LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21698, 13 January 1934, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Fall From Haystack A fracture of the jaw was suffered by a farmhand, Mr. J. Belch, single, aged 21, of Oratia, yesterday, when he fell from a stack while haymaking. He was admitted to the Auckland Hospital. New Season's Mushrooms Small supplies of mushrooms from the Marton district have been sold at the City Markets during tho past week. These are tho first of the new season's crop, no local mushrooms yet being available in any quantity. Prices have ranged from 12s to 16s a tin of about 101b. to 121b. Australian Mail Arriving Two mails from Australia will reach Auckland within three days. The Monterey will arrive from Sydney this morning with 257 bags of Australian mail, including 110 bags for Auckland, and the Marama will arrive from Sydney on Monday morning with 248 bags of Australian mail, including 60 bags for Auckland. Freedom From Accidents No calls to attend accident victims were received yesterday at the headquarters of tho St. John Ambulance in Rutland Street. Members of the transport staff on duty had an unusually quiet day, as only five runs were made. In each instance the case was of a medical nature, and there were no long trips. There was a similar freedom from accidents on Friday last week, when only two calls to cases of this nature were received.

Power Polo on Fire A grass fire a short distance south of the Penrose railway station set light to one of the railway department's heavy power poles about 5.30 p.m. yesterday. It could be seen from the Main South Road blazing fiercely, and several of the power lines had been cut off before the station staff was notified and the outbreak subdued with water. The interference proved to be only trifling, and the connection was restored again in half an hour. Bottles Broken in Collision

A large number of bottles of soft drinks and soda-water siphons were broken when a motor-lorry owned by Grey and Menzies, Limited, on which the bottles were loaded, and a similar vehicle collided at the corner of Queen and Fort Streets shortly after eight o'clock yesterday morning. Broken glass covered a considerable area, and drivers of passing motor vehicles had to pick their way carefully to avoid having their tyres gashed. Neither of the motor-lorries involved in the collision was damaged. Hut tor the Holidays That the modern boy, in spite of having a lot done for him, is still capable of doing something for himself was demonstrated recently by the patience and ingenuity of two Wellington boys. They cycled to Manakau Beach, near Levin, during the recent holidays, and on arrival there, instead of sleeping in a tent, set to work with their sheath knives and constructed out of flax sticks and flax leaves a small but snug whare that would have done credit- to a Maori craftsman. They slept in this hut for about a week, and in it were completely free front the heavy rain that fell during that period.

Work For Boys "Conditions are sounder than for the past three years," said Mr. N. G. Gribble, secretary of • the Boys' Employment Committee, yesterday, in discussing the existing demand for boys in town and country jobs. Mr. Gribble stated that there was an improved tone in the number of enquiries received from dairy farmers, and several sheep farmers had also applied. The wages offered for the employment of boys showed a distinct tendency to rise. Although a smaller number of boys had been offering at the end of last year, there had been an increase this month, and the average y'outh in search of employment was a fine vigorous ' typ?

Weekly News Christmas Number A high tribute to • the Christmas Number of the Auckland ' Weekly News is paid in a letter received by Messrs. A. Yates and Company from the "Waller-Franklin Seed Company, of California. The writer, Mr. L. D. Waller, expresses his thanks for the Christmas Number of the Auckland Weekly News. " We have both enjoyed it very much and think it is a wonderful piece of work, and a masterpiece as regards photography," Mr. Waller stated. " It certainly sells New Zealand, and the writer only wishes that it were possible to drop all the cares and worries of business at this time and take a, ship to your country and enjoy some of the marvellous beauty spots shown in this excellent book. You certainly do not have to go to England for printing or. photography."

Grass and Scrub Fires Several small fires occurred in the city and suburbs yesterday. The Mount Albert brigade received a call shortly after mid-day to 58 Allendale Road, Mount Albert, where a macrocarpa hedge had been set alight by a spark from some burning rubbish. The outbreak was extinguished without difficulty. During the afternoon a grass fire occurred in a vacant section in King's Road, Mount Roskill, and was beaten out by the Mount Roskill brigade. There were further small fires near the railway lino at the end of the Parnell tunnel, and at the Khyber Pass crossing, both being attended by the Parnell brigade, while the City brigade assisted at the Khyber Pass outbreak. A gorse fire near Queen Street, Northcote, yesterday morning, was extinguished by the Northcote brigade.

Movements ol Warships After four days in dock having her hull cleaned and painted, H.M.S. Diomede came out of dock yesterday iafternoon. H.M.S. Dunedin will bo docked on Monday morning. The two warships will remain in port until ;January 22, when they will leave for Port Fitzroy, where the crews will out landing exercises. On January 26 both cruisers will return to Auckland, and on January 29 the Dio•mede will be the flagship at the Anniversary Regatta. The two cruisers wi|l leave for the Hauraki Gulf on January 30 to carry out gunnery exercises, and ion February 3 they will arrive at Kawau whore a regatta will be held. On February 9 they will come to Auckland to refuel and after three days in port they will sail for Russell where they will remain from February 13 to February 24. Afterwards both warships will leave for a two months' cruiso to southern ports, returning to Auckland on April 28.