LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21742, 6 March 1934, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Eels on Stewart Island ' O-ysters are not the only delicacy obtainable on Stewart Island, according to Mr. G. M. Turner, a resident of the island, who gave an address last evening about life at the extreme south of New Zealand, " In the rivers on the island there are eels up to 6ft. in length, and they are very good to eat," said Mr. Turner. Cargoes in Bulk A variety of cargo brought to New Zealand in bulk will bo unloaded at Auckland this week. The steamer Buatus is unloading phosphates, from Nauru Island at King's Wharf, and later in tjho week the steamer Cape Comorin will arrive with sulphur from Texas, the steamer Statira with raw sugar from Java and the tanker Nina Borthen Uitli bulk petrol from San Francisco. Building Dove-tailed Together. Tho fact that a building erected at a whaling ; base at Stewart Island had been constructed in sections in Norway and piit together without nails, was mentioned by Mr. G. M. Turner in an illustrated talk about tho island last evening. " The building was dovetailed together in the Norwegian fashion, but, of course, being in New Zealand, it had to have a corrugated iron roof," said Mr. Turner. Steady Rate Payments City rates are still coming in satisfactorily and up to four o'clock yesterday afternoon, when the office closed for the day, a total of £478,452 had been received, representing payments of rates for tho current year and arrears of outstanding rates. The City Council will require to collect only £16,000 more by March 31 to reach the estimate of 86 per cent of the total rates levied, the percentage on which it based its expenditure for the year. New Zealanders' Loyalty

" One of the aspects of national character which most struck me in New Zealand was your extreme loyalty," said Mr. F. Sibley, of Yorkshire, who spoke at the Rotary Club luncheon yesterday. " At every picture show, when the National Anthem is played and tlio representation of the King appears on the screen, everyone stands to attention in silence. I am sorry to say that in England one will often find some disaffected fellow standing with his hat on." Two Passenger Liners

Shipping arrivals at Auckland this week will include two passenger liners froni Sydney, but there will not be a passenger vessel leaving Auckland for Sydney before next week. The Royal Mail liner Aorangi arrived from Sydney yesterday morning and will sail for Vancouver this morning. She had nearly 100 passengers for Auckland. The Mat-son liner Monterey will arrive at Auckland next Saturday morning from Melbourne and Sydney with a considerable number of passengers. She will resume her voyage to Los Angeles the same day. s

Traffic Block Removed Considerable inconvenience has been occasioned to traffic using Quay iStreet at the junction of Albert Street by the excavations necessary in the building of the new storm-water sewer. For many months the centre of the roadway was fenced off and the heavy volume of traffic proceeding to and from Prince's Wharf was compelled to make a detour. The completion of that part of the sewer work has made it possible to allow traffic to revert to the normal paths and has greatly improved the facilities in that locality. Rescued by Lifeboat A stranger to Sumner, Christdiurch, an elderly man, was swimming in the bay recently, and. finding that he could not easily reach the.shore again, made out for a dinghy which the lifeboat brigado had anchored as a turning point for tho Lyttelton yacht race. He reached this/ and, after resting for some time, decided to attempt the return to the beach. By this time, however, tho dinghy had drifted right into the strong ebb tide stream from the estuary and he found the task impossible. He again clambered into the boat and later was rescued by a motor lifeboat. Shortage of Oity Houses An unsatisfied demand exists in Auckland for houses within easy reach of the city. Land agonts report many inquiries for bungalows of four or five rooms, situated within the second or third tram sections, but prospective tenants not willing to live in the farther suburban areas because of transport costs are finding difficulty in having their requirements met. A tendency apparently exists for those who have lived in flats during the past year or two, partly with tho idea of conserving expenditure, to return to suburban life, but most of them are unwilling to rent houses past the third section. Risks of Fire Brigadesmen

The question of compensation for volunteer brig.idesmen who might be injured while proceeding to a fire in private cars was discussed at the annual meeting in Hamilton yesterday of the United Fire Brigades - Accident Assurance Society. The secretary, Mr. T. J. Watts, of Newmarket, said that it had been a practice for firemen who had not joined the fire engine to travel to the scene of the fire in private cars. It had been found that firemen travelling in this manner were not protected by the ordinary third party cover. The opinion of the Fire Underwriters' Association had been sought, and thisi view of the matter was confirmed. Blue Star Line in Australia

Although the Blue Star Line steamers have been trading to New Zealand since December it will be some months yet before the line enters the Australian trade. Sir Edmund Vestey, who is a director of the Union Cold Storage Company, and is head of the Blue. Star Line, is at present visiting Australia and has. intimated that the first ship of the line will load in Australia in October. Which ship will be used has not yet been decided. Sir Edmund is accompanied by Lady Vestey and it has been announced in Australia that it is their intention to come to New Zealand and visit Dunedin, which is Lady Vestey's birthplace.

New Street Lamps The new street lighting system in Upper Queen Street, which is now in full operation, is greatly appreciated by pedestrians. So far as motorists are concerned, the increased glaro from the lamps is relieved to some extent by their greater height above the roadway arid- the better general illumination. A certain amouut of glare cannot be avoided by drivers of cars descending well-lighted streets that have a considerable grade, since, some of the lamps must be somewhere near eye-level. Those installed in Upper Queen Street aro of a type new to Auckland, with a clear inverted glass globe and metal shade, and an inner prismatic fitting which .increases the power of the light up and down the roadway.