LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21493, 17 May 1933, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Ambulance's Long Journey A distance of 215 miles in one run was covered by a St. John ambulance which brought a woman who was seriously ill to Auckland from Matakohe yesterday. The ambulance left at 8 a.m. and returned at 5.30 p.m., the return journey with the patient being made at a comfortable pace.

Building in Mount Albert Building permits to a total of 28 were issued in the Mount Albert borough in the four weeks ended May 11, according to a report submitted to a mooting of the Mount Albert Borough Council last evening. The permits embraced the following work:—Two dwellings, two store sheds, ono office, eight motorsheds and 15 alterations.

Protection of Cabbages A Wanganui Chinese market gardener says that he has discovered a means of keeping tho white butterfly off his cabbago patch. Ho states that he noticed that the butterfly did not settle on the lettuce plants, so by way of experiment he boiled a quantity of outside lettuce leaves and sprayed tho pabbages with tho water. The result, lie states, was highly satisfactory. Children With Trolleys

The danger to life resulting from children playing with trolleys on tho roads and footpaths was referred to at a meeting of the Mount Albert Borough Council last evening, when letters on the subject were received from two residents of the borough. The Mayor, Mr. W. F. Stilwell, said the practice was becoming rather worrying. At his suggestion the matter was referred to the Public Service Committee for a report. '

Four Liners lor Sydney Four liners arc leaving New Zealand for Sydney with passengers this week, three departing from Auckland and one from Wellington. The Royal Mail liner Aorangi, en route from Vancouver, left Auckland last evening, and to-morrow afternoon the Marama will leave Auckland, and the Monowai will sail from Wellington. The American liner Monterey, which is due at Auckland from Los Angeles on Friday morning, is to sail for Sydney and Melbourne the same evening.. Bridge at Henderson

The new bridge over the Oratia stream at Henderson, on the main highway to Helensvillc, has been available for traffic for some months, but the approaches have been left in rather a rough state, apparently to allow the filling to consolidate. Concrete is to bo laid to complete the road surface, but, owing to delay in having the work done, the Automobile Association is communicating with the Main Highways Board with a view to having better conditions provided.

Money lor Missions In the course of a discussion of ways and means of meeting the church's missionary obligations, at a meeting of the Wellington Presbytery last week, one of the women delegates suggested a novel method of enlisting the support of church members for the cause. " I am sure," she said, " that if the Moderator of the General Assembly were to announce that he will fast until the money is all in, it would speedily be forthcoming. Our people are as ready as any others to respond to a noble and self-sacrificing gesture." Woman as Oross-examlner

It is seldom that a woman sets out in Court to cross-examine a witness, but this happened in the Wanganui Court last week in a civil debt claim, the woman's questions being direct and to the point. "You smoke?" she remarked to the debtor. "Yes," he replied. "Well, smoking is a luxury," said the woman. "All I smoke would not keep you in pin money," remarked the debtor. "I know some time ago you had threo packets of cigarettes a day," said the woman; "one in the morning, one at dinner time, and one in the evening."

Octopuses Stranded Hundreds of octopases were to be seen stranded among rocks left bare at low tide along the shore between Anderson's Bay and Portobello, near Dunedin, on Sunday. The average size was about six feet from tip to tip of the tentacles. Naturalists do not understand the mysterious urge of certain fish to breed and then seek shallow waters in which to die as is the case with octopuses at certain seasons. Schools of whales, as many as a hundred at a time have been found driven on shore and the occurrence has been attributed to the same strange phenomenon of Nature.

Large Cargoes oi Phosphates Threo large overseas vessels with over 23,000 tons of phosphates will reach Auckland from the Pacific phosphate islands within eight days. The steamer Portfield arrived from Makatea Island yesterday afternoon with over 7000 tons of phosphates for discharge at Auckland and Wanganui. Next Tuesday the motor-ship Speybank is due from Ocean Island, and tho steamer Parracombe from Nauru Island, each with full cargoes of phosphates. The Speybank has 8500 tons, all for discharge at Auckland, and tho Parracombe has 8050 tons for Auckland, New Plymouth and Wanganui. Old Boys' Colours

The desirability of limiting the use of official colours to bona-fide college old boys is referred to in tho annual report of tho Wellington .College Old Boys' Association, which will be submitted at tho annual meeting of tho association toward tho end of this month. It is pointed out in tho report that there is no legislation to prevent tho pirating of colours. Tho committee recommends that tho association should join in tho action which is being taken by kindred associations in other parts of New Zealand with a view to obtaining somo protection for old boys' ties and blazers.

Motor-vessel From Kaiapoi With a cargo of 100 tons of onions, potatoes, bran, sharps and wheat, tho coastal motor-vessel Foxton arrived at Wellington on Sunday from Kaiapoi, tho first vessel to arrive from that port for many years. The Foxton' is also the largest vessel to work Kaiapoi for 20 years. There was a crowd at Kaiapoi last Friday night to ■ greet tho Foxton, farmers from all over the district being present to see their own produce loaded. In crossing the Waimakariri bar to get to Kaiapoi that evening the Foxton touched bottom, while ono of tho crow of tho pilot boat which was endeavouring to cross the bar to put the pilot on boardHho Foxton was washed overboard and had a narrow escape from drowning in tho heavy seas,.