LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21807, 23 May 1934, Page 10

LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Apple Named In appreciation of the interest of the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, in fruitgrowing, a new apple has been named after him."The apple is a cross between the Delicious and the Gorgeous Crab, and has been named the "Bledisloe Crab." Motor-truck on Fire A motor-tivck, owned by McClymonts Transport, Limited, ice merchants and general carriers, Parnell, caught fire in Grafton. Road yesterday morning, damage being caused to the cab and front portion of the vehicle. Firemen from the central station extinguished the outoreak with first-aid equipment. Northcote Water Supply The recent recommendations of tho special water committee set up by tho Northcote Borough Council, to take steps to locate an artesian supply were further considered at a meeting of tho Borough Council last night. It was decided to invite tenders for sinking three bores of 2Jin., Bin., and lOJin. diameter respectively. The Harbour Bridge Exception was taken at a meeting of tho Northcote Borough Council last night by Mr. N. S. Davidson, the council's director on tho Auckland Harbour Bridge Company, to the connection of the Mayor, Mr. R. Martin, with the Auckland Local Bodies' Harbour Bridge Committee. He asked if tho Mayor had yet dissociated himself from that body. Mr. Martin replied that what ho did in that connection was his own affair, and not the business of the council. Annual Tram Tickets A suggestion that annual tickets should bo available on Sundays is not favoured by the Auckland Transport Board, which adopted a recommendation at yesterday's meeting that no action should be taken on the proposal. The tickets, priced at £l2 12s, were made available to the general public for the first time last June. Similar tickets had previously been issued to social workers and Government and local body officials, these being available on all routes at all times. v Change in Street Name Tho advisability of changing the name of Landscape Road West, Mount Eden, to Boundary Road in order to avoid confusion with Landscape Road East was emphasised at a meeting of the Mount Eden Borough Council last evening, all members being in agreement with the suggestion. "Everybody still calls Landscape Road West by its original name, Boundary Road," said the Mayor, Mr. T. McNab, in recommending the change. Notice of motion to alter the name was given and the proposal will come before the council for confirmation at its next meeting. m Tram Tracks and Rates $|P

An anomalous position, under which the Auckland Transport Board pays rates on its tram tracks to some local bodies and not to others, was mentioned by Mr. J. A. C. Allum, chairman, at yesterday's meeting of the board, when replying to a deputation of Victoria Avenue residents. The board paid sums totalling £7106 under that heading last year. "It is notorious that we get nothing in return for those payments," said Mr. Allum. "In Onehunga wo pay no rates as the system of rating there is based on the unimproved value. We paid no rates in Mount Albert until the rating system there was changed."

Cash Value of Royal Visit Interesting speculations regarding the cash value of a Royal visit are raised by a comment made by Mr. A. Jil. Ford, manager, in submitting to the Auckland Transport Board yesterday his estimates for the current year. "The estimates of traffic receipts are to all intents and purposes the same as for last year," he said. "It has to be borne in mind, however, that Prince Henry is expected to visit Auckland during December and, if the weather is good all the time of his visit, it can be reasonably expected that there will bo very fine traffic days, from which some £2OOO extra may result to the board. No allowance whatever has been made for this in the estimates."

Borough Council Divisions A suggestion that when divisions are taken in the Mount Eden Borough Council the town clerk should officially record how members vote was made by Mr. E. J. Mills at a meeting of the council last evening. Mr. Mills said that on contentious subjects such as tonnis on Sundays it was only fair to councillors that their actions should be permanently recorded. It was the cus-

torn of other local bodies to have tho names of members written down when there were divisions. "It has never beer, done in Mount Eden unless called for," said the Mayor, Mr. T. McNab, "but if any councillor wants the names recorded at any time I am quito agreeable." The matter was not pressed further.

Greymouth Harbour Subsidy The Greymouth Harbour Board, whose subsidy was last year £2625 less than tho £10,500 promised, has received advice from the Marine Department that £3OOO on account of this year's subsidy is being paid, but the Cabinet has not fixed any total for tho year. Originally the board received £15,000 yearly, but after being "docked" all subsidy fori one year the amount has gradually been lowered until it was £7875 last year. Tho matter was brought before Mr. Coates on his visit to Greymouth tho other day, it being stated that, with an estimated revenue of £17,000 to £20,000, there was £13,000 needed for interest and sinking fund on the board debt to the Government. Mr. Coates said the Government would endeavour to meet tho board as far as possible.

Missionaries' Experience Missionaries among primitive people have often reported occurrences which soem to verge on the supernatural. One such was recounted by tho Bishop of Melanesia in an address in Auckland last night. In describing tho pioneer work of tho Native Brotherhood in.previously untouched districts of the large islands in i tho New Hebrides and Solomons the bishop said tho brothers went iabout in pairs,' staying at bush villages and trying to plant the first seeds of Christianity. In one village two of them found tho chief very unfriendly and before leaving went to have a final talk with him as ho sat on his heels at the far end of a path. Ho watched them approach and as they drew near lio said: "I saw three of you a moment ago. Now there aro only two. Who was the third and where has ho gono?" "We saw no one," replied one of the brothers, "but who knows? Perhaps it was our Elder Brother."