LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21919, 1 October 1934, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Netting of Whitebait The run of whitebait has started in the Bay of Plenty, and Maoris have commenced netting from the banks near the mouth of the Tarawera River at MAtata. About 30 Maoris were there with nets one day last week, but reported that it was a poor run. Recorder for Bass Strait The cable steamer Recorder will leave for Bass Strait on Wednesday morning to repair a break in the Tas-mania-Meibourne cable. The vessel will first proceed to Williamstown to take on board spare cable to be used for the repair work. She is expected to be absent from Auckland for three weeks. A Brief Downpour A short, sharp rainstorm of great intensity struck the Mount Eden and Epsom districts at about 2.15 p.m. yesterday and flooded the street channels in a few minutes. Pedestrians had to run for shelter, but the storm moved quickly eastward and was soon over. Northward the limits of the downpour did not extend further along Symonds Street than Grafton Bridge. City Council Sections The City Council contemplates offering at auction in the near future a number of sections, some of which will be for sale and some for lease. These are situated in different parts of the city and suburbs. Dilapidated houses are about to be removed from two sections in Ponsonby Road, which will probably afterward be offered at auction with the other sections. Flowering Clematis An abundance of flowering clematis has been seen by motorists driving through the fine tracts of bush in the Rotorua district recently. Great bunches of white flowers are to be seen near the tops of rimu trees, including many bordering the road on the Mamaku Hills. The flowers show up clearly against the dull green of the rimus, and are visible from long distances. Stowaway on Aorangl A stowaway who claimed to be a New Zealander was discovered on board the Aorangi the day after she left Vancouver on her present southward voyage. The man's status was the subject of an inquiry yesterday, but the matter had not been settled last night. It is therefore doubtful whether hj« will be brought before the Police Court at Auckland or taken on to Sydney as a prohibited immigrant. Captain Cook's Cottage The original front door key of Captain Cook's cottage at Great Ayton, Yorkshire, now removed to Melbourne, will be on view in a window at Milne and Choyce's, Queen Street, until this afternoon, together with a coloured photograph of the building. The key is being taken to Australia by Mrs. Arnold Dixon, a member of the Royal Empire Society's delegation to the Melbourne Centenary. Mrs. Dixon's family owned the cottage prior to its removal. Speeding at Mercer Representations regarding speeding by some motorists through Mercer have been made to the Automobile Association. The road in the township is through a congested area, where extra caution is necessary. After travelling over the long stretches of open road on the Bombay deviation or near Rangiriri, motorists in many cases fail to appreciate the speed at which they are travelling, even although pace has been reduced. The association urges that motorists should observe caution when travelling through the township. High Wind at Rotorua The boisterous weather experienced in the Rotorua district during the last few days resulted in "heavy seas" on exposed portions of Lakes Rotorua and Rotoiti, and waves broke on the lower end of Rotoiti with great force. The wind at times was strong enough to lift the spray high up on to the wooded cliffs, while timber workers on the foreshore wero drenched. The timber barge from the top of the lake had to seek shelter, the force of the wind being so severe that it was impossible to load the logs. Trees came down in a few places on Hongi's Track, but were | quickly cleared and did not delay traffic. The World Outlook "It is impossible to express an opinion on the general trend of w.orld events," said Mr. A. C. Davidson, general manager of the Bank of New South Wajes, in an interview on board the AorangT yesterday. "The position changes so rapidly that even days can the outlook. There are three main influences to be taken into consideration —the situation in Europe, the changing scene in the United States and the general position of the British Empire. The lastnamed seems to be showing satisfactory progress in many directions. The United States is btill in t}ie stage of transition, while affairs on the Continent of Europe remain a cause of anxiety. Each of these influences, of course, afcacts the others." Hotel Accommodation Taxed Auckland hotels experienced an exceptionally busy time during the weekend. Jn addition to people who arrived in town in preparation for their departure by the Aorangi to-night, the boat brought a large number of visitors, including a party representing the British National Union and the Overseas League who are on their way to Melbourne and are seeing something of the Dominion en route. Over I<o passengers landed from the Aorangi, a largo proportion of whom had to find accommodation in the city, and several of the leading hotels had to turn away intending guests. There is ample evidence that the Dominion will benefit materially from the Melbourne Centenary celebrations, as many of those whose chief objective is the visit to Australia apparently intend to include New Zealand in their itinerary. Change of Attitude The changed role of the magistrate in the community was referred to by Bishop West-Watson, in supporting a motion of thanks to Mr. H. P. La\\i,y, S.M., at the annual meeting of St. Anne's Guild in Christchurch, vhen Mr. Lawry gave an address on "Legal Aids for Rescue Work." Formerly, said the bishop, magistrates were required to vindicate the law and protect society. Nowadays, however, they had to exercise a kind of paternal function. They had to consider the welfare of the offenders and protect their interests as well as the interests of society, and, where possible, restore them to their proper place in society. Rather a wonderful change had taken place, he said. They could see wonderful progress of what they believed to; be the proper Christian spirit in dealing with offenders. Not only had there been a change in the attitude of the law, but a change in the attitude of the people toward the offenders.