LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21562, 5 August 1933, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Supplies of Island Fruit Further supplies of Island fruit are expected on the market next week. Tho Waikawa will bring about 9000 cases of Cook Island oranges and a small shipment of tomatoes, and the Niagara is carrying 3000 cases of Fiji bananas. Both vessels aro duo on Monday. Californian oranges and stone fruit will be landed from tho Mariposa on Friday. Five Pounds in Ten Minutes "I earned £5 in 10 minutes this morning," said a defendant in tho Police Court yesterday, in giving details of his financial position. "I wish I could do that," replied tho magistrate, Mr. W. 11. McKeaj}. Defendant hastened to explain that he was a steeplejack, and although well paid when working, ho was not employed permanently. All Found Guilty A most unusual feature of tho quarterly criminal sessions of the Supremo Court, which commenced on Tuesday of last week and ended yesterday, has been that in no caso has a verdict of not guilty been returned. In tho 13 cases sent for trial by tho grand jury a verdict of guilty has eventually been found in every instance. Leave to appeal has been granted in one caso and is being asked for in another.

New Auxiliary Yacht Tho new auxiliary yacht built by Mr. G. B. Hogan, of Devonport, for his own uso will bo moved from his yard to tho Dovonport Yacht Club's slip this morning, in preparation for launching in about a week's time. The craft, which is 30 feet over all, with a beam of 11 feet and a draught of fivo feet, will be rigged as a staysail schooner and will be named tho Mangawai. It is tho intention of Mr. Hogan to cruiso as far south as Wellington next season.

Touchstone of Accuracy A touchstone of accuracy was suggested by a witness when giving evidence before the Transport Appeal Board yesterday. He produced a statement, signed by a number of motorbus patrons and setting forth the distance which each lived from a railway station. "Hero is one man who sayn ho lives 1J miles from a station," said Mr. Aickin, Railways Board representative, to witness. "Do you know that ho lives 12 miles away?" "He says so there," replied witness. "Yes, but do you know?" persisted Mr. Aickin. "If ho says he lives lj miles away you can be sure ho is right," replied witness. "He is a very accurate gentleman. He is a Government oflicial." Roads to the West Coast A striking proof of the value of tho improvements being carried out to "West Coast rouds in the Waitemata County by relief workers was afforded yesterday by tho experience of two Auckland ministers who visited several of the relief camps. In spite of hours of heavy rain, roads which a few months ago would have, been very difficult after only showers ivere in splendid order yesterday. A car was driven right to the fiats of both the Pilia and Karekare Beaches without any trouble. Another feature of tho works is that a finer type of metal is being used than was employed on the # stretches metalled some years ago, and as a result a very much smoother road surface is produced.

Cost of Running a Train That the cost of running a train might be estimated at about 14s a mile was stated by an official of the Railways Department when giving evidence before the Transport Appeal Board yesterday. He stated this figure, although more or less in the nature of a guess, would include all capital and overhead charges. There were so many circumstances to bo taken into account, such as whether or not the engine furnace had first to be lighted, that without detailed data only a very approximate estimate could be made. It would be impossible to state a cost without going into each particular case. The cost of staffing a train and operating the engine might be about 2s 6d a mile. When told that the cost of running a train had been stated as 15s a mile, witness commented that his guess was a fairly accurate one.

Hundreds of Balloons A number of Girl Guides who volunteered to assist the Mayoress, Mrs. G. W. Hutchison, in making preparations for the children's party at the Town Hall to-day, wfcro given a task yesterday which soon taxed their powers. This was the operation of inflating 500 rubber balloons. With puffed-out cheeks they carried on the task, but by the time they had finished about 200 of the balloons many of the girls were out of breath. However, they enjoyed the experience and persevered until they had a stack of inflated balloons of amazing proportions, which should delight the children at the party. Each of the balloons had a grotesquo figure painted on it and had to be attached to a cardboard base representing a pair of feet. The children will find that when the balloon is thrown in the air the figure will always land on its feet.

Plenty of Machinery A novel suggestion, that the needless importation of machinery and plant should bo discouraged for the time being, was made to the Tariff Commission yesterday by Mr. J. W. Tattersfield, governing director of Tattersfield, Limited. Ho said there was in New Zealand a large amount of available machinery, especially public bodies' roadmaking plant, together with heavy vehicles and electrical equipment of certain kinds. It would be a sound policy, ho believed, for the Government to require would-be importers of machinery to satisfy the Customs Department, at any rate for, the next year or two, that the plant they required could not be bought in Now Zealand in good condition, at a fair and reasonable price. Much money had been spent in tho past few years in foreign countries for plant which was somewhere in stock in New Zealand and could have been found if it had been looked for.

Busy Week in Port Tho Port of Auckland will bo exceptionally busy during tho early part of next week. The Commonwealth and Dominion Lino motor-ship Port Dunedin is loading at Central Wharf, while, at Queen's Wharf tho Shaw, Savill and Albion motor-ship Karamea is loading and tho New Zealand Shipping Company's motor-liner Rangitane is discharging cargo On Monday tho Royal Mail liner Niagara will arrive from Vancouver, the New Zealand Shipping Company's steamer Piako front New York and the Japanese motor-ship Brisbano Maru from Wellington. Tho Union Company's transpacific steamer Waikawa also is expected 011 Monday from Los Angeles, tho colliers Waipahi and Canopus from Westport, and the Waipiata from southern ports. On Tuesday the Marama is due from Sydney and the tanker Sagona is expected the same day from San Francisco. Other vessels to arrive later in tho week will be tho Canadian Highlander from Montreal, the Yoseric from Java, the Kartigi from Melbourne and the Mariposa from San Francisco.