with the previous year. Five thousand more tickets were sold than in the previous year, the increase being over 25 per cent, but owing to the reduction in fares the increase in passenger revenue was only £36. Goods traffic handled increased by 1115 tons. The total number of sheep and pigs despatched from Morrinsville was nearly 105,000, which was 6000 fewer than in the previous year owing to farmers changing over from sheep to dairy cattle. The favourable dairying season contributed largely to the increase in goods traffic. Poaching and Vandalism The New Zealand Native Bird Protection Society is still receiving reports of poaching and vandalism from many parts of New Zealand. Tho administration of tho Conservation Acts, it was stated at a meeting of the society in Wellington, fell far short of being efficient. Reports wero received of tho wholesale shooting of godwits, stilts (a protected species), and sea birds from motor-cars on the Ninety-Mile Beach, in spite of enactment prohibiting shooting from motor-cars. On Stewart Island poaching was indulged in very freely, and the results of the poaching wero disposed of openly, while in the more northern districts pigeons and kiwis wero illegally killed in large numbers. "Much waste of wild life revonuo," it was stated, "is undoubtedly the result of our present weak methods in attempting conservation, and all with less than negligible results." Newmarket Valuations How tho valuation of property in Newmarket had increased without a setback between tho years 1924-25 and 1932-33, was indicated by tho Mayor, Mr. S. Donaldson, in a report to the Borough Council last evening. Tho valuation in January, 1932, stood at £90,984, compared with £89,457 for the previous year, but subsequent adjustments left a net gain of £553, or O.fi of the total. In previous years there had been such substantial increases as 9.4 per cent in 1926, 9.2 per cent in 1925, 6 per ceiit in 1927. and 5.4 per cent in 1930. The 1933-34 valuation was now being considered, and a large number of objections had yet to ho determined by the Assessment Court. In view of tho existing difficulties and the general depreciation in values, Mr. Donaldson thought it would be hard to avoid a heavy decline in the figures for the coming year.