LOCAL AND GENERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22108, 14 May 1935, Page 8

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Accident Victim's Condition Considerable improvement occurred yesterday in the condition of Mr. J. D. Cour'j of 88 Ponsonbv Road, who was admitted to the Auckland Hospital on Saturday morning, suffering from severe concussion received when attempting to stop a runaway cart-horse. Mr. Court's condition is no longer serious. Paerata Road Sealing Work was commenced by the contractors yesterday morning on the t.arsealing of 149 chains of the WaiuknDrury highway. The distance to be sealed covers from the present end of the tar-sealing at the Pukekohe Borough boundary to Jamieson's corner, past Paerata. A number of workmen and extensive plant are engaged. The contract price is £2035. Reward ol Honesty Honesty is said to be its own reward. That proverb may serve as consolation to an Auckland resident who found £B9 in banknotes, principally of small denominations, the property of an overseas visitor, who was staying at a large and expensive city hotel. He made duo inquiries and eventually returned the money to its owner, who, with a magnanimous gesture, handed out a florin as a reward. Correct Name of Famous Lake In an interview in Christchurch Mr. T. Fenton, a former member of the Legislative Council of Uganda, South Africa, corrected an impression, widely entertained, that the name of Uganda's great lake. Victoria Nyanza, is Lake Victoria Nyanza. The word Nyanza, he said, was the native name for lake. , and so the correct name for this vast stretch of water, which covers about 26,000 square miles, is either Victoria Nyanza or Lake Victoria. Search for Car Driver Widespread inquiries were made bv detectives yesterday in an endeavour to trace the driver of the motor-car that knocked down and injured Miss Ethne Mary Chitty. aged 23, of Kumeu, on Lincoln Road, near Brigham's Creek, on Sunday night. The driver failed to stop after the accident. Miss Chitty, who suffered concussion and a fractured ankle, was taken to the Auckland Hospital. Her condition last night had improved and was no longer serious. Royal Jubilee at Sea The Silver Jubilee of the accession to the throne of His Majesty the King was celebrated at sea on board the Royal Mail liner Aorangi, which arrived at Auckland from Vancouver yesterday. On May 6 the liner was en route from Honolulu to Suva, and a special service, conducted by Captain J. Spring-Brown, was held in the saloon. It was attended by all the passengers and all members of the crew who were not actually on duty at the time. Later various passengers made the occasion one for fitting celebrations. Trained Minds Needed An appeal to university graduates to interest themselves more in the government of the country, and to make it their aim to give service to the community in public life, was made by Mr. W. Thomas, formerly Rector of the Timaru Boys' High School, in i his Diploma Day address at the annual I graduation ceremony at Canterbury Col- ! lege. He emphasised the need for | trained thinking in the administration of public affairs, and urged the graduates who were about to leave the college to do their utmost for the preservation of democracy and intellectual freedom.

Rotary Club " Tines " "Fines" for a variety of "offences" were imposed on members of the Auckland Rotary Club by the president, Mr. G. L. Taylor, at the club's weekly luncheon yesterday. Mr. Taylor announced that 21 members had been honoured by having jubilee medals conferred on them and he thought they should contribute 2s 6d each to the club's Sunshine Box. The president also congratulated the two members of the club who alone had retained their seats at the recent local body elections, Mr. T- MoNab, Mayor of Mount Eden, and Mr. J. L. Coakley, a member of the City Council. He then proceeded to fine them both. Man's Lack o 1 Observation

"How very lacking in curiosity the average man —the 'man in the street' he is sometimes called —often is," remarked Professor H. W. Segar, who presided at an Auckland Institute and Museum lecture at the University College last evening. "He carries about with him in his own body many marvels; he does not know about them. He talks, and eats and sleeps, and he does not know why. He walks at night and sees the stars. But they are so many points of light to him." Professor Segar emphasised the wealth of interest which could often be found in everyday matters by even a little effort iB inquiring.

Level-crossing Danger The duty of every motorist in approaching railway level-crossings was emphasised by the Crown Prosecutor, Mr. V. R. Meredith, in the Supreme Court yesterday, in a case in whicli a young man, whose motor-car collided with a train, was charged with negligent driving, thereby causing the death of one of his passengers. Mr. Meredith said motorists had to realise that a train, unlike a motor-car, could not he stopped quickly owing to its weight. Accordingly, it was tl)o duty of a motorist to satisfy himself completely by obtaining a view of the line that a train was not approaching. It was always the car and not the train that was expected to stop. Air Mali From China

On May 9 there appeared for the first time in the Presbyterian Foreign Mission mail from China, an envelope marked " Par Avion." No doubt the day will come when New Zealand will be linked by fast transport direct with the East, but as there is no word of it in these davs, the letter was opened with .some curiosity. The contents revealed that it had travelled from Canton to Singapore, where it connected with the air line from London to Sydney and thence by steamer to Auckland. The letter was dated April 18 and had taken 21 days on the journey. It is not quite ft record as a letter by a direct Japanese cargo steamer has reached Auckland in 20 days, but it shows what will be possible when air lines connect China and the Far East with Singapore, and a transtasman air line links Sydney with New Zealand. It also indicates the important position Singapore will occupy as a junction of world air lines.